Published: Wednesday, 27th January, 2010 3:48pm

First-half misses cost Fifers

by Jim Stark

Comments (0) | Print | Email

A SERIES of first-half failures in front of goal cost Cowdenbeath dear at The Rock on Saturday as their eleven game unbeaten run in the Barrs Irn Bru Second Division came to an end.

Cowden led by a goal at the break but it really should have been three as they carved out some fine openings.

Sons, though, just kept battling away and in the second period took over the game and pounced twice to take the points.

The Blue Brazil had to go into the match without stand-out defender Joe Mbu but this did not seem to affect the performance in the first-half as they played some flowing stuff.

The midfield foursome of Brian Fairbairn, Jon Robertson, Craig Winter and Mark Ramsay were key to this by stamping their authority on the game. However, they ran out of steam after the break.

It was skipper Mark Baxter who grabbed the goal as front men Paul McQuade and Gareth Wardlaw fired blanks.

They were not the only people to miss openings though and had Cowden even got a second goal before the break it would almost certainly have sealed a result.

As for the Cowden defence they seemed to start to lose concentration the longer the game went on. Dene Droudge and John Armstrong did well enough in the central area until the latter stages but full-backs Baxter and Scott Linton found the width of the Sons hard to close down.

Cowden took command from the kick-off and pressed forward creating one or two really good openings.

Baxter (pictured) right) always keen to help out in attack, latched on to a decent opening and brought out a good save from Sons 'keeper Jan Vojacek then Wardlaw tested the 'keeper from close in.

David Hay had little to do as the Fifers pressurised the home team and Wardlaw had another good chance but he failed to hit the target.

Then in 29 minutes Cowden took the lead. The Dumbarton defence got in a right fankle and BAXTER was lying handy to turn the ball home.

Wardlaw had to go off soon after. He had only passed a late fitness test after suffering from flu during the week, but his replacement Scott McBride soon produced some dazzling footwork and fired past.

Roddy Hunter had Sons best chance of the first period with a shot which Hay saved comfortably.

However, it was the home side which produced the best opening of the early second period with a fine effort which Hay did well to save.

Dumbarton continued to take over in midfield and in 65 minutes they were level. Michael Dunlop's cross was met by Derek Carcary and his header hit a post and before the Cowden defence could clear HUNTER bundled the ball over the line.

In a bid to regain the initiative Jay Stein replaced Fairbairn for Cowden and for a time they started to get back into the picture with Droudge going close from a free-kick situation.

Dumbarton kept battling on and super substitute Ross CLARK produced the winner in the closing seconds.

The Cowden defence was caught out by Keiran Brannan's header and the sub was lying handy to fire past the helpless Hay.

There was not enough time left for Cowden to reply and the unbeaten run was over.

Dumbarton: Vocajek; Chisholm, Smith; Gordon, Dunlop, O'Donoughue; Craig (Brannan 67), Chaplain (Clark 67), Carcary, Hunter, Murray. Subs not used, Winslow, McNiff and McStay.

Cowdenbeath: Hay; Armstrong, Linton; Winter (McGregor 82), Droudge, Baxter; Fairbairn (Stein 72), McQuade, Wardlaw (McBride 37), Robertson, Ramsay. Subs not used, Trialist and Bower.

Referee-Bobby Madden, East Kilbride. Attendance 654.