Dunfermline Athletic

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From the starting eleven fielded last time out at Ross County, Nurudeen Abdulai and Josh Cooper started in the Dunfermline team with Kyle Benedictus back on the bench and Callumn Morrison rested. Beside Kyle on the bench was the welcome sight of two young players returning from injury `“ Ewan McLeod and John Tod.

Ian Murray the visitors` manager made two changes the Morton side that defeated Arbroath the previous Saturday, bringing in former Par Jackson Longridge to captain the Greenock side. Michael Garrity started in place of Cameron Macpherson.

The first fixture of April was preceded by more than a seasonal shower. Heavy rain for two hours before kick off meant that the match was played on a heavy pitch with a constant threat of slip ups.

Alfons Amade got the match underway with the Fifers attacking the goal in front of the travelling support. Early play was towards the Morton goal with Cooper firing the first shot of the afternoon, unfortunately blocked 18 yards out. A Matty Todd cross set up Chris Kane for a low fourth minute attempt that keeper Murray Johnson held dropping to his right.

A Curtis Main cross was deflected for Morton corner and although that was cleared a free kick ensued that Nathan Shaw lobbed into Aston Oxborough`s hands. It was a Shaw pass that opened up the home defence to give Owen Moffat and then Garrity shots at goal in 17 minutes. Both were blocked by the Dunfermline defence.

Kane was presented with a great chance in 22 minutes. On the left side Robbie Fraser picked out Cooper who produced a bit of magic to feed his striking partner the opportunity ten yards out but the shot cleared the bar. Dunfermline were stringing long passages of possession play, making Morton chase them around the park. The next chance came when a Todd cross was turned behind for a corner to deny Fraser.

From that 29th minute corner Cooper flighted in a delivery that Kieran Ngwenya headed on to the crossbar. Abdulai followed up and unluckily his netbound shot was kept out by Charlie Gilmour. Six minutes later Kane dispossessed Moore on the left and set up Cooper. His shot was blocked and then Moore redeemed himself cutting out Kane`s follow up.

After all the pressure and chances Dunfermline were punished for not capitalising on their supremacy. The Pars defence failed to clear the ball away from their goal and Cameron BLUES composed himself on the edge of the box to crash home his 36th minute effort through the defence. 0-1

The response from the home side failed to retrieve the situation before the break. A Todd cross flashed across the face of Johnson`s goal and Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen head a Todd corner from the right side left of target. Moore was yellow carded in time added on but Cooper`s free kick was defended.

Dunfermline had by a large margin the more possession of the opening 45 minutes, nine shots at goal to Morton`s four but the Inverclyde team had the lead at the interval.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 Morton 1

One can imagine Neil Lennon would not be pleased with the lack of fruit from his side`s first half performance but he certainly got a response from his half time team talk. Dunfermline commenced the second half hitting the target twice within first seven minutes. The 48th minute goal came after Amade switched play to the right wing. Todd exchanged passes with Chilokoa-Mullen before racing towards the corner flag and blasting the ball to the near post where TOD made the classy finish. 1-1

Even before the Pars scored their second, goalscorer Tod`s ball from the left for provider, Todd at the far post required a brilliant save from Johnson to keep it level. The second goal came from a Todd corner taken short to Cooper. When he crossed the ball in from the right Abdulia headed down for Kane who back to goal could only lay it off to NGWENYA who powered home his attempt. 2-1

Moffat tested Oxborough with a stinging shot that resulted in a corner but a third Pars goal was just minutes away. Tod pressed on the right side of the `˜Ton box and nicked the ball back for TODD who cashed in on a rebound off Zak Delaney to plant his shot in the far left of the opposition net. 3-1 in 66th minute.

Shea Kearney came on for Chris Kane before play resumed and Lucas Fyfe would soon follow to relieve the tiring workhorse, Andrew Tod. Not before the Scotland U21 man was denied by Johnson when Todd and Fraser combined to create a great opening.

Fyfe was on target from a Cooper corner but but Johnson held. The introduction of five Dunfermline subs ensured that the match would finish with a well deserved home win. The fifth successive home win and the three points left the Pars seven points ahead of the four teams below them and just four points behind Arbroath in third.

DUNFERMLINE: Aston Oxborough: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen,(c), Nurudeen Abdulai, Kieran Ngwenya: Matthew Todd (Chris Hamilton 87), Charlie Gilmour, Alfons Amade (Tashan Oakley-Boothe 79), Robbie Fraser: Andrew Tod (Lucas Fyfe 79), Chris Kane (Shea Kearney 67), Josh Cooper (Keith Bray 87)
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Benedictus, Ewan McLeod, John Tod, Billy Terrell (GK)
SCORERS: Tod (48), Ngwenya (52), Todd (66)

MORTON: Murray Johnson: Aaron Comrie (Cammy Ballantyne 79), Kris Moore (Reuben Lopata-White 56), Jackson Longridge (c), Zak Delaney: Iain Wilson, Cameron Blues, Nathan Shaw (Aaron Lyall 70): Owen Moffat (Ali Crawford 79), Curtis Main, Michael Garrity (Michael O`Halloran 70).
SUBS NOT USED: Louie Murphy, Kian Taylor, Fergus Owens, James Storrar (GK)
SCORER: Blues (36)
YELLOW CARD: Moore (45+1)

REFEREE:Colin Steven
ATTENDANCE: 5037 (inc 237 away fans)
WEATHER: Rain 5°C

50/50 Winning Ticket: 74824 won prize of £847

NEXT MATCH: William Hill Championship (away) v Ayr United, Tuesday 7th April kick off 7.45pm at Somerset Park.


Dunfermline 3 Morton 1



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