Report: Elgin City 2-1 Berwick Rangers
Paul Willis notched his eighth goal of the season from the spot.
Berwick failed to make one of their two games in hand against Elgin City count and fell down to sixth in the league in the process after a Shane Sutherland double was enough to see off the ‘Gers.
Sutherland opened his account inside 10 minutes with a tap in, but Berwick responded in the second half through a Paul Willis penalty.
In a carbon copy of what happened against Queen’s Park on Saturday though, Berwick were back level for only a matter of minutes as Sutherland grabbed his second to take Elgin level on points with the ‘Gers.
Archie MacPhee had two early chances, firing straight at Billy Bald from close range before shooting wide from the edge of the area.
He had a more telling impact in the ninth minute though as the home side took the lead. The winger played in Craig Gunn, whose shot from a narrow angle looked to be trickling in, before Sutherland made sure by tapping in on the line.
Aiming to hit back, Jonny Fairbairn rattled the bar with a header from a Willis corner, while Scott Maxwell found himself unmarked and in a great position in the box, but he couldn’t bring the ball down and the chance went begging.
Berwick were handed the chance to get back on level terms in the 67th minute, when Jamie Duff was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box from a Colin Cameron effort on goal. Up stepped Willis, whose penalty nestled into the bottom corner for the midfielder’s eighth goal of the season.
But it wasn’t to stay that way as Elgin went back in front six minutes later, when a long ball from Darryl McHardy was flicked into the six-yard box by substitute Brian Cameron and Sutherland got in between Kerr Young and Bald to send a looping header over the stranded Berwick keeper.
The ‘Gers exerted some pressure late on from corners but couldn’t pull another goal back, coming closest when a deflected strike from Lee Currie hit the side netting.
Match highlights are available on Elgin City’s website.
