Believe - Haynes wants Berwick players to show mental strength
Berwick Rangers boss Kevin Haynes was left questioning his player’s belief as they crashed to the first defeat since he took charge.
The ‘Gers went down 2-1 at home to fourth-placed Tranent as a goal in each half put the visitors in control before a late spell of pressure brought a consolation.
Haynes now wants his team to dig deep into their mental stamina after a long season of disappointing results that have left the black and golds rooted near the foot of the Lowland League table.
They are back at MKM Shielfield again this Saturday when they take on a Cumbernauld Colts side just two points and a place ahead of them in 15th.
“The will to pass the ball came in the last 15 minutes and was it because we’re 2-0 down and we’re effectively out of the game and we start passing the ball and have a bit belief?” the gaffer said after.
“I questioned that today. I felt that they didn’t believe they could get something out of the game and asked them at half time. They told me that they did and that’s great, they’ve got the belief that they’re going to do it but I just felt we lacked a bit of that. In the situation we’re in, we need to believe that we’re good enough to get out of it.”
Tranent went close as Ben Miller bent over a teasing free kick from the left and Daniel Handling’s diving header crashed up and over off the face of the bar.
They did take the lead on the half hour when Euan Greig was played in down the left and fired a powerful shot across Calum Antell into the far side of the goal.
Antell produced a top-class diving save to deny Miller but it was two when Handling smashed into the roof of the net from close range in the 62nd minute as Ranger’s didn’t deal with an in-swinging corner.
Berwick were given some hope with nine minutes to go as Ben McCrystal took a touch and drove into the box, lashing home low through keeper Kelby Mason’s legs.
“It’s just a disappointing performance,” admitted the boss.
“It was very basic stuff that let us down today. When you’re in the situation that we’re in, you need to do more as a team. Not just as individuals, but as a team we need to defend better which, in general, we have done in the last month up to this spell, but I think that was our worst performance in the last 5/6 weeks.”