Second-Half Surge Seals Victory for Cowdenbeath Against Tranent

A cold, damp day saw Cowdenbeath making their way over the bridge from Fife to Foresters Park in Tranent for what looked like an interesting Lowland League fixture, and that’s certainly how it turned out. Prior to kick-off, the big news was that the home side had signed Nick Aitchison from local rivals Haddington, and he started on the bench.

The visitors were first to show as Greg MacPherson made a second-minute dash down the right flank before sending over a superb cross which Greig Spence met eight yards out, but the flag was already up as home keeper Sam Scott grabbed the header. Three minutes later, a deflected ball into the Cowdenbeath box looked like their keeper Ruaridh Lynch was gathering the low ball, but Harry Girdwood managed to nip the ball away from him, forcing a scramble behind. Dean Brett swung the corner in, and Euan Bauld’s header was deflected behind. When the same scenario unfolded from the second corner, the referee’s whistle halted the game for a foul as Bauld got his header in.

A minute later, Scott Gray had a go from distance with his right foot, but the ball was always swinging away from the Fifers’ goal. The home side started to make progress, and in the ninth minute, Joe Viola and Robbie McIntyre combined nicely to send Ross Gray to the goal line. It took an excellent intervention from Dougie Hill to turn the cutback behind. Brett’s inswinging corner was then punched clear two-fisted by keeper Lynch to relieve the pressure.

With sixteen minutes on the clock, Spence forced a corner for the visitors. Jamie Docherty sent his kick to the back post, where the ball slid off Spence’s head. One or two Fife voices were raised towards the referee, suggesting he’d been held, but nothing was forthcoming. A minute later, visiting skipper Matthew McDonald got the ball out of his feet and let go a rasping 25-yard right-foot drive, which Scott in the Tranent goal beat away double-handed, taking no chances with the greasy ball.

Two minutes later, Jake Sutherland cut in from the left flank and let one go from distance, but the ball skewed off the outside of his right foot and went well wide. However, the visitors were showing plenty of willingness to take the game to their hosts. After 24 minutes, a Docherty corner kick was punched clear by home keeper Scott. When the ball was fed back out to Docherty, he sidestepped a defender before curling a left-foot effort a yard wide of the junction of post and bar.

Two minutes later, Girdwood dropped the ball back to Scott Gray, who whipped in a cross towards the near post. Ross Gray came off his marker, but his glancing header was just too high, landing on the roof of the Cowdenbeath net. Just after the half-hour mark, Docherty played a nice one-two with Sutherland and got into the Tranent penalty area, but his shot lacked conviction, and home keeper Scott gathered it comfortably.

A clumsy challenge inside the centre circle by Viola on Swanson saw referee Cammy Stirling pull out the yellow card for the first time, booking the Tranent No. 17. A long ball from Danny Handling after 34 minutes found Girdwood trying to outpace Hill, but the Fifers’ centre-half took no chances and smashed the ball clear. Brett then moved across the edge of the Cowdenbeath penalty area before firing in a low left-foot drive that went wide.

The opening goal arrived in the 37th minute, and it was simplicity itself. Brett delivered a midfield free-kick into the heart of the Cowdenbeath penalty area, where Bauld rose highest eight yards out and guided his looping header back across goal, the ball dropping in at the base of the post, giving keeper Lynch no chance.

However, as so often happens, the scoring side didn’t enjoy their lead for long. The visitors leveled things up sixty seconds later. Docherty got down the left flank and cut the ball back from the goal line. MacPherson’s first effort from six yards out came off his knee, and as home keeper Scott fell backwards, he could only push the ball out to Spence, who wasn’t going to miss from four yards.

The mini-goal glut wasn’t finished. As the game hit the forty-minute mark, a nice ball to the edge of the Cowdenbeath penalty area found Girdwood moving into the box. He coolly picked his moment and his spot, sending a low 15-yard left-foot drive across keeper Lynch and into the far corner to restore Tranent’s advantage. Tranent then controlled the game for the remaining few minutes, ensuring they saw out the first half with their lead intact. It had been a close first half, with not much between the two sides. Tranent would be delighted with their lead, while the men from Fife might consider themselves a little unfortunate to be trailing at the break.

Two minutes into the second half, a slightly short back pass put home keeper Scott under pressure from Sutherland. His rushed clearance saw McDonald move the ball inside to Sutherland twelve yards out, but the ball slipped off his foot. Spence couldn’t make the required adjustment to get onto the loose ball, and although seconds later, the ball ended up in the Tranent net, the flag had long since been raised.

Tranent’s first effort of note in the second period was a Girdwood shot from inside the D, but the striker was falling backwards, and his tame effort was deflected into the hands of keeper Lynch. On 51 minutes, Scott Gray took a knock in midfield but was thankfully able to shrug it off.

The visitors continued to press, and just before the hour mark, Cowdenbeath got back on level terms for the second time. Hill did well to keep the ball alive down the left wing near the corner flag and sent over a pinpoint cross that found Paul McLean, who buried a perfect eight-yard header out of the reach of home keeper Scott to make the game all square once more.

As the game stretched, it became end-to-end. A driving run down the right flank by McDonald was ended unceremoniously by Bauld, who received a yellow card. Tranent then came close in the 66th minute when Duthie found space down the right flank and delivered a low teasing ball into the Cowdenbeath box, but Girdwood was inches away from making contact.

With 76 minutes gone, Cowdenbeath came close again. Cameron did brilliantly to work his way along the goal line before picking out Healy with a cutback. His shot from nine yards beat keeper Scott but was somehow hooked off the goal line by Viola. The visitors claimed the ball was in, but the assistant referee, well-placed, was unmoved.

However, the Fifers’ third goal wasn’t far away. A minute later, Spence drilled the ball across the Tranent goal area, where MacPherson arrived completely unmarked at the back post to clip the ball into the unguarded net from six yards, turning the game around and giving the visitors a deserved lead.

Nine minutes from time, Duthie was brought down 20 yards out, but Handling’s free kick sailed well over the crossbar. Late on, a couple of long throws from McGarry caused problems for the Cowdenbeath defense, but they held firm. A nasty head clash between Cowdenbeath’s Newman and Tranent’s Bauld halted the game, but thankfully both players were able to continue.

Five minutes of stoppage time didn’t yield any further chances, and Cowdenbeath secured the points, largely based on a dominant second-half performance. A combination of resolute defending and better ball control ensured their victory was well merited.

For Tranent, this performance would be a puzzle for Jonny Stewart and Darren Smith in the home dugout. They did some good things in the first half and got their noses in front, but they were outworked in the second half and never hit any heights, allowing the match to slip away with a whimper rather than a bang.