Cowdenbeath 0, East Kilbride 1.

William Hill Scottish Cup Second Round

Attendance-286

COWDEN hit a new low at Central Park on Saturday when they failed to beat ten man Lowland League side East Kilbride.

The Blues started badly yet again and lost a goal in only five minutes and while they improved after the interval they could not fashion a goal.

Again the main problems were in midfield where a clear lack of width meant that the Lowland League side, even short-handed for half an hour, were never really stretched.

East Kilbride were not any great shakes at all, but Cowdenbeath just never really posed them many problems.

Burton O’Brien and Kyle Miller tried hard to keep them going forward but the lack of quality about the crossing was a real problem plus seldom was the ball fired over from the byeline area.

EK made a bright start and Dom McLaren tested Dave McGurn with a 25 yard left foot drive in two minutes then a long throw from Michael Hardie glanced off Gerry McLauchlan’s head and Joao Victoria fired over.

But three minutes later VICTORIA put the visitors ahead when Fabio Capuano sent over a fine cross from the right and the big front man headed over McGurn from 10 yards.

Then Sean Winter tested McGurn with a low 12 yard drive that the ‘keeper held at the second attempt.

In 21 minutes Victoria was at it again and McGurn had to leave his line to grab the ball of the striker’s feet.

Two minutes later the Fifers had their first real chance when Renton found space ten yards out but hurried his finished and fired over. Then Cowden had another chance when Fraser Mullen’s long cross into the box was fumbled by ‘keeper Jacob Kean but from only ten yards out Renton shot wide.

In the first minute of the second period Adam Strachan went clean through, as the home defence was caught out, and fired inches wide.

As Cowden battled back Miller’s shot was blocked by Kean but 12 minutes later EK’s Martin McBride got clear of the home cover and beat the outrushing McGurn but McLauchlan got back to boot the ball off the line.

Then with half an hour to go the visitors were reduced to ten when former Cowdenbeath player Keiran Gibbons was sent off for a second yellow for a foul on sub Cammy Muirhead.

With 25 minutes left Cowden had a golden chance when Miller’s right wing cross was perfect for Renton but his glancing header was weak and the ball rolled wide.

There was plenty of Cowden possession but no goals.

Cowdenbeath: Dave McGurn (6); Jamie Pyper (6), Shaun Rutherford (7); Gerry McLauchlan (6) (David Robertson 67 (3)), Burton O’Brien (6); Fraser Mullen (5), Kyle Miller (7), Nikolay Todorov (5) (Cammy Muirhead 52 (3)), Kris Renton (6), Brian Ross (6) (Chris Turner 83 (2)). Subs not used, James Creaney, Aaron Murrell and Jamie Sneddon.

East Kilbride: Kean (7); Capuano (7), Russell (7); McLaren (7), Howie (7), Gibbons (5); Winter (6), McBride (6), Hardie (7) (Hughes 67 (3)), Strachan (7), Victoria (7) (Millar 89 (2)). Subs not used, McNeil, Stevenson, Marenghi and McGinley.

Referee-Gavin Ross (6).