Published: Friday, 12th March, 2010 1:49pm

Cowden power to victory

by Jim Stark

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Darren McGregor grabbed the winner.

Cowdenbeath 2, Arbroath 1.

ANOTHER excellent second-half performance gave Cowdenbeath victory over the battling Lichties at Central Park on Tuesday evening.

Arbroath are battling for their lives in the Barrs Irn Bru Second Division and they never gave up trying to take something from the match.

After their big win over East Fife on Saturday Cowden fans had expected another goal filled win but the visitors showed that they are a much improved side.

Indeed, in the first period they more than held their own and were just worth their one goal lead but after the re-start Cowden started to up the tempo.

They hit two goals in three minutes to turn the game their way and late in the game hit a post so show that they had taken charge.

Best for Cowden on a night where hard, uncompromising tackling was the order, were the midfield central duo of Darren McGregor and Craig Winter while Jay Stein was always busy on the left hand side of the park.

Paul McQuade and Gareth Wardlaw were dangerous in attack while the back four had a good night over all.

Arbroath made a lively start and Calum Booth was a livewire on the left wing supplying two good passes into the home box in the first five minutes but there were no takers.

However, the nearest to an early goal came at the other end when Darren McGregor whipped a low ball into the Lichties box and Ewan Moyes cleared his own bar by inches in trying to clear.

In 17 minutes Booth made another good run which was only stopped by John Armstrong at the expense of a corner and from the set piece the visitors took the lead.

Marc McCulloch swung the ball into the Cowden box where Steven Doris met it and when his shot was blocked by Joe Mbu Paul LUNAN followed up to force the ball home from close in.

Cowden tried to pressurise Arbroath and a Stein cross gave Wardlaw a chance but his finish was weak then McQuade could not take advantage of a telling Dene Droudge cross.

The Fifers certainly finished the half the better side but Darren Hill had only one difficult save to make from Wardlaw six minutes from the break.

The second period saw Cowden start aggressively and they had the ball in the net after 55 minutes but Wardlaw was clearly off-side.

Cowdenbeath were dominating possession and in 61 minutes McGregor saw his first shot blocked by Hill and then the 'keeper dived to block the midfielder's follow-up.

But in 63 minutes there was nothing the 'keeper could do to stop the Blue Brazil scoring.

A poor clearance went straight to McQUADE outside the box and he advanced to send a 14 yard shot past the diving Hill.

It was all Cowden now and in 66 minutes Scott Linton's ball into the box was headed on by John Armstrong and the ball fell to McGREGOR who fired low into the net from close in.

Arbroath were up against it but they weathered the storm and with 10 minutes left they came close to a leveller.

Another McCulloch corner was met by Keith Gibson and his header struck Mbu on the knee as it headed for the net and bounced clear.

But then with only three minutes to go Mark Ramsay sent substitute John Dempster free in the box but the ball bounced back of Hill's left hand post from his low 16 yarder.

Cowden manager Danny Lennon was pleased with the second-half showing. He said, "I felt that we were a bit sluggish in the first-half.

"However, after the break we upped the tempo well and the quality of our deliveries into the box was much better and over the piece we deserved the three points."

Cowdenbeath: Hay; Armstrong, Linton; McGregor Droudge,Mbu; Ramsay (Baxter 90), McQuade (Dempster 84), Wardlaw (Fairbairn 76), Winter, Stein. Subs not used, Robertson and Bower.

Arbroath: Hill; McMullan, McCulloch; Moyes, Rattray, Redman; Lunan (Nimmo81), Gibson, Doris (Ross 74), McLean (Hislop 67), Booth. Subs not used, Jackson and Morrison.

Referee-Tom Robertson. Attendance 246.