Cowdenbeath v Stenhousemuir at Central Park Cowdenbeath on 15.12.09

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division                 Att 264

Cowdenbeath 2 [Fairbairn 23, McQuade 76] Stenhousemuir 1 [Dalziel 21]

 

After the win over Clyde at the weekend John Coughlin picked the same starting eleven for this trip to the league leaders Cowdenbeath. He would have been hoping for a continuation in the improvement of performances over recent weeks and in the early stages that looked to be the case.

 

In the end, however the play fizzled out without Stenhousemuir applying the pressure that was required to beat a stubborn and well drilled Cowdenbeath team and a consequence the Fifers ran out relatively comfortable winners.

 

The initial play was all positive from a Stenhousemuir point of view and Craig Molloy was unlucky not to score with a chip in the 5^th minute after Kevin Bradley won the ball and played Molloy into the danger area just outside the box and although his clever effort just eluded David Hay it went just the wrong side of the post. The majority of the play was taking place in the Cowdenbeath half and Hay was called into action twice in quick succession, the first to scramble a Kevin Motion cross clear of the advancing forwards and then to save a long range Pat Scullion free kick that was well struck but too close to the keeper to cause any problems. The pressure eventually told in the 21^st minute when the Warriors took a well deserved lead when Bradley skipped past his marker and forced a save by Hay from close range, unfortunately for the keeper the rebound fell to Scott Dalziel and the ex-Cowden player stroked the ball home from 12 yards.

 

Stenhousemuir barely had time to consolidate their position when Cowdenbeath equalised two minutes later. Chris McCluskey was only able to parry a cross to the edge of the box when Jon Robertson pounced and fired the ball goalwards. It was stopped on the line by Brian Fairbairn who had got in the road of the effort but he quickly turned the ball into the net. As there were no Stenhousemuir players anywhere near him at the time he looked to be well offside and despite protests from the Stenhousemuir players and management the goal was allowed to stand.

 

This changed the whole complexion of the game as a Cowdenbeath team that had looked under pressure were rejuvenated and grew in self belief and for the remainder of the half they had the majority of the play and also the territorial advantage. Scott McBride and Mark Ramsay were the players that came closest for the Blue Brazil during this spell.  Despite their dominance there were still few clear cut chances being created during the first period.

 

Just like the first half the second started with the Warriors playing the better football and within a minute of the restart Kevin Motion had struck a long range effort that Hay spilled before gathering at the second attempt. This was swiftly followed by an ever better opportunity when Motion played the ball behind the home defence for the advancing Scullion but he failed to take advantage of being in acres of space, and possible offside, by hitting a woeful effort wide of the goal with only Hay to beat.  As the game progressed both teams were cancelling each other out but ex-Warrior Jay Stein almost broke the deadlock with a powerful drive that tested McCluskey .

 

Cowdenbeath looked to have handed the initiative to Stenhousemuir when the home side were reduced to ten men in 68 minutes when Kenny Adamson kicked out at Iain Thomson and this reckless action warranted his dismissal. This gave Stenhousemuir the numerical advantage but they were unable to make it count and the closest that they came was through an Iain Thomson dipping effort that just failed to hit the target. In the 76^th minute Cowdenbeath took the lead when McBride hit a defence splitting pass into the path of Paul McQuade who drew the keeper before slotting the ball home.

 

With eight minutes  left Stenhousemuir made a triple substitution to try and get back into the game but Cowdenbeath showed just why they are the league leaders by running the clock down to the final whistle without too much bother.

 

Cowdenbeath – Hay, Baxter, Adamson [so 68], Linton, Droudge, Mbu, Fairbairn [McCabe 87], McBride, Ramsay, Robertson and Stein [McQuade 59].

Subs not used – Ferguson, Bradley and Bower

 

Stenhousemuir – McCluskey, Thom, S.Thomson [Love 82], McLeod, Smith, Molloy, I.Thomson, Scullion [Stirling 82], Dalziel [O’Reilly 82], Bradley and Motion.

Subs not used – Diack and Bennett

 

Referee – George Salmond        

 Assistants – Andy Tait and Rodney Marshall.