1Match Report
Stenhousemuir v Cowdenbeath at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 30.08.08
Bells Scottish League Division Three Att 456
Stenhousemuir 1 [Motion 85] Cowdenbeath 0
If this game highlighted anything at Ochilview it was the resilience of the team after they had taken a first half battering before snatching all three points in the closing stages of the match. Cowdenbeath were the league leaders before the start of the match and it was fairly easy to see why as they far better than a Stenhousemuir side for much of the game especially the first half when the Warriors were flat in comparison. A number of Cowden supporters felt that that spell was the best that they had played this season and it augers well that Stenhousemuir managed to get into the interval on level terms despite looking out of sorts. The Fifers tested Kieron Renton in the first minute with the keeper having to save from John Gemmell. Gemmell looked as if he had managed to get the upper hand in the 8th minute of the game when he headed home a Marek Tomana cross but the assistant referee had already flagged for offside, though it appeared to be a fairly close decision. Stenhousemuir had their only effort on target a couple of minutes later through Kevin Motion but his shot was easily saved. Cowden continued to have the upper hand and Paul McQuade and Gemmell again had efforts just missing the target before Brian Fairbairn struck a long range effort off the crossbar with only 15 minutes on the clock. This was followed shortly afterwards by Jordan Smith scrambling another effort off the line. Cowdenbeath suffered a blow when Tomana was injured and for a while they were not the same attacking force but they were still looking the more potent side. The Warriors struggled to get to grips with the game and anytime that they were able to get into an attacking mode the forwards were crowded out by an energetic Cowden defence. Renton kept the scores level when he saved a McQuade effort with his legs after 35 minutes. The half time whistle eventually blew with the score still level. The second half started ominously for the home side when Gemmell shot over the bar within a minute of the resumption. Stenhousemuir still were sporadic in their efforts and the closest that they came was a Scott Dalziel header that went well wide of the target on the hour. Slowly though they clawed their way into the game but they were almost caught on the counter attack in the 65th minute when Gemmell made a run from just inside the Stenhousemuir half as he took advantage of the Stenhousemur defence pushing up but not in unison and he managed to get into the box before firing a low shot that Renton could only block and it rebounded off a Stenhousemuir player and went just wide of the post. David Hay had his first real save of the game in the 68th minute when he did well to punch clear a long range Chris McGroarty rocket. The better chances were coming at the other end though and Renton almost undone all his good work when he spilled a corner but McQuade was only able to fire into the side net and this was followed shortly afterwards by another McQuade effort that went just wide with Renton beaten. The introduction of Iain Thomson and Alan Brazil brought about more attacking play from the Warriors and the Cowden defence began to be pressurised a bit more for the first time in the game. It was still a surprise though when a Thomson cross from the right picked out a Motion run at the near post and he blasted the ball past Hay from close range to secure the win for the home side.
Stenhousemuir – Renton, Lyle [b26], McGroarty, Smith, Ovenstone, Motion, Shirra [Thomson 67], Ferguson [b87], Dalziel [Brazil 75], Brand [b43] and Hampshire. Subs not used – Bennett, Desmond and Tyrrell
Cowdenbeath – Hay, Baxter [Dempster 77], Adamson [b21], McGregor, Mackay, Hodge, Fairbairn [Stein 60], Fleming [b87], Gemmell [b44], Tomana [Ramsay 26] and McQuade. Subs not used – Linton and Morris
Referee – Thomas Robertson Assistants – Des Roache and Stuart Hodge
