Cowdenbeath: Blue Brazil win South Challenge Cup tie at Ormiston

COWDENBEATH ran out comfortable winners at Ormiston Primrose to progress to the third round of the South Challenge Cup on Saturday, writes Andy Mullen.

The Blue Brazil, whose side featured first team coach Gary Fusco, who last played for the club in April 2007, eased to victory at New Recreation Park thanks to Gregor Jordan, Riley Heaton, Daryl Healy and an own goal from Ben Maxwell.

Manager Dougie Hill had indicated in the build-up to he game that he would rotate his squad which, in addition to Fusco, saw returns to the starting line-up for himself, Greg MacPherson Sean Guiney, Jake Sutherland and Healy.

Within two minutes, Sutherland had the chance to open the scoring when he latched on to a long ball, but his shot was help by home goalkeeper, Alex McPheators.

However, Cowden did take the lead in the sixth minute, when Jordan latched on to a Danny Swanson corner to nod into the net.

McPheators had a busy afternoon for the East of Scotland League, Third Division side, and had denied both Healy and Sutherland before one of his own players, ,Maxwell, knocked the ball into his own goal after 29 minutes.

Former Cowden stalwarts Dave McGovern (left) and Keith McCulloch (right) took in their former team's match on Saturday. (Image: Andy Mullen.)

Swanson then tried his luck with a long range shot which went over the bar, while a similar effort from Sutherland pulled out a good save from McPheators, who also denied Healy as the clock ran down to the interval.

A minute into the second half, the home side pulled a goal back when Calvin Souness headed home from a corner, but the goal, however, saw the Blue Brazil step up a gear, and two goals in four minutes killed off any chance of a Primrose comeback.

Shay Burke squared the ball to Heaton two minutes later to slot home his first goal for the club, then two minutes after that, Healy eventually got the better of McPheators to fire home a fourth goal.

Both scorers had their chances to increase their goal tallies in the remainder of the half as the Blue Brazil eased into the next round.

Ormiston Primrose: McPheators; Nichol, Anderson, Dougan, Aitken, Souness, Maxwell (Laidlaw 72), Hogg (Manson 60), McLaren, Moffat (Weir 72), Scally.

Subs not used: Cawley, Grandison and Kerr.

Cowdenbeath: Lynch; MacPherson (Denham 29), Kerr, Jordan, Hill (Newman 65), Fusco (McNab 46), Burke, Sutherland (Haston 46), Swanson (Docherty 46), Healy, Guiney.

Subs not used: Blair and Whyte.

Referee: Ross Donaldson.