Berwick Rangers boss Martin Scott vows to 'go again' after narrow Cowdenbeath loss

Berwick Rangers boss Martin Scott has delivered his verdict on his side’s narrow 2-1 defeat against Cowdenbeath on Saturday afternoon.

A first-half strike from Ben McCrystal, combined with a penalty save courtesy of goalkeeper Calum Antell, saw the Borderers head into a goal to the good at the interval, but subsequent efforts from Harvey Petrie's and Bryan Mwangi allowed the hosts to turn the contest on its head.

Greg Binnie then squandered a golden opportunity to rescue a point for Berwick when he missed a spot kick of his own with a little over 10 minutes remaining.

The result leaves Rangers 14th in the Lowland League East table, but speaking after the final whistle, Scott insisted that there were positives to be taken from a game of fine margins. He said: “I can't believe I'm saying this, but obviously it was a game of two halves again.

“Although we started the second half pretty well, two set-plays have cost us really, which is really disappointing. I felt in the main, first half we were pretty controlled in our shape, carried a threat going forward. Going in at 1-0, you just reiterate to the players to keep carrying out the same thing that was working.

“And yeah, two set-plays, it is disappointing - there's no doubt about that. We then get an opportunity again from the penalty spot to get ourselves back into the game, to take it to two each. They had a penalty in the first half, it goes for us, we get a penalty in the second half to level, it goes against us.

“Frustrated, but we just have to keep working hard to improve and get better. The players are disappointed, they're hurting, but there's no other way around about it - you just have to get back on the training pitch, and keep trying to improve and get better and rectify these small details that can help us.”

On Berwick’s first-half display in particular, Scott added: “I was happy with the performance, but we weren't too relaxed at that point. We knew we had work to do. The back four, obviously, a new back four in place - we're struggling for some injuries today and it was makeshift - but it actually gave us good balance.

“I felt defensively, they actually had a decent structure, a decent shape, and we really did limit them, especially in the first half, and open play in the second half, to any clear-cut chances. So, that's a sore one, there's no hiding the fact of that, but we just have to reset and go again.”