Cowdenbeath: Relegation for Blue Brazil as Bonnyrigg Rose promoted

COWDEN’S failing this season of missing chances saw them end their 117-year stay in the Scottish League.

The Blue Brazil needed to score four goals to overturn their 3-0 first leg defeat but they blew several good openings at Central Park on Saturday, although the woodwork twice came to Bonnyrigg’s rescue.

Cowdenbeath had a pre-match blow when veteran striker Liam Buchanan had to call off with a sickness bug, and this made the home hopes of getting back in the tie even slimmer.

Bobby Barr came in for the front man and was unlucky to see a post keep one of his efforts out, but while Barr, Andrew Barrowman and Sam Ompreon were very effective in lead up work, they could not get the goals their team needed.

Wing-backs, Craig Thomson and Fraser Mullen, were busy trying to get forward for the Blues and they sent over a few good crosses, but none were converted.

All in all it was an awful day for the 1,100 Cowden fans who turned up for the game and gave the team great backing as the Blue Brazil headed for the Lowland League.

In eight minutes Cowden hit wood when Bobby Barr cut in from the left and his right foot shot came off the outside of Mark Weir’s right hand post and bounced to safety.

Four minutes later Bonnyrigg’s Brad Barrett was unlucky when he latched on to Dean Brett’s cross and his low shot went just wide With wind advantage Rose tried to press for a killer goal and Lee Currie saw his 22 yarder go just over before a long Thomson throw was flicked on by Jamie Todd and Kerr Young got to the ball before Bobby Barr latched onto it in the six yard box.

But in 25 minutes Rose’s Ross Gray got space 15 yards out but curled his shot wide, then Callum Connolly tried his luck from 25 yards and the ball went inches over the bar.

Nine minutes from the break Cowden hit the Bonnyrigg woodwork again when good work by Bobby Barr saw his cross met by Sam Denham but his shot struck the bar on its way over.

Cowden forced two corners at the start of the second period and Craig Barr’s header was headed on by Todd but Alan Horne cleared the danger.

But in 61 minutes Cowden were given a mountain to climb. As Ross Gray was making his way into the Cowden box he went down under a Sam Denham challenge, and after the referee pointed to the spot Neil MARTYNUIK made the aggregate score 4-0, his second penalty conversion of the tie.

Cowden made substitutions to try and stay in the picture and pushed skipper Barr up front, and with 15 to go Quinn Coulson cleverly beat two defenders but there was no one at the far post to convert his inviting cross.

Then in the closing stages Coulson and Alex Ferguson forced two fine saves from Weir in the Bonnyrigg goals, but the goalscoring problem which has bothered Cowdenbeath all season persisted when they least needed it.

Cowdenbeath: Cammy Gill (6); Craig Thomson (7), Fraser Mullen (7), Jamie Todd (7), Craig Barr (7), Sam Denham (6), Alex Ferguson (7), Gavin Morrison (7), Bobby Barr (6) (Quinn Coulson 59 (3), Sam Ompreon (6), Andrew Barrowman (6) (Robbie Buchanan 53 (3)). Subs not used, Scott Dunn, Kyle Miller, Dave Carty and Craig McDowall (gk).

Bonnyrigg Rose: Weir (7); Brett (6) (S Gray 74 (3)), Martynuik (8), Young (7), Horne (6), Stewart (7) (Turner 74)), Currie (7), R Gray (7) (Hunter 67 (3)), Barrett (7), Connolly (7) (Hall 67 (3)), Brown (7). Subs not used, Evans, Wilson and Andrews (gk).

Referee-David Munro (6).