Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Cowdenbeath at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 8.4.21

SPFL League Two

Stenhousemuir 1 [Yeats 50] Cowdenbeath 0

Stenhousemuir – Martin, Corbett, Brydon, Little, Biabi [Collins 81], Tiffoney, Blair, Hodge [Halleran 90], Yeats, Docherty [Hopkirk 81] and Muir [McGuigan 72]

Subs not used – Erskine, Kane, Tapping, Grigor and Fairley

Cowdenbeath – Hogarth, Mullen [b29], Finnie [b84], Todd [b22], Barr, Miller [b90], Buchanan [b69], Hutton [Morrison 55], Miller, Swann, Russell [Taylor 55].

Subs not used – Herd, Pollock, Adamson, Pyper, Renton, Hamilton and Watson

Referee – Lorraine Watson     Assistants – Graham McNeillie and Joel Kennedy

As the games come quick and fast the Warriors made two changes to the starting eleven from the team that had travelled to Brechin two days earlier with Botti Biabi and Mark McGuigan replacing the injured Callum Tapping and the rested Mark McGuigan. With Tapping out of the starting eleven Jonathan Tiffoney took over the role of captain.

It is rare to have a female referee at Ochilview and there were a few sexist doubters that wondered if Lorraine was up to the task in a game that usually has an edge to it. Those that were worried though shouldn’t have been as she kept the lid on the proceedings in one of the better refereeing performances in recent times at Stenhousemuir.

The game itself saw the Warriors in the main on top of the proceedings and for the majority of the game without testing the Cowdenbeath goalkeeper too often. Ryan Blair did have a shot on target in the 14^th minute but it was a routine stop for Nicky Hogarth in the Cowdenbeath goal. There was nothing routine though about his save from a Jack Hodge header in the 24^th minute was a top class effort to keep the scores level. That was the closest that the Warriors came to breaking the deadlock in the first half.

Tommy Muir headed just wide on the restart but the home side were to eventually take the lead in the 50^th minute when Botti Biabi whipped in a cross from the right flank that was met by Callum Yeats at the back post and like a cricketer facing a fast ball used the pace to guide it exactly where he wanted to heading the ball into the net for his first senior goal.

Two minutes later more good work by Biabi saw his torment him marker before picking out Alan Docherty but the striker hit the shot well but just past the post. Most of the attacking play was in the Cowdenbeath end of the pitch at this time and Tiffoney who seemed to relish his midfield role was unlucky with an effort that went just wide in the 68^th minute.

Whilst there was only a one goal margin though there was always the fear that Cowdenbeath would get back into the game and this almost proved to by the case in the 80^th minute when a Robbie Buchanan shot from a tight angle was partly blocked by Creag Little and Paddy Martin was able to save comfortably.

Zander Miller then shot wide two minutes later for the visitors. That however was the last chance for them as ultimately Stenhousemuir were able to see the game out without alarm to pick up a vital three points on a rare Thursday night match where luckily the wind dropped before kick off as the game otherwise would have been a total lottery.