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Albion Rovers 0 v 3 Cowdenbeath |  |
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Albion Rovers 0 v 3 Cowdenbeath | |
| Bell's League Third Division 15th October 2005 |
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Attendance : 322
Scorers ~ Cowdenbeath : Downs (6), Paatelainen (46), McCallum (52).
3rd placed Cowdenbeath came to Cliftonhill looking for their 5000th league goal and three vital points to keep the pressure on the top two. For Rovers the task was at least as important as they needed the points to lift clear of the foot of the table. It was however the Fife side that achieved both of their targets.The match was preceded by a minutes silence for David Lyttle former match secretary and director and also fan James McInally. Within a minute of the start a shot following a Rovers corner was cleared off the visitors goal line by Marcus Paatelainen, brother of manager Mixu. Shortly afterwards a long free-kick by Lee Wilson was plucked from the air by 'keeper Hay just in the nick of time.
The Blue Brazil then came close with Graham Guy having a shot blocked by Ewings only for him to have another go, this time the ball was scrambled away by the defence.
In 6 minutes the larger than usual visiting contingent from Fife went mad when the 5000th goal was bagged by Robert Downs, ironically it was his first for the club since signing in the summer. The goal came when Ryan McCallum laid the ball off to the striker who put the ball across the goal and into the back of the net.
George Wallace with a header and Lee Wilson with a shot were both denied by David Hay in goal. Cowdenbeath hit back when Guy knocked the ball down to Jackson whose shot was stifled and eventually cleared for what proved to be an unproductive corner.
Wilson tried his luck with a header from distance but gave it too much elevation to bother the opposition stopper. Jackson gained the Blue Brazil a corner much to the surprise of fans when he leant back and his shot went over the Jamie Ewings goal as it didn't seem to have touched a home player.
Iain Chisholm supplied a cross to Wilson who sent the ball over the Cowdenbeath bar not long before the Fifers almost scored with a sneaky attempt when their free-kick was back-heeled just wide of the target.
A long-range Gordon Lennon shot was too high before an unmarked player tentatively identified as Chaplain missed with a header. Graham Guy then troubled the Rovers defence a couple of times in short order. His first attempt was a 35 yard free-kick into the grateful arms of Ewings, the other was also a free-kick, from close to the corner this time and heading for just inside the junction of post and till but Ewings tipped it over.
In 40 minutes Jackson skewed the ball wide of Rovers goal from 6 yards when Downs had set up a perfect pass to him. Iain Chisholm took it upon himself to send Rovers in level at the break when he went on a long mazy run goalward only to be stopped in the opposition box by a well judged Fusco tackle.
Half-Time
No sooner had the whistle to commence the second period died away Rovers went 2 down, Paatelainen tapping in from a McBride corner. Rovers attempted to hit back but their corner bypassed the assembled might of both defence and attack.
In 52 minutes the scoring was completed when McCallum headed home a McBride free-kick.
There followed a period when both sides had the proverbial half-chances with the next notable one being in 74 minutes when Jackson ran up the far wing and cut inwards towards Rovers goal. McCallum was well placed in front of goal and unhindered by defenders, but Jackson decided to keep going rather than pass but failed to get past Ewings who took a knock when he grabbed the ball at the feet of the advancing man in blue.
A couple of minutes later Jackson was there again when he crossed the ball to Downs who was 6 yards from goal, he failed to connect properly and the shot was wide.
Cowdenbeath were well in control by now but managed to squander chance after chance, the last of which came with a couple of minutes remaining when Paatelainen crossed to McCallum in front of goal, only to see Ewings smother the ball at his feet.
Rovers ended the match having a shot saved by Hay.
Rovers captain Scott Friel received the only booking of the match.
Summary
The memory of a decent performance in the first half by Rovers was eclipsed by a disappointing second period in which they could have lost many more goals than the visitors scored.
Albion Rovers : Ewings, Friel, McGhee, Black, Donnelly, Lennon (Reid 56), Chisholm, Chaplain, Wallace, Wilson (Donachy 43), Bonnar. Subs Not Used : Selkirk, Mathie, Creer.
Cowdenbeath : Hay, Baxter, McBride, Ward, Ritchie, Guy (Millar 71), Fusco, Paatelainen, McCallum, Jackson, Downs. Subs Not Used : Hill, McGregor, Wilson, Carlin.
Referee : Alan Boyd