My strike partner takes the Mick

Sep 19 2007 Ayrshire Post

ALEX WILLIAMS says strike partner Michael Moore keeps him on his toes — because he never knows what he is going to do next.

But Williams didn't have to think twice when Moore headed a cross into his path and he hooked home a spectacular shot on the turn.

But after sub Scott Dalziel equalised, Ayr were on the ropes and only some fine saves from league debutant Barry John Corr spared them a point.

Fifers boss Brian Welsh said a couple of his players reckoned Williams had mishit the shot that flew high into the net but the striker was having none of it.

Williams hit back: "A goal is a goal for me no matter how they are scored but I was trying to put it in the net so it was hardly a mishit. However, my favourites are the tap ins.

"It's good playing alongside Michael but sometimes you don't know what he is going to do next."

Corr was handed the gloves with regular choice Mark McGeown calling off at 9am with a virus. Ayr elected not to nominate an outfield player as a back-up keeper and went instead with only four subs.

In a grim first-half, skipper Murray Henderson went close to his first Ayr goal with a header that shaved the post following an Eddie Forrest free-kick. The hard working Moore also had a 25 yarder turned round the post by diving keeper David Hay.

Williams fired Ayr in front four minutes before the break but that was virtually the last they were seen as an attacking force.

Cowden equalised in 69 minutes through sub Scott Daziel, four minutes after Corr had done well to parry a rasping 30 yarder from Bryan Gilfillan.

The home side then charged forward in search of the winner and the Ayr defence was forced to concede a series of corners as they came under heavy pressure.

Corr brilliantly tipped over a Mick Galloway free-kick and then made a one handed save to keep out a close range shot from sub Andy Howat.

Boss Neil Watt claimed: "It was a hard earned point but the way the league is panning out, a draw away from home anywhere is a reasonable result. I thought Barry John Corr played very well. He hadn't started a league game before so I very pleased with him.

"We battled every inch of the way to get in front and it was a great opportunist strike from Alex Williams."

Cowden boss Brian Welsh was choked at dropping two points. He said: "Without a shadow of doubt, we deserved to win. Our goalie hardly had a save to make whereas their keeper had two or three magnificent saves in the second-half.

“Ayr are a massive club compared to us but we’ve played all the title favourites and none are better.”

STAR PERFORMERS: ***Barry John Corr; **Alex Williams; *Murray Henderson.

COWDENBEATH: Hay; Baxter, Adamson, Gilfillan, Armstrong, Scullion, Doherty (Howat 67), Galloway, McConalogue (Dalziel 60), McBride, Deasley. Unused subs: Hill, Matusik, Allison.

AYR: Corr; Forrest, Henderson, Robertson; Pettigrew, Hamilton, Stevenson, Dunn, Swift; Moore (Wardlaw 78), Williams. Unused subs: Casey, Vareille, Higgins; Booked: Pettigrew.

Referee: Craig Charleston; Crowd: 452.