The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Lichties close gap on Loons to one point
BERWICK RANGERS 0 ARBROATH 2
Arbroath closed the gap on table-toppers Forfar to only one point with a 2-0 win at Berwick.
Goals from Steven Doris and Martin Scott saw the Lichties boost their title hopes by taking advantage of the leaders’ 1-1 draw at Elgin.
Gayfield boss Dick Campbell said: “That was a great result for us. We have the best goals against record in the league and another clean sheet shows our defensive qualities again.
“We came here with a job to do and I am delighted to be leaving with all three points. It’s also good to look at the league table and see we are only a point behind, but Forfar are still the leaders and we still have to catch them.”
After a heavy downpour before kickoff, the opening exchanges were frantic with Ryan McCord shooting wide for Arbroath.
Greg Rutherford then slipped the ball through for Darren Lavery to run on to, but visiting keeper Ricky Gomes smothered the danger.
Rutherford then pulled a shot wide while Gomes denied Aaron Murrell after Rutherford headed across goal.
Arbroath were awarded a penalty after 37 minutes when Kevin McKinlay was adjudged to have fouled Bobby Linn and Doris broke the deadlock when he sent Sean Brennan the wrong way.
There was a lengthy delay at the start of the second half when Berwick defender Lee Hamilton received medical treatment after landing awkwardly.
The full-back was down for more than eight minutes before being stretchered off and it was later revealed he had sustained a possible neck injury after being taken by ambulance to hospital in Edinburgh for a check-up.
On the resumption Linn broke down the left and his shot was saved by Brennan and less than a minute later the ball was played across the face of the Berwick goal, but two Lichties players sliding in were unable to get a touch.
In the second minute of injury time Arbroath made the game safe when Scott ran on to a through pass from Doris and slid the ball underneath Brennan.