Gareth breaches Warriors wall

Andrew Cowie • Published 7 Apr 2010 16:00 0 Comments

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Brian Fairbairn fires in a free-kick.

Cowdenbeath 1, Stenhousemuir 0.

A BRILLIANTLY taken goal by striker Gareth Wardlaw gave Cowdenbeath a crucial three points from Saturday's Barrs Irn Bru Second Division fixture with Stenhousemuir at Central Park.

It strengthened the Fifers' spot in second top place in the division and they lie six points behind leaders Alloa Athletic with a game in hand.

So there is all to play for but the Blue Brazil will have to look to win every one of their closing six games.

Cowden were always the better side against Stenny but the Warriors defended in depth and posed the hosts plenty of headaches in terms of creating chances.

Stenhousemuir need points to avoid the play-offs at the wrong end of the table and they set their stall out to deny Cowdenbeath space.

The Fifers had plenty of possession but only really started to put Stenny under pressure when Jon Robertson, in the right back role, started to make some telling runs.

He sent over a string of crosses in the second period and from one of them, man of the match Gareth Wardlaw grabbed the winner.

Wardlaw led the Cowden attack with tremendous presence winning balls in the air and linking well with the midfield on the deck.

There were other good contributions from Robertson, and Darren McGregor and Craig Winter who worked hard in the centre of midfield while Scott McBride always posed a threat on the left wing.

In a quiet opening to the game Stenny were first to threaten when Scott Gibb's 20 yarder flashed just wide of David Hay's left hand post.

Cowden retaliated in ten minutes when McBride's cross landed at John Dempster's feet but his shot lacked venom and Chris McCluskey saved.

Cowden started to press forward and in 22 minutes Stephen Thomson's clearance went to Wardlaw 25 yards out but his right foot shot was well held by McCluskey.

Stenny threatened again on the half hour when Kevin Motion was tripped by McBride and from the free-kick by the midfielder David Hay produced a good finger tip save.

Four minutes later Wardlaw was hauled down by Jordan Smith 25 yards out and Brian Fairbairn's curling shot from the free-kick was well held by the Stenny 'keeper and on the interval whistle the visitors threatened again when from Motion's corner Iain Diack header just over.

Three minutes into the second period Wardlaw laid the ball back to McBride but Smith somehow managed to block the linkman's shot and the ball spiralled up in the air before McCluskey managed to grab it.

In 55 minutes McGregor worked space for himself on the edge of the Stenny box and his shot seemed to strike Smith's arm but the referee waved play on.

Another long Gibb throw in 57 minutes was met by Stenhousemuir's Smith and his header was bravely headed off the line by John Armstrong and 14 minutes later Cowden took the lead.

WARDLAW gathered the ball 30 yards out and his pass was met by Robertson who waited until the striker was in the middle of the penalty area before firing over a perfect cross which he headed high past McCluskey.

However, the visitors were not finished and in 74 minutes poor Cowden defending gave Dalziel a clear sight of Hay from 12 yards range but he sliced his finish well wide. Cowden still went in search for a second goal and Robertson's crosses were posing problems for Stenny and McBride's header went just past from one of them.

The home rearguard was in solid form and Stenhousemuir seldom posed the hosts any problems in the closing minutes and at the other end McGregor went close to grabbing a second.

In time added on long time injury sufferer Danny Mackay got back on the first team park as a subsitute.

Cowdenbeath: Hay; Armstrong, Adamson; McGregor, Winter (Mackay 90), Mbu; Fairbairn (Ramsay 76), Dempster (Stein 85), Wardlaw, Robertson, McBride. Subs not used, McQuade and Bower.

Stenhousemuir: McCluskey; Gibb (Love 75), Thomson; McLeod, Smith Thom; Lyle, Molloy, Dalziel (Quinn 78), Diack, Motion (Scullion 80). Subs not used, Stirling and Bennett.

Referee-Willie Collum. Attendance-438.

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