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East Fife 1 v 0 Albion Rovers |  |
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East Fife 1 v 0 Albion Rovers | |
| Bell's League Third Division 16th October 2004 |
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Attendance : 395
Scorers ~ East Fife : Colquhoun (84).
Albion Rovers slumped to 9th place in the league after losing to East Fife who leapfrogged them into 8th place. Partly due to injury Coatbridge gaffer Kevin McAllister tried a different starting line-up. Mark Peat was preferred to Chris Fahey in goal and once more Mark Yardley wasn't picked at all, striker John Bradford stayed on the bench. Chris Silvestro and Jim Mercer watched from the stand due to injury with Jered Stirling took over as captain.
Rovers Ricky Patrick was first to come close when his shot was plucked from the air by 'keeper Morrison in 6 minutes. Andy Paterson was on hand a bit later to make a vital tackle at the standside touchline when the Fifers were thrusting goalward.
Kris Brash tried his luck from the edge of the box after Nicholas supplied the ball but it was just a tad too high to trouble Peat who looked to have it covered. Graeme McCaul hit back when he got onto a long cross from close to the corner into the home box but his effort was slightly wide of the target.
James Herkes went on a winding run towards Rovers goal but his strong shot from 25 yards was just wide of Peat's goal. Ricky Patrick got the better of a defender in a tackle but his low shot from 25 yards didn't trouble 'keeper Morrison. Seconds later Gaughan gave home fans a fright when his header went towards his own goal but his blushes were prevented by his 'keeper.
Rovers came close in 36 minutes when former Fifer Paul McManus tried a back heeler but it wasn't quite good enough to open the scoring. In 43 minutes Danny Black was well positioned when he cut out a well judged pass close to Rovers box which could easily have resulted in a goal. At the other end Marc McKenzie crossed the ball to assistant manager Scott Crabbe close to the Fifers goal but Morrison was equal to the task. Ricky Patrick skied a shot well over the home goal to bring a close to the first half.
Half-Time
The Methil side started the second period well with Les Byle shooting strongly from 25 yards and only a cracking Peat save prevented the goal. Rovers pushed forward but Paul McManus couldn't quite get onto the end of a McKenzie cross. Roles were reversed shortly afterwards with McManus providing the ball for McKenzie whose excellent shot was well saved.
Jered Stirling prevented a Fife assault on goal when he deftly tackled Brash in Rovers box. Play switched to the other end and a McKenzie ball into the box posed no danger when McManus failed to connect properly with it.
Brian Fairbairn gave his shot too much altitude before Rovers responded with a Crabbe free-kick being headed goalwards by McManus only to see it headed off the goal line by Brash.
Rovers were under the cosh now and Derek Colquhoun was on the right and put in a cross to Nicholas in the box. Peat pulled off another quality stop from the resultant attempt to push the ball over the bar. Minutes later an East Fife move led to Brian Fairbairn heading inches wide.
Colquhoun came close in 70 minutes when he headed a corner over from all of 2 yards. Stevie Nicholas had a low shot saved by a diving Peat at his post. Peat was on form once more when he turned a Herkes shot round his post although the Coatbridge stopper had caused the danger in the first place with a disappointing kick-out.
Rovers made an all too rare 2nd half foray upfield which saw McKenzie's shot turned round by Morrison in the Fife goal. A long ball to Kelly in clear space close to Rovers box was delicately lifted over the advancing Peat by the midfielder but it was also over the crossbar.
Marc McKenzie lifted the ball over Morrison but the 'keeper managed to get his fingers to the ball and put it over the bar for an unproductive corner. In 84 minutes East Fife scored what proved to be the winner when Colquhoun trapped the ball inside Rovers box and picked his spot to drill the ball low into the net with Peat having no chance.
With 3 minutes remaining Rovers were pushing for an equaliser and Marc McKenzie crossed the ball for Scott Crabbe who couldn't produce a decent shot. In injury time Paul McManus saw his shot easily saved by Morrison.
Kris Brash of East Fife was the only player to be booked.
Summary
A decent first half performance by Rovers was spoiled by their second period performance in which they rarely troubled the East Fife defence.
East Fife : Morrison, Renwick, Brash, Gaughan, Duncan, Byle, Herkes, Kelly, Nicholas, Colquhoun (Tarditi 86), Fairbairn. Subs Not Used : Lumsden, Crawford, Mitchell, Gardiner.
Albion Rovers : Peat, Paterson, Stirling, Black, McLaren, Boyle, McKenzie, Patrick, Crabbe, McManus, McCaul (Selkirk 84). Subs Not Used : Bradford, Potter, Connolly, Fahey.
Referee : W. Collum
Man of the Match - Mark Peat
