Cowden win when it really counts

Published 11 May 2010 15:36 0 Comments

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Alloa Athletic 0, Cowdenbeath 2.

IT took Cowdenbeath nine months to get their first win of the season over Alloa Athletic but they did it when it really counted.

The Blue Brazil went to Recreation Park on Saturday knowing that they had to win to make the Barrs Irn Bru First Division Play-off final and they served up one of their best performances of the campaign to leave themselves two games from the second tier of Scottish football.

The Fifers were at full strength for this one with the suspended John Armstrong back in defence and Craig Winter returning to the heart of the midfield and they were important contributors.

Along with Joe Mbu, Armstrong ensured that the Wasps' dangerous front man, Bryan Prunty, had few chances and what did get through the defence David Hay dealt with expertly.

Full-backs Mark Baxter and Kenny Adamson were livewires in many of the good Cowden moves that developed while the midfield four of Brian Fairbairn, Winter, Darren McGregor and Scott McBride controlled the game for the most part. This saw strikers Gareth Wardlaw and Paul McQuade see a lot of the ball in the last third of the pitch and they both hit the target.

Cowden knew that after failing to beat the Wasps in seven attempts this had to be the day and they started the game well.

In three minutes Wardlaw found space in the Alloa box but the excellent Scott Walker dispossessed the front man as he was about to pull the trigger.

David Gormley sent over a nice cross to Prunty and the Alloa marksman headed wide from a good position before he tested Hay with a shot which the 'keeper pushed clear.

McQuade saw a drive blocked and then Fairbairn fired the rebound wide before Prunty 's shot was stopped by the well positioned Adamson.

Alloa had a chance ten minutes before the break when Gary Carroll's corner was headed wide by Chris Townsley but seconds from the interval Fairbairn's free-kick was well saved by David Crawford.

Cowdenbeath opened the second period with real purpose and Winter and Wardlaw went close and in the 59th minute the Blues took the lead.

McBride did the spade work and his lovely pass was expertly steered into the net by WARDLAW.

It was all Cowden now and Baxter shot over but Alloa showed they were not beaten yet when Prunty shot wide after good work by Gormley.

But that was only short respite for Wasps as Cowdenbeath swarmed around their goal and Wardlaw and McQuade both should have done better than shoot wide before Fairbairn brought out a fine save from Crawford with twelve minutes left. In 82 minutes came the clincher. Wardlaw's good close control saw him open up the Alloa defence and his pass was perfect for McQUADE to fire home the second goal from only a few yards out.

But Cowden were not finished yet and shortly after Fairbairn saw Crawford make a breathtaking save from his drive and the Fifers were through to the play-off final.

Alloa Athletic:Crawford; McClune, McCafferty; Townsley, Walker, Brown (Thomson 63); Gormley, Grant, Prunty (Craig 72), Carroll, Scott (Hay 10). Subs not used Philp and Flynn.

Cowdenbeath: Hay; Armstrong, Adamson; McGregor, Baxter, Mbu; Fairbairn, Winter, Wardlaw (Dempster 82), McQuade (Ramsay 86), McBride. Subs not used, Robertson, Stein and Wilson.

Referee-Craig Allan. Attendance-1234.

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