Cowdenbeath FC draw to Whitburn in friendly

WITH both sides having a free week in their respective leagues Cowdenbeath met East of Scotland Premier Division side, Whitburn, in a friendly match in West Lothian, on Saturday afternoon.

Manager Dougie Hill was on a spying mission watching Scottish Cup opponents Brechin City, at Lossiemouth, and Paul McLean and Gary Fusco took charge of the side.

Josh Blair had a run out in goal with both Jack Denham and Ethan Kerr coming back into the starting XI.

The game started in a torrential down pour and driving wind, which the hosts took advantage of in the opening 20 minutes.

With six minutes gone an indirect free-kick was rolled to Ross Crawford who smacked his shot off the defensive wall.

Both Darren Liddell and Kevin Fotheringham then saw efforts deflected for corners, before Alistair Croall had the ball in the Cowden net 11 minutes from the break but was ruled offside.

Two minutes later Jake Sutherland sent an angled shot just past the post, but it was the hosts who took the lead on the half time whistle when Cammy Graham saw his shot deflect off a defender on the line.

Cowden started the second-half strongly and found themselves level after 51 minutes when Jack Denham headed home from a Jamie Docherty corner.

Former Cowden keeper, Danny Farrell, denied Sutherland and minutes later an Olly Whyte header came off the bar.

Docherty then came close on a few occasions, while Farell denied Robbie McNab in the closing stages saving a shot and a header.

The captain almost nicked a winner in the game's dying moments (Image: Newsquest) Then right on the whistle Matty McDonald broke through on goal with Farrell once again coming to the rescue of the home side.

TEAM: Blair, Jordan (MacPherson 46, Newman (Trialist 61), Denham, Kerr, Burke, Walker (McDonald 46), Whyte, Sutherland, McNab, Docherty. Subs not used – Fusco and Lynch (gk).