Mbu has grown into his role in Cowdenbeath defence

A big figure in Second Division table toppers Cowdenbeath’s fine season has been central defender Joe Mbu and the stopper puts that down to being injury free for the first time in years.  Mbu has travelled the length and breadth of The Scotish Football League with The Blue Brazil since joining them in 2008 and he is hoping that once again, the Central Park side will be changing divisions at the end of this season.

Whilst a promotion push for Colin Cameron’s side is not a surprise, the revelation that the six foot one inch fourteen stone stopper was once considered too small to make it in the game will certainly come as a surprise to many a centre forward who has played against the centre back.

Mbu, who turns 30 on Valentine’s Day, explained: “I played my youth football at Hibs for about six years but I was quite small at that time amongst a team of giants.  I could not get in the team and was released when I was still a teenager.”

Jokingly, Mbu added: “I never sprouted until a year and a half after I left them and it was only last year that I stopped sprouting!”

The Cameroon born defender kick-started his career at Whitburn Juniors and he played so well for them during his time at their Central Park ground that he got called into the National Junior side.

Mbu, who played at Whitburn for three seasons and was Player of the Year twice, said: “I played a few times for Scotland and went over and won the Isle of Man tournament with them so it was a good experience.”

The step to the senior game came as a surprise to Mbu who said: “I was leaving Whitburn as I wanted a change. I was a bit fed up playing there and was all set to sign for Arthurlie through in Barrhead.  I was discussing things like travelling costs with them when I got a call asking me to join Cowdenbeath for pre-season training.

“I had been told in the past that there were senior clubs watching me but it never came to anything.  I had been told that Cowdenbeath were one of the sides and I did not give it too much more thought until Bobby Paterson was on the phone asking me to come in.”

The then Third Division side were managed by Danny Lennon at that time and after agreeing a deal to join the Fife side, Mbu was placed at the beginning of a fairly steep learning curve.

He said: “There is a big difference between the Junior game and the Third Division and at first, I found it hard getting to the right level of fitness.  The level required was higher than I had been used to and also any mistakes you make get punished more severely. 

"I had to learn fast and that step-up is also true from the Third Division to the Second and from the Second to the First.”

Season 2008/09 looked one of great promise for Mbu and his colleagues as they led the table from the beginning of January until the end of April with Mbu saying: “We had done well however, we went through a spell when we could not convert our chances and that was really frustrating.

“Dumbarton overtook us and won the League and we went into the Play-Offs.  We defeated East Stirling but then lost in a penalty shoot-out to Stenhousemuir who were promoted.  It was pretty devastating not to be promoted after leading the League for so long.”

The financial situation at Livingston in the summer of 2009 saw the West Lothian club placed in the Third Division and Lennon’s side were given a late, late move to the Second Division.

Instead of facing old foes East Stirlingshire, they were to face Arbroath with Mbu saying: “We had heard the rumours however, Danny Lennon had kept us focused on playing in the Third Division until anything was decided.  

"There was a real sense of desire at the club that pre-season as we had been so disappointed at not going up as Champions or via the Play-Offs.”

Lennon’s focus paid off with Mbu adding: “Danny had prepared us well for the season by wanting us to play good football and in some ways, it was easier to do that in the Second Division where you can get more time on the ball.  A lot of us had never had the opportunity to play at that level before and were determined to make the most of it.”

Cowdenbeath came third that season and Mbu reckons that they could have finished higher as he explained: “Stirling were the Champions and Alloa were second but it could have been different.  We had a game up at Brechin where we were three goals up and then started making mistakes and we ended up drawing 3-3.

"We were also three up on Stirling Albion at our place at half-time just before the end of the season.  Then we all had a shocker in the second half where we just kept on making errors and we let them draw 3-3.”

The Play-Offs beckoned again and after defeating Alloa Athletic, Lennon’s side faced Brechin again.  There was a goalless draw at Central Park and it became a winner takes all event at Glebe Park in the Second Leg for a place in the First Division.

Mbu rose to the occasion as he explained: “I said on the bus going up that I fancied myself for a goal and nobody listened as I think I had only scored one in my two seasons there despite going up for every corner and free kick.”

Within 17 minutes, Mbu had shown he was right as he met an in-swinging Scott McBride corner with a header that crossed the line at the far post.  Gareth Wardlaw added two more before the break to give Mbu’s men the 3-0 half-time scoreline that they perhaps did not want.

Mbu said: “After what had happened against Brechin before and then Stirling, there was no way we were going to lose our lead that day.”

Lennon left that summer for St. Mirren and Mbu was to experience a frustrating third season in a third different division under new Manager Jimmy Nicholl with the defender saying: “We had a great couple of years and it was a brilliant experience but I was happy just to get through the Second Division season as my knee was causing me a few problems.

“I tried to play through it in the First Division but I struggled and only featured about a dozen times.”

The arrival of Colin Cameron as Nicholl’s assistant was to prove to be beneficial for Mbu who explained: “Colin had a contact with the medical team at the Scottish Rugby Union and they agreed to have a look at me.  My knee was sore and I was also getting pain in my stomach that made it really difficult to play.

“That visit led to an operation carried out by Professor Gordon Mackay which has been a great success as my knee is strong and the pain in my stomach has gone.  I had the operation in April so I missed out on the end of last season and the Play-Offs but this season, I have felt great.  It had got to the stage that I had thought about quitting but thankfully, I am still here.”

This season Cowdenbeath are back at the top of the Second Division and Mbu is enjoying an injury free run in the team and he said: “We are top and we are playing good football with wingers like Marc McKenzie doing really well and hopefully, we can keep this up.  We enjoy getting the ball out wide and getting people into the box and so far it is working.

“I am enjoying my football again and the main thing for me is to be fit.  I would love the chance to get back to the First Division and show what I can do at that level but we are under no illusions how difficult the run in to the season will be.”

Old rivals Stirling Albion visit Fife this weekend with Mbu saying: “They have shown a lot of spirit under their new Manager and have brought in a few new players so this will not feel like a top versus bottom encounter.”

Manager Cameron is likely to miss out due to a medial ligament injury with Mbu saying: “The Gaffer is really good in the position he plays for us.  Basically, I look to win the ball and give it to him to do something creative.  He still has the class that saw him play with Hearts, Wolves and Scotland.

“Danny Lennon was also a Player/Manager but he did not play in as many games.  It does take a lot to get used to but to be fair to them, they give and take shouts from the guys well.”