Tuesday 26th February, 2013 at 9:28pm
The third attempt to stage this fixture, like the previous two, ended in failure though at least time we managed 70 minutes of football. After two previous postponements the game was abandoned with 70 minutes on the clock and with the home side leading 2-1.
Long before the fog descended manager Alan Archibald selected a team that showed three changes from the side that defeated Airdrie United at the weekend. In came Hugh Murray, Sean Welsh and Steven Craig while Ross Forbes and Kris Doolan dropped to the bench. Meantime Paul Paton missed out through injury.
As desperate as Thistle are for points so too are Cowdenbeath and they were quick out the traps in this game. Their opening goal arrived as early as the 4th minute but they had already come close even before then; Jamie Stevenson seeing his shot saved by a well placed Scott Fox.
Fox though was helpless when Cowdenbeath did take an early lead. Stevenson’s cross from the left was met on the volley by Craig Moore and his shot left the Thistle keeper with no chance of saving.
The home side, no doubt buoyed by their early goal, took the game to Thistle in the early stages and Naismith was close to a goal with an unchallenged header following a corner on the right.
Gradually though Thistle began to come into the game and while they continued to look anything but secure at the back they were at least a threat at the other end. Flynn in the Cowdenbeath goal was a busy man, saving from Muirhead and Erskine while Lawless shot just wide with Flynn, for once, beaten.
It was hardly one way traffic though and Thistle again allowed Cowdenbeath a free header inside their box; this time Robertson the player unable to keep his header down.
Thistle, however, were back on level terms in the 23rd minute. Chris Erskine’s cross from left set up Steven Lawless and although his initial shot was saved by Flynn he was on hand to poke the loose ball home.
Thistle could even have been in front five minutes later when an Erskine snap shot flew straight at Flynn after an O’Donnell throw had been flicked on.
Flynn was again in action in the 32nd minute once more denying Chris Erskine; this time after he had initially had to leave his box to clear a through ball.
Cowdenbeath were close to being gifted their lead back after 36 minute when Scott Fox took a wild swipe at a Conrad Balatoni pass back and missed the ball completely. Thistle hearts were well and truly in mouths as the ball tricked, just, wide of goal.
With half-time nearing Stuart Bannigan was twice close to giving Thistle a first half lead. His first effort, a chip from the left corner of the box, was just a foot or so too high and his second was blocked by Flynn.
The mist that had rolled in during the course of the first half thickened during to the half-time interval to the degree that when the second half kicked off it was obvious that the game was in danger of not being completed. On at least one occasion the referee spoke to the two managers but play, at least for a while, continued.
Even with the introduction of a luminous yellow ball though it was becoming increasingly difficult, to the point of impossible, to see play on the far side of the pitch.
In truth it was a surprise that the game lasted beyond the hour mark but when Cowdenbeath regained their lead, Moore scoring for the second time in the evening, and conditions were not notably worse than they were at the start of the half the feeling was that the game would be played to a completion.
However, with 70 minutes played the referee finally made the sensible decision, though unquestionably frustrating for the home side, to abandon the match.
