Clydebank 1 - 1 Cowdenbeath
COWDENBEATH stretched their unbeaten run in the Lowland League with a draw against unbeaten Clydebank at Holm Park.
The match attracted a healthy crowd of 801 fans and the league leaders had won their previous three Lowland League games, but Paul McLean’s side battled well to earn their first away point of the season, which saw them move up to sixth place in the table.
It was a good all-round performance from the Blues, despite losing ‘keeper Owen Hayward in the first half.
The first chance of the afternoon came with just six minutes gone when Nicky Lowe fired in a free-kick, which was easily gathered by Hayward.
Hayward’s afternoon proved to be a short one, however, and the keeper had to be replaced by Dion Gear with 32 minutes gone.
He dived bravely to deny Keir Samson a certain opener for the hosts but suffered a cut to his head in the collision.
Five minutes from the break, home ‘keeper Andy Leishman did well to save from Zack Tomany, and a minute from the interval, Gear blocked a shot from Nicky Little at the expense of a corner.
With the strong wind at their backs in the second half, Bankies tried a long-range effort from kick-off, but the ball drifted over the crossbar.
Lowe then fired in a long-range shot, which was held by Gear.
The breakthrough for Cowden came on the hour mark when Stuart McDowell latched onto a long ball and slotted the ball past Leishman at his near post for his first goal of the season.
In a strange day for goalkeepers, home keeper Leishman had to be replaced by Stott with 66 minutes gone after picking up an injury.
The lead was to last for nine minutes, with Little firing home from the edge of the box when, for once, the visiting defence failed to clear their lines.
Not surprisingly, the Bankies went all out to grab a winner and a strong defensive and goalkeeping performance, along with the post deep into stoppage time, saw the Blue Brazil hold out for a deserved point.
Clydebank: Leishman (Stott 66); McHugh, McGowan, Syme, Grant, Cairns, Little, Lowe, Truesdale (McLaughlin 66), Samson (McCann 85), Gallacher (Black 66). Subs not used – Hutchison and Preston.
Cowdenbeath: Hayward (Gear 32); Adamson, Newman, Petrie, Denham, Wedderburn, Williamson (Cameron 83), Allan, Tomany (Downie 64), McDowell (Mauchin 64), Watt (Lawson 83). Subs not used – McLean and Ness.
Referee-Thomas Denholm.
Attendance-801.
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