Liam Buchanan must have thought he’d won it.

The Berwick Rangers striker had his head in his hands after he’d bent a lovely effort around Cowdenbeath keeper Ruaridh Lynch – but Sam Newman raced back to head it over the bar off the line superbly as it arrowed towards the top corner.

Lewis Barr also couldn’t believe his luck when his shot cannoned back off the crossbar as Rangers came agonisingly close to handing boss Kevin Haynes his first win.

The point took the Borderers up the table to fifteenth, above Cumbernauld Colts, ahead of the visit of leaders Celtic B to MKM Shielfield Park on Saturday.

Berwick drew 0-0 with fellow former SFL side Cowdenbeath

placeholder image — Berwick drew 0-0 with fellow former SFL side Cowdenbeath

“It was pretty much a game of two halves again,” Haynes told the club’s media team after.

“Cowdenbeath put us under a lot of pressure in the first half, particularly with set pieces, which I thought we were outstanding at dealing with. We probably had to deal with ten corners in the first half and we dealt with them well – we knew they were going to be a threat from set-pieces and I thought that, as a team, we defended really well,” he said.

Cowden launched a number of balls into the box as they piled forward in the opening period looking to make a breakthrough, but the closest they came was when Ben McCrystal scrambled a header off the line.

“I think we were the better side in the second half and the longer the game went on, the more likely that, if there was going to be a winner, it was going to be us,” continued Haynes.

“There was some great defending from Cowdenbeath as well – they’ve cleared two off the line and I’ve never seen a defensive save like Newman’s in my life from a left back. I think we’ve probably done enough to win the game.”

Cowdenbeath’s Jack Denham saw red as tempers flared at the end and he was sent straight up the tunnel by the referee.

“We defended really well as a team, picked up so many second balls in midfield, Jamie Watson did one for the team today and worked his socks off and worked back the way from his striking position to get into the midfield and, just in general, the whole defensive shape and game plan, defensively, worked,” said the manager.

“Celtic B will keep the ball and we’re going to need another solid defensive performance on Saturday and not allow them to break us down.”