Archives | Raith Rovers 2 Dunfermline 0

Dunfermline failed to halt Raith Rovers run of success over them at Stark`s Park as goals from Dylan Easton and Kody David secured the victory for the side in dark blue.

The Pars travelled east to take on a Raith Rovers side wary that they had repeated victories over them last season. Athletic were hoping that they could compound their hosts miseries following their 3-0 defeat away to Falkirk the previous Saturday. No one needed reminded that this is not just another football match but one between two teams equally fired up to defeat the other while being fearful of not suffering defeat themselves. It`s a fixture where more than three points are at stake, the emotional stakes are high with both sets of fans investing deeply in their team`s performances, both wanting to hold their heads highest when meeting rival fans over the upcoming Festive period.

Dunfermline vice captain Chris Hamilton was suspended for this match but James McPake named a side that showed two changes from the previous week`s 3-2 home win over Hamilton Academical. Joe Chalmers started in place of Hamilton and Dapo Mebude was preferred to Taylor Sutherland for this one.

Rovers manager Neill Collins made five changes. Out went the injured Fankaty Dabo and Scott Brown who although injured was also serving a one match suspension. Sam Stanton was missing as well while Liam Dick and Lewis Gibson dropped to the bench as Collins brought in Kieran Freeman, Lewis Stevenson, Lewis Jamieson, Aidan Connolly and Shaun Byrne.

The floodlights shone brightly as the teams emerged on to the park, Dunfermline wearing black arms bands following the death of Pars legend Alex Edwards on Wednesday. Matty Todd kicked the derby off but it was the home team that forced a corner within the first minute. Dunfermline defended that and it was the Rovers keeper Kevin Dabrowski who had to make the first save after Mebude teed up Todd for a thumping effort from 25 yards out in third minute.

Right from the start Tobi Oluwayemi was used to fire big balls up the park but he was called into goalkeeping duties to hold a 12th minute Jamieson effort. The game had lacked much to raise the volume in the stadium but in 20th minute Todd sent the ball wide for McCann and the striker turned and fired a super effort heading for the right side of the Raith net before Dabrowski pulled off a great stop to keep it out and then reacted quickly to get up and save the follow up from Todd.

Dunfermline continued to look dangerous and Kieran Ngwenya and Ewan Otoo combined to setup and cross from the former that was beaten back out to Otoo on the edge of the box but he just couldn`t get his shot away. The Kirkcaldy side responded with a Connolly shot fired just outside the left goalpost. Rovers were awarded a corner for no apparent reason and Paul Hanlon arrived from nowhere to glance his header wide of the other post.

Ngwenya`s ball skills pushed Dunfermline up the park in 35th minute and from the left McCann delivered an inviting pass into the box that was just stolen away from Mebude as he took aim.

It had been a game of few clear cut chances but when Hamilton headed back a Euan Murray lob on the top of the Pars box, Comrie`s foul on Easton handed the home team a 42nd minute free kick on the right side. From the set play Dylan EASTON expertly dispatched the ball over the four man wall into the Pars net from 23 yards out. 1-0

There was one further sortie into the Raith box but the defence stifled any chances to net.

Half time: Raith Rovers 1 Dunfermline 0

In the fifth minute of the second half a foul on McCann gave Todd the chance to pop a free kick into the Rovers box but Murray headed the ball over his crossbar to give Dunfermline their first corner of the day. Unfortunately the referee spotted an infringement at the far post and Todd`s dangerous delivery was for nothing.

In 61 minutes an Easton 40 yard free kick picked out Hanlon on the left side of the Pars box but the defence thwarted the home side. Then a Todd free kick from the right was punched away by Dabrowski. Play again switched to the other end with newly introduced sub Kody David rising for an Easton corner from the left but it was Kane Ritchie-Hosler came away with possession.

A double substitution with 20 minutes remaining saw David Wotherspoon and Taylor Sutherland replace Matty Todd and Dapo Mebude. Raith next had a chance when Connolly got two bites both blocked by the defence. In 74 minutes the home side scored a second and after just nine minutes on the pitch, it was sub Kody DAVID who finished to double the lead. The ball had gone left from Freeman lying deep, headed back into the box by Matthews and played on to Benedictus by Jamieson. The 24 year old who played as a youth for Hamilton smashed the loose ball home from seven yards out. 2-0

Cooper, Wotherspoon and Ngwenya combined to create danger but the final return to Wotherspoon failed to reach him. The home side`s Man of the Match, Easton went down with an ankle injury and having tried to continue was subsequently subbed by Lewis Gibson for the final eight minutes. A Wotherspoon shot was from too far out to bother Dabrowski but he was next to get a much better chance from a long McCann throw in flicked on by Young but the Canadian internationalist headed over.

Despite strong, valiant efforts and a big chunk of late possession Dunfermline could not reply. It ended 2-0 a result that, linked with results elsewhere, took them back to ninth in the Championship.

RAITH ROVERS: Kevin Dabrowski: Kieran Freeman, Paul Hanlon, Euan Murray, Lewis Stevenson: Lewis Jamieson (Kai Montagu 90+3), Ross Matthews (c), Shaun Byrne, Dylan Easton (Lewis Gibson 82), Aidan Connolly (Liam Dick 90+3), Jack Hamilton (Kody David 65)
SUBS NOT USED: Josh Mullin, Callum Fordyce, Andrew McNeil (GK)
SCORERS: Easton (42), David (74)

DUNFERMLINE: Tobi Oluwayemi: Aaron Comrie, Sam Young, Kyle Benedictus (c), Kieran Ngwenya: Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Joe Chalmers (Josh Cooper 57), Ewan Otoo: Matty Todd (David Wotherspoon 70), Lewis McCann: Dapo Mebude (Taylor Sutherland 70).
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Kane, Craig Clay, Sam Fisher, Tommy Fogarty, Michael O`Halloran, Deniz Mehmet (GK)

REFEREE: Calum Scott
ATTENDANCE: 5542
WEATHER: overcast 5°C

NEXT MATCH: William Hill Championship (away) v Morton, Saturday 21st December 2024 kick off 3.00pm at Cappielow.

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