By Connor Ryan
Despite their being a disallowed goal and a missed penalty, Rovers battled to a 0-0 draw away from home.
The game should have seen some goals as both sides had big chances throughout, but Rovers will be left disappointed to only leave with a point despite facing some controversy over penalty decisions not going their way.
A quiet first half from both sides seen it’s first bit of action in the 3rd minute as Callum Wilson drove towards the final third from his own half and fired a low shot at Cammy Gill in the Cowdenbeath net who held the shot with ease.
Kieran Dolan almost opened the scoring for Rovers on the 8th minute as a poor pass back from Cowdenbeath’s Jamie Todd was intercepted by Dolan, but he couldn’t beat Gill who done well to save down low.
Cowdenbeath would start to come into the game halfway through the first half as they had penalty claims waved away in the 25th minute and then just after, Sean Fagan pulled off a brilliant tackle to prevent Cowdenbeath getting a shot away at goal.
The first yellow card of the match was given to Cowdenbeath’s Gavin Morrison after a poor challenge on Charlie Reilly just over the halfway line on the 34th minute. The resulting free kick would find it’s way to James McGowan on the edge of the box, but his shot was blasted way over the bar.
The second half saw Cowdenbeath start on the front foot as the Rovers defence held firm by having to clear the ball on a couple of occasions in the first five minutes.
Craig Barr of Cowdenbeath would have one of the biggest chances of the game so far as is header from a corner went narrowly past Cammy Binnie’s post on the 51st minute.
Cowdenbeath would then have another massive chance a couple of minutes later as Craig Thomson’s shot was blasted right at Binnie who done well to parry the ball away.
Michael Mullen would be brought on for Corey O’Donnell on the hour mark as Rovers went searching for the opening goal.
Charlie Reilly would almost give Rovers the lead on the 63rd minute as his dipping shot after some good footwork went just over the bar.
Cammy Gill would then pull off a superb double save after shots from Mullen and Dolan just minutes later to deny Rovers the lead once again.
With just over 20 minutes to play, Cowdenbeath would controversially be given a penalty for a handball offence which was taken by Lewis Buchanan, but his penalty was tame, Binnie guessed the right way and held onto Buchanan’s spot kick.
Jamie Leslie would then be forced off with injury and replaced by Scott Roberts in the 73rd minute.
Rovers would spend the last five minutes going at Cowdenbeath as they had a penalty appeal turned down and Cammy Gill would once again pull off a double save to keep the score at 0-0.
Kane O’Connor would miss a massive chance for Cowdenbeath with minutes to play as he put his laces through the ball in the Rovers box causing his shot from a few yards out to fly over the bar.
Cowdenbeath would have the ball in the back of the net and thought they had taken all 3 points in the last minute from a resulting corner, but the goal was disallowed as the assistant put his flag up, causing the game to finish 0-0.
While Rovers will be disappointed, they can take the positive of putting more distance between themselves and the bottom two as they remain above the relegation playoff by 8 points where Cowdenbeath remain.
