Berwick Rangers boss admits 'sack would be justified' after disappointing defeat
Berwick Rangers slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Civil Service Strollers on Tuesday night as their poor start to the season continued.
The visitors were behind after just 22 seconds at Christie Gillies Park when Euan Valentine's cross was turned in by a trialist.
Berwick were two down and facing a mountain to climb after 23 minutes when Alieu Faye scored.
They came close to reducing the arrears when Bayley Klimionek had a shot saved after good work by Ben McCrystal.
With 14 minutes left they finally pulled one back after great work down the wing by Mikey Mbewe. His ball found Grant Leitch in the box to score his first Berwick goal.
Berwick have now lost six of their opening eight league games and sit fourth from bottom in the Lowland League East table.
Boss Kevin Haynes admitted it was a ‘poor’ performance.
"It was difficult because we made it difficult,” he said. “We can use all the excuses of injuries and that’s a fact with nine guys out tonight but we still had 14 available to us that need to do better.
"The hardest thing you can do against Civil Service is give them the lead because they are so defensively sound and organised. To give away a goal to an unmarked runner in the box after 20 seconds...”
"It was improved (in the second half) but we gave ourselves too much to do, a mountain too high to climb at that stage. We should have been to that level at the start of the first half.
"We’re just nowhere near it. Four points from eight games. The chairman’s standing outside and if wants to sack me that would be justified because of the points return.
"Hopefully we start getting some boys back and can start being able to change it. There’s guys in there who are dead on their feet, who have played four games in 10 days and that’s not sustainable. We need fresh legs but our hands are tied at the minute.”
New midfielder Jay Snoddy, signed on loan from Kelty Hearts until early January 2027, came on as a substitute despite minimal training with the group.
However, after picking up two more injuries, Haynes faces another headache ahead of Saturday’s home game against Musselburgh.