Archives | Airdrieonians 2 Dunfermline 2

Above: Shea Kearney, Lucas Fyfe and Ewan McLeod

The Pars made the trip through to North Lanarkshire on Tuesday evening for this rescheduled William Hill Championship fixture. Dunfermline arrive in fourth place, and having suffered a frustrating 2-0 defeat at the hands of Partick Thistle last Saturday, Neil Lennon`s men will be eager to bounce back immediately and reassert their grip on a play-off position. The Pars know that to take three points from the Albert Bartlett Stadium would go a long way to securing their place in the top four as the season enters its final stretch.

For Airdrieonians, the stakes could hardly be higher at the opposite end of the table. Aaron Taylor-Sinclair`s side sit ninth, just two points above Ross County in tenth, and desperate to extend that cushion to five points with a positive result from this their game in hand. The home side made one change from the eleven that started against St Johnstone, former Par Dom Thomas in for Sean McGinty.

In contrast Dunfermline made six changes from the side fielded on Saturday against Partick Thistle. Aston Oxborough, Kieran Ngwenya, Chris Hamilton, Alfons Amade, Robbie Fraser and Matthew Todd were rested and in came Billy Terrell, Nurudeen Abdulai, Keith Bray, Alasdair Davidson, Ewan McLeod and seventeen year old Lucas Fyfe. For the latter three it was their first league starts for Dunfermline.

The Fifers kicked off and in the opening ten minutes they certainly looked a little like they were unfamiliar with each other. There was an early let off as Billy Terrell scrambled back to clear a deflected Davidson clearance. It looked better as the Pars forced their second corner in 12th minute. Unfortunately Bray`s delivery from the right was defended and with Abdulai and Tod both up for the setplay, Airdrie scored on the break. Chris Mochrie making ground on the right and from inside his own half swinging the ball inside for THOMAS to crash the ball past Terrell from the edge of the box. 1-0

Play halted in 21st minute as Freddie Turley injured his ankle and the physios came on. The player on-loan from a Derby County did return after he was helped off. Lewis Strapp made a darting run down the left and it was fortunate that Davidson intercepted the cross. It was Davidson who opted for safety and conceded a 27th minute corner. Thomas crossed and Craig Ross was desperately unlucky with his diving header.

Dunfermline looked better as Tod tried to thread the ball through for Bray but the defence sent the ball out for a throw in. From that there were ten passes as the ball was fed from left to right and McLeod drew a free kick out of Cole McKinnon. Cooper delivered from the right but Tod failed to get the necessary touch at the far post. Bray returned with a dangerous cross but just too high to create damage.

Six minutes from the break Kyle Benedictus came on for the struggling Freddie Turley, the skipper went into the back four and Abdulai moved into midfield. Dunfermline`s best chance so far came three minutes later with the new midfielder picking out McLeod on the right and his cross was good for Cooper in front of goal but his effort cleared the crossbar.

Next Abdulai found Tod overlapping down the left and his delivery aimed at Bray at the near post narrowly eluded the former Caley Thistle player. Tod forced a corner off Devine and from that McLeod shot but his right footed effort went wide right. Dunfermline had seriously upped their threat in the second quarter of the match and ended it with yet another Pars corner defended.

Half Time: Airdrieonians 1 Dunfermline 0

Alfons Amade replaced Tashan Oakley-Boothe for the second half but it was the worst possible start for the visitors. Airdrie won possession in the Dunfermline half and the ball was played forward to a suspiciously offside looking MOCHRIE. The Pars defenders raced back but from 20 yards out the former Pars player got the shot in and with just 48 seconds gone the ball was in the Pars net. 2-0

Dunfermline responded reducing the deficit in 53rd minute. Shea Kearney took on the Airdrie defence, slipped the ball right for Fyfe and his cross was perfectly flighted in for COOPER to head home. 2-1

The goal gave Dunfermline a real boost and they had their opponents chasing the ball around trying to win possession off a team that was clearly growing in confidence. There were 14 successfully completed passes before Kearney targeted Tod at the far post but Harry Stone came out to hold. Airdrie made a triple substitution in 65 minutes as they reacted to the way Dunfermline were taking hold of the game.

The next opportunity was provided by Abdulai crossing from the right byeline across the face of goal without any takers. Next one from another excellent Fyfe cross from the right was met by Cooper but his 72nd minute netbound attempt was brilliantly saved by Stone.

Ross was yellow carded and sub Rhys Armstrong barged down Bray on the right side of the box but no penalty was awarded. With six minutes remaining a fantastic move that began with a Benedictus pass to Amade and then on to Bray was touched to McLeod and his clever pass up the touchline set up Bray for a strong cross that FYFE met and netted with real style. 2-2

Despite the disastrous start to the second 45, the second period was a fantastic effort by the Pars. Trying to find the equaliser, Dunfermline were unlucky on several occasions before Fyfe opened his senior goal scoring record. It had been a great performance from the makeshift team to come back from behind. The point more than justified the gaffer deploying rotation in his team selection with Saturday`s Scottish Cup a semi-final firmly in his thinking.

Dunfermline on 47 points went into third courtesy of a better goal difference than Arbroath. Raith Rovers win at the city Stadium took them to within five points of third and fourth placed teams, all with three fixtures remaining.

AIRDRIEONIANS: Harry Stone: Adam Devine (Scott Constable 57), Charlie McArthur, Craig Ross, Lewis Strapp (c): Dom Thomas (Lewis McGrattan 65), Cole McKinnon (Rhys Armstrong 65), Charlie Telfer, Jamie Barjonas (Gavin Gallagher 65), Euan Henderson (Jake Hastie 77), Chris Mochrie
SUBS NOT USED: Sean McGinty, Owen Stirton, Robbie Mahon, Cade Melrose (GK)
SCORERS: Thomas (12), Mochrie (46)
YELLOW CARDS: David Hutton (34), McKinnon (59), Ross (79)

DUNFERMLINE: Billy Terrell: Ewan McLeod, Alasdair Davidson, Nurudeen Abdulai, John Tod: Shea Kearney, Freddie Turley (Kyle Benedictus 39), Tashan Oakley-Boothe (c) (Alfons Amade HT), Keith Bray: Josh Cooper: Lucas Fyfe (Chris McDowell 89)
SUBS NOT USED: Rory Macleod, Callum Shearer, Jay Haughey, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
SCORERS: Cooper (53), Fyfe (84)
YELLOW CARDS: Abdulai (34), Neil Lennon (34)

REFEREE: Peter Stuart
ATTENDANCE: 1620
WEATHER: Changeable 10°C

NEXT MATCH: Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Semi-final v Falkirk, Saturday 18th April 3026, kick off 12.30pm at Hampden Park

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