Published: Monday, 28th April, 2008 09:00
Supersub Andy clinches play-off place
By Iain Robertson
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Supersub Andy Ferguson came off the bench to score the all-important winner to clinch a place in the play-offs.
Alloa Athletic 2 v 1 Berwick Rangers
ALLOA secured their place in the promotion play-off by beating relegated Berwick in a nervy 90 minute battle.
With fourth place rivals Peterhead winning at Raith Rovers nothing less than three points would have been enough to set up Wednesday’s home tie with Clyde.
Whilst Berwick were the better team for long spells, Alloa deserve their shot at promotion after a successful season, and as Wasps gaffer Allan Maitland said after the game, “Your position is determined over 36 games, not this 36th game.”
Alloa started brightly enough and opened the scoring on 11 minutes when Scott Agnew collected a Derek Fleming pass to curl in a great effort from the edge of the box.
Their advantage should have been doubled on 28 minutes but Graeme Brown headed past the left post with only the keeper to beat.
The second half was less than 10 minutes old when Berwick’s Iain Thomson equalised, after some excellent play by the wee Rangers David Greenhill.
With news filtering through that Peterhead and Brechin were ahead in their games, the play-offs were starting to slip away from Alloa.
The tension was broken for the home fans when Andy Ferguson, brought on in a double substitution by Allan Maitland, headed home in 57 minutes to put Alloa back in pole position for 4th place.
With only a one goal advantage, however, the last half hour felt like a lifetime for the Wasps supporters.
Their blood pressure wasn’t helped any by wave after wave of Berwick attacks on the home goal.
Ex-Wasp Stuart Callaghan went close to squaring the game, but his free-kick narrowly cleared the Alloa bar.
Home stopper Raymond Jellema almost gifted possession to Scott Gemmill on 76 minutes, but he deflected the ball off Gemmill, and it narrowly passed the Alloa post.
The full-time whistle was music to Alloa ears and sparked a pitch invasion, as the home fans celebrated the Wasps place in the play-off.
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Five will go for next season