Cowdenbeath 1, Hearts 2.

SPFL Championship Attendance-2394.

A GOAL in time added on saw champions Hearts deny Cowdenbeath a deserved point at Central Park on Saturday.

Cowden might have lost double figures at Tynecastle a few months back, but this time there was literally nothing between the sides.

And the only thing that separated them was a penalty decision three minutes into time added on.

Colin Marshall made a challenge to take the ball off Jamie Walker, who hit the deck and the award was converted to give the Jambos a win that their manager said afterwards they did not deserve.

At times it was not pretty but Cowden battled hard and Hearts knew they were in a game.

Goalkeeper Robbie Thomson was outstanding and he made a series of good saves while the central defensive set-up of Darren Brownlie, skipper John Armstrong and Thomas O’Brien, were rock solid against the high scoring visitors.

If there was a problem, it was again that the midfield started to lose ground to the visitors later on in the game and it was then that Hearts started to probe more deeply into the Cowden box, especially after Lewis Milne had to go off in the closing minutes.

Colin Nish posed a big problem for Hearts and it was only a top class save from ‘keeper Jack Hamilton that stopped him from scoring a key second goal for the Blues.

Without injury hit Sean Higgins, Kudus Oyenuga partnered Nish and he had his moments in the Jambos’ box.

In the very first minute Hearts threatened when Callum Paterson got free of the home defence and his rocket 16 yarder struck the top of the home bar.

In ten minutes Cowden responded and from a Milne corner Nish’s glancing header went just wide. But within two minutes Hearts saw Osman Sow’s volley roar inches wide.

However, in 13 minutes Cowden took the lead. A good move by the home side down the right saw the ball arrive at MARSHALL’S feet 16 yards out and he fired a low shot past Jack Hamilton.

Nineteen minutes from the break Jordan McGhee broke into the Cowden box but a fine Brownlie challenge blocked his shot and and Genero Zeefuik’s header from the rebound landed on top of the Cowden net.

On the half hour PATERSON’S fierce 16 yard shot was brilliantly tipped over by Thomson but two minutes later the big front man got on the end of Walker’s cross and his header from eight yards out beat Thomson.

On the interval whistle only a brilliant save from Hamilton stopped Nish giving Cowden the lead after the striker got through deep into the Hearts box, then Armstrong’s header went inches wide.

Cowden opened the second-half well and O’Brien’s low cross was just missed by Brownlie almost on the Hearts’ line.

The Jambos hit back with a lovely move down the right and the ball was headed just over by Paterson then Thomson pulled off a brilliant diving save from Walker.

Cowdenbeath continued to have openings and Nish and Oyenuga went close while Paterson was always a threat for Hearts.

As the game went into time added on it seemed certain to end in a draw but then came the key moment.

Marshall challenged Walker on the left hand side of the Cowden box and the little winger went down and the referee pointed to the spot, despite little coming from the visiting players and up stepped Brad McKAY to slot the penalty and win the game for his side and leave Cowden knowing only a win next Saturday will ensure safety.

Cowdenbeath: Robbie Thomson (7); Lewis Toshney (7), Nat Wedderburn (6) (Kyle Miller 62 (3)); Darren Brownlie (7), John Armstrong (7), Thomas O’Brien (7); Jon Robertson (6), Colin Marshall (7), Colin Nish (7), Kudus Oyenuga (6), Lewis Milne (6) (Craig Johnston 80 (2)). Subs not used, Iain Campbell, Chris Kane, Liam Callaghan, Jordan Halsman and Jamie Sneddon.

Hearts: Hamilton (7); Anderson (6) (El Hassnaoui (76 (3)), McHattie (7); Gomis(7), Ozturk (7),McKay (6); Walker (7), Paterson (8), Zeefuik (6) (Nicholson 53 (4)), Sow (6), McGhee (6) (Keatings 62 (3). Subs not used, Oliver, McKirdy, Smith and Gallacher.

Referee-Craig Charleston (6).