Selkirk 1
Coldstream 2
EoS FIRST DIVISION
ON A perishingly cold day in the Borders, this game was played out on a fantastic surface despite the deluge of rain the day before.
With Selkirk currently well down the league, a false position in many people’s eyes including their visitors, Coldstream’s aim was to get an early goal and some early chances almost put that theory to practice.
Stuart Coyle went close from distance before John Crawford turned to shoot inches wide.
At the other end, Selkirk were proving a threat, too, with Mark Walters saving superbly from close range before Jamie Gibson broke through to lift his effort over the onrushing keeper, only to see it land on the roof of the net.
In a very even contest, either side could have taken the lead, but it was Crawford who netted the opener with a fantastic goal, impressively turning his marker with a flick to volley into the corner of the net.
Moments later, he went close again with a bullet header, which had John Dodds scrambling across his line.
Selkirk again pressed and various crosses into the box made the visitors work hard to keep their lead in difficult conditions.
Just before the interval the home side went close again, but after doing all of the hard work, Gibson dragged his shot wide of the post.
The second half brought more pressure from the home side. After two attacks down the left flank, one of which resulted in Gibson blasting over from close range, Selkirk eventually found the leveller via Euan Pritchard, who met a cross from the other side of the park with a simple tap-in after everyone else had missed it.
Minutes later, however, the big centre-half went from hero to villain as a standard header back to Dodds ended up in his own net, with a lack of communication proving the decisive error.
With the lead now restored, the introduction of Martyn Tait tightened up the Coldstream midfield and ensured that all three points were obtained from a venue that has proved a very tough place for the Streamers in recent years.
Selkirk: J. Dodds, K. Munro, D. Johnson, E. Pritchard, J. Higginbottom, R. Gay, J. Ingles, M. Holness, D. Battle, R, Mcmanus, J. Gibson. Subs: J. Watt, A. Noble, L. Stephen, B. Connelly, A. Butters.