Super sub Paul earns key win

Andrew Cowie • Published 16 Dec 2009 07:00 0 Comments

Share this

Cowdenbeath 2, Stenhousemuir 1.

A DRAMATIC late winner gave a weakened Cowdenbeath side the points which took them two clear at the top of the Barrs Irn Bru Second Division when they took on Stenhousemuir at Central park on Tuesday night.

Without central midfielder Craig Winter, centre-back John Armstrong and striker Gareth Wardlaw the Blue Brazil had to re-shuffle the pack.

It meant a central midfield role for Kenny Adamson, who had a good game until a rash moment saw him lash out with the last quarter just beginning.

But the short-handed Fifers responded brilliantly and a sharp piece of finishing by super sub Paul McQuade ensured yet another home win for Cowden.

Cowdenbeath had to work exceptionally hard to subdue a very lively Stenny lot who had the advantage of taking an early lead.

It took the re-arranged Cowden side time to settle but once they got going they began to boss the midfield area with Jon Robertson again showing an auld heid on young shoulders.

He was given good support by Adamson, until his dismissal, and wide players Jay Stein and Brian Fairbairn while up front Scott McBride was a stand-out leading the line with controlled aggression and some excellent linking play. Mark Ramsay played up front alongside McBride and was a another able deputy and later in the game he went back into midfield where he made some good passes.

At the back Scott Linton stepped in at left-back and skipper Mark Baxter returned to action on the right hand side and both were solid contributors.

In the middle Dene Droudge, who only passed a late fitness test and took over from Armstrong and Joe Mbu were the rocks which a lot of Stenny attacks faltered upon expecially in the closing 15 minutes while David Hay was Mr Reliable.

As Cowden struggled to settle Stenny dominated the opening phase of the match and in five minutes Craig Molloy's chip was only inches wide and then former Blue Brazilian Pat Scullion tested Hay with a rasping 25 yard free-kick.

However, in 21 minutes the visitors went ahead. Kevin Bradley made a good run into the Cowden box and when his shot was blocked by Hay another former Cowden player, Scott Dalziel, followed up to score from 10 yards out.

The lead lasted but two minutes. McBride posed problems for Stenny and his ball into the box went to Robertson whose shot was turned into the net by the alert FAIRBAIRN, who from the press box it has to be said, appeared to be lying in an off-side position.

However, Stenny's appeals were turned aside by the officials and it heralded a spell when the hosts started to dominate and McBride and Ramsay went close on four occasions.

The first period had been lively and in the second-half Stenhousemuir kept up the momentum and Motion and Scullion troubled Hay.

It took Cowden 11 minutes into the period before Stein's fierce left foot shot brought out a fine save from Chris McCluskey.

For a spell play became tied to the midfield area and it was in a tussle in this sector that Adamson saw red. After Iain Thomson had fouled him he lashed out at the Stenny player and referee George Salmond had no option but to send him off.

Substitute McQuade and McBride tried to combine frontline duties with helping out in midfield but the hard working Cowden defence kept Stenhousemuir at bay.

Then in 76 minutes came the crucial goal. Ramsay fed McBride and his slide rule pass found McQUADE and the front man peeled off his marker before rounding the 'keeper and netting from just outside the six yard box.

Stenny tried hard to pressurise Cowden but they seemed to run out of steam and in a couple of late raids the home side came close to adding number three but with Stirling Albion drawing at home to Dumbarton Cowden went clear top.

Cowdenbeath:Hay; Baxter, Adamson; Linton, Droudge Mbu; Fairbairn (McCabe 87), McBride, Ramsay, Robertson, Stein (McQuade 59). Subs not used, Ferguson, Bradley and Bower.

Stehnousemuir: McCluskey; Thom, S Thomson (Love 82); McLeod, Smith, Molloy; I Thomson, Scullion (Stirling 82), Dalziel (O'Reilly 82), Bradley, Motion. Subs not used, Diack and Bennett.

Referee-George Salmond. Attendance-264.

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Sport archives.

Central Fife Times Poll

Should Andy Gray and Richard Keys have lost their jobs in the Sky sexism row?

This Poll is now closed.

Yes (50.6%)

No (49.4%)

Follow @dunfermlinep