Match Report

The first chance fell to the Warriors after 11 minutes as a Cowdenbeath corner was cleared to set up a counter attack. The ball came to Brown in the middle of the park who then played the ball in behind for Christie who cut inside the first defender well but allowed the second to get back goal side in the process, and his effort was blocked for a corner.

From the resultant corner the boys were able to cause some problems for the visitors as a good knockdown was loose in the 6 yard box and asking to be tapped home, before appeals for a penalty which were quickly dismissed by the referee.

The scoreline remained 0-0 till the break after a first half which proved to be quiet with both sides doing far better at cancelling each other out than causing the opposition problems further up the park.

As the sides came out for the second half, the Warriors looked reenergised and started far better than they finished the first. The boys were certain that we should have been awarded a penalty in the 51^st minute as a Forbes cross appeared to be handled inside the box by Thomson, however yet again the referee didn’t buy it.

Play continued and the Blue Brazil were able to play out down their left hand side and switch it to the right where there was ample space to attack. Buchanan drove at the Warriors defence before hitting a venomous strike across goal that had Marshall worried but fortunately for the Warriors it went by the post.

The game was very much now alive and only a few minutes later it should have been 1-0 to the Warriors. Thomson was able to win possession off of the Cowdenbeath defence and then slip in Brown who rounded the keeper only to blaze his shot high and wide of the goal.

The breakthrough did finally come for the Warriors after 66 minutes when Corbett tackled in the defensive third to stop a Cowdenbeath attack before surging down the left touchline, beating two defenders in the process. His cross was flicked on first by brown and then by Thomson before falling to Christie at the back post who smashed the ball into the net.

The boys were now firmly on top and could’ve had some breathing space on 70 minutes as Wedderburn was played in behind and struck a hard low shot which was blocked by Gill in the visitors goal, only for a last ditch clearance to prevent the rebound falling perfectly for Brown.

Despite our momentum, the Warriors were struck with a sucker punch in the 76^th minute as the visitors grabbed an equaliser. A freekick was played out right to Pollock who whipped in an excellent cross to the back post where Renton met it expertly to head home into the top corner.

This setback took the wind right out of the Warrior’s sails and the game quietened down. Clarke was sent off in the 92^nd minute for the visitors after receiving a second yellow for a tactical foul seconds before the final whistle.

The match finished 1-1 and the sides shared the points, however the Warriors will be disappointed not to have taken home all three after being in a fairly dominant position for most of the second half.

Stenhousemuir: Marshall, R. Lyon, Corbett, Jamieson, Coll, Christie, Wedderburn, Hughes, Forbes, Brown, Thomson

Substitutes: Taping, Anderson, Wilson, Craig, Tierney, O’Reilly, Orr, Graham, Reid

Cowdenbeath: Gill, Clarke, Barr, Thomson, Pollock, Barr, Coulson, R. Buchanan, Hutton, L. Buchanan, Renton

Substitutes: Watson, McGurn, Mahady

Match highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI5BGbt09Kg&t=307s

Stephen Swift interview:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rklBON2OqtM

Darren Christie interview:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHqKjEGtHcc

Adam Corbett interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36rXkJnbo5k