Posted December 23, 2012

STENHOUSEMUIR ‘A’ 2 COWDENBEATH ‘A’ 1
 

The Cowden second string went down to a narrow defeat in their final away league game at Ochilview on Friday night.

Scott Linton made his eagerly awaited comeback and played for 80 minutes as he builds up his fitness.

Cowden opened the game strongly and were unlucky not to open the scoring after just eight minutes when Navas shot over from the edge of the box after the Stenny defence failed to clear a Linton corner.

Minutes later from another Linton corner, McDonald saw his header narrowly go over the bar.
 

The home sides Summers then sent a shot over the bar before Navas latched onto a Nicholson cross but shot over from seven yards.

However it was the home side who opened the scoring seven minutes from the break when the unfortunate Stewart McDONALD attempted to clear a Heburn shot but only succeeded in looping the ball into his own net.

Ten minutes into the second half Linton was unfortunate not to get an equaliser when his 20 yard free kick came off the inside of the post, and soon after he saw another long range free kick saved by keeper Fairley.
 

However in 73 minutes Cowden eventually got an equaliser when Johnston beat a home defender to send a cross across the face of the home goal for Dan HALL to tap home.

Two minutes later Hall had a great chance to get a second goal when Schiavone sent over a similar cross but the big defender failed to connect.

Seconds later the home side grabbed what proved to be the winner when Stuart LOVE broke through the visiting defence to slot a low shot into the far corner past Wight.

Wight then had to be alert to pull off a great one handed save to deny the Warriors a third goal.

With five minutes to go, Cowden had a penalty claim waived aside by referee Walsh when Johnston appeared to have been fouled just inside the box.
 

TEAM: Craig Wight, Michael Fleming, Murray Christie, Stewart McDonald, Jamie Pyper, Scott Linton, Dan Hall, Aron Lynas, Zeph Thomas (Callam McNeill 56), Jack Nicholson (Craig Johnston 45) & Pablo Navas (Lea Schaivone 45). Sub not used – Ricky Barnett.
 

STENHOUSEMUIR: Connor Fairley, Sean Armstrong, Alan Lawson (Scott Brown 45), Andrew Thomson, Charles Docherty, Ciaran Summers, Kieran Anderson, Grant Mosson, Stuart Love, Greg Stewart & Daniel Hepburn. Subs not used – Jack Taylor, Robbie Duncan, Jamie O’Grady & Dean Shaw.

 

REFEREE: Mr Nick Walsh.