Hibernian 3, Cowdenbeath 2.

SPFL Championship Attendance-11,021.

WHAT hard luck for Cowden. After twice hitting the woodwork, then fighting back from a goal down to take the lead, they ended up losing in the fourth minute of time added on, at Easter Road, on Saturday.

It was so tough for the Blue Brazil to take as Hibs struggled for spells against the lively Fifers who had new faces Marcus Fraser and Callum Gallagher in their ranks.

Both the new players played a positive part in a Cowdenbeath performance which belied their bottom of the table status.

Hibs worked very hard to try and end a run of three games without a win but they had to thank the woodwork twice for ‘keeping the visitors out.

Cowden had Fraser, Chris Kane and John Armstrong working very hard to keep tabs with a lively Hibs front line but the part-timers eventually ran out of steam and the relieved homesters got their winner well into time added on.

Make no mistake Cowdenbeath needed to go into the last ten minutes still a goal up but the concession of a penalty kick with only 12 minutes to go was a key moment.

Hibs, with their fans getting more and more frustrated at being unable to break down the stubborn Blues, got the break they wanted with the award of the spot-kick and from that point on it was always going to be struggle for Cowden.

But as the game went into time added on it seemed that they were going to get a point then came the moment that saw Hibs get a win that looked like was going to elude them.

Robbie Thomson was preferred in goal to Thomas Flynn and he saw plenty of the ball in the early stages as Hibs searched for an early goal.

In seven minutes Scott Allan shot over from a good position and then Paul Hefferman’s header drifted wide.

And in 26 minutes the hosts grabbed the lead. Jordan FORSTER beat Thomson with a well placed header after Matt Kennedy found him with a pin-point cross from an Allan free-kick.

But within four minutes Cowdenbeath struck wood when Kudus Oyenuga’s looping effort struck the top of the bar with ‘keeper Oxley struggling but Hibs re-established themselves in control and Hefferman came close four minutes from the break with another header.

The first 10 minutes of the second-half saw Cowdenbeath take a real grip of the game.

In 49 minutes they were level when Sean HIGGINS' low shot, after a cut-back from Armstrong, beat Oxley from the centre of the Hibs box and then three minutes later the striker hit the bar with a fierce shot as the Easter Road side looked shell-shocked.

And in 56 minutes Cowden went ahead when Gallagher provided the assist and Jon ROBERTSON’s shot beat Oxley all ends up.

Hibs were totally shocked but they made a couple of changes to try and get back in to the game and one of them, Dom Malonga, went close.

But still Cowdenbeath defended solidly and a shock result seemed a real possibility. Then with 13 minutes left Hibs got the break they needed.

There were claims from Hibs that Forste rhad been held by Armstrong but the referee waved play on only for the linesman to flag and after discussion with him Mr McKendrick pointed to the spot. MALONGA converted to get the hosts out of jail.

The closing moments saw Hibs press for the winner but Thomson and his colleagues held out well until the 94th minute.

Jason CUMMINGS’ effort went into the bottom corner to give the home side all three points and leave Cowdenbeath feeling there is no justice in the world.

Hibernian: Oxley (6); Stevenson (6),Gray (7); Hanlon (6), Forster (8), Robertson (7); Stanton (6) (Sinclair 68 (3)), Allan (6) (Malonga 58 (5), Hefferman (7) (Cummings 72 (3)), Kennedy (7), McGeouch (7). Subs not used, Fontain, Craig, Handling and Perntreau.

Cowdenbeath: Robbie Thomson (7); Dean Brett (7), Iain Campbell (6); Chris Kane (6) (Darren Brownlie 74 (3)), John Armstrong (7), Marcus Fraser (7)); Jon Robertson (6), Lewis Milne (7), Kudus Oyenuga (7) (Kyle Miller 84 (2)), Sean Higgins (7), callum Gallagher (7) (Craig Johnston 79 (2)). Subs not used, Dan Jurisic, Aaron Lynas, Kyle Mitchell and Thomas Flynn.

Referee-John McKendrick (6).