Dunfermline 3 Stenhousemuir 0

A comfortable 3-0 victory got the new era at KDM Group East End Park off to the finest of starts.

The Fourth Round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup paired Dunfermline and Stenhousemuir to meet for the first time in 15 years in this competition. For the home side it was the start of a new era with a new Head Coach announced the previous day and new club owners at lunchtime ahead of the cup tie.

So Michael Tidser`s first match in charge the Dunfermline team saw two changes from that which lost out to Ayr United on Tuesday night. Kieran Ngwenya and Matty Todd were as sent through injury making way for starts for Joe Chalmers and David Wotherspoon.

Stenhousemuir made two changes to their starting eleven. Kyle Jacobs and Blair Alston started since Aaron Steele had been recalled to Arbroath and Corey O`Donnell was on the bench.

There was one minute of applause before kick off in appreciation of Scotland legend, Denis Law who passed the previous day. The home side started off confidently and the League One opponents had barely touched the ball when Lewis McCann headed wide from a Kane Ritchie-Hosler cross on three minutes. Three minutes later Aaron Comrie`s pass to Ritchie-Hosler on the right saw the former Rangers youth cut inside and release an effort that went agonisingly wide of the far post.

The Warriors first attempt came in ninth minute. Tommy Fogarty`s challenge on Matty Yates afforded the visitors a free kick just 23 yards out. Yates took the set play himself but rattled the ball past the right upright. Ritchie-Hosler ran on to a sweet pass from Wotherspoon but could only win a corner on the right. The Pars would score the opener from this the first corner of the afternoon. It was Chalmers` left foot that delivered the danger, Chris Kane narrowly missed connecting at the near post but the ball was deflected off the back of Euan O`Reilly to Chris HAMILTON who shot the Fifers into a 16th minute lead. 1-0

Ewan Otoo had a chance in the glorious category three minutes later when Chalmers swung the ball in from the right to drop the ball at the 22 year old`s feet six yards from goal but he failed to get the necessary touch. Dunfermline had everyone back for a 27th minute Stenny free kick launched towards the Pars box by Yates out on the right but Kyle Banner`s header dropped for Tobi Oluwayemi to gather with ease.

A McCann run was not rewarded with the corner it deserved then minutes later was just to deep to convert a Kane cross. The Warriors Michael Anderson broke through on the Pars goal in 32 minutes but Oluwayemi came out to block the one on one. Wotherspoon and Chalmers took the next Dunfermline corner but they were closed out and as a result there was no cross from it.

A second Dunfermline goal came four minutes from the break. McCann worked his way in from the left and released a shot that broke off Kane to OTOO and this time with three touches composed himself to drill the ball away forcefully. 2-0

Half time: Dunfermline 2 Stenhousemuir 0

Dunfermline were out early for the restart and those fans not back in their seats missed goal number three since the ball was in the Stenhousemuir net within 40 seconds of the second half kicking off. Chalmers switched the ball to Ritchie-Hosler who made ground up the right, into the Stenny box to deliver the perfect ball to the far post where McCANN converted. 3-0

McCann and then Kane from a McCann cross both had chances. Michael Tidser`s first change was the introduction in 64 minutes of Craig Wighton and Josh Cooper and the latter immediately had an opportunity from a Comrie cross but headed the ball narrowly over the Warriors crossbar. Next Cooper cut the ball back into the centre of the Stenny box but Wighton was not close enough to strike.

The visitors had several second half corners but the Pars defence was hardly troubled by them. The match had fizzled out a bit but a passing move up the left from Otoo to McCann saw the ball whizz across the visitors six yard box with Ritchie-Hosler nearly notching a fourth Pars goal. Hamilton made keeper Darren Jamieson save from long range and then the keeper denied Chalmers what would have been his first ever Dunfermline goal from a Cooper cut back.

Tidser took a look at two more of his squad withdrawing Lewis McCann and Kane Ritchie-Hosler to give game time to Dapo Mebude and Michael O`Halloran his first appearance since August. There were no further goals, Kane Ritchie-Hosler who had gone off to a standing ovation, was deservedly named Man of the Match. Dunfermline successfully through to Monday evening`s Fifth Round draw and the Tidser leadership already looking on the right tracks.

DUNFERMLINE: Tobi Oluwayemi: Aaron Comrie, Tommy Fogarty, Kyle Benedictus (c), Ewan Otoo: Chris Hamilton: Kane Ritchie-Hosler, (Michael O`Halloran 78), David Wotherspoon (Josh Cooper 64), Joe Chalmers: Lewis McCann (Dapo Mebude 78), Chris Kane (Craig Wighton 64)
SUBS NOT USED: Sam Young, Craig Clay, Taylor Sutherland, Lewis Briggs (GK)
SCORERS: Hamilton (16), Otoo (41), McCann (46)
YELLOW CARD: Wotherspoon (34)

STENHOUSEMUIR: Darren Jamieson: Ross Meechan (Kelsey Ewen 78), Gregor Buchanan (c), Kyle Banner, Kinlay Bilham: Michael Anderson, Kyle Jacobs (Scott McGill 57), Nat Wedderburn (Ben Black 57), Euan O`Reilly (Scott Tomlinson 78): Matty Yates, Blair Alston (Ross Taylor 65)
SUBS NOT USED: Corey O`Donnell, Dean Aitken, Curtis Lyle (GK).
YELLOW CARDS: Jacobs (18), Yates (34), Bilham (80), Black (87)

REFEREE: Peter Stuart
ATTENDANCE: 2353 (inc 214 away fans)
WEATHER: Overcast 7°C

WINNING 50/50 Ticket: Number 01150 for £700

NEXT MATCH: William Hill Scottish Championship (away) v Airdrieonians, Saturday 25th January 2025, 3.00pm kick off at the Albert Bartlett Stadium

TO BE UPDATED
Dunfermline: Tobi Oluwayemi: Aaron Comrie, Tommy Fogarty, Kyle Benedictus (c), Ewan Otoo: Chris Hamilton: Kane Ritchie-Hosler, (Michael O’Halloran 78), David Wotherspoon (Josh Cooper 64), Joe Chalmers: Lewis McCann (Dapo Mebude 78), Chris Kane (Craig Wighton 64),

Dunfermline Subs:
Sam Young, Craig Clay, Taylor Sutherland, Lewis Briggs (GK),

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