Cowdenbeath 2 , Annan Athletic 2 .

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance-231

A SECOND-HALF fight-back gave Cowdenbeath a much needed point from this Central Park clash on Saturday.

The first period saw another poor performance from Cowdenbeath, but after the break they started to play much better and create some chances.

Defensively they struggled at times with Craig Sives and Gerry McLauchlan having problems keeping a grip on Annan’s front line.

However, it was going forward in the first period that the Blues failed to produce a great deal in terms of attacking moves.

A lack of width handicapped their style and they failed to create many chances.

After the break there was more urgency and they started to create chances and punched holes in the visiting defence.

And really once they pulled one back the Blues looked the better side and could have won it.

In the third minute Cowden threatened with a Kris Renton shot which went just wide then two minutes later at the other end Barry Cuddihy fired wide from the edge of the home box.

In 13 minutes Athletic had a good chance when David McKenna supplied Aiden Smith and he held the ball up well before firing inches wide from 10 yards.

Then eight minutes later Annan took the lead. Darren Ramsey’s free-kick, on the edge of the box, flew off the wall and from 25 yards CUDDIHY’S first time volley flew low into the net.

In 27 minutes Cowden’s Fraser Mullen’s 22 yard free-kick was held by Blair Currie then six minutes later a Mullen cross was met by Renton but his header flew wide before Gary Glen’s 30 yard clipped the top of the Annan bar.

Then six minutes later the Blues went two adrift. Smith’s run into the Cowden box saw the striker set up former Blue Brazilian McKENNA and his 12 yarder flew off McLauchlan and in to the net.

Cowden hit back in 50 minutes when Mullen’s cross was met by Kyle MILLER and his ten yard header gave Currie no chance. Soon after Renton saw Currie dive at his feet.

Then on the hour Sives headed a Mullen corner just wide then soon after Renton’s shot hit Currie's left hand post.

Cowden kept working hard with Nikolay TODOROV and Aaron Murrell on up front and it was the Hearts' loan star who levelled with nine minutes left when Miller’s effort was blocked by Currie and the big striker blasted the ball high into the net from 12 yards out.

But with only three minutes left Smith shot only inches wide as Annan tried to recover.

Cowdenbeath: Dave McGurn (6); Jamie Pyper (6), Shaun Rutherford (6); Gerry McLauchlan (6), Craig Sives (6), Burton O’Brien (7); Fraser Mullen (6), Kyle Miller (8), Gary Glen (6) (Aaron Murrell 67 (3)), Kris Renton (6) (Nikolay Todorov 72 (3)), Brian Ross (6). Subs not used, Dean Brett, David Robertson, James Creaney, Cammy Muirhead and Jamie Sneddon.

Annan Athletic: Currie (7); Black (6), Swinglehurst (6); Sinnamon (7), Watson (6), Cuddihy (6); Omar (5), Finnie (6), McKenna (7) (Lucas 84 (2)), Smith (7), Ramsey (6) (Wright 58 (3)). Subs not used, Asghar, Bradbury, Bronsky, Krissian and Mitchell.

Referee-Mat Northcroft (6).