SHIRE 0 COWDENBEATH 2

Shire had to endure a disappointing end to the league campaign as they went down 2-0 to play-off semi-final opponents Cowdenbeath at Ochilview.

Two late goals from visiting striker Jon Ferguson gave the Fife team all three points and allowed them to move above Shire to second in the final league table.

As predicted, Jim McInally made wholesale changes to the starting eleven with just Mark Peat, Craig Tully and Eddie Forest surviving from the team that won against Albion Rovers a week earlier.

But the coach’s plans for the final game of the season were still thrown into disarray when Marc McKenzie withdrew from the squad following the birth of his baby daughter.

Shire gave a debut to under-19 full-back, Gary O’Hara and there were first league starts of the season for John O’Neil, Balsa Krivokapic and David Thornton.

Cowdenbeath had three players one yellow card away from suspension and manager Danny Lennon was taking no risks, dropping a number of his regular starters for what was a match of less importance than many had believed would be the case only weeks previously.

Neither side made a particularly impressive start. Shire made good progress down the right after nine minutes and although Dean Richardson’s cross was well-placed there was no Shire player in the middle to take advantage and David Hay gathered easily.

At the other end Peat was called into action to push a Jon Ferguson angled drive round the post after Marek Tomana had played the striker through on goal.

Shire the forced a couple of quick corners and from one of them O’Neil tried his luck with an ambitious half volley but his effort went well over the bar.

The low-key sparring between the teams hardly made for the best of spectacles although a superb pass from O’Neil after 28 minutes put Sean Anderson clean through on goal but his effort was smothered by Hay, who was quick to see the danger.

Ferguson should have given Cowdenbeath the lead after 35 minutes when his barnstorming run took him past three Shire defenders into the heart of the penalty box but he only managed to hit the ball straight at Peat.

Five minutes before the break Anderson swung the ball into the box and Thornton threw himself full-length to connect but his diving header was just wide of the target.

Gary Kelly had attracted the attention of referee Tom Robertson as the game wore on with a few niggly fouls and, on 43 minutes, the ref’s patience ran out and Kelly became the first to be shown a yellow card after bringing down Tomana in midfield.

The coach made two half-time changes, taking off keeper Peat and giving Jamie Newman his first league start of the campaign. Under-19 striker Jason Elliot came on as well, with O’Neil taking a seat on the substitutes bench.

The teenage Elliot injected some pace and his first contribution was a run down the right and a cross which Thornton headed just over the bar.

After 54 minutes Shire committed their final substitute taking off Krivokapic and bringing on another of the under-19’s Stephen Paige, who was immediately put clean through on goal but beaten to the long ball by Hay.

Cowden made some youthful changes of their own bringing on some of their under-19 team and taking off the experienced Dean Shields, Marek Tomana and Graeme Brown.

But it was Shire who were coming closer to finding the all-important goal and they were desperately unlucky to see Anderson’s shot from wide on the right hit the crossbar.

Cowdenbeath took the lead after 78 minutes but the goal was a disaster for Newman, who needlessly raced off his line to chase a ball he was never going to get. Visiting front man Jon Ferguson nipped in and rounded the stranded keeper before planting the ball in the empty net.

That ended the game as a contest but there was controversy on 90 minutes with Armstrong’s strong tackle on Anderson which left the Shire man requiring treatment. David Dunn  and Forrest were both booked for protesting to the referee about the lack of action.

Cowden put a gloss on the final score with a second goal with the last kick of the game, Ferguson’s deft flick at the near post leaving Newman stranded.

SHIRE : Peat(Newman 46), O’Hara, Richardson, Tully, Forrest, Anderson, Krivokapic(Paige 54), Kelly, Thornton, Dunn, O’Neil(Elliot 46).

COWDENBEATH : Hay, Reid, Linton, Mbu, Armstrong, Shields(Forbes 60), Ramsay, Robertson, Brown(Young 60), Tomana(Walace 70), Ferguson.

REFEREE : T. Robertson

ATTENDANCE : 434.