BSC Glasgow 1

Selkirk 0

David Knox

at the Indodrill Stadium

SELKIRK’S players couldn’t quite derail BSC’s title challenge on Saturday but they did impress their new manager John Coughlin.

It was never going to be easy for the former Berwick gaffer on his introduction to the Lowland League.

He was forced to travel without the few players he probably knew before taking the job, such as Phil Addison, Andrew Fleming, David Banjo and George Hunter.

And to compound his pre-kick off problems vice-captain Ryan Sclater took ill on the morning of the game and club captain Ricky Miller pulled up injured during the warm-up.

Despite the set backs and the need to call on half a dozen Under 20s players, Coughlin’s charges performed admirably and on another day could easily have left Alloa with at least a point.

The new manager told us: “Nobody is ever happy at losing a football match, especially their first one in charge, but there is a lot for me to take from that performance.

“We were without a lot of experienced players, many who would be automatic choices for the first team, and we had to give a lot of young boys a lot of game time.

“But we matched a very good BSC team for most of the game and I thought we were excellent at times.

“Our decision making in the final third needs to be worked on but I don’t want to take anything away from the way the boys played today.”

Apart from a Ryan McStay shot from distance, that Gregor Amos gathered comfortably, BSC failed to create any chances in the opening 20 minutes.

But Selkirk’s counter-attacking had to come to little either.

There was an air of inevitability that the first goal would set the tone for the rest of the match.

But when the title-chasing home team did edge in front in the 25th minute, through Robbie Duncan’s back post header, rather than open the floodgates it seemed to kickstart Selkirk and give them a little more urgency going forward.

The introduction of teenager Josh Davidson, who came on for the injured Callum Helm, also helped stretch the home defence.

BSC could have been two-up on the half hour as Amos saved well to keep out Jamie Mills’ low angled shot.

But suddenly Sean McKirdy and Dale Baxter were starting to link up more and more with Daryl Healy and Davidson.

Teenager David Brown also began to push further forward on the right in what was a solid starting debut.

Jordan Hopkinson almost caught Ryan Marshall off his line with an ambitious effort from near the half way line, but the keeper back-tracked quickly enough to save.

Hopkinson also forced a scrambled clearance in front of goal after working his way in from the left.

Ciaren Chalmers and Reece Donaldson has mostly frustrated BSC’s talented front line throughout the first half.

And their dogged defending continued after the interval, helping Selkirk create attacks from deep.

Brown dropped to full back – a position where he played well – to allow Ross King to probe forward more.

And the attacking ambition began to put BSC on the backfoot.

Baxter raced into the area on 51 minutes only for his delicate chip across goal to be narrowly missed by Healy.

And Davidson showed plenty of quality to create enough space to test Marshall with a powerful 25-yard effort approaching the hour.

Selkirk’s search for an equaliser continued with Healy twice going within inches as he latched onto crosses.

But his best chance came with quarter of an hour to go. The towering forward from Dunfermline burst clear from the half way line but his shot from inside the area was well blocked by the home keeper.

BSC were still enjoying plenty of possession and they should have wrapped up the points on 79 minutes as Martin Grehan headed a Stevie Murray cross inches wide from 12 yards out.

In an end to end finale Baxter just missed a Hopkinson cross at the back post.

And a couple of minutes later Amos produced a miraculous reaction save to keep out James Stokes’ powerful drive from the edge of the area.

Perhaps the biggest testament to the Selkirk performance was BSC’s insistence on trying to run the clock down in the corners during the five minutes of injury time.

Selkirk. G Amos, R Donaldson, D Brown, M Christie, D Healy, C Chalmers, J Hopkinson, C Helm (J Davidson 20), D Baxter, S McKirdy & R King. Unused subs: E Williams, Z Nicol, C Notely, G Brown & K Wilson.