Archives | East Fife 0 Dunfermline 2

The draw for the Third Round of the SPFL Trust Trophy took Dunfermline along the coast to play East Fife in the first competitive game between the clubs since a League Cup tie in July 2022.

The Dunfermline team showed three changes from that which started the previous Saturday against Ayr United. Sam Young, Sam Fisher and Joe Chalmers in place of Kyle Benedictus, Kieran Ngwenya and Tommy Fogarty. Fogarty was on international duty with Northern Ireland U21s. East Fife made three changes Stewart Murdoch, Reis Peggie and keeper Liam McFarlane making way for Connor McManus, Adam Laaref and Allan Fleming.

The haze that had chilled the September morning in Methil cleared to make way for sunshine as Chris Hamilton led the team out. Dunfermline kicked off attacking the goal at the beach end. The home side forced two early corners with Tobi Oluwayemi tipping the first over his crossbar. The Pars response in fifth minute came as Lewis McCann slipped the ball into the path of Josh Cooper but Fleming saved it.

An Adam Laaref shot was deflected behind for a corner and after some head tennis Hamilton successfully cleared the threat. On the quarter hour a Kane Ritchie-Hosler break set up McCann to drill a dangerous ball towards the six yard box where Cooper was unfortunate not to finish. At the other end there was a let off as Alan Trouten sent an effort wide right while a long raking pass from Fisher set up McCann but he too sent the shot wide.

Play swung from end to end, corners were won by both sides without either keeper being tested. A Jess Norey block on a Cooper shot set up a 32nd minute corner but that didn`t alter the story. Oluwayemi held from Trouten as East Fife crossed in their sixth corner of the half and Fleming held a Hamilton header on a Chalmers free kick. Neither team could find the net and the interval provided time for some critical analysis.

Half Time: East Fife 0 Dunfermline 0

First attempt of the second half came after three minutes when Cooper gathered a header out of defence to feed Kane on the right and the striker`s attempt went across the face of goal. Notey`s challenge on Otoo awarded the Pars a 53rd minute free kick down on the left touchline. McCann`s first cross was cleared but his return curled in only to be kept out by the crossbar. COMRIE quickly saw the chance and drilled the ball into the East Fife net. 0-1

Just five minutes later a foul on Fisher handed Dunfermline an opportunity from a free kick 25 yards out in a central position. McCANN smacked the ball low into the right side of the opposition net to make it 0-2.

Craig Wighton and David Wotherspoon were the first Dunfermline subs of the afternoon replacing Chris Kane and Josh Cooper in 63 minutes. Two Pars corners followed immediately, a Chalmers free kick and a break up the left driven by Otoo but nothing came from them to trouble Fleming. A Wighton pass to Ritchie-Hosler on the break raised hopes of a third but the final pass towards Wotherspoon was too strong.

A neat chip into the EastFife by Chalmers deserved more than just the corner that followed. McCann`s header came close on Wotherspoon`s delivery from the left but that was his last involvement as Taylor Sutherland came on for the final 13 minutes. Andrew Tod followed six minutes later and it was Tod who was unlucky when he headed a Chalmers cross on to the crossbar and his follow up was kept out by the defence.

A 90th minute Chalmers free kick was met again by Tod, he managed a decent header but Fleming denied him. Wotherspoon also made Fleming save in added time after Sutherland and Wighton had combined on the right but there would be no more scoring and it was Dunfermline in the Fourth Round draw to be held on Tuesday lunchtime.

EAST FIFE: Allan Fleming: Jess Norey (Reis Peggie 63), Andy Munro, Brian Easton, Liam Newton: Jack Healy (Scott Shepherd 63), Kieran Millar, Connor McManus, Alan Trouten (c), Adam Laaref (Gordon Walker 63), Nathan Austin (Pat Slattery 83).
SUBS NOT USED: Sean Docherty, Liam McFarlane (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Austin (65)

DUNFERMLINE: Tobi Oluwayemi: Aaron Comrie, Sam Fisher, Sam Young, Ewan Otoo: Kane Ritchie-Hosler (Andrew Tod 83), Chris Hamilton (c), Joe Chalmers, Lewis McCann (Taylor Sutherland 77): Josh Cooper (David Wotherspoon 63), Chris Kane (Craig Wighton 63).
SUBS NOT USED: Rhys Breen, John Tod, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Young (9)

REFEREE: Iain Sneddon
ATTENDANCE: 1264
WEATHER: 16°C Hazy

NEXT MATCH: (home) William Hill Championship v Raith Rovers, Friday 13th September 2034, kick off 7.45pm

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