Berwick Rangers defender Ryan Finnie glad to pitch in again at Cowdenbeath

The 26-year-old, from Law, has signed up with the Fifers until the end of the season to get back on the pitch while his regular team, Lowland League outfit Berwick Rangers, remain out of action due to the suspension of lower league football since January 11 as part of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Finnie played all 90 minutes of Cowdenbeath’s goalless draw against Annan Athletic, one of his old sides, on Saturday, March 20, and his new team play Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup tonight, March 23, prior to hosting Stranraer this coming weekend in the league.

He’s stayed fit during his enforced lay-off ready to return to action, he says, explaining: “Berwick gave us a programme at the start of lockdown and I have kept that up as well as other sessions throughout the week, so I have been working hard.”

“I set myself the target this year to get back into League Two, and with the Lowland League being off just now, I had to keep myself fit all the way through lockdown.

“I’m more than comfortable playing at this level. Sometimes when players make that step down, it can be hard to get back out.”

Though Cowdenbeath sit third from bottom with eight points from nine games, Finnie believes they’ve got what it takes to mount a late challenge for a play-off place.

“It can be an exciting league. Anybody can beat anybody, and all of the squads are pretty even except Queen’s Park, who have strengthened,” he said.

“If you win three games, then you could be up fighting for a play-off place, and if you lose a few, then you can find yourself slipping down to the bottom of the​​​​​​ table.

“I want to do the best I can for the team and try to make an impact as we push for a chance at promotion.

“We just need a good run of games. I think every team is there to beat, and I think Cowdenbeath have a strong enough squad to make that push.”

Queen’s Park also being among his former teams, along with Alloa Athletic and Hamilton Academical, Finnie is no stranger to Scottish football’s top four tiers, and he’s also aware of the extra challenge presented by a packed schedule of catch-up fixtures after over two months off.

“The games are coming thick and fast,” said the right-back.

“It’ll be every Saturday and Tuesday to squeeze a lot of games into a short space of time.

“We will be training once a week, so you need to keep yourself ticking over the rest of the week.”

Finnie says he’s pleased to be working with Cowdenbeath boss Gary Bollan, formerly a player for the likes of Rangers and Dundee United, after years of being on opposing sides.

“He is someone I have always known on the touchline,” he said.

“I have played against his teams since I was really young. I played against him when I was on loan at Dumbarton when I was 17 and we got promoted in the play-off final.”