Cowdenbeath 0, Alloa Athletic 2.

SPFL C hampionship Attendance-505 ANOTHER dreadful home performance from Cowdenbeath which has left them in real trouble with four fixtures coming up against top half of the table sides.

Cowden have not won a home game since mid November and at no stage on Saturday did they look capable of beating the lowly Wasps.

Alloa, who had gone 14 league games without a win, always looked the better side in this one.

After having produced a good show at Dumbarton, Cowden fans were looking for their favourites to build on that at Central Park on Saturday but right from the first whistle they were second best.

Fortunately Alloa’s finishing was very average and they missed several good openings, albeit the two goals that they did get were fine strikes.

Cowden struggled to produce any decent chances and strikers Colin Nish and Kudus Oyenuga were operating on very short rations.

The midfield unit, which had done so well at Dumbarton, was totally misfiring and seldom put together a decent move.

And at the rear there were too many unforced errors which gave Alloa the opportunity to create several chances which they chose not to take and it was just as well from a home point of view.

Any repeats of this sort of form will ensure their five straight defeats at Central Park is certain to continue.

Alloa made a good start to the game and in the third minute Kevin Cawley got on the end of Mark Docherty’s cross but his header lacked power and Thomson gathered comfortably.

In ten minutes a long Thomas O’Brien throw posed problems for the Wasps and Oyenuga looked to get on the end of it but Darryl Meggatt managed to get to the ball first and clear the danger.

Cowden, despite wind advantage, were struggling to put pressure on the Alloa defence and in 25 minutes a bad tackle by Marshall on Buchanan gave the visitors a foul 25 yards out but Isaac Layne’s free-kick was charged down by the home defensive wall.

Cowden had the ball in the net in 28 minutes when Oyenuga matched on to a Chris Kane flick and fired home but the linesman’s flag was up for off-side then 10 minutes from the break a Cawley cross was perfect for Jason Marr only six yards out and his header grazed the bar.

But in 40 minutes Nish had a chance only 16 yards out but he sclaffed his finish and the ball went wide.

The second period opened with Herron floating a free-kick into the Alloa box and Toshney met it but his header was too high and Alloa responded with a Layne shot which was brilliantly blocked by Thomson.

As Alloa continued to attack Thomson saved well from Phil Roberts and then Buchanan’s 25 yarder skimmed the Cowden bar.

But in 64 minutes Alloa took the lead. A flick by Layne bounced perfectly for Mark DOCHERTY and his 22 yard volley flew over Thomson.

Cowden made a couple of changes and they immediately threatened with Marr having to fire the ball over his own bar after the ball was switched across the face of the Alloa goal area by Herron.

And in 77 minutes the clinching goal came. Kevin Cawley ran clear of the Cowden defence and fired a 25 yarder high into the net.

Alloa were not finished and Thomson had to make a brilliant double save from sub Greg Spence in the closing minutes.

Cowdenbeath: Robbie Thomson (7); Kyle Miller (6) (Jon Robertson 66 (3)), Kenny Adamson (5) (Dean Brett 38 (5)); Thomas O’Brien (5), Darren Brownlie (5), Lewis Toshney (5); Chris Kane (5), Colin Marshall (5) (Lewis Milne 69 (3)), Colin Nish (6), Kudus Oyenuga (5), John Herron (5). Subs used, Nat Wedderburn, Sean Higgins, Declan Hughes and Jamie Sneddon.

Alloa Athletic: McDowall (7); Doyle (6), Docherty (8); Gordon (7), Meggatt (7), Marr (7); Cawley (7), McCord (6), Roberts (6), Buchanan (7) (Tiffoney 90 (2)),Layne (7) (Spence 77 (3)). Subs not used, Jaharal-Martin, Rutherford, Spence, Holmes, Ferns and Gibson.

Referee-John Beaton (6).