East Fife 3-0 Cowdenbeath

Jack Healy came off the bench and got his name on the scoresheet

The hosts had an early sight of goal when some good link-up play between Scott Shepherd and Alan Trouten gave Shepherd a sight of goal.

The striker was able to get hit shot away but it failed to trouble the Cowden goal.

The game may have been billed as a friendly but there was a competitive element to it, the visitors in particular not holding back in the challenge.

It took until the half hour mark for the first shot at goal to be registered but it ended up in East Fife opening the scoring, Trouten skipping past a couple of defenders and finding the net from six yards.

Just five minutes later it was 2-0 when the lively Jack Healy was in the right place at the right time to finish from six yards out.

Cowdenbeath had a goal ruled out for offside a few minutes before half-time as the opening period came to an entertaining end.

Both sides made changes at the break but it didn’t bring down the tempo of the match as both sides looked sharp ahead of next week’s cup fixtures starting.

Another terrific move up the park from the home side resulted in the game’s third goal when Brogan Walls was clattered to the ground by Jordan Armstrong inside the box.

It was a stonewall penalty and Stewart Murdoch made no mistake from the spot.

Cowdenbeath were forced to play the bulk of the second 45 with only 10 men following an injury to a trialist defender.

Having used all their subs, the officials couldn’t let them send one of those taken off back on.

East Fife came close to making it 4-0 on 72 minutes when Mikey Cunningham beat two men and sent a cross along the face of goal which only lacked a finish.

The game played out and East Fife held on to their advantage comfortably, showing real signs of improvement from their opening friendly fixture.

Fife boss Stevie Crawford, who signed attacker Ryan Schiavone ahead of the match, said: “It was pleasing to see the shape that we’ve been trying to do in and out of possession was coming off.

“I’m really happy with it, it was a decent work-out.

“I felt for Mo (Ross, Cowdenbeath manager) because it’s one of these games where I would have preferred 11 v 11.

“Their boy was concussed and I wasn’t against them putting another player on but the officials have to stick to the rules.

“There wasn’t much in the first 20 minutes and shape-wise both teams were man for man.

“What’s pleasing for me is we didn’t go a goal behind and then we get our goal with Alan Trouten getting off the mark, he took his goal really well and showed his calmness in the box with the experience he has.”