Archives | Livingston 1 Dunfermline 0

Dunfermline were the visitors as Livingston`s Set Fare Stadium hosted its first home match of the 2024-2025 season. The home side had seen off Forfar Athletic 2-0 in their first match in this Premier Sports Group E but the Pars had not done so well when they met Ray McKinnon`s team in midweek losing 2-0 to the Angus Loons.

Despite the very disappointing performance last time out the Dunfermline side showed just one change, Rhys Breen returning at the expense of 18 year old Taylor Sutherland who was on the bench. Goalkeeper Kai McLean was signed on a short term contract on the eve of this game but his registration was not through in time for him to be on the bench. The Livingston side also showed one change from that fielded at Forfar, Olly Green coming in for Daniel Finlayson.

Lewis McCann got the game underway attacking the goal at the shopping centre end. Livingston earned the first corner of the afternoon when their third minute free kick was headed behind. The corner from the left was initially cleared and Deniz Mehmet came out to confidentially clutch the tricky return.

Dunfermline`s first chance came in seven minutes when Aaron Comrie`s pass was played into the right side of the Livi box by Kane Ritchie-Hosler where David Wotherspoon controlled it to then launch a left footed shot on target that was blocked. The opening goal would come just four minutes later but at the other end. After a series of passes from the edge of their own box Livingston got into position to stab the ball into the top of the Pars box where Robbie MUIRHEAD won the race with Mehmet to slot the ball into the left side of the Dunfermline goal. 1-0

Kieran Ngwenya was on the end of an 18th minute cross from Wotherspoon but sent the ball over the crossbar. Next a Sam Fisher lob landed for Ritchie-Hosler in front of goal but he didn`t make the greatest of connections and Shamal George held. The goal apart, Livingston had not created any great threat but they suddenly woke up. Olly Green tried to break through the middle without success and Matthew Clarke launched a ball to the far post that was defended. Clarke released a shot on target but that got shut out before Mehmet and his defence kept out three successive attempts in 33 minutes.

Four minutes from the break a Breen cross was met by the leaping Hamilton but his header cleared the Livi crossbar. Ngwenya launched a shot wildly over the same bar but it had been a 45 minutes with just one Pars shot on target, from Wotherspoon. The half ended with the first Dunfermline corner but that was defended all too easily and then a Wotherspoon free kick 35 yards out on the left side that failed to change anything.

Half Time: Livingston 1 Dunfermline 0

Livingston made one substitution before the restart, Lewis Smith on for Liam Sole. An early free kick aimed at Breen at the left post was taken by George. Next Muirhead was fed the ball from Green but his blast from 16 yards out was blocked. Mehmet held a Smith ball curled in from the right but it was the home side who continued boss the possession.

Taylor Sutherland came on for David Wotherspoon 12 minutes into the second half and he won the corner that Ritchie-Hosler crossed only for the defence to come out on top. In between Tete Yengi rolled a shot wide right and then on the hour Hamilton pulled off a wonderful header from under his own crossbar to prevent Kelly`s cross leading to another Livi goal.

To have any hope of qualifying from the group Dunfermline needed the win so play became a bit more open. George held a good attempt from 20 yards out by McCann and at the midpoint of the second half the crossbar kept out a Muirhead shot. Andrew Tod entered the fray on 69 minutes with Aaron Comrie being withdrawn and it was the eighteen year old`s free kick that McCann met to make the keeper save.

Cristian Montaño met a Muirhead corner and powered a header wide right before Joe Chalmers and Craig Wighton were the last throw of the dice for the Fifers to see if they could recover the match with 14 minutes remaining.

It was the Livi sub Andy Winter who came close to finding the second goal. First Mehmet came out to deny him the cross and then when he did get a cross in the keeper dived out to hold the ball.

As the clock ran down the Pars were urged forward by the management team but despite all the attacking players on the pitch it was continuing to be difficult to penetrate the Livi defence. Deep into time added on Wighton had the final attempt from a Chalmers free kick but the ball pinged wide outside the left post.

LIVINGSTON: Shamal George: Jamie Brandon (c), Ryan McGowan, Cristian Montaño, Matthew Clarke, Scott Pittman, Olly Green (Michael Nottingham 64), Stephen Kelly (Reece McAlear 90+3), Liam Sole (Lewis Smith HT), Tete Yengi (Andy Winter 78), Robbie Muirhead (Ricky Korboa 78).
SUBS NOT USED: Jerome Prior, Ben Jackson, Daniel Finlayson, Samson Lawal
SCORER: Muirhead (11)

DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Sam Fisher, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen (Joe Chalmers 76): Aaron Comrie (Andrew Tod 69), Kane Ritchie-Hosler, David Wotherspoon (Taylor Sutherland 57), Chris Hamilton, Ewan Otoo, Kieran Ngwenya: Lewis McCann (Craig Wighton 76).
SUBS NOT USED: Michael O`Halloran, Sam Young, Liam Hoggan, Ewan McLeod, Freddie Rowe
YELLOW CARD: Benedictus (84)

REFEREE: Colin Steven
ATTENDANCE:
WEATHER: Cloudy 19°C

NEXT MATCH: Premier Sports Cup (home) v Cove Rangers, Saturday 27th July 2024, kick off 3.00pm at KDM Group East End Park

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