Draw drops Athletic out of play-off places

Apr 29 2009 by Our Correspondent, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

ANNAN dropped two precious points in the race for the play-offs as they failed to break their Berwick hoodoo.

Phil Storey’s composed finish just before the hour mark was enough to rescue a point for the Black and Golds, after Darren Gribben had given the wee Gers the lead, but couldn’t halt Annan falling out of the play-off places.

But gaffer Harry Cairney tried to put the disappointment behind him as he looked ahead to next week’s crunch encounter with Stenhousemuir.

He said: “The guys are disappointed and deflated but it is still in our hands if we can beat Stenhousemuir next week.

“We created enough chances to win but just weren’t clinical enough in front of goal.”

“Annan opened the brighter of the two sides but couldn’t seem to find the cutting edge that had deserted them at Forfar the previous week and it was not until the 22nd minute when Barclay in the Berwick goal was forced into action.

Storey fed Bell on the edge of the area and the hitman’s instinctive turn allowed him the time and space to unleash a rasping left footed drive that had Barclay scrambling, but the on-loan keeper got down well to his left to parry the ball to safety.

Annan seemed to have the bit between their teeth as they searched for the opener and after Macbeth had knocked down Hoolickin’s high, hanging ball into the path of Storey 12 yards from goal, the young man from Carlisle uncharacteristically fired his volley well wide of the target.

Berwick offered their biggest threat on the counter and Annan were nearly caught napping from their own corner on the half hour mark and only a good block from Sloan denied McLaren who had run the length of the pitch after picking the ball up on the edge of his own area and was bearing down on the Annan goal.

Storey and Bell were proving to be a constant thorn in the Berwick defence but neither could find the all-important opener.

Hoolickin launched an innocuous looking ball into the Berwick area in the 40th minute and when Ewart made a mess of the attempted clearance Bell pounced on the loose ball 12 yards from goal but once again was denied by that man Barclay as he produced a tremendous reaction save low down to keep the game goalless.

However, the best chance of the first half came in the 45th minute when Bell’s pin point cross found Storey free in the area six yards from goal but his header sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Annan had failed to learn from the lessons of last week at Station Park and were inevitably made to pay for their toothless efforts in front of goal as the visitors opened the scoring somewhat against the run of play in the 57th minute.

Bonnar harassed Mike Jack and caught the league’s top scorer in possession before sliding the ball into the feet of Gribben who had been starved of service all day but the front man showed exactly what he could do when given time and space.

Watson was left horribly exposed at the back and Gribben weaved inside and out to manoeuvre himself into space 25 yards from goal and he unleashed an unstoppable left foot drive that rattled the inside of the post and into the net to stun the hosts and leave them a mountain to climb.

But the Galabankies’ response was almost immediate and Phil Storey again showed what a valuable player he is for Annan as he produced what is quickly becoming a trademark finish in the 59th minute.

Outpacing the Berwick back line, he latched onto a ball inadvertently directed towards his own goal by Hampshire; Storey found himself one on one with the onrushing Barclay and showed composure beyond his years to clinically lift the ball over the keeper’s head and into the net.

The home side carried all the momentum and it looked as if they would press on and get the winner. But it was not to be. However, there was still time for Annan to pass up another gilt-edged opportunity and this time sub Adamson was the offender.

With only four minutes left on the clock, Storey sliced a Hoolickin low drive into the area. The ball fell to Adamson at the back post but the winger’s tame effort floated into the arms of a grateful Barclay in the Berwick goal and ensured that the spoils were shared and left Annan’s play-off chances hanging by a thread.

Annan Athletic: Summersgill, Watson, Hoolickin, Townsley, Neilson, Jack, Sloan, MacBeth, Storey, Bell (Campbell 59 mins), Dunbar (Adamson 85 mins). Subs not used: Calder, Jardine, Inglis.

Berwick Rangers: Barclay, Lennox, Callaghan, Ewart, Horn, Hampshire, McMenimin (Mearns 59 mins), Bonnar, Gribben, McLaren, Greenhill. Subs not used: Anderson, Forrest, Little, McGurk.

Attendance: 783.