Club 19/04/2018
Fife Cup: Cowdenbeath 2 – 0 Raith Rovers
Match Report
Central Park, 12th April 2018
Cowdenbeath 2 (Muirhead 37, Marks 90+3) – 0 Raith Rovers
Rovers suffered a league winning hangover as they went down 2-0 to Cowdenbeath in the Fife Cup semi-final at a rainy Central Park.
The first forty-five minutes were played at a blistering pace, the home side looking to avenge the 4-0 defeat three days previously when Rovers won the league title.
Both sides traded blows in a high tempo encounter, Muirhead in particular showing intent, firstly hitting the post with a 30-yard rasper and minutes later striking the crossbar from a similar distance.
Smith, Trialist A and Bell had chances but Swinton was in top form and denied all three, he stymied further shots on goal from a Stevenson corner then a 25-yard strike from Stevenson which troubled the Cowdenbeath stopper but was held at the second attempt.
Cowdenbeath broke the deadline on the 37th minute via a ball being played out from defence, Cameron Muirhead latched onto the through ball and beat two defenders in a foot race, he went wide of the advancing Peden and slotted the ball under the diving keeper from 6 yards 1 – 0
The second half began with both sides having to contend with heavy drizzling rain which dampened more than the pitch; both sides struggled to make headway with the ball going from box to box with regularity.
It wasn’t until the dying minutes that the visitors began to threaten Swinton’s goal, Bell and Stevenson with efforts that drifted wide.
The game was into stoppage time when the game was put to bed by the hosts, a cross into the box was spilled by Peden and substitute Thomas Marks pounced on the loose ball to fire home from 4 yards 2 – 0
We wish both Cowdenbeath and Burntisland Shipyard well in the final which is to be played later this month.
| Cowdenbeath | Raith Rovers |
| Ben Swinton | Christopher Peden |
| Kyle Sneddon | Jamie Watson |
| Lewis Sawers | Euan Valentine |
| Andrew MacKay | James Berry |
| Callum Watt | Josh MacDonald |
| Ali Smith | Gregor Jordan |
| Harris Kay | Lewis McCann (84) |
| Ronan McMurchie (89) | Ryan Stevenson |
| Cameron Muirhead (65) | Jack Smith |
| Hamish Thomson | Kyle Bell |
| Sean McManus | Trialist A (84) |
| sub: Thomas Marks (89) | sub: Kieran Dall (84) |
| sub: Jay Bridgeforth | sub: Andreas Thorsen |
| sub: Kallan Griffiths (65) | sub: Lewis Crosbie (84) |
| sub: Kieran Swanson |
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