Archives | Livingston 0 Dunfermline 0

The home side went into this game having won their last six matches and scored 15 goals in the process. Their opponents had won two of their previous six and scored six. A competitive match was on the cards even though it was third top versus third bottom, both teams would be eager to pick up the three points.

While David Martindale named an unchanged Livingston starting line up, Michael Tidser made three changes from the side that he fielded at Pittodrie the previous Sunday. Out went Joe Chalmers, Chris Hamilton and Chris Kane to make room for the return of Kieran Ngwenya and bring in two Y`s men `“ Connor Young and Ephraim Yeboah. For Connor it was his starting debut after being cup-tied for the last two matches.

Despite Yeboah kicking off it was a bright start from the home side forcing a corner within the first minute that Kyle Benedictus rose to clear. Then a third minute Livi corner from Robbie Muirhead on the right was also cleared. The Fifers response was a strong run by Yeboah up the right and a cross that just evaded Young. David Wotherspoon latched on to the defended ball but sent his 25 yard shot over the bar.

Livingston then had the Pars on the back foot and play was predominantly in the away side`s half with keeper Jerome Prior the only player in the Livi half at times. Dunfermline defended stoically from corners, long throw ins and free kicks. Tobi Oluwayemi held a decent effort from Muirhead on 26 minutes after Fraser broke away following a Benedictus free kick from halfway that McCann couldn`t get to.

Play was interrupted for an injury to Wotherspoon but he was able to return after receiving the physio`s attentions. There were appeals for a penalty from the travelling support on the half hour when McCann was spilled in the box under pursuit from Ryan McGowan but no award was given. A Wotherspoon free kick forced Dunfermline`s first corner in 33rd minute when Danny Wilson was forced to head behind. The corner routine from Ewan Otoo to Wotherspoon and back to Otoo failed to result in a shot and Livi broke fast with Ngwenya and Comrie dealing with the speedy threat from Stevie May.

A 41st minute Wotherspoon corner from the left was headed over by Chilokoa-Mullen and in time added on at the end of the half another Wotherspoon free kick earned another corner. From the first a second was won on the right, Yeboah got a shot in but it was blocked.

Half Time: Livingston 0 Dunfermline 0

Again the home side started with much verve but Dunfermline quickly created two good chances that reminded Livingston that the Pars were alert. Firstly a surging Stevens run ended with a pass to the back post that Wotherspoon hit at the keeper and then a Yeboah ball also from the right was just too strong for McCann at the same post.

Livi pushed forward earning a corner but a long clearance from Oluwayemi swiftly switched play to the other end McCann made Prior party away his cross and Otoo followed up but his shot was deflected high for a corner. Livingston survived that as it was overhit and continued to look dangerous in front of Oluwayemi`s goal. At the midpoint of the second half May fired a chance over the bar.

In 69 minutes Michael Tidser made two changes introducing Kane Ritchie-Hosler and Tashan Oakley-Boothe in place of Lewis McCann and Connor Young. Wotherspoon curled a 71st minute attempt narrowly wide right as the fans could sense the Fifers were getting closer.

The Pars were completing more passes in the opposition half but not getting into positions to test the keeper.

With the clock running down and both sides seeking a winner, Chris Kane came on for Ephraim Yeboah. Ngwenya blasted the ball away in a goalmouth scramble and Oluwayemi was next quickly out to save at the feet of Tete Yengi. Otoo cleared as Yengi lined up another. Pressure was taken off the visitors defence with driving runs from Stevens and through balls from Ritchie-Hosler. Mullen made two great interventions to deny Yengi in added time and it would end goalless.

Not many teams leave the Home of the Set Fare Arena with a point but with Hamilton winning away to Queen`s Park, Dunfermline drop back to ninth.

LIVINGSTON: Jerome Prior: Dan Finlayson, Danny Wilson, Ryan McGowan, Robbie Fraser: Jamie Brandon (c), Macaulay Tait, Reece McAlear (Scott Pittman 61): Robbie Muirhead (Meshack Ubochioma 75), Stevie May (Lewis Smith 80), Cristian Montaño (Teti Yengi 61).
SUBS NOT USED: Andrew Shinnie, Matthew Clarke, Michael Nottingham, Sam Culbert, Jack Hamilton (GK).
YELLOW CARDS: Montaño (45), Muirhead (45+4), Finlayson (56)

DUNFERMLINE: Tobi Oluwayemi: Aaron Comrie, Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus (c), Kieran Ngwenya: David Wotherspoon, Ewan Otoo: Archie Stevens (Michael O`Halloran 90+3), Ephraim Yeboah (Chris Kane 85), Lewis McCann (Tashan Oakley- Boothe 69): Connor Young (Kane Ritchie-Hosler 69).
SUBS NOT USED: Joe Chalmers, Chris Hamilton, Tommy Fogarty, Omar Rivaldo Taylor-Clarke, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
YELLOW CARDS: Chilokoa-Mullen (39), Wotherspoon (53), Ritchie-Hosler (76)

REFEREE: Duncan Nicolson
ATTENDANCE: 1790
WEATHER: Cloudy 3°C

NEXT MATCH: William Hill Championship (home) v Queen`s Park, Saturday 22nd February 2025, kick off 3.00pm

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