Cowdenbeath 0 - 2 Brechin City: No escape for Blue Brazil

Published on Friday 13 May 2011 19:57

Brechin win 4-2 on aggregate

Cowdenbeath are facing up to the heartbreaking consequences of relegation after Brechin City consigned them to the Second Division and gave themselves a chance to replace the Fife club a league above.

Late goals from Jamie Redman and Craig Molloy left the Blue Brazil to rue Wednesday's first leg when they squandered a two-goal lead to allow City to head for Central Park with parity restored and morale boosted.

The Angus club are now looking forward to a shoot-out with Ayr United to decide who can enjoy the greater spoils of the First Division. But for Cowdenbeath, the repercussions are uncertain in the midst of plans to move away from Central Park to a new purpose-built ground.

"It's a sore one," groaned manager Jimmy Nicholl, whose own future could be in doubt. "It is the worst I've felt in a long, long time in football.

"All your plans are put on hold. It will be difficult for me to hold on to some of the young players and I'm going to have to let go some of the experienced ones. The club have worked so hard and you feel all that hard work has gone to pot now, and it's back to the drawing board, back to the Second Division.

"I'll sit with the chairman and see financially what position that puts us in now. I don't know what's happening with me, but have I got an appetite for the Second Division? Aye."

In the opening exchanges, both sides appeared gripped by the fear of suffering the agony of losing at the penultimate stage of the nervy play-offs. That the most significant action in the first 20 minutes was a substitution per side told its own story.

A strangely tepid affair warmed up in the 27th minute when Cowdenbeath assistant manager Colin Cameron timed one of his trademark late forays to perfection, only to see his shot saved by Craig Nelson.

City, who had failed to make the most of playing with a strong breeze, then almost ensured a rousing climax to a languid first 45 minutes, but top scorer Rory McAllister's aim was slightly awry as he speared his low free-kick just wide of David Hay's left-hand post.

The second half begun as the first had, with Cowdenbeath seeing substitute Lewis Coult replaced as he left the field on a stretcher following an aerial clash, before the game suddenly enjoyed a burst of attacking intent.

First, Nelson batted away a Greg Stewart shot and then, seconds later, Hay came to Cowdenbeath's rescue as he used his foot to keep out Gary Fusco's volley from Jordan Kirkpatrick's cross.With Cameron having a shot blocked at one end and Brechin appealing in vain for a penalty at the other, a breakthrough suddenly looked likely.

And, after Beath's Stevie Crawford had fizzed a 30-yard drive inches wide, it was the Second Division outfit who stunned their hosts.

Full-back Andrew Cook gambolled forward on the right and his cross picked out Redman, whose volley spun into the net off Hay's desperate attempt to block.

There then followed some desperate defending from City as they threw bodies in the way of the Blue Brazil's frenzied bid to rescue their First Division status, with Mark Ramsay failing to beat Nelson with a close-range header.

But relegation became inevitable with seven minutes remaining as the visitors snatched the decisive second. McAllister wormed clear on the break and Molloy showed magnificent composure to sidestep the challenges of two last-ditch tackles to roll his shot past Hay.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," beamed Brechin manager Jim Weir. "At half-time the other night we really felt the tie could have been beyond us and I'm thrilled for the club to be in the final.

"We're happy to be there. We've got a realistic chance of beating Ayr and I'm looking forward to both ties."