Cowdenbeath lose to Forfar Athletic in cinch SPFL League Two

ANOTHER defeat for Cowdenbeath and this Station Park loss mercifully still sees them just six points adrift of the rest of League 2.

For most of the game Cowden competed well but a late collapse gave Forfar a margin of victory that seemed unlikely for much of the game.

With skipper Craig Barr in his usual spot after recovering from the injury that saw him have to go off after just 13 minutes at Elgin, the defence did well in the first three quarters of the game but as time went on the midfield started to fade and the second from top Loons started to press.

There were chances for Cowdenbeath to go ahead but after Forfar took the lead with just thirteen minutes left, the Blue Brazil ran out of steam.

Kyle Miller was back in the Cowden midfield and in only two minutes he had a shot which went just wide.

However, Forfar struck back and Scott Shepherd forced Cammy Gill into a good save with an angled shot in 13 minutes and soon after the home side’s Craig Slater saw a 35 yarder well held by Gill.

Cowden were keen to get forward and in 22 minutes Fraser Mullen saw Forfar ‘keeper Mark McCallum defy him with a fine block from the wing-back’s 22 yarder then Quinn Coulson took advantage of space in the Loons’ box and his 10 yarder was blocked by Forfar’s Andy Munro.

The Loons were getting forward and ten minutes from the break Mark Gallagher had space on the edge of the Cowdenbeath box but his shot went inches wide.

There was a real hive of activity before the interval with Forfar’s Ross Meechan and Matt Aitken going close and Cowden Coulson bringing out a good save from McCallum.

Cowdenbeath started the second period well and Coulson saw a shot from 20 yards blocked but Forfar went close when PJ Crossan missed a good chance from 10 yards which went inches wide.

In 75 minutes, as the home side strove to turn the screw, Slater saw is 19 yarder blocked by Jamie Todd but two minutes later Forfar got the breakthrough.

From a Luke Strachan cross no visiting defender could prevent MUNRO from heading home from six yards range.

Cowden tried to respond but Forfar grabbed a second goal with five minutes left. Meechan provided the cross which saw Grant ANDERSON power a header into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

The game was gone now for Cowden and insult was added to injury in time added on when Matthew AITKEN fired a free-kick into the corner of the net.

It all turned a game which held promise for the Blues for so long into another disappointing day and the fifth straight league defeat for the team.

Forfar Athletic: McCallum (7); Meechan (6), Strachan (6), S Anderson (7), Munro (7), Slater (7), Gallagher (6) (G Anderson 62 (4)), Thomas (8), Shepherd (7) (Doris 76 (3), Crossan (7), Aitken (7). Subs not used,Travis, Hussain, Sanderson, Irvine and Fisher.

Cowdenbeath: Cammy Gill (7); Fraser Mullen (6), Harvey Swann (6), Kane O’Connor (7), Craig Barr (7), Jamie Todd (6), Kyle Hutton (7), Kyle Miller (6) (Gavin Morrison 86 (2)), Liam Buchanan (6) (Craig Thomson 86 (2)), Robbie Buchanan (6), Quinn Coulson (6 (Bobby Barr 86 (2). Subs not use, Luke Mahady, Ross Clarke, Lennon Watson and Dave McGurn (gk).

Referee-Steven Reid (6).