Archives | Dunfermline 0 Forfar Athletic 2

Premier Sports Cup

The second match in group E of the Premier Sports Cup brought Forfar Athletic south to face Dunfermline. The home side showed two changes from Saturday against The Spartans, captain Kyle Benedictus returned in defence where Rhys Breen dropped out with a hip issue. Joe Chalmers was on the bench as 18 year old Taylor Sutherland made just his third Dunfermline start. Forfar Athletic manager Ray McKinnon made just one change from the side that lost 2-0 to Livingston in their first competitive match, Nathan Cannon being preferred to Josh Skelly.

David Wotherspoon kicked the tie off attacking the goal at the away end but it was Deniz Mehmet who was first into action in the third minute holding a deflected Mitchell Taylor cross that came awkwardly off Sam Fisher. Both teams successfully defended a corner kick before in six minutes, Wotherspoon tried an effort from 25 yards that travelled narrowly wide left.

Wotherspoon`s 14th minute corner brought a clash of heads between Benedictus and Matty Allan. Play halt as the physio came on for the Forfar defender and everything got back underway two minutes later. McCann diverted a strong Wotherspoon cross from the right wide of the near post. There was an injection of pace when Kane Ritchie-Hosler`s pass to Sutherland midway into the opposition half was switched for Ewan Otoo to run on to and the 21 year old drilled a good attempt that slipped out just beyond the right upright.

Then on 27 minutes a powerful Forfar cross from the right evaded Mehmet and there were three bites at the opportunity that transpired with Russell McLEAN responsible for the eventual conversion. 0-1

With five men strung along their defence when necessary the Loons made it hard for the Fifers to get close enough to the Forfar goal to be much of a threat. Five minutes from the break Ritchie-Hosler won a corner on the right, McCann got in a shot but it got blocked. Comrie did get on the end of a Ritchie-Hosler cross but his shot cleared the crossbar and in the first minute of added time a Comrie tap back for McCann was thrashed low towards the bottom left of the opposition goal but keeper Marc McCallum reached out to tip the net bound effort wide.

It had been a first half in which Dunfermline had vastly superior possession to Forfar and more shots but it was the visitors who went in ahead.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Forfar Athletic 1

After Ritchie-Hosler was tumbled on the right touchline, Forfar had ten men in their penalty bow as Wotherspoon sent the 51st minute free kick in. Benedictus did well to get on the end of the delivery but powered his header wide right. Next Forfar stunned the KDM as they seized the chance to increase their lead. Mark WHATLEY grabbed possession on the left side of the box and drilled his shot into the bottom left. 0-2

A Sutherland shot was deflected high and McCallum held and with crowd appealing for more shots Sutherland cut inside only for his next effort, 25 yards out, to be blocked as a defender slid in. Otoo blasted a 64th minute shot wide right before James McPake made a triple substitution. Off went Chris Hamilton, Ewan Otoo and Lewis McCann to be replaced by Joe Chalmers, Michael O`Halloran and Andrew Tod.

Forfar continued to make to hard for Dunfermline. They did concede a free kick 24 yards out in a central position when halting Ritchie-Hosler but Wotherspoon`s attempt dipped narrowly over the bar. O`Halloran had a blast that was off target before in 86 minutes his cut back was met by Ritchie-Hosler but his shot was blocked. McCallum next turned a good effort from the former Manchester City youth away for a corner but the keeper also held that.

With The Spartans winning 5-0 away to Cove Rangers the group now had four teams on three points but with Livingston having played just one game.

DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Sam Fisher, Kyle Benedictus (c), Ewan Otoo (Michael O`Halloran 65): Aaron Comrie, Chris Hamilton (Joe Chalmers 65), Kane Ritchie-Hosler, David Wotherspoon, Kieran Ngwenya: Lewis McCann (Andrew Tod 65), Taylor Sutherland
SUBS NOT USED: Sam Young, Liam Hoggan, Ewan McLeod, Freddie Rowe

FORFAR ATHLETIC: Marc McCallum: Matty Allan, Bayley Klimionek, Stuart Morrison (c), Mitchell Taylor, Adam Hutchinson, Ross MacLean (Josh Skelly 68), Blair Malcolm, Mark Whatley, Russell McLean, Nathan Cannon (Scott Reekie 78).
SUBS NOT USED: Kieran Inglis, Zach Paris (GK)
SCORERS: McLean (27), Whatley (52)
YELLOW CARDS: Malcolm (26), Morrison (74)

REFEREE: Colin Whyte
ATTENDANCE: 1358
WEATHER: Cloudy 18°C

NEXT MATCH: (away) v Livingston, Saturday 20th July 2024, 3.00pm kick off at the Set Fare Stadium

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