Blues clear in third spot

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance-514

ANOTHER grand result for Cowden and their fourth successive win.

The Blues had to make two changes for Saturday, from the team which won so convincingly at Stenhousemuir, with ‘keeper Kevin Dabrowski out with a fractured jaw and midfielder Connor Smith on Scotland under age duty.

Peter Morrison, the Motherwell reserve ‘keeper, was the replacement, on an emergency loan, for Dabrowski and the former Albion Rovers man did excellently.

Graham Taylor came in for Smith and used the wide open spaces of Hampden well making a lot of good runs and threading some excellent passes.

The result was built on some good defending, with Craig Barr again working hard at the back and scoring another goal, while his colleagues Chris Hamilton and Jamie Todd also were solid.

Taylor was part of the midfield unit with Fraser Mullen, Archie Thomas, Kyle Miller and Robbie Buchanan, which had to work hard throughout the 90 minutes against a spirited Spiders side who were posing the Blues some problems with their quick passing.

However, the longer the game went the more Cowden took over and strikers Kris Renton and David Cox were instrumental in a lot of good Cowdenbeath moves.

The game opened with both defences giving little away but the Blue Brazil threatened in the 22nd minute when a 20 yarder from Mullen was well saved by Willie Muir but two minutes later Todd made a fine block from Salim Kouider-Aissa’s 19 yarder.

On the half hour QP’s Jack Purdue’s 20 yarder tested Morrison and the home side continued to look to prize out chances and two minutes from the break David Galt’s 14 yarder was held by Morrison.

Nine minutes into the second period Cowden took the lead.

Miller's 20 yard drive deflected off Queen’s defender Cameron Clark’s hand in their penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot and MULLEN sent the ‘keeper the wrong way from the spot.

QP came back at the Blues and a Galt drive from the edge of the box was blocked before Regan Thomson fired over from 22 yards.

But Cowdenbeath were dangerous going forward and in 77 minutes Cowdenbeath grabbed the all important second goal.

Mullen was the supplier with a well placed corner and BARR dived to power a header into the net despite Muir getting a hand to the ball.

Fit again Jordan Allan was sent on for Taylor for the closing quarter of an hour and he almost scored with his first touch with a header which went just over.

Queen’s were still searching for a way back into the game and Tommy Block brought out a good save from Morrison who was well placed to deal with the effort, then Keiran Moore sent a header just wide.

But in time added on Cowden added a third. In the third minute of the period a free-kick from Renton 25 yards out flew at Muir who could not hold it and ALLAN complete a fine day for the Blue Brazil by racing in to shoot home and completing the second successive away win.

Queen’s Park: Muir (6); Jamieson (5), Grant (6); Little (5) (Summers 46 (5)), Gibson (6), Clark (6) (Moore 77)); Thomson (7), Block (6), Kouilder-Aissa(6), Galt, Purdue (6). Subs not used, Lidohren, Mortimer, McGrory, Main and Heraghty.

Cowdenbeath: Peter Morrison (7); Fraser Mullen (8), Chris Hamilton (7); Jamie Todd (7), Craig Barr (7), Kyle Miller (7); (Jamie Pyper 87 (2)); David Cox (7), Robbie Buchanan (7), Graham Taylor (7) (Jordan Allan 75 (4)), Archie Thomas (7), Kris Renton (7). Subs not used, Harvey Swann, Matthew Pollock, Kyle Sneddon, Craig Valentine and Mac Whyte.

Referee-Duncan Williams (7).