Cowdenbeath 0, Berwick Rangers 1.

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance-343

A THIRD successive home defeat plummeted Cowden back to the foot of the table.

A late goal gave Berwick the victory they so dearly wanted, at Central Park on Saturday, but really it was a poor game which did not deserve a winner.

The game saw defences pretty well on top but Cowdenbeath again produced an indifferent midfield performance on their own surface.

Without the suspended Fraser Mullen, too often they opted for high balls to Kris Renton and it meant that good chances were at a premium.

Defensively the Blues worked really hard with Gerry McLauchlan, Nikolay Todorov and Shaun Rutherford doing well as a unit.

Dean Brett and Lewis Moore, in the wide areas, also were effective defensively but struggled to get forward and it meant that quality openings were rare.

Berwick were no better and neither side really looked like getting a goal. All in all another ordinary home performance for Cowdenbeath.

Cowden opened brightly and in two minutes Todorov’s 25 yarder flew just wide of the Berwick goal.

Then in eight minutes Renton’s lay-off set up Moore but his 12 yarder flew past the post.

But in 12 minutes Rangers had the ball in the net when Gary Phillips fired in a low shot but Greg Rutherford was in an off-side position and the linesman’s flag saved home blushes.

In 20 minutes Steven Thomson’s angled snap shot took a deflection off McLauchlan and hit the home side net.

Two minutes later Moore worked his way into the Berwick box and his low shot brought out a fine save from Kevin Walker.

Berwick started to dominate the midfield and they forced a free-kick 25 yards out and Thomson’s set piece took a deflection off the wall and went just wide.

Four minutes into the second period Craig Johnston latched on to a fine Kyle Miller pass and rounded Fairbairn and it took a brave dive by Walker to defy the striker.

Berwick again started to win more of the ball in midfield and McGurn needed treatment after denying Rutherford but he was able to continue and he had to be on the alert to deny McKenna.

A good cross from Brett had the Rangers defence in trouble but Renton twice saw his close in shots blocked in a packed penalty area.

In 67 minutes a superb Shaun Rutherford tackle defied Greg Rutherford only eight yards out but six minutes from time the home defence failed to pick up THOMSON at a McKenna corner and his header won all three points for the visitors.

Cowdenbeath: Davie McGurn (7); Dean Brett (6), Lewis Moore (7); Gerry McLauchlan (6), Nikolay Todorov (6), Shaun Rutherford (7); Kyle Miller (6), Burton O’Brien (6) (Harvey Swann 62 (3)), Craig Johnston (6) (Cammy Muirhead 72 (3)), Kris Renton (6), Brian Ross (6). Subs not used: Davie Robertson, Jamie Pyper, Aaron Murrell, Hamish Thompson and Jamie Sneddon.

Berwick Rangers: Walker (7); Hamilton (6), McKinlay (6) (Stirling 87)); Notman (7), Scullion (7), Fairbairn (7); Thomson (8) (Orru 87 (2)), Lavery (6), Rutherford (7) (Sheerin 72 (3)), McKenna (7), Phillips (6). Subs not used, Watt, Perez, Martin, and Brennan.

Referee-Ryan Milne (6).