Archives | Hamilton Academical 1 Dunfermline 0

For Pars first away match against Hamilton Academical since March 2022, James McPake`s team showed two changes from that which played Falkirk two weeks prior. Into the starting eleven came Kieran Ngwenya and Chris Kane with Joe Chalmers and Craig Wighton placed on the bench where they were joined by latest signings Josh Cooper and goalkeeper Tobi Obuwayami.

John Rankine`s side showed one change from that which lost the previous Saturday at Ayr, 23 year old Ben Williamson being preferred to Euan Henderson. Former Pars Kevin O`Hara and Kyle Macdonald started while Jackson Longridge and Nikolay Todorov were on the Accies bench.

It was the home side that kicked off attacking the goal in front of the travelling support. The visitors had the better of the opening ten minutes with a lot of the play up the right side involving Aaron Comrie and Kane Ritchie-Hosler. The first corner of the afternoon went the Pats way but when David Wotherspoon delivered Hamilton cleared.

An 11th minute free kick was played short from Wotherspoon to Comrie and the home side had to defend another threatening cross. Deniz Mehmet`s first deployment came five minutes on, clutching a dropping ball launched by Oli Shaw. Hamilton maintained their presence in the Dunfermline half and in 19 minutes came very close to scoring the opening goal. Their captain Scott Martin produced the perfectly weighted pass up the left for Stephen Hendrie to run on to and cross. O`Hara`s header at the far post was palmed on to his crossbar by Mehmet and the defence cleared.

The home side did manage to find the Pars net in 26 minutes. Sam Fisher was forced into conceding a corner on the left after O`Hara had sent Barjonas in on goal. The telling tackle prevented the shot but then from Barjonas` set play Reghan TUMILTY ran on to meet the cross on the right side of the Fifers box. 1-0

Fisher picked up the first yellow card of the day when he pole axed Scott Martin down on the left touchline. This handed Barjonas another opportunity to create a threat from the 38th minute free kick but referee Calum Scott blew up as the ball was defended for an infringement in the box. Four minutes later Ritchie-Hosler accepted a pass from Kane to then launch an attempt from 20 yards out but unfortunately his sights were too high.

It had been a first half that Dunfermline had not troubled the opposition goalkeeper. After a promising start they allowed the home side into the game and they had the half time lead thanks to a well taken goal.

Half Time: Hamilton 1 Dunfermline 0

Sam Young was introduced for the second half, the 18 year old a straight swap for Sam Fisher in defence. The opening five minutes of the half saw urgency from the visitors. From a Wotherspoon free kick on the right, Kyle Benedictus` header was deflected for the first of two corners. Chris Hamilton was the one who got in a shot on target but that got blocked.

On the hour Josh Cooper was brought on for his Dunfermline debut. Kieran Ngwenya went off and Ewan Otoo move to take over his role as the sub went into midfield. Within a minute another sub was required after Kyle Benedictus went down in the centre circle and was unable to continue. Joe Chalmers became the third substitute that Dunfermline would use.

Cooper hit the sidenetting as the Fifers pushed in from the right before play halted yet again at the midway point of the half. Ritchie-Hosler it was who required treatment but he was fit to continue. Young was forward to feed Cooper the chance to shoot from 30 yards out and his effort pinged narrowly wide left of the Accies` goal. Two more Dunfermline subs came on in 72nd minute - Chris Kane and Kane Ritchie-Hosler withdrawn to make way for Taylor Sutherland and Craig Wighton. McCann`s cross from the right then came back off the crossbar as the visitors began to seriously worry the home team and their supporters.

It was 83rd minute when Wighton and Cooper combined in the Accies box to set up Otoo for a crack at goal but he blasted the chance high over the bar. A high ball in from the right by Young dropped for Cooper in the Accies box but the defence blotted out his attempts to shoot. A Chalmers free kick on 90 minutes worried the home fans but despite Cooper`s best efforts to keep the ball in play, Accies celebrated a goal kick.

Dunfermline had pressed hard in the latter quarter of the match but the home defence held firm to leave the Fifers pointless after three league matches.

DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Sam Fisher (Sam Young HT), Kyle Benedictus (c)(Joe Chalmers 63), Kieran Ngwenya (Josh Cooper 61): Chris Hamilton: Kane Ritchie-Hosler (Taylor Sutherland 72), David Wotherspoon, Ewan Otoo, Lewis McCann, Chris Kane (Craig Wighton 72).
SUBS NOT USED: Michael O`Halloran, Rhys Breen, Andrew Tod, Tobi Oluwayami (GK)
YELLOW CARDS: Fisher (38), Ritchie-Hosler (56)

HAMILTON ACADEMICAL: Charlie Albinson: Reghan Tumilty, Sean McGinty, Stephen Hendrie: Barry Maguire, Scott Martin (c)(Euan Henderson 74), Jamie Barjonas (Connor Murray 90+5), Kyle Macdonald, Kevin O`Hara, Oli Shaw (Nikolay Todorov 85), Ben Williamson.
SUBS NOT USED: Jackson Longridge, Lee Kilday, Liam Morgan, Cian Newbury, Dean Lyness (GK), Josh Lane (GK).
YELLOW CARDS: O`Hara (49), Martin (53)
SCORER: Tumilty (26)

REFEREE: Calum Scott
ATTENDANCE: 1422
WEATHER: Sunny Intervals 15C

NEXT MATCH: (home) v Ayr United, Saturday 31st August 2024, kick off 3.00pm at KDM East End Park.

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