STENHOUSEMUIR became the first team since Partick Thistle in 2005 to win promotion through a penalty shootout after 210 minutes could not force a winner, or even a goal, in their Second Division Play-Off final with Cowdenbeath.
Warriors' goalkeepe
r Scott Bennett emerged as the hero when he blocked Jay Stein's effort, and substitute Andy Brand fired home the winner after Willie Lyle, Alan Brazil, Ian Thomson and Alan Reid had all netted.
Cowden had gone first in the shootout, with John Gemmell and Derek Fleming scoring before Stein's miss, with Mark Baxter and Joe Mbu firing home.
Bennett said afterwards: "There was pressure on everyone but these are the games you want to be involved in. I watched Jay's run-up and anticipated where he was putting it and I was right."
Stenhousemuir's success proved that manager John Coughlin has won back the dressing room he thought he had lost when a poor run saw them slip out of play-off contention after topping the table from August.
A 2-0 defeat at Elgin in March saw Coughlin confide in his assistant Matt Kerr that he would leave, as he believed he could no longer motivate the players.
Coughlin explained: "I felt I could no longer get a response and we were in a hole.
"It's not the best-kept secret that I was going to walk away but Matt and a couple of players talked me round. I am obviously delighted that they did and I have to praise the players for how they responded to where we found ourselves."
Despite the lack of goals this play off can be hailed a success with 1,530 supporters in attendance, the highest Third Division crowd of the season, and they saw a bright start where Kevin Motion tested David Hay and Cowdenbeath's Mark Ramsay's stinging drive brought out a fine save from Bennett.
The second half saw Stenhousemuir's John Ovenstone rattle the bar, with Cowdenbeath dominating the rest of the 90 minutes, a stretching Bennett plucking out a netbound Paul McQuade effort from mid-air.
In extra time Iain Diack wasted an opportunity and just before penalties were called for, Bennett pushed away a Ramsay drive. Cowdenbeath manager Danny Lennon lamented: "Not winning the league hurt and with seven points between us in the league this hurts as well. We were the better team but fair play to Stenhousemuir and good luck to them for next season."
The full article contains 427 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
