Newburgh Juniors 0 vs 2 Cowdenbeath Central

Burgh 0 Cowdenbeath Central 2

You could be forgiven for mistaking it from being the start of the season in July by the heavy rain and fading light as Burgh got their first midweek encounter of the season underway with the visit of Fife neighbours.

As the players warmed up, the tannoy subtly belted out classics like “It’s Raining Men”, “I’m Only Happy When It Rains”, and “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?”, the players looked less amused!

It was the visitors, this time, that made the ‘lightning’ start with a cracking strike from just outside the area in the 2nd minute from Coventry.

On 11 minutes Burgh looked like they might be starting to get into their stride with a neat passing move in the middle of the park before Rhys Sneddon’s slide ball forward was just inches away from Lyall Brown’s boot.

In the 13th minute Finn McLaren then had a chance from a free kick awarded on the edge of the Cowdenbeath penalty area, but his effort flew just over the bar.

Cowden then had a spell of pressure which lived more up to their “Blue Brazil” tag, as opposed to the “cold, Tuesday night in Stoke” and Ben Duffield had to be down quickly to block Stewart’s run into the box in the 26th minute.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 31st minute with a move that cut too easily through the middle of the Burgh’s midfield and defence before Stewart’s curling shot cannoned off the bar and fell for Spence to nod home the rebound from close range.

Coventry then nearly added his second with a cross that found its way to him but, thankfully for Burgh, his connection wasn’t clean enough to trouble Duffield.

Duffield was called into action with two saves in quick succession from corners from either side of his penalty area, whilst Cammy Newsome had Burgh’s best opportunity in first half stoppage time with a curling effort from distance that, sadly, just narrowly curled away from target.

Coventry was determined to net his second for Cowdenbeath when he was allowed too much time and space to collect a pass and set up a rasping shot from distance that Duffield spectacularly managed to get his fingertips on to tip onto the post in the 66th minute.

Burgh were still trying to get back into the game and good persistence from Owen McNally on the left flank saw him cut inside and find Newsome who continued the move from left to right with a pass to McLaren who flashed a shot across the face of the visiting goal with no-one able to get on the end of it in the 74th minute.

The hosts cause took a turn for the worse in the 83rd minute when they were reduced to 10 men when Newsome picked up a second yellow for a tackle in the middle of the park.

As the game moved into stoppage time, there was a brief flashpoint following an awarded free kick which saw Blair Campbell and Cowdenbeath’s Kelly both picking up their second booking of the game and being dismissed.

The final action of the game saw a long-range free kick appear to swerve under the Burgh bar and Duffield again was able to turn it over. There wasn’t time for the corner kick as – with light fading fast – the referee blew for full time.

Man of the Match – Finn Bannerman.