2011 started as 2010 ended with us still looking to break our goal drought which has now stretched to five games as the Greenock side took their first points of the season off us at their third attempt.

Jimmy Nicholl freshened up his line up after the derby defeat at Dunfermline with Mark Ramsay, Brian Fairbairn, John Dempster and Paul Byrne dropping out of the starting line up.

New signing Lewis Coult came straight into the side for his debut along with Richard Vauls, John Robertson and Greg Stewart.

Two bizarre goals however ensured that we headed home pointless. The Greenock side looked sharp in the opening period by Hay was once again in good form to keep the score level.

However the custodian was beaten after 33 minutes when a cross from the right wing by Lyle fell to David O’Brien who sent in a looping angled shot which appeared to be going over the bar but at the last minute dipped into the far corner of the Cowden net.

We came back and a good move involving Robertson and Baxter saw a neat cross swung into the box but before Stewart could get to it Smyth cleared.

The hosts opened the second period in lively fashion and a timely Linton challenge stopped  Holmes' effort from close in and then Vauls blocked  Graham's shot but in 54 minutes came the second strange goal.

It was Linton who was involved as he went to block Allan Jenkins drive but the ball took a wicked deflection and ballooned over Hay and into the net.

Before we could recover we lost a third after 57 minutes when Brian Graham beat the off-side trap and ran through to beat Hay.

Hay had to look lively to deny Lyle and then O'Brien but Ferguson thought he had pulled one back with a fierce shot which Stewart finger-tipped behind for a corner.

Cowden kept battling away but there was no way back from the two bizarre goals either side of the break.