Dunfermline 0 Hamilton Academical 1

The visit of Hamilton Accies to KDM Group East End Park was one of great importance. With just five William Hill Championship fixtures remaining, it was eighth v ninth with the Fifers just one point better off and both sides were fighting for survival points. The home side were undefeated in their last four home league games while Hamilton had won only one of their last nine away games.

There were two changes to Neil Lennon`s winning team from Wednesday night, Andre Raymond and Ephraim Yeboah replacing the absent Chris Kane and Joe Chalmers. For Hamilton John Rankin brought in two former Pars players `“ Kyle Macdonald and Nikolay Todorov and placed another two, Kevin O`Hara and Jackson Longridge on the bench.

`˜Football for a Fiver` attracted a large attendance and the Pars fans were excited early when Epraim Yeboah embarked on a surging run in from the right but his final touch was too strong and Dean Lyness collected. Yeboah was next the target for a Matty Todd cross but the on-loan striker was penalised for pushing his marker away.

It was the home team that forced Sean McGinty into conceding the first corner of the game. When Todd delivered from the right, Kyle Benedictus` challenge was defended back out to Todd who drilled his 14th minute shot on target. Lyness found it difficult to hold but his defence mopped up the loose ball ahead of Lewis McCann. Next minute Craig Clay was axed by Scott Robinson and Todd sent the free kick into the Hamilton box where Tommy Fogarty brought a save out of the Hamilton keeper.

In 21st minute Tobi Oluwayemi was called into action to save at the feet of Reghan Tumilty after a dangerous diagonal delivery from the boot of Steven Bradley. Three minutes it was the keeper in charge of the free kick just six yards inside his own half that eventually dropped for Todd to hit but his effort went wide left. For Hamilton Macdonald dispatched a loose shot into the McCathie Stand before a bullet of an on-target shot ricocheted behind off McGinty. The 29th minute corner was taken short to Ewan Otoo who beat two men and cut back from the byeline in the direction of Clay but the defence intercepted.

Todd got deep down the right in 36 minutes but could only earn a corner when his pass to Yeboah was cut out. Todd`s delivery almost found McCann in front of goal but when Hamilton cleared, Otoo gathered and launched the ball only for it to go wide of target.

Dunfermline had dominated the game, receiving opportunities from several setplays but four minutes from the break Macdonald got to the left byeline to shoot an inviting ball into the Pars six yard box that TUMILTY finished. 0-1

The Fifers would go in behind hoping that they could make much more of their chances in the second period.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Hamilton Academical 1

Macdonald headed the ball into the Dunfermline net just two minutes into the second half but was rightly penalised for fouling the keeper. Then in 49 minutes Dunfermline had a goal disallowed. A Todd free kick from the right was headed down by Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen and McCann squeezed the ball in at the left post only to be ruled out for his foul on the keeper. The home crowd leapt to their feet in unison in 58 minutes when Yeboah was floored by a push in the back from McGinty.

Todorov headed a crossed ball wide of the Dunfermline goal before it was back to the other end where the Pars continued their pressure. In 60 minutes McCann evaded men on the right to cut back a cute ball but it did not reach Otoo and latching on to the opportunity Todd had his effort blocked. Neil Lennon then made his first substitution introducing Archie Stevens for the luckless Epraim Yeboah.

A McCann shot from 25 yards out went wide off Macdonald but the corner was all too easily headed clear. It was Macdonald who was forward to take advantage of an Oluwayemi miscue and Robinson might have done better with the cross but the keeper pulled off a fine save. A double substitution for Dunfermline then saw Todd and Raymond go off, Josh Cooper and Chris Hamilton come on.

When Chris Hamilton was tumbled on the right in front of the North West Stand, Cooper tapped the ball for Otoo to fire into the six yard box but it travelled through and narrowly outside the left upright. Dunfermline were trying desperately to get a goal back and despite cries from the stands to shoot little came the way of Lyness.

An Otoo cross earned an 85th minute corner off the boot of Todorov but that was defended. A better chance came after Chilokoa-Mullen had sent Comrie deep down the right and his cross was struck by Clay but went wide. Benedictus had taken over a role as centre forward and although he was on the end of a 89th minute Cooper cross, Lyness held the skipper`s header.

Three Hamilton substitutions ran down the clock and time was running away from Dunfermline when Cooper won a free kick on the right 16 yards out. Otoo`s chip to the far post was taken by Lyness and it would be a 1-0 win for Accies. The result elevated them two points above Dunfermline and with Airdrieonians winning 2-1 over Partick Thistle the gap between the Diamonds in tenth to the Pars in ninth was now three points.

DUNFERMLINE: Tobi Oluwayemi: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus (c), Tommy Fogarty, Andre Raymond (Chris Hamilton 72), Aaron Comrie, Craig Clay, Ewan Otoo: Matty Todd (Josh Cooper 72), Ephraim Yeboah (Archie Stevens 61), Lewis McCann.
SUBS NOT USED: Andrew Tod, Owen Hampson, Victor Wanyama, Omar Taylor-Clarke, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
YELLOW CARDS: Clay (35), McCann (49), Neil Lennon (83), Benedictus (90+4)

HAMILTON ACCIES: Dean Lyness: Reghan Tumilty (Ricki Lamie 90+3), Sean McGinty (c), Dylan McGowan, Barry Maguire, Kyle Macdonald, Stephen Bradley (Lee Kilday 90+3), Scott Robinson, Charlie Telfer (Jackson Longridge 63), Oli Shaw (Kevin O`Hara 86), Nikolay Todorov (Jamie Barjonas 90+3)
SUBS NOT USED: Stuart McKinstry, Stephen Hendrie, Euan Henderson, Charlie Albinson (GK)
SCORER: Tumilty (41)
YELLOW CARDS: Telfer (35), Bradley (49), Robinson (52), Tumilty (56)

REFEREE: Euan Anderson
ATTENDANCE: 7636 inc 292 away fans
WEATHER: Fine 9°C

WINNING 50/50: Ticket number 08301 for £2000

Season Card Draw:
£200 Winners `“ Robert Young, Kirstyn Mitchell, Wayne Ross, Mark Smith, Robin Rae
£100 Hospitality Voucher `“ Andrew Redpath
£100 DAFC Shop Voucher `“ Charlene Matson
£100 Stephens Voucher `“ Iain Mcleod

NEXT MATCH: William Hill Championship (away) v Queen`s Park, Saturday 12th April 2025, kick off 3.00pm at Hampden Park.

TO BE UPDATED
Dunfermline: Tobi Oluwayemi: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus (c), Tommy Fogarty, Andre Raymond (Chris Hamilton 72), Aaron Comrie, Craig Clay, Ewan Otoo: Matty Todd (Josh Cooper 72), Ephraim Yeboah (Archie Stevens 61), Lewis McCann.,

Dunfermline Subs:
Andrew Tod, Owen Hampson, Victor Wanyama, Omar Taylor-Clarke, Deniz Mehmet (GK),

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