Cowdenbeath 0, Annan Athletic 2.

Ladbroke League 2

Attendance-223

COWDENBEATH’S makeshift side was shocked by Annan inside the first three minutes of the game and never really recovered.

Mananger Gary Bollan made a number of changes in a bid to protect players from injury and suspension with a number of first teamers left out.

It meant a recast defence and a debut for young teenage ‘keeper Blair Penman. He had hardly taken his place on the pitch before he had to pick the ball out of the net.

He recovered from his difficult experience to play pretty well and the team in general settled down to give their opponents a tougher game than looked likely in the early seconds.

Brandon Luke and Harvey Swann gave lively shows in midfield and showed that they could be useful players in the play-offs.

Up front Cammy Muirhead was doing well until he was injured in a clash with Owen Moxon and with his shoulder lying limp he had to go off.

Annan got a glorious start to the game with a goal in seventy seconds when Connor O’Keefe’s low cross was turned in to the net by Blair HENDERSON.

Then two minutes later it was 2-0. Scott Roberts sent a cross into the box and HENDERSON was on the spot to head home from close in.

Cowden recovered and with young Harvey Swann prompting from the centre midfield and in 25 minutes Brad Smith’s curling 20 yarder was only inches wide.

In 28 minutes Penman made a brilliant save from an Aidan Smith 25 yard free-kick then at the other end a Luke pass set up Matt McInally but with Sheerin waiting in the middle his cross was far too strong and the opportunity was lost.

In 44 minutes Jordan Hornby twice came to the rescue of the Blues within seconds, first clearing from Henderson, and then Smith, following up saw his follow up cleared by the full-back.

Muirhead went off injured just before the break and then McInally had to go off within five minutes of the second period but in 56 minutes a cross from sub Ben Reilly set up Sheerin but Alex Mitchell held his flick then Swann made a brilliant run through the middle and was clean through into the box and his effort flew along the line but there were no takers.

As the second period went on Annan tried to get their early sparkle back and in 71 minutes Steven Swinglehurst headed over from a corner.

Then five minutes later Annan’s Owen Moxon was red carded for a crude foul on Hornby which earned him a second yellow.

Cowdenbeath: Blair Penman (6): Matt McInally (5) (Kyle Miller 50 (3)), Jordan Hornby (6); Jamie Pyper (7), Scott Rumsby (6), Brandon Luke (6); David Cox (6) (Sean McManus 75 (3)), Harvey Swann (7), Jordyn Sheerin (7), Brad Smith (6), Cammy Muirhead (5) (Ben Reilly (6)). Subs not used, Bryan Gilfillan, Robbie Buchanan, Blair Malcolm and Dave McGurn.

Annan Athletic: Mitchell (7); Brannan (7), Horne (7); Moxon (5), Sonkur (6), Swinglehurst (6); Synanamon (7), O’Keefe (7), Smith (6), Henderson (8), Roberts (3) (Hooper 22 (6)). Subs not used, Murphy, Hannay, Creaney, Watson, Omar and Atkinson.

Referee-Graham Beaton (6).