Cowdenbeath 1-1 East Kilbride AET (penalties 5-3) – BBC Sport

Cowdenbeath retain their SPFL status after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over East Kilbride.

After the first leg of their play-off finished goalless, Fraser Mullen, for Beath, and Kieran Gibbons, for Kilby, netted in normal time.

With no further score after 30 more minutes of play, the hosts scored all five of their spot-kicks.

Liam Henderson struck the decisive penalty, keeping Gary Locke’s side in Scottish League Two.

The home side came flying out of the traps and duly took the lead after just three minutes. There was excellent build-up play down the left involving Robbie Buchannan and Dale Carrick, before Henderson laid the ball off for Mullen.

The former Hearts and Hibernian defender drilled a low shot beyond Matthew McGinley in the visiting goal to break the deadlock.

The Blue Brazil keep their foot on the gas, and only a magnificent stop by McGinley denied Carrick from doubling the lead. The striker also crashed a header off the crossbar before Kris Renton’s deflected volley flew inches wide.

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East Kilbride slowly eased their way into the game and Joao Victoria, then Sean Winter, came close to a leveller.

The Lowland League champions began the second half on the front foot and had claims for a penalty turned down by referee Craig Charleston after the ball appeared to strike the arm of David Syme.

The Lanarkshire side’s pressure did pay off, though, when the home defence failed to clear their lines, allowing Gibbons to drill the ball along the slippery surface from 25 yards out and find the bottom corner.

Neither side were able to strike a knockout blow before normal time expired, and the game

East Kilbride’s Adam Strachan fired in a deflected 20-yard effort that struck the crossbar on its way over.

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Both teams looked weary as the rain-soaked pitch began to take its toll. but Cowdenbeath almost snatched a late winner through Craig Johnston, whose effort was tipped over by McGinley.

With Mullen, Johnston, Renton and Syme netting spot-kicks for Cowdenbeath, and Strachan, Russell McLean and Victoria replying, it was Jamie Sneddon’s save from Paul Woods that proved crucial.

The stop gave Henderson the opportunity to seal victory for the Blue Brazil, and the defender duly converted his penalty, preserving Cowden’s SPFL status, and consigning East Kilbride to another season of junior football.

Cowdenbeath manager Gary Locke: “I don’t think it’s really anything to celebrate. The chairman is a flamboyant character, and when I came to the club, he said, we’re in the play-offs, just win them for us.

“Credit to the players, they’ve battled really hard over the two games. East Kilbride were fantastic, I certainly feel if they came up they’d be top-four or top-five team in this league.

“So it was a really difficult two games, it gets to be a bit of a lottery when it goes to penalties, but I’m delighted the club’s kept their place in the league, because the consequences of going down would’ve been pretty tough, I’d have thought.”

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East Kilbride manager Martin Lauchlan: “It’s devastating – we put so much into the game. We lost a goal early – the worst possible start we could’ve had – but after that we looked the better team and the more likely to score.

“I think our fitness levels looked terrific. It’s so difficult to get to this point, with so many play-off games, and to get here and lose it is tough.

“I think they showed in the game they’re well capable of playing at this level, but we’re bitterly disappointed.”