Shire pegged back by champions Rose

St Mirren loanee Kieran Offord scored in the first half to give Shire the advantage on presentation day for the hosts, but they got back into the game from the spot with Neil Martyniuk’s penalty kick.

Jamie Hamilton then put Derek Ure’s side ahead with ten minutes to go, but a last-gasp Callum Connelly goal forced them to settle for just a point from their 11th draw of year, the most for any club in the league by a significant distance.

Speaking to the Herald, Ure said of the match: “It was nice to get the rub of the green for once and to see the opposition hit the post and things like that, which hasn’t happened too many times this season.

“We held on at times, but they have only lost a few games this year, so picking up a point isn’t a bad result on any other day.

“But we really wanted to win the match and it would have helped going into this weekend coming.

“We’ve drawn too many matches this year.

“Kieran and Jamie both took their goals well, and it was nice to be more clinical in front of goal.”

With Berwick Rangers visiting on Saturday now for Shire to finish the league season, they need to win and hope Civil Service Strollers lose both of their remaining matches to finish sixth.

Getting that spot would gain a Challenge Cup spot, something Ure wants to get, and he says having that motivation going into the final game is great.

“The season isn’t over for us, and that is what we have been relaying to the guys after the result on Saturday,” he said.

“We’ll wait and see what happens in other matches, but we just need to take three points at the weekend and see where it takes us.

“Finishing sixth is our aim, but no matter the outcome, I’ll be proud of our campaign.

He added: “We also have the league cup match, which is a massive for the club. I want our season to last a little bit longer.

“Winning the cup would change our season from an okay one to a great one.”

Berwick managed to pick up a point on Saturday against Spartans despite playing for 50 minutes with striker Lewis Baker in goal after keeper Andy McNeil was red-carded and he kept a clean sheet for a 0-0 draw.

Ure joked that it was just the luck of his side this season for something like that to happen.

“I know Lewis really well actually and he has coached at Hearts academy for a wee while. At one point he was a player I was after and I really like him as a person,” he said.

“I just thought it was our luck when I saw what had happened and that he had managed to play a blinder in goals when he is a big centre-forward.

“He even made a brilliant double save at the end of the game, so it isn’t something you see often. Hopefully, he doesn’t continue in goals at the weekend.”

Shire sit on 53 points after 33 matches and are more than 30 points behind league winners Rose.