Raith Rovers 0 - 1 Cowdenbeath: Nicholl is Rovers' wraith

Published on Friday 23 July 2010 23:40

THE concept of irony is one which is often prevalent in matters of a footballing nature and it would therefore have come as no major surprise to recently-appointed Cowdenbeath manager Jimmy Nicholl that his first competitive fixture in charge of the Blue Brazil was scheduled to take place at nearby Stark's Park.

The ground had after all provided the launching pad for the convivial Northern Irishman's managerial career 20 years ago.

Nicholl had served Raith Rovers with distinction during his tenure at the Kirkcaldy club, leading them to their famous League Cup final victory over Celtic in 1994 followed by the now legendary UEFA Cup encounter with Bayern Munich the following year and, although he was warmly applauded by the appreciative home supporters before kick-off yesterday, there was little goodwill being offered at full time after the returning hero had masterminded a victory which resulted in an inglorious first round exit from the Alba Challenge Cup for his former club.

Bearing in mind the decimated squad which Nicholl had inherited due to the plundering of four of last season's key players by his predecessor Danny Lennon, now manager of St Mirren, the result was particularly remarkable, as was the fact that Cowdenbeath could easily have won the game by a wider margin than the solitary second-half strike by defender John Armstrong which proved to be the match winner.

The opening minutes were perpetuated by a series of meaty tackles as the lush Stark's Park turf became littered with falling bodies during the early stages.

Clear-cut chances proved to be rare, however, during an evenly contested first half.

The deadlock was finally broken 13 minutes after the interval when Armstrong drove a low shot past McGurn from 12 yards after the Rovers defence had failed to clear Scott Linton's corner.

"Its always good to come back to Stark's Park," said Nicholl afterwards. "The six years I spent here were the happiest of my life but today it was all about getting my time with Cowdenbeath off to a winning start and, while there's still a lot of work to be done, I can't fault the players for the determination they showed."

Raith Rovers: McGurn, Wilson, Dyer, Murray, Ellis, Davidson, Williamson (Walker 71), Simmons, Weir (Baird 60), Tade, McBride (Mole 80). Subs not used: Ferry, McNeil.

Cowdenbeath: Hay, Baxter, Adamson, Ramsay, Armstrong, Winter, Fairbairn, Cameron, Dempster (Stewart 83), McKenzie, Linton. Subs not used: O'Brien, Brett, Piper, Roy.

Referee: F McDermott.