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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Paul Thomson

Albion Rovers 0 East Fife 1: Wasteful Rovers hit by second half sucker punch

Albion Rovers suffered a third defeat on the spin after East Fife struck in the second half to stun their dominant hosts.

The Coatbridge side controlled the game for large parts, but passed up some huge chances to leave them bottom of League Two and pointless after three games of the campaign.

Liam Newton's header after 67 minutes was all that separated the two sides at a sweltering Cliftonhill.

Brian Reid's men are now 14 games without a home win in all competitions, stretching back to December last year when they beat Stranraer on Boxing Day.

Reid made a host of changes from the midweek SPFL Trust Trophy defeat to Celtic B, having handed a number of fringe players an opportunity on Tuesday night.

Jack Leighfield returned in goal, while Ayrton Sonkur, Scott Roberts, Kieran Dolan, Lewis Kidd and James McGowan also came back in. Out went Chris Smith between the stick, as well as Adam Fernie, Devan McColl, Barry Duncan, Max Wright and Amaury Testa.

Kieran Dolan spurned two early chances in the opening three minutes for Rovers, first skewing a shot off target in the penalty area and then seeing a close-range strike deflected out for a corner kick.

From the resulting set-piece, James McGowan volleyed over as he tried an acrobatic effort inside the six yard box.

It was a bright start for the hosts and it continued in the 20th minute when Rovers failed to capitilise on another couple of quick-fire chances. Callum Wilson showed great footwork on the edge of the box to beat his man and tee up Dolan, but the striker saw his shot blocked.

Albion Rovers' Kieran Dolan (Ben Kearney)

The loose ball broke to captain Sean Fagan on the edge of the box and when his drive cannoned back off the post, Fifers keeper Allan Fleming had lady luck on his side as it came back off him and looped into the air for him retrieve.

Moments later the visitors got their first real sight on goal when Aaron Steel headed a cross to the back post and Sam Denham was a whisker away from getting a touch on the ball to divert it into the net, just as the game was halted for the first water break of the day amid temperatures pushing 30 degrees Celsius.

Dolan passed up another huge chance after 27 minutes when Reilly's low cross found him all of five yards out and he somehow couldn't connect with it well enough to turn the ball home.

Wasteful finishing has been a hallmark of Rovers' season so far and it almost came back to haunt them when Joao Balde turned Blair Malcolm inside out before Leighfield managed to get his boot to a low strike in the box.

In the second half the Fifers continued to be a danger on the break and Ryan Schiavone should have showed more composure when a long ball picked him out on the box after 54 minutes, however he blazed the ball over the bar.

Reilly's powerful curling effort from 20-yards forced Fleming into an outstanding stop just a minute later as the hosts pushed for a breakthrough. From the resulting corner, Callum Wilson fired a volley over when Fleming had flapped at the delivery into the box.

Scott Mercer was inches away from sending the visitors in front when his curling effort flew inches wide of the far post after 62 minutes.

Charlie Reilly went close for Rovers (Stuart Vance/ReachPlc)

For all of Rovers dominance, sure enough, it was the Fifers who took the lead.

Schiavone crossed from the right and picked out Newton, who powered a header past Leighfield.

Rovers almost levelled moments later when an effort was cleared off the line and the follow-up from Jamie Leslie was blocked.

Substitute Kieran McGrath should have made it 1-1 four minutes from time when he was picked out 10 yards from goal, but his tame effort trundled wide, summing up Rovers' day in front of goal.

ALBION ROVERS: Leighfield, Sonkur, Fagan, McGowan (Fernie 84), Malcolm, Kidd (Wright 81), Wilson, Leslie, Reilly, Roberts (Testa 81), Dolan (McGrath 66).

Scorers:

Bookings: Fagan

Subs not used: Smith, McColl, Duncan, Paton, McGrath.

EAST FIFE: Fleming, Steele, Denham, Murdoch, Mercer, Millar, Ferguson, Balde, Newton, Schiavone (Steven 73), Slattery.

Scorers: Newton 67

Bookings: Newton

Subs not used: Rollo, Murray, Williamson, Ramsay, Martin, Healy, Cunningham.

Ref: Calum Scott

HT: 0-0

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