Welcome confidence boost for Blue Brazil

Billy Brown wants his Cowden players to keep giving him a high level of commitment as they aim to reverse their League Two fortunes.

The Blue Brazil currently prop up their division, having lost five, drawn two and won one of their opening eight games.

After watching his side beat Kingdom rivals East Fife 1-0 in a Fife Cup first round tie, the Central Park gaffer said: “We rode our luck a bit in the second half, but if we had that luck in the league we wouldn’t be in the position we’re in because we don’t deserve to be in that position.”

For Brown’s men it was a confidence-boosting win on the road while Methil manager Darren Young was able to give good run-outs to many of his squad members. Club skipper Kevin Smith got a good hour under his belt as he makes his return from long-term injury.

Cowden started well and had the better of the opening half.

They took the lead shortly before the break when Jordan Garden beat East Fife’s offside trap and slid his finish beyond Ryan Goodfellow.

The Methil men had the better of the second half, with Kyle Wilson, Ross Mutch and Mark Lamont all going close.

Methil boss Darren Young said: “I’m disappointed to lose, but on the other side of things I managed to get seven or eight boys some game time.”

He said: “We created a lot of chances and had some good deliveries from Mark Lamont.”

He added: “Overall the workrate was there but the discipline at certain times and the quality wasn’t.”