SHIRE 1 COWDENBEATH 4

Shire came back to earth with a bump as the team’s eleven game unbeaten record was finally ended by Cowdenbeath at Ochilview.

Former Shire man Brian Fairbairn did most of the damage, scoring a goal in each half, and the visitors from Fife added two more in a 4-1 win, a result that was good enough to take them to within a point of table-topping Stenhousemuir.

Shire can take comfort from the fact that both Dumbarton and Montrose lost, leaving them in no worse a position than before play started.

Trialist keeper Kemoko Camara  took Jamie Barclay’s place between the sticks while Shire and Falkirk sorted out the young keeper’s future. Derek Ure’s suspension meant a recall for Craig Donaldson, his first start since the 5-2 win over Dumbarton on November 15th.

Cowden included two former Shire men in their starting eleven; keeper David Hay, who was back in goals after displacing on-loan Rangers youngster Scott Gallacher, and Brian Fairbairn.

Shire lined up with just Colin Cramb on his own up front, with Andy Rodgers and Brian Graham getting forward at every available opportunity. Donaldson was involved in the game’s first action, spreading the ball wife for Paul Hay to cross from the right but Graham sent a looping header over the bar.

Cowden took the lead with their first attack. Kenny Adamson’s run ended with a pass out wide to Jay Stein. His cross was missed by Camara under pressure from John Dempster and Brain Fairbairn rolled the ball into the net despite Eddie Forrest’s attempted goalline clearance.

Shire showed they were in no mood to take the setback lying down and straight from the re-start Rodgers raced into the Cowden penalty box but his ball in just eluded Cramb.

However Shire did manage to level the scores on 18 minutes. Donaldson swung over a free-kick from wide on the left, Graham got a glancing headed touch to the ball and that was enough to take it past Cowden keeper Hay at the far post.

Graham shrugged off a challenge from McGregor in 29 minutes to leave him clean through on goal but his ambitious angled half-volley streaked across the face of Hay’s goal and wide. Two minutes later some nice passing between Donaldson and Rodgers set up Cramb but his shot from 20 yards was straight at Hay.

Shire passed up an even better chance to take the lead on 39 minutes. Again Graham’s pace was instrumental, taking him clear of the defence in pursuit of a long ball. He went round the keeper but had to cut it back to Cramb from a tight angle but his striking partner’s effort was straight at the only Cowden man on the line, Mark Baxter.

The home team started the second half strongly and forced a number of threatening balls into the Cowden box but it was a run from midfield by Rodgers produced the first goal attempt but his shot was blocked by MacKay on the six yard line.

Shire were enjoying their best spell of the game but they were vulnerable to the quick counter. Fairbairn’s run out of defence ended with a pass that sent John Dempster clear but he was thwarted by a fine saving tackle from Dean Richardson.

But Cowden did find the back of the net in freak circumstances after 57 minutes.  Adamson tried his luck with a 40 yarder from way on the left touchline, the balL looped over the head of Shire’s trialist keeper off the far post into the net.

The goal flattened the Shire, especially in the midfield and they failed to create a great deal. That said, the visitors were hardly making a beeline for the Shire goal.

Jim McInally tried to switch things and brought on Marc McKenzie for Dunn. But the wee winger’s first contribution was to pass the ball back to Craig Tully, the home skipper dummied the ball expecting the trialist keeper to collect but Paul McQuade nipped in between them to collect it and roll it into the empty net.

At 3-1 Cowdenbeath were well in command without piling on undue amounts of pressure. However, they managed to finish with a flourish and scored a cracking fourth goal three minutes from the finish, Fairbairn picking his spot from 20 yards out.

Shire : Trialist, Hay, Richardson(Anderson 80), Forrest, Bolochoweckyj, Tully, Graham, Dunn(McKenzie 72), Cramb, Donaldson(Kelly 65), Rodgers.

Cowdenbeath : Hay, Baxter, Adamson, McGregor, Armstrong, MacKay(Fleming 60), Fairbairn, Shields, Demspter(Gemmell 80), McQuade, Ramsay.

Referee : B. Colvin

Attendancce : 457.