Bruce gets another Berwick brace for Elgin
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ABERDEEN kid Bruce Anderson repeated his Berwick brace in Elgin City’s impressive 5-1 win on Saturday.
The 19-year-old, on loan from the Dons until January, scored a sublime first and an opportunist second as Elgin saw off the Borderers with some style.
In driving sleet, the Black and Whites battled the elements to create the better chances in the first half and lead through Anderson’s brilliant left foot finish.
The teenager also capitalised on a howler from Berwick keeper Robbie McCrorie to seize upon is mishit clearance from a passback and head home after the break.
Darryl McHardy, Brian Cameron and debut boy Declan Byrne also netted to see though, while Anderson’s biggest regret was missing two gilt-edged chances to complete his hat-trick.
“I’m getting a lot of stick in there from the boys,” he said. “I hold my hands up I should be doing better when I’m in that position.
“But I’m delighted to score another two goals.”
Anderson netted his first two Elgin goals at Berwick earlier this season when the Moray men squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Shielfield Park.
This time there was no messing about by Elgin, who ruthlessly saw off the visitors with some slick football and clinical finishing in difficult conditions.
Anderson and Chris McLeish went close in the early minutes before Anderson scorched home the only goal of the first half from a cross by the impressive Jordan Allan.
Darryl McHardy lashed in a second on 47 minutes and after Gary Phillips’ deflected strike pulled it back to 2-1, the home side stepped up a gear.
McLeish was pulled back in the box for a 63 minute penalty which was saved by mCCrorie, but taker Cameron followed up to nod in his eighth of the season.
Three minutes later the Berwick keeper scooped an attempted clearance from a passback into the air and Anderson showed great awareness to plant a header past McCrorie into the net for 4-1.
McCrorie made amends with two good saves from Anderson but the final say came to a brand new face in the Elgin squad.
Declan Byrne, signed on amateur forms a fortnight ago by City, came on for his first appearance from the bench on 83 minutes and took just five minutes to make his mark in some style.
A Berwick clearance from a corner fell to the former Cowdenbeath man and he chested down before crashing a volley into the net from outside the box.
Manager Gavin Price said: “We played some good football and the back four gave little away so it was a good afternoon for us.”
Elgin moved into third spot in League 2 with the win, and their next game is away to Annan on Saturday.
Elgin: Waters, Eadie, Allan, McHardy, Bronsky, McGovern, Anderson (Byrne 83), Reilly, McLeish (Dodd 65), Cameron, Dingwall (Sutherland 78). Subs: Ferguson, Reid, Smith, Dear.
Berwick: McCrorie, Fleming, Notman (Irving 65), McKinlay, Murrell (Lavery 73), McKenna, Phillips, Stewart, McDonald, Godinho, Scullion. Subs: Fairbairn, Thomson, Cook, Wilson, Brennan.
Ref – Peter Stuart
Att - 508
