THE Blue Brazil produced a five-star performance as they swept aside East Stirlingshire.

Goals from Layton Bisland, Sean Slaven, David Struthers and a double from Ewan Thomson saw Cowden run out 5-0 winners.

The convincing outcome was Cowden’s third league win of the season, with their goal difference now positive after Saturday’s match.

It was an encouraging performance, with Iain Davidson and Jordan Armstrong marshalling their young troops well, and two first-half goals in two minutes set them on their way to victory.

Slaven and Carlos Lyon looked a real handful for the visiting defence, holding the ball up well and bringing their team mates into the game, while 17 year-old Ewan Thomson struck a double to cap an excellent performance in the wide right midfield position.

The first for Cowden came on 17 minutes when Slave held off two defenders and fired high into the net from seven yards.

Then seconds later Thomson cut in from the right and his wind assisted angled shot hit the far post before crossing the line.

This boosted home confidence and Lyon and Slaven both came close to adding a third goal but were denied by good saves from Ross Connelly.

Cowden made a substitution at the break with Jack Garrad replacing Dean Ritchie, and in 54 minutes Garrad’s pass saw Slaven chase the ball down and Coutts’ clearance off the big striker raced into Connelly’s hands.

In 58 minutes ‘Shire threatened when Kyle Connolly chased a pass from Andy Kay and just before the winger could finish Danny Farrell raced from his line to save, then five minutes later a good East Stirlingshire move saw Jack Hodge turn the ball goalwards but the Cowden ‘keeper was on the spot to save.

Things got worse for Shire with 13 minutes left when defender Shaun Brown was sent off for a second bookable offence and within a minute Cowdenbeath got the key third when Slaven found substitute Struthers and he calmly fired a 16 yard shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Then with six to go Thomson got the fourth with a neat finish from close in, after good work by sub Scott Sinclair, and with three minutes left Layton BISLAND made it 5-0 from eight yards, after a flowing home move.

After Saturday’s morale-boosting result, the win sees Cowden occupying fourteenth place in the Lowland League with 11 points on the board and a goal difference of one.