OG sums Cowdenbeath's day up

Betfred Cup Section A

Attendance-262

A DISAPPOINTING end to the Betfred Cup campaign for the Blues at Ochilview on Saturday as they went down to a Stenny side who just did enough to win the game and move off the bottom of the group.

The Cowden set-up showed a few changes to the eleven which started previous games with Fraser Mullen and Kris Renton missing.

Euan Valentine made his debut and Jordan Allan had his first start of this season but Cowden failed to build on a decent opening to the match.

The midfield, which had been the most impressive part of the team in recent games, did not really get going in this one and really good chances were rare for the visitors.

The second goal was a disappointment for defender Jamie Todd who inadvertently put the ball in his own net and it put the cap on a disappointing result.

Cowden started the game well and in seven minutes Robbie Buchanan saw his shot from the right hand side of the box saved by Graeme Smith then three minutes later David Cox saw his shot well covered by the ‘keeper.

Graham Taylor was next to have a go for the Blues with a 16 yarder that was a little too high.

Stenny came into the picture and Alan Cook saw Kevin Dabrowski save well from his low drive but then in 16 minutes Archie Thomas might have done better than drag his shot wide from 20 yards.

The Cowdenbeath defence had to be on the alert when David Hopkirk got a chance 12 yards out but good work by Craig Barr saw the shot blocked.

The home side were looking the likelier lot and 12 minutes from the break they took the lead. Cook was the provider and Mark McGUIGAN fired a low 10 yard shot wide of Dabrowski.

That was how it stood at the interval and the home team continued to look a bit sharper after the break and Dylan Dykes fired a shot wide from a free-kick before McGuigan saw an effort blocked.

Cowden got up the park and in 66 minutes and Barr saw his header from a corner well saved.

With 15 minutes left Taylor had a good opening when the ball was swept into the Stenny box and his header went inches wide but Dykes sent close for Stenhousemuir with a fierce drive that Dabrowski held.

As the game went into the last ten minutes Cowden went for the leveller and Allan saw his shot saved but in 85 minutes TODD accidentally put the ball into his own net from a Cook cross and the game was over.

Cowden kept battling away and Cox and Allan both saw their efforts fly wide and then Jamie Pyper’s header following a corner, went agonisingly close.

Stenhousemuir: Smith (7); McLaughlin (6), A Munro (6); Marsh (7), McIlduff (6), Luke (7) (Scullion 65 (3)); Dykes (7), M Munro (7), McGuigan (8) (Anderson 90 (2)), Hopkirk (7), Cook (6). Subs not used, Halloran, Watters, Marley, and Daramola.

Cowdenbeath: Kevin Dabrowski (7); JamePyper (7), Euan Valentine (6) (Fraser Mullen 83 (2)); Jamie Todd (6), Craig Barr (7), Kyle Miller (6) (Harvey Swann 84 (2)); David Cox (7), Robbie Buchanan (6), Graham Taylor (6), Archie Thomas (6), Jordan Allan (7). Subs not used, Jordyn Sheerin, Kyle Sneddon, Ryan Connelly, Michael Herd and Mac Glass.

Referee-David Dickinson (6).