COWDENBEATH go in to tonight’s re-arranged Ladbrokes League 2 game with Stirling Albion nine points adrift at the foot of the table.

Saturday’s performance against Berwick Rangers was described by manager Gary Bollan as ‘unacceptable’ and with Edinburgh City and Clyde both winning the Blue Brazil need a win tonight at Forthbank.

Cowden had big problems adjusting to the very blustery conditions, at Central Park on Saturday, but as Mr Bollan pointed out Berwick were able to play some decent football in the gale.

And he wants the players to step up to the plate against Stirling in one of two re-arranged games the Blues have.

He said: “That was the poorest performance since I arrived at the club when we needed the best one.

“This was a chance to get nearer at least one of the sides above us and maybe all three of them but we simply did not play.

“In the first-half we struggled to put together any decent moves with the gale behind us and turned around level but at that their first goal was a bad one from our point of view.

“We should have stopped it twice with alertness and that is something we have talked about repeatedly in the dressing room but it was so missing at a key time. The third goal fell in to the same bracket and it is something we cannot continue if we want to get out of the situation we are in at the foot of the table.”

The manager will have suspended Kyle Miller and Robbie Buchanan available for the Stirling match and for the trip to Annan on Saturday.

Added Mr Bollan: “Robbie and Kyle would have made a difference on Saturday but the fact is that we have 16 games left to rescue the situation and the lads need to be ready to give their all for the club in every one of these fixtures.

“The thing is we simply did not compete like we have been, against Berwick, and we have to go out and fight for every scrap of possession against Albion and Annan and defend properly.

“We have been slack in the last two games and it has cost us points and we must really get our act together.”

There were no knocks from the Berwick game so the manager will likely bring Buchanan and Miller into the midfield and look to the former to support the front two of David Cox and Aiden Malone. It will mean that either Ben Reilly or Brad Smith may have to step down.