Cowdenbeath 2  Stenhousemuir 2
(After extra time, Stenhousemuir win 4-3 on penalties)

Cowden find themselves out of two cup competitions in the space of a week, after the defeat to the warriors on penalties in the Scottish Communities League Cup at Central Park on Saturday. With penalty misses from manager Colin Cameron and Greg Stewart proving fatal. While both teams looked even in the ninety minutes, Cowden dominated the thirty minutes of extra time. Only inspiring goalkeeping from Stenny’s keeper stopped Cowden from reaching the next round.

With a crowd harking back to usual attendances of the mid to late nineties, this was a chance for Cowden to progress to the next round and the possibility of being paired with one of the better supported SPL clubs who enter from round two, which of course would bring a financial boost to the club. However, Cowden were chasing this possibility when they went a goal behind after just four minutes. With Cowden pinned back deep in their own half, Cowden keeper Yossi Bejaoui came out for a cross but horrendously misjudged it, which allowed Warrior Stewart Kean to rise above Kenny Adamson for an easy header in to the net. It was the kind of goal we gave away regularly in the first division last season. It took Cowden several minutes to get settled back on to the ball after conceding the early goal. A lovely pass was played into Jordan Morton on the wing, which he controlled before turning the advancing Stenny defender, he played a low cross in but the Stenny keeper easily smothered the ball. Stenny were awarded a free kick just outside the box which was played expertly around the Cowden wall, but it crept just wide.

Stenhousemuir were dominating play and were confidently passing the ball around. Just before the half hour mark though, Cowden drew level. Colin Cameron dispossessed a Stenny player just inside Cowden’s half, some fine one touch passing was being played by Cowden before the ball found Mark Ramsay in the box, who neatly nutmeged the stenny defender before coolly putting the ball past the keeper, who did get a hand to the ball. Cowden were now taking charge of dominating play and twelve minutes later they went ahead. Again Stenny were dispossessed in midfield, Adamson brought the ball down the wing, and a neat cross found Ramsay, who brilliantly controlled the ball with his chest, before firing low past the Stenny’s keeper. Half Time 2-1 to Cowden.

The first few minutes of the second half saw both teams scrapping for possession, but eight minutes in to the second half, Stenny drew level. Some neat play in midfield saw a perfect pass in to Eric Paton who brushed aside Cowden’s defence before chipping over Cowden’s keeper Bejaoui. Stenny keeper McCluskey somehow got a full stretch finger tip save to deny Joe Mbu heading Cowden in to the lead from a free kick. At the other end, a stenny cross caught Cowden’s defence dosing, but an overhead kick went sailing over the bar. Both teams at this point were creating chances, but they could not find the net. Again McCluskey came to Stenny’s rescue when a Dean Brett cross was headed towards goal by a Stenny defender and as Greg Stewart was ready to pounce, the keeper tipped it over the bar. The whistle went shortly after this and with score at 2-2, extra time would be played.

Cowden dominated the extra time period, but the biggest talking point during this was Scott Linton’s miss with the goal at his mercy. A long ball forward found Greg Stewart who beat a Stenny defender for pace, the Stenny keeper came out to the ball, and Stewart found the run of Linton in the box, but his shot trickled wide of the gaping goal. A real hole in the ground to open up moment. The score remained 2-2 at the close of extra time, and the tie would now be settled by penalty kicks.

Stenny were first to take a penalty, and it was put in the right hand side of the net, with Bejaoui going the right way. Up next was Cowden manager Cameron but his shot was saved by McCluskey. Stenny scored with their second, but Cowden’s Jon Robertson pulled it back to 2-1 by finding the net. Stenny scored with their third penalty with again, Bejaoui going the right way. Mark Ramsay scored for Cowden to bring it to 3-2 before Stenny put away their fourth penalty to make it 4-2. McKenzie then scored for Cowden to make it 4-3. Bejaoui then dived to his right to keep out Stenny’s fifth penalty and it was all down to Greg Stewart to bring the scores level, but his poor penalty hit the outside of the post and Cowden were out. Stenhousemuir now progress to the next round of the competition.

Cowden’s attention will now turn to league duty this Saturday, with a tricky away fixture against Forfar Athletic at Station Park, Kick off 3pm.

Scottish Communities League Cup, First Round
Saturday 30^th July, 2011
Central Park, Cowdenbeath

COWDENBEATH (2)2  STENHOUSEMUIR (1)2
Ramsay (28,40)            Kean (4), Paton (53)
(After Extra Time, Stenny  win 4-3 on Penalties)
 Att: 293

1      Bejaoui,      
2      Brett,           
3      Adamson,  
4      Cameron,   
5      Mbu,            
6      Winter,       
7      Morton (Linton,79),               
8      Robertson,
9      Ramsay,      
10    Stewart,     
11    Coult (McKenzie,72).

Referee  J. McKendrick