Gordon 5

Stow 0

Kenny Paterson

at Stewart Park

CRAIG Livingstone hopes Gordon’s 5-0 thumping of struggling Stow can spur the Berwickshire team onto a successful second half of the season.

Gordon have been inconsistent so far in 2018/19, but looked back to their best on Saturday, as Derek Burnett, Steven Mitchell, Livingstone, Euan Brown and Connor Allan found the net in an emphatic win.

The victory virtually secures Gordon’s place in Division A for another season, but the village side look too far off the pace to mount a title challenge.

But playmaker Livingstone says the side still have ambitions.

He added: “We want to keep gaining points until the end of the season and try to get a cup run in one of the remaining competitions.

“I thought we played well and controlled the game from start to finish.

“We scored five, hit the woodwork and made their keeper make some good saves, while our keeper didn’t have a save to make.”

Gordon opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, as former Kelso United striker Burnett scrambled home the rebound from Mitchell’s shot which struck the post.

Shane Elliot made a good save from Euan Brown soon after, but Gordon suffered a blow when experienced midfielder Alan Jackson went off with a knee injury.

Jackson’s departure did not affect the flow of the game however as Mitchell finished well after Livingstone hit the post on 27 minutes.

And just before half time, Livingstone, who caused Stow all sorts of problems in his roaming role for Gordon, converted a penalty after David Paterson was adjudged to have brought down Burnett in the penalty box.

Stow briefly rallied at the start of the second half, as James Runciman fired just wide after a good move, while Hagen Steele was booked for diving despite appearing to be brought down in the box.

But it was back to normality soon after as Euan Brown smashed the ball beyond Elliot on 56 minutes, before substitute Allan added a fifth.

Elliot made a brilliant save to deny Gordon a sixth, with the only negative for the hosts being Graeme Redpath’s late sending off for a second yellow card.

Stow are now bottom of Division A and need to drastically improve if they have any chance of staying up.

Manager Kenny Donaldson said: “We are not getting any breaks at the moment, which seems to happen when you are at the wrong end of the league.

“But full credit to Gordon, they battle for every result and deserved the win.”

Gordon: K. Utterson, G. Redpath, A. Brown, G. Brown, E. Brown, S. Mitchell, A. Jackson, K. Robertson, D. Burnett, C. Livingstone, A. Turner. Subs: D. Simpson, L. Wheeler, C. Allan, P. Matthewson, C. Connon.

Stow: S. Elliot, D. Fraser, J. Kerr, S. Chapman, D. Paterson, F. Jackson, J. Runciman, R. Allan, M. Steele, H. Steele, J. Steele. Subs: P. Barnett, G. Whiteford.