Archives | Stenhousemuir 0 Dunfermline 1

Dunfermline returned to Ochilview Park for their first league match there since February 2016, when they won all four meetings with Stenhousemuir that season, scoring 14 goals without reply. Given the Warriors` early form in the Championship, a repeat of that ease was unlikely

The Fifers arrived undefeated in eight league games and for this match, their fourth in ten days, Neil Lennon went with an unchanged starting eleven but Chris Kane took the place of Callumn Morrison on the bench.

Stenhousemuir boss Marvin Bartley made five changes after his team`s 3-0 defeat away to Partick Thistle the previous Saturday - Gregor Buchanan, Lewis O`Donnell, Dale Carrick, Gus Stevenson and Matt Gillies started meaning Sam Young, Andrew Shinnie, Finn Robson, Lewis Hodgkiss were on the subs bench and Ross Meechan was missing altogether.

Stenny kicked off and yet again it was a match that was all Dunfermline from the off. Olamilekan Adams was caught offside twice in the opening two minutes. Dylan Lobban, Rory Macleod, Andrew Tod and Robbie Fraser were particularly troublesome before Tod sent a ninth minute shot narrowly wide.

Dunfermline were pushing well up with even Nurudeen Abdulai up in the opposition box. Tod switched the ball from left to Macleod on the right, his shot was blocked but Lobban followed up to rocket the ball just over the crossbar.

It was on the quarter hour when Macleod picked out Tod for a cross that Josh Cooper`s header was not enough to find the net. It seemed that it would only be a matter of time before the Pars would breach the home defence. A great Lobban cross for Adams was just cut out before Dunfermline forced three corners in four minutes on the right. Unfortunately none of these delivered any danger into the Stenhousemuir box.

Next Cooper sent Macleod down the right and his cross seeking Adams and Tod was turned over the bar by the latter. It looked like Adams might have unlocked the door in 27 minutes when keeper Darren Jamieson came out and the Nigerian striker lobbed the ball over him but slipped wide of the open goal.

Tod powered a right footed shot straight at the 35 year old keeper before Stenhousemuir produced a cross from the right that Abdulai had to send behind for a corner. It was swiftly back in the other half, Allan Oyirwoth`s alert pass setting up Cooper whose 35th minute shot was close but wide right. That was the Pars midfielder`s last involvement since he had to go off with a possible hamstring injury and was replaced by Keith Bray in 38th minute. Adams can another opportunity four minutes+from the break but Euan O`Reilly made a timely tackle to deny the 22 year old signed from Czech side SK Dynamo Česke Budějovice in August.

As half time approached Stenhousemuir got upfield enough for the long throw ins by the 19 year-old St Mirren loanee Callum Penman. But it had been a first half in which Dunfermline had passed the ball about with great aplomb and demonstrated great skills, just a pity it is goals that count.

Half Time: Stenhousemuir 0 Dunfermline 0

The half time team talk seemed to benefit Stenny most, assisted by several more Penman long throw ins. Their skipper Buchanan got his head to one in 50 minutes that fortunately was held by Aston Oxborough. The first real deployment for the Pars no.1.

An Adams shot from an acute angle was saved to earn the Fifers another corner. It was yet another of the short taken versions that were becoming increasingly unpopular by the travelling support. This time however it did lead to a shot on target by Tod shot that was saved.

A 56th minute corner on the right was launched into the Stenhousemuir box, maybe too strongly and Donnolly struggled to control it. An Abdulai pass got Bray in on the left side of the hosts box and another corner was won. Taken short but Macleod got the ball into box only to be defended. Another Adams shot went off target before he and Alfons Amade were withdrawn to be replaced by Chris Kane and Charlie Gilmour with twenty minutes still to play.

The long-awaited breakthrough came in the 76th minute. Andrew Tod`s corner, played short on the left to Fraser, led to a Tod cross that Gilmour almost converted. The Warriors failed to clear, and MACLEOD struck a superb left-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner. 0-1

In an attempt to retrieve the situation Marvin Bartley threw on the towering figure of Hamzad Kargbo. The 22 year old English sub almost delivered as well. Oxborough made a decision to come out for a high ball but Kargbo beat him to it and the Dunfermline`s seventh clean sheet of this Championship season was preserved by the right post. At last the woodwork worked in the Pars favour.

Neil Lennon brought on Shea Kearney and John Tod to try and tighten up the defence. Stenny sub Louis Lloyd tested the nerves from a 20 yard out free kick and then from a shot in a decent position that was well blocked.

After three added minutes referee Grant Irvine`s whistle heralded three important points. Dunfermline went up into fourth place equal on points with Raith Rovers but below them due to an inferior goal difference.

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