TABLE-topping Cowdenbeath manager Danny Lennon came up with the perfect answer to his side's lack of experience when he included himself on the bench for the goalless draw with second-placed Dumbarton.
Lennon had stated last week that nerves were getting the better of his side, and the man who once scored against Bayern Munich while with Raith Rovers got stripped to help spread confidence among his charges.
The top-of-the-table clash ended 0-0,
and 39-year-old Lennon played for the first time in over a year when he came on with 13 minutes to play to bolster the Central Park side's midfield when Jay Shields was dismissed after picking up his second yellow card.
"Our plans went up in the air with injuries and the sending off, but we hung in there and got what could turn out to be a very important point for us," said Lennon. "The players showed a lot of character particularly when we went down to ten men.
The visitors had the better of the game and were left ruing a penalty miss by Stevie Murray in 13 minutes after the winger himself had been brought down by Joe Mbu.
Dumbarton manager Jim Chapman said: "We dominated for long periods but we just could not deliver a knockout punch. Cowdenbeath have an excellent defensive record and are hard to break down, but, if we play like that until the end of the season, I will be pleased."
East Stirling look to be ending years at the wrong end of the table by entering the play-offs for the first time in their history after Brian Graham's double helped to see off Montrose 2-1.
Graham struck in the first half with the Links Park men equalising when Roddy Hunter scored midway through the second period with Graham scrambling the ball in with 15 minutes to go.
Forfar defeated Annan 2-1 to go level on points with the Galabank side in a congested fourth place. Ross Campbell's penalty won the game after the same player had been fouled by John McBeth. Phil Storey had given Annan an early lead only to be pegged back by Martyn Fotheringham's volley with an hour played.
John Coughlin's Stenhousemuir built on the Ochilview manager being given a vote of confidence by the board to roar back into things and move level with Annan and Forfar with a 3-0 win at Berwick Rangers.
Defender Gary Thom headed in to open the scoring in the first half with strikers Iain Diack and Scott Dalziel netting in the second period to make sure of the points.
Coughlin said: "We now have to show that we can win back-to-back games as we have not done that for a long time."
Bottom side Elgin won by the same scoreline at Albion Rovers with Mark Nicolson netting early and Craig Campbell scoring twice late in the game to give Borough Briggs manager Ross Jack hope for next season.
He said: "We showed what we are capable of with this performance."
Jack's counterpart, Paul Martin added: "I am embarrassed by the manner we were beaten by the bottom side in the league at home."
The full article contains 547 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
