Newburgh travelled over the border to visit Tweedmouth Rangers, now sharing home with Berwick Rangers at Shielfield Park. The visitors had a number of absentees, notably in midfield with Kian Beattie, Cammy Newsome and Owen McNally unavailable, as was Cammy Taylor in defence. But it’s a squad game and it gave an opportunity for others to shine.
It was Tweedmouth who started the game quickest with Dixon forcing Scott Kyles into action within the first 30 seconds of the game. In the 6th minute Calum Black then tested Rangers keeper Dunn from distance but the keeper got his hands to it comfortably.
The home side had a great chance to open the scoring in the 8th minute following a smart one-two on the left between Straughton and Gruter saw the former through on goal and take round Kyles but the keeper did enough to put the striker off and his last touch took it too far out of reach and the ball ran behind.
The pressure on Kyles’ goal continued in the opening stages and a header from a corner flashed across goal and wide in the 15th minute, Straughton then forced Kyles into a save a few moments later. Then on 17 minutes McNaughton’s low effort had the keeper down low to push behind for a conrer.
Newburgh were starting to get a bit more of a foothold in the game after a slow start with Mackenzie Williamson having a good driving run down the left before Tweedmouth netted what turned out to be the only goal of the game in the 29th minute.
Straughton did well to beat the offside trap and Kyle Tracey to the ball into the Burgh area, but the defence missed a chance to clear and the ball fell to Howden to run onto an curl a spectacular shot into the top corner of the net from the edge of the area.
On 34 minutes Willie Laing was on the end of a corner to the far post and his headed bounced across the goal and wide of the far post. Then on 42 minutes a shot from about 25 yards out by Calum Leadbeatter ricocheted of a defender to wrong foot Dunn but the keeper corrected himself to pounce on the ball just before it went in. Williamson then had an effort over before the break.
It wasn’t the greatest Burgh performance, but they looked to get off to a better start in the second half with two chances falling to Andrew McCallion. Firstly he flicked a header just wide of the far post. Then moments later Finn Bannerman played a ball around the home defence for McCallion to run onto him but with the keeper narrowing the angle, the shot went wide.
Kyles was keeping alert and earning his corn at the other end when he did well to punch away a high ball under pressure and then pounced on the follow up in the 50th minute.
Whilst Burgh seemed to be getting more and more possession, they weren’t really creating too much in the way of chances or testing Dunn. Williamson had an effort in the 69th minute that deflected off a defender and looped over the bar.
Kyles still had to be ready, however, and he was earning his Man of the Match award when Straughton was put through but couldn’t find his way past the keeper.
The second half seemed to be more about Burgh possession without converting it to chances and the home side breaking away and looking to kill off the game when they got forward.
The full time whistle went to give a hard-earned three points for Tweedmouth against a Burgh side who were not at their best.
Man of the Match: Scott Kyles (sponsored by Campion Homes).
