Berwick Rangers 1, Cowdenbeath 0.

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance-596

COWDEN’S fourth defeat at the hands of the Shielfielders this season and a strong reason the Blues are in the Pyramid Play-offs.

The 12 points that the Wee Rangers have taken off Cowden has saved them from having real problems from avoiding the bottom rung, for the Blue Brazil have presented them with half of their total wins this term.

This game was another, which all of the Berwick v Cowden games have been this season, that could have gone either way.

There were precious few chances in the game and had it ended goalless that might well have been a better reflection on the play.

Cowdenbeath went into Saturday’s match at Shielfield without Robbie Buchanan and Blair Malcolm, as their bookings tally has started to mount up and manager Gary Bollan will be wanting to have both available for the play-offs.

Cammy Muirhead came in to starting line-up instead of Malcolm while Brandon Luke was also a starter, but in the opening stages there was very little happening around the goalmouths.

But in 12 minutes Fraser Mullen gave away a corner and from the set piece, Darren Lavery sent over a cross which Jamie TODD met with his head about seven yards out and Dave McGurn had no chance.

Cowden eventually got going and in 25 minutes a Jordyn Sheerin header was well saved by the Berwick last line and then nine minutes later the striker was given a glimpse of the Berwick net but his 20 yarder went a little too high.

Most of the play was confined to midfield and Berwick created little or no danger.

Cowden had Scott Rumsby on for Bryan Gilfillan at the break and Ben Reilly for Muirhead and the Blues came close when Mullen’s shot roared just wide in 48 minutes before Steve Thomson replied for Rangers.

With 20 minutes left Reilly headed over from a good position then in 80 minutes Mullen saw his shot blocked, and three minutes later Sheerin saw his header stopped by a desperate Berwick leg.

Again Berwick had done little to threaten McGurn and it took them to the five minutes from time for Declan O’Kane to forced a save out of McGurn. A dour day indeed.

Berwick Rangers: Brennan (7); Fleming (6), Stewart (4) (Cook 35 (5)); Wilson (7), Todd (7), Lavery (7); Phillips (6), Orru (6), Murrell (6) (Thomson 64 (3)), Hamilton (6) (Willis 78)), O’Kane (6).

Cowdenbeath: Dave McGurn (7); Fraser Mullen (7), Jordan Hornby (6); Jamie Pyper (7), Bryan Gilfillan (5) (Scott Rumsby 46 (5)), Kyle Miller (7) (Robbie Buchanan 78)); David Cox (6), Cammy Muirhead (5) (Ben Reilly 46 (6)), Jordyn Sheerin (8), Brad Smith (6), Brandon Luke (6).

Referee-Scott Lambie (6).