Albion Rovers 0, Cowdenbeath 0.

Ladbrokes League One

Attendance-356

ANOTHER good performance from Cowden in their bid to remain in the division.

At Cliftonhill, on Saturday, Cowdenbeath knew that they needed a result to ensure that their bid remained on course.

Meanwhile their opponents were also needing points to keep their promotion play-offs hopes alive and the end result was better for the Blues.

The Cowdenbeath line-up had two changes in it with recalls for Jack Beaumont and Declan Byrne but the result was all about another solid show from the Cowden rearguard.

Golkeeper Grant Adam was in top form and he pulled off three or four good stops at key moments.

Centre-backs Craig Sives and Aldin El Zubaidi were very dominating and with Dean Brett and Mo Yaqub equally as effective it ensured another shut-out.

Beaumont linked up well with Lewis Milne and Declan Hughes and with Declan McDaid supplying some good play in wide areas it meant the Blue Brazil were dangerous going forward.

The stats from the match showed that Cowdenbeath had 56 per cent of possession and that reflects how effective the midfield were.

Rovers made the better start to the game with Spas Georgiev getting in a left foot shot which Adam dealt with and it took Cowden time to get into the attacking side of the match.

However, in 16 minutes McDaid got in a header which flew just wide, then Milne shot over from a good position.

Rovers were looking capable of mounting dangerous attacks and in a raid in 22 minutes Michael Dunlop’s header saw Adam dive to save.

Albion continued to probe the Cowden defence but found the back four hard to penetrate and nine minutes from the break Alan Reid saw his shot well saved by Adam.

Cowdenbeath started the second-half well and Spence’s header from the centre of the box flew inches wide of the Rovers’ left hand post before, and in 55 minutes, McDaid’s right foot shot from just outside the box,  was  held by ‘keeper Craig Stewart.

Rovers, aware that they really needed to win the match, kept trying to press forward but they found the visiting rearguard too well organised and on the hour mark a Michael Dunlop shot was held by Adam.

As the game went into the last ten minutes Cowden twice went close to winning it. Hughes’ header was well saved by Stewart before Spence saw the Rovers’ last line repeated the dose from his well directed effort before sub Kyle Miller’s shot was blocked, but it was a useful point.

In time added on Adam produced two good stops to ensure a point.

Albion Rovers: Stewart (7); Reid (7), Turnbull (6); Fisher (6), M Dunlop (7), A Dunlop (7); Georgiev (6), Davidson (6), Archibald (Willis 65), McBride (6), Ferry (6) (Kerjean 80 (2)). Subs not used, Young, Talu, Lochhead and McRobbie.

Cowdenbeath: Grant Adam (9); Dean Brett (7), Mo Yaqub (7); Aldin El Zubaidi (7), Craig Sives (8), Declan Hughes (7); Declan McDaid (6), Declan Byrne (6) (Kyle Miller 68)), Greig Spence (7), Lewis Milne (7) (Ross Caldwell 80 (2)), Jack Beaumont (7) (Pat Scullion 82 (2)). Subs not used, Brad Donaldson, Kenny Adamson and Alin Roman.

Referee- Alan Newlands (6).