Squad worries play on Brown’s mind despite emphatic win

Cowdenbeath went top of Betfred Cup Group C with this emphatic win over last season’s Highland League champions but boss Billy Brown is not getting carried away with the Dundee clubs coming up in the next two ties.

Cowdenbeath lost a crazy goal in only four minutes. David Syme stopped a loose ball and ‘keeper Dave McGurn picked it up but the referee judged it was a pass-back and Craig Dorrat deflected in Chris Angus’s driven free-kick from the edge of the six-yard box.

But in 25 minutes Syme powered in a header from Fraser Mullen’s corner and two minutes from the break Robbie Buchanan released Cammy Muirhead and the 19-yearold frontman coolly rounded keeper Daniel Bell to give the Blue Brazil an interval lead.

Four minutes into the second period the home team conceded another strange goal when Buckie sub Drew Copeland’s corner went straight into the net, but within 12 minutes Syme’s curling header, from a Mullen free-kick, restored the lead. There were several good chances for Cowden after that and two minutes from time teenage substitute Ryan Connelly showed good skill to hold off two challenges and fire a low shot wide of Bell to tie things up.

Brown was pleased to beat a team who had scored 163 goals in all competitions last season, but the manager acknowledged his squad is short on numbers at present.

“When we got the ball down and played we gave them an awful lot of trouble and should have scored more than four goals,” he said.

“It was a very good win and just the way to start the competition, but when you looked at our bench against Buckie there were no experienced players at all.

“We need at least four players to come in and help the outstanding young players we have here.”

Meanwhile David Syme picked up a double against Buckie to add to his goal against Queen of the South in a friendly, all headers, and he feels that after last season’s trials and tribulations the Blue Brazil could have their eyes on the top four of Ladbrokes League 2 this term.

He said: “To lose a goal in the way we did after only four minutes and come back and score four times is really encouraging.

“I came on loan from Raith Rovers for the last three months of the season and I felt we played well in the closing 12 games and the performance against Buckie was of a similar quality.

“If the boss can get in the players he is looking for there is no reason why we cannot be challenging at the right end of the table this season.”