Second Division: Purple patch lifts Cowdenbeath up to the summit

Published on Sunday 8 November 2009 21:32

COWDENBEATH'S win by a solitary goal at Clyde took Danny Lennon's side to the top of the table, with the 1-0 victory the latest result in a tremendous run that has seen the Fife side take 16 points out of the last available 18.

Despite the hot streak, manager Lennon was keen to play down his side's rise to the top of the standings.

"Nothing has been achieved yet and you will not hear me boasting about this or that, I will just concentrate on things one game at a time," he said.

The new leaders left it late to see off the bottom-placed side, with substitute Scott McBride firing home a last-gasp penalty at Broadwood after Alan Lithgow was penalised for handball. It was a decision Clyde manager John Brown disputed afterwards. "We deserved a point and I think the referee was influenced at their penalty as he turned one down for them just a few minutes before," said Brown.

Alloa Athletic knocked Stirling Albion off the top of the table and also brought themselves back into title contention as a 1-0 win at Forthbank put them three points off first place.

The only goal of the game arrived when Stirling's Kenny Feaks brought down Stuart Noble midway through the first-half and Andy Scott scored from the resultant penalty.

Enjoying his first win on his neighbour's ground, Alloa manager Allan Maitland said: "That was a big win for us. We are in much better shape than we were a few weeks ago and that win confirms that. Stirling had the better of the second-half but there was always an Alloa defender getting in the way."

Maitland's counterpart Allan Moore lamented the fact that warnings to his players had gone unheeded. "I have told the players that we were always just two games away from losing top spot and that is what has now happened and I can only hope that will be the wake-up call," he said.

Elsewhere, Peterhead hit East Fife with two late goals to win 2-1 at New Bayview, improving their record to four wins and a draw in the last five games.

Paul McManus had given the hosts an early lead, but it was all change in the last 10 minutes as Bobby Mann was judged to have forced the ball over the line despite home protests and John Stewart converted a penalty after being brought down by Jonathan Smart, who was punished with a red card.

At Ochilview, Dumbarton manager Jim Chapman had a half-time rant at his players then saw Roddy Hunter, Scott Chaplain and Ross O'Donoghue all score as his side overcame Stenhousemuir 3-0. Chapman said: "I am delighted with how the players responded. Our defence was keeping us in it and our forwards needed to help out and they did."

Jim Weir's return to management saw his new Arbroath side earn a goalless draw at Brechin City to move away from bottom spot and the former St Johnstone defender was pleased with what he saw. "When you consider that I have not had a lot of time to work with the players, I am pleased with the effort put in," said Weir.

For Brechin manager Jim Duffy, he watched his side play out their third goalless draw in a row. "Keeping three clean sheets in a row is great from a defensive point of view but we need to improve from midfield to up front as we lacked creativity again," said Duffy.