Selkirk 1

Cumbernauld Colts 0

David Knox

at Yarrow Park

SELKIRK’S target of finishing best of the rest came a bit closer on Saturday with a scrappy win over Cumbernauld Colts.

John Coughlin’s team should finish just behind the top four if they can win the majority of their games in hand.

But, as was seen against a physical Colts team, earning points is never easy in the Lowland League.

Assistant manager Jonathan Craig told us: “Even the teams at the very top know there are few easy games in the Lowland League – you have to work hard for every point.

“Today wasn’t the best of performances but we did more than enough to deserve the win.

“It is important that we finish the season well and get as close as we can to the top four.

“We have a good group who work well together and we are already thinking about how we strengthen for next season.”

Selkirk blasted out of the blocks and were unfortunate not to go in front during a couple of goalmouth scrambles inside the opening five minutes.

And Colts had keeper Ronald Fallens to thank for cutting out Sean McKirdy’s angled pass to the unmarked Daryl Healy at the back post.

But as the game settled down Cumbernauld also began to create chances.

Gregor Amos had to be alert on 20 minutes to block Sean Brown’s back post shot.

And Connor McMillan also fired a foot wide as the hosts began to give the ball away too easily with attempted long, angled passes.

Selkirk almost sneaked a lead just before the break but Healy’s toe just missed Jordan Hopkinson’s angled free inside the six-yard box.

There was a renewed urgency about the Yarrow Park team after half time with Dale Baxter and Hopkinson linking up well to allow McKirdy to dink the ball agonizingly just over the bar.

And just two minutes later Reece Donaldson’s looping header landed on the woodwork and bounced over.

The goal arrived on 58 minutes with Ross King driving in from the right to rifle a low shot against in the inside of the far post, and Ciaren Chalmers was on hand to nod the rebound into the net.

Selkirk were further boosted just after the hour as Colts striker Brown earned his second yellow card for smacking the ball into the stand.

Despite having an extra man Selkirk failed to create much in the closing stages with only a Healy turn-and-shot testing Fallen.

Selkirk. G Amos, R Sclater, R Donaldson (M Christie 84), A Fleming, D Healy, C Chalmers, J Hopkinson, D Banjo, D Baxter, S McKirdy (R Miller 52) & R King.