Raith twice came back from two goals down to earn a point but goalscorer Simon Mensing said his team should not have had to wait to concede goals before sparking into life.
The central defender fired home the leveller in the 94th minute of this thrilling derby but he said Raith should have started both halves much better than they did.
”We did not open the game at all well and it was about the 25th minute before we got into it but we finished the first half very well,” he said.
”Maybe we thought we automatically would keep it going in the second period but we did not and it was only in the closing 10 to 15 minutes that we burst back into life.
”I suppose for the fans it was a real thriller but we really have to play a lot better over 90 minutes than that.”
Cowden started the game very positively and took the lead in only four minutes through Kyle Miller, then Jamie Stevenson’s 30-yard free-kick made it two in 23 minutes.
Rovers’ Brian Graham was causing the home side a lot of problems and he pulled one back in 34 minutes and, as Raith started to pile on the pressure, Greg Spence headed in the equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
Cowden, however, came out in positive fashion for the second period and had several good openings before super sub Lewis Coult headed in their third with 13 minutes to go. Then, in 79 minutes, he restored the two-goal advantage.
Raith substitute Pat Clarke gave them some hope with seven to go and then in virtually the last move of the game Mensing squared things.
Rovers boss Grant Murray agreed that his team had to learn not to switch off during games.
”The last 20 minutes of the first half, we played some great stuff and deserved to be level at half-time but it was only after we went two goals behind again that we woke up. We were worth a point but only just.”
Cowden’s Jamie Stevenson said his team-mates felt like they had lost the derby.
”It was a great game to be involved in but two goals up with 10 minutes to go you really should go on and win. I suppose it is another useful point but we really felt we should have taken all three.”