Cowdenbeath 2, Elgin City 1.

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance-294

A BIZARRE end to this game saw Cowden keep alive manager Gary Bollan’s hopes of winning all the club’s remaining fixtures.

Jordyn Sheerin went on for the closing minutes and dived bravely to guide Fraser Mullen’s cross into the net, but picked up a head knock after colliding with the knee of ‘keeper Kyle Gourlay and had to go off with a black eye and a head knock!

However, the striker’s efforts earned all three points and took the club to only two points behind Elgin in seventh spot.

After the heights of their performance against Edinburgh City, Cowden did not get anywhere near the same standard in this one, at Central Park on Saturday, but still they ground out three points.

There was the strong wind blowing straight down the park making close passing difficult.

However, Elgin were able to find their men better and did create the better chances in the first period.

The home defence, the same men who saw off City, were too often caught square and Elgin got their goal from a long punt and missed three other chances from other situations where Cowdenbeath could not deal with fairly simple situations with 'keeper Dave McGurn doing well.

However, in the second period the Blues started to get more of the ball and David Cox used it well but his attacking partner Jordan Allan was not as deadly with his finishing, as against City.

In five minutes Cowden’s Allan got into a good position just 13 yards out but a brave block by City’s James McGowan kept the scores level and within a minute at the other end Kane Hester went close.

In eight minutes the Blues were back on the attack and Allan got into a good position by beating two home defenders but is angled 10 yarder went wide.

In 22 minutes City’s Darryl McHardy got free in the Cowdenbeath box and his header drifted just over, then three minutes later Jon Paul McGovern got on the end of a corner and his shot went only inches over the Cowden bar.

But in 27 minutes Elgin took the lead when a long ball caught the home defence square and Brian CAMERON ran clean through to fire a 10 yard left shot wide of McGurn.

Facing the strong wind Cowdenbeath too often were using a long pass and four minutes from the break they almost conceded a second when a ball into the box had the home defence claiming for off-side but Chris McLeish got on the end of it and his free header from only eight yards out went over.

In 51 minutes McLeish latched onto a ball hit into the Cowden boss but guided his finish over, however, in 53 minutes Allan latched onto ball running along the six yard box and he fired agonisingly wide.

However, in 63 minutes Cowden levelled. The Elgin rearguard was caught out by a ball fired over from the home right hand side by Fraser Mullen and COX was lying handy to head into the net from eight yards.

Cowden started to have a lot more of the ball and in 74 minutes Allan had another good chance from close in but shot wide.

However, five minutes from time Cowden got a second. Sub Jordyn SHEERIN threw himself at a high ball into the box from Mullen and got enough on it to put it past Gourlay but had to be replaced after being caught by the ‘keeper!

Cowdenbeath: Dave McGurn (7); Fraser Mullen (7), Jamie Todd (6); Jamie Pyper (6) (Gary Fraser 81 (2)), Luc Bollan (6), Robbie Deas (7); David Cox (8), Kyle Miller (6), Jordan Allan (7) (Jordyn Sheerin 85 (3),) Harvey Swann 87) (2)), Robbie Buchanan (6), Blair Malcolm (6). Subs not used, Kyle Sneddon, Ryan Connelly and Aaron Lennox.

Elgin City: Gourlay (6); Lowdon (7) (Loveland 88 (2)), McHardy (7); McGowan (7), Wilson (6), McGovern (6); Morrison (7), MacIver (6), Cameron (8), McLeish (6), Hester (7) (Roberts 69). Subs not used, Bronsky, Wilson, Sutherland, Scott and Watson.

Referee-Peter Stuart (6).