Dunfermline Athletic

Archives | Ayr United 0 Dunfermline 3

Dunfermline travelled down to Somerset Park on a balmy April evening to play one of the two matches they had in hand on the three teams above them in the Championship. Neil Lennon made one change bringing in 22 year-old Shea Kearney and resting Chris Kane on the bench. The home side without a win in ten faced a visiting side undefeated in seven.

With injuries and an expectant father causing a selection headache for the new Ayr United boss, John Rankin, there were four changes from the side that started against Partick Thistle on Saturday. Out, and not even on the bench, were Kyle Ure, Jude Bonner, Anton Dowds and Ben Dempsey, in came Francis Turley, Jamie Hislop, Ben Summers and Leon King. Midfielders Turley and Summers were handed roles upfront in the absence of any recognised strikers.

Dunfermline kicked off through Alfons Amade attacking the goal at the home end and what a start it was. Ayr had defended the initial lob forward to Andrew Tod on the left but when Amade had possession next his lofted ball into the left side of the Ayr box was well controlled by Matty Todd and his cut back was turned past David Mitchell by Josh COOPER to open the scoring with just 40 seconds on the clock. 0-1

Things might have got worse for Ayr had referee Duncan Nicholson awarded a penalty for a rough Turley tackle on Shea Kearney in fifth minute. The referee saw it differently and awarded a free kick outside the box that unfortunately got blocked out. On the quarter hour Ayr put their visitors` defence to test when a long ball from Kevin Holt put Marco Rus through. Fortunately Kieran Ngwenya made the decisive tackle to concede only a corner that Summers made nothing of.

Ayr settled and caused danger with two long throw ins from Liam Dick but each time the defence cleared. Play stopped at the midway point of the half for physios to treat Tod. Fortunately the Pars striker responded and was able to come back on. Next Todd played a fine pass up the left for Robbie Fraser to chase but unluckily Dick beat him to it. Tod went down again in 31 minutes and this time it was decided that he should not continue. Chris Kane entered the fray in 33rd minute but it was a Turley shot three minutes later that scraped past the Pars right goalpost. Nurudeen Abdulai required the physios attentions on 45 minutes but thankfully he returned and Ayr United corner in the fourth minute of added time was duly defended before the half time whistle came.

The 45 and four minutes of added time ended with the Fifers one up. After going ahead so early in the game, Dunfermline looked comfortable in the lead. Ayr rallied in the latter stages of the half but they had not tested Aston Oxborough. In fairness his opposite number had not been overworked either.

Half Time: Ayr United 0 Dunfermline 1

The second half saw one substitute from either side before Ayr kicked off. They introduced Jamie Murphy for Francis Turley and the Pars brought on Tashan Oakley-Boothe for Nurudeen Abdulai.

Kane got in the first shot of the half but it would be from the penalty spot that he would double the Pars lead. Fraser played Cooper into the box and his progress was halted by Dick. The Ayr man was yellow carded as he protested against the referee`s decision to award Dunfermline what was just their second penalty of the season. Chris KANE was kept waiting before he was allowed to address the ball but in 55th minute he cooly sunk it into the bottom left for 0-2.

A Holt tackle on Oakley-Boothe gave Todd the opportunity to launch a free kick that travelled through the Ayr box. Dunfermline then had to defend two Ayr free kicks. The first for Gilmour`s challenge on Want that Summers drove into the four man Pars wall from 27 yards out. Then Fraser was penalised for his challenge on Holt and Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen headed away Stuart Brannigan`s cross.

Ayr came close to snatching a goal back from another Dick long throw in that reached Rus on the edge of the box and his shot came back off the right goalpost straight into Oxborough`s hands. Lucas McRoberts one of the four teenagers on the sub bench had the ball in the net two minutes later and the crowd were stunned as Duncan Nicolson showed a straight red card to sub George Finney. One could only assume the on-loan Everton youngster said something untoward to the referee`s assistant.

Kyle Benedictus and Keith Bray replaced Matty Todd and Josh Cooper with seven minutes remaining and BRAY found the net from a Fraser pass within three minutes of his introduction. It was Keith Bray`s first goal and from the edge of the box his shot lodged in the bottom left of the Honest Men`s goal. 0-3. In added time Hamilton was denied by the crossbar but the match was already won.

Three goals took Dunfermline`s total to 22 in their last nine matches but more importantly the three points saw them ten points clear of the four teams below them and just one point behind Arbroath.

AYR UNITED: David Mitchell: Liam Dick, Shaun Want (Lucas McRoberts 70), Kevin Holt, Scott McMann: Jamie Hislop (George Finney 61), Stuart Bannigan (c), Leon King (Lucas McRoberts 70), Marco Rus: Ben Summers, Francis Turley (Jamie Murphy HT)
SUBS NOT USED: Dylan Watret, Jamie Douglas, Rocco Devenny, Liam Russell (GK), Max Thompson (GK).
YELLOW CARDS: Dick (54), Want (71), Rus (76)
RED CARD: Finney (78)

DUNFERMLINE: Aston Oxborough: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen (c), Nurudeen Abdulai (Tashan Oakley-Boothe HT), Kieran Ngwenya: Shea Kearney, Charlie Gilmour, Alfons Amade (Chris Hamilton 66), Robbie Fraser: Matthew Todd (Keith Bray 83): Andrew Tod (Chris Kane 33), Josh Cooper (Kyle Benedictus 83)
SUBS NOT USED: Ewan McLeod, John Tod, Lucas Fyfe, Billy Terrell (GK)
SCORERS: Cooper (1), Kane (55 pen.), Bray (86)
YELLOW CARD: Amade (30)

REFEREE: Duncan Nicolson
ATTENDANCE: 2033 (inc 368 Pars fans)
WEATHER: Fine 15°C

NEXT MATCH (away) William Hill Championship v Partick Thistle, Saturday 11th April 2026 kick off 3.00pm at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill


Ayr United 0 Dunfermline 3



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