Albion Rovers 0, Cowdenbeath 1.

AN early goal from Matty McDonald was enough to give the Blue Brazil a second successive win, which saw them move up to ninth place in the Lowland League.

Since he has had a fully fit squad at his disposal, for the first time since early in the season, Cowden boss, Calum Elliot, has seen his side take seven points out of nine in December.

Not surprisingly Elliot started the match at Cliftonhill with the same line-up which had beaten Hearts B.

The game had a similar trend to the one against the Wee Jambos, with the Blue Brazil playing the opening 45 minutes with the driving wind and rain at their backs.

The first chance of the afternoon arrived with just four minutes gone when Gregor Jordan got on the end of a Jack Tait corner, sending his header just over the bar.

Six minutes later Matty McDonald sent a cross into the six-yard box, with Ewan MacPherson seeing a header go just wide of the post.

Another Tait corner saw Jordan head just over once more, before the goal came with 18 minutes gone, when home keeper Ross Connelly could only block a Ewan MacPherson shot, with the ball falling to McDONALD who fired home.

Rovers’ first effort of the afternoon, came in 28 minutes when a Niyah Joseph shot from the edge of the box, was gathered by Blues’ ‘keeper, Craig Hepburn.

Two minutes later Cowden almost went two up when a shot from Adam MacDonald crashed off the post.

Rovers had a good chance to get level, in a rare attack, nine minutes from the break when Dom McMahon just failed to connect with a cross from Adam Fernie at the back post.

The as the first-half was drawing to a close Zac Butterworth saw a curling shot drift just wide of the post.

Five minutes into the second-half, Hepburn held a shot from Joseph, and in 67 minutes they had their best chance of the afternoon when Adam Fernie saw a shot come off the bar.

Then minutes later Alex McCaw headed over, while at the other end a low long range free kick from McDonald was turned around the post by the diving Ross Connelly.

Rovers were not for giving up and kept at it but a strong Cowdenbeath defence made sure that the points were coming home for Christmas.

ALBION ROVERS: Connelly; Fernie, Kassa, Fagan, McMahon (Paton 30), Joseph, McCaw, Beven, Prince (Denholm 67), Duffy, O’Neill. Subs not used – Walker, Dunn, Paterson, Tran and Fellows.

COWDENBEATH: Hepburn; G MacPherson, Tait, Jordan, McNab, MacDonald, Butterworth (Rodden 75), Berry (McLaughlin 75), Chalmers (Jack 84), MacDonald, E MacPherson. Subs not used – Docherty, Cunningham and Blair (gk).

REFEREE: Gary Hanvidge.

ATTENDANCE: 182.