The SPFL have rejected a final bid by Cowdenbeath to get their postponed Championship clash with Rangers, which had been scheduled for this Saturday, back on claiming that the criteria for the call-off had now changed.
Rangers successfully requested a postponement of the fixture at the beginning of last week because three of their players Marius Zaliukas, Bilel Mohsni and Dean Shiels had been selected for international duty.
But Mohsni was then handed a two-match ban which would have ruled him out of the Cowdenbeath game and the Fifers chief executive Alex Anderson argued that the decision to cancel the match should therefore be reversed.
Anderson said he was disappointed by the decision.
In rejecting the Cowdenbeath appeal, the SPFL told the Fife club that events occurring after a decision had correctly been taken did not provide a basis for revisiting that decision.
Cowdenbeath have said that the cancellation of the game which would have attracted a full house of 4,500 fans will cost them more than £20,000 in hospitality and fringe benefits alone.
Meanwhile Blue Brazil hit-man Kudus Oyenuga believed he should have scored a hat-trick in Saturday’s goal-less draw at Dumbarton.
But despite passing up a hatful of chances, was given the full backing by boss Jimmy Nichol, who predicts a brilliant future for the on-loan Dundee United striker.
Nichol said: “He just needs to be a bit more composed in front of goal. He is a handful for most teams and is a Dundee United player who Jackie thinks needs a bit more experience. Once he gets himself a bit more composed he will be all right.
“Although we look at it as two dropped points it was a clean sheet for a young defence and I have all my players back from injury for next week. So I will have a full squad of players to choose from and there will be a battle for the jerseys.”
The Blue Brazil had a spring in their step and in 16 minutes Iain Campbell’s forward pass was chested down by Kyle Miller for Oyenuga to burst through, but goalkeeper Danny Rogers beat the ball away at the second attempt.
Within a minute Miller tested Rogers again with an angled effort and seconds later Jon Robertson was just wide of the mark.
In a thrilling end-to-end tussle, the Sons should have opened the scoring in 20 minutes when Mark Gilhaney had a clear sight of the target 12-yards out, but Robbie Thomson raced out to block brilliantly.
Oyenuga was causing havoc down the left and in 32 minutes left three defenders in his wake, but his cross to the far post to Sean Higgins was over cooked and the chance was lost with the striker unmarked in front of goal.
Cowden passed up the best chance of the first period four minutes from the break when defender Markus Fraser headed wide.
Oyenuga came close again five minutes after the break, volleying over from 15 yards and could have snatched the points in 80 minutes when he blasted wildly over from 15 yards.