 |
Albion Rovers 2 v 2 East Fife |  |
|
Albion Rovers 2 v 2 East Fife | |
| Irn-Bru League 3rd Division 26th April 2008 |
Attendance : 345
Scorers ~ Albion Rovers : Gemmell (61), Barr (68). East Fife : Linn (79), Fotheringham (85).
Albion Rovers should have beaten third division champions East Fife, instead they failed to record their first home win of 2008 in this league finale.
Rovers players assembled to applaud the visitors onto the pitch. Chris Templeman tested Rovers 'keeper David Scott early on and he was equal to the task. Next up was Dougie Cameron whose shot was stopped and then picked up by Scott.
In 11 minutes John Gemmell ran down the far wing untroubled by the Fifers defence, he ran in towards goal only to slip the ball across it and out. Watson tried and failed before a Gemmell cross was met by the head of a diving Danny Ferry who directed it just past the post.
In 19 minutes player of the year Pat Walker was brought down by 'keeper Craig Wight, the Fifers number one was shown the yellow card. Gemmell took the penalty and put it slightly to the right of the 'keeper who had no trouble intercepting the ball before it crossed the line. Jonathan Smart had his header cleared off Rovers goal line within a minute of the penalty save.
Templeman then missed from around six inches, his attempt coming off the Rovers goalpost. Fotheringham hit a shot wildly high before Templeman had a header skim over the crossbar. The last "action" of the first half was Cameron being booked for kicking the ball 40 yards away behind Rovers goal.
Half-Time
Rovers started the second period in determined mood, Jamie McKenzie supplying Gemmell with the ball resulting in a poor cross cum shot. Then Rovers had a shot come off the East Fife post following a Ciaran Donnelly free-kick.
In 61 minutes the breakthrough came for Rovers when Bobby Barr squared the ball for Gemmell to strike a low shot from the edge of the box. Seven minutes later Rovers lead was doubled when Gemmell passed to Ferry who in turn supplied it to Barr and a low ball entered the net.
In 79 minutes the men from Methil pulled one back when Bobby Linn ran in from the corner avoiding meek tackles and hit the ball off the foot of a defender into Rovers net.
With just five minutes of the match, and indeed season remaining the visitors were piling the pressure on and Kevin Fotheringham cracked a shot from 30 yards which beat the defence although defender Alan Benton was on the line he couldn't reach it.
Templeman had a double miss before Ferry gave Barr one final opportunity which he dragged wide of goal.
Summary
Rovers could have won this match 5 - 2 with a little bit of luck or extra potency in front of goal. The draw maintained Rovers seventh place in the league table.
Albion Rovers : Scott, Reid, Donnelly, Robert Walker, Benton, Hughes, Ferry, McKenzie (Barr 58), Gemmell, Pat Walker (Ally Martin 45), Graham Watson. Subs Not Used : McStay, McDougal, Mitchell.
East Fife : Wight, Guy (Nicholas 75), Cameron, Smart, McDonald, Fotheringham, Gordon, Stewart, McManus, Templeman, Linn. Subs Not Used : O'Reilly, McGowan, Muir, McCulloch.
Referee: Steve McLean