Cowdenbeath 1, Cove Rangers 3.

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance-425

COWDENBEATH’S first home league defeat of the season and the result hinged on a six minute swing in fortunes in the first period.

Cowden could have gone two up on the half hour but a goalbound effort from Connor Smith took a wicked deflection off David Cox to bounce clear and Cove went down the park and levelled.

Then five minutes later they got a corner, which clearly came off a Cove player, and although the defending at the set piece was poor, the situation should never have developed.

Cowden had youngsters Smith and Chris Hamilton back in the side and they both made good contributions, but at the back Jamie Todd and Robbie Buchanan found it hard going at times and the latter was at fault for both goals in the first period.

The midfield competed well but started to struggle as the clock went into the last quarter and the two goal cushion saw the visitors through.

Cowden just made errors at key moments and the first two goals should both of been avoided, but then the controversial corner decision played a significant part in the game.

Cove threatened in the second minute when Blair Yule made space for himself 17 yards out and his low drive drifted only inches wide.

Then in nine minutes a slack Buchanan pass was picked up by Declan Glass and his 20 yarder was brilliantly parried away by Kevin Dabrowski.

However, Cowden took the lead in 15 minutes when Harvey Swann’s cross was perfect for COX and his six yard header gave Stuart McKenzie no chance.

In 22 minutes a brilliant piece of defending by Hamilton cleared real danger on the edge of the Cowden six yard box with, Mitch Megginson waiting and then the striker saw his low 12 yarder blocked by a fine challenge from Craig Barr.

On the half hour Cowden almost got a second when Renton’s cross was met by Smith and his shot hit Cox on the back and bounced clear with McKenzie beaten, but a minute later the scores were level.

Buchanan’s slack pass gave Cove the ball 25 yards out and when the home defence failed to clear after the ball was played across the face of the six yard box and MEGGINSON squeezed the ball over the line.

Then five minutes later the ball clearly came off Cove’s Scott Ross but the referee signalled a corner and when the ball came over Buchanan seemed to slip and ball went under his foot leaving Fraser AIRD to fire home from seven yards.

But shortly after Cox’s free-kick was met by Renton and his 10 yard header saw McKenzie pull off a brilliant finger tip save to keep his team in front.

Rangers attacked on the re-start and Yule’s 22 yard shot went just over but within seconds Archie Thomas’s cross was met by Cox at the far post and the ball slipped inches wide.

In 52 minutes Cove went close when Glass fired in a fierce 20 yarder which produced a fine save from Dabrowski.

However, within a minute Thomas went into the Cove box and he was only denied by a brave save by McKenzie before Glass fired inches wide from outside the box for the visitors.

Cove started to have more of the ball in the closing quarter and grabbed the key third in 77 minutes when AIRD fired wide of Dabrowski from 16 yards after ghosting into the box.

Cowden had a late chance when Renton shot just wide from 12 yards out, but the home team were left thinking what might have been.

Cowdenbeath: Kevin Drabrowski (7); Harvey Swann (6), Chris Hamilton (7); Jamie Todd (6), Craig Barr (7), Kyle Miller (6); David Cox (6), Robbie Buchanan (6), Connor Smith (6) (Jordan Allan 76 (3)), Archie Thomas (7) (Graham Taylor 83)), Kris Renton (6). Subs not used, Kyle Sneddon, Euan Valentine, Jamie Pyper, Mikey Herd, and Mac Whyte.

Cove Rangers: McKenzie (7); Milne (6), Scully (7); Ross (6), Yule (6), Masson (7); Higgins (6), Glass (7), Megginson (7) (Scott 87 (2)), Aird (8), Fyvie (7). Subs not used, Redford, Redman, Brown, Robertson and McCafferty.

Referee-John McKendrick (5).