Match Report | 2013: Stenhousemuir 4 Dunfermline 5

Memorable Match #1
League One,
Saturday 24th August 2013
Ochilview

SPFL League One, Saturday 24th August 2013

The year 2013 has to be the worst in the history of Dunfermline Athletic. The club went into administration in March, had 15 points deducted as a consequence and lost out to Alloa Athletic in the play offs meaning relegation to League One.

In August a CVA was agreed and the job facing Manager Jim Jefferies and his team was to try and get the club promoted back to the Championship at the first attempt.

The opening two league matches had seen the Pars win away to East Fife but then lose 3-2 at home to Arbroath. The trip to Ochilview came at the end of a week during which Dunfermline were knocked out of the Ramsden Cup due to a 2-0 home defeat to Raith Rovers.

Dunfermline had not met Stenhousemuir in a league match since 1986 and for this game Jim Jefferies brought in Craig Dargo and Ross Millen for Ryan Wallace and Ryan Ferguson. The Fifers got off to a promising enough start but a slack pass from Ryan Thomson handed Stenny dangerman John GEMMELL a chance that he squeezed in the 12th minute opener. 1-0

Things looked bleaker when at the midpoint of the first half the Warriors scored again. This time it was Brown Ferguson, (later to become the Stenny manager and now in charge of Linlithgow Rose), whose corner kick was headed home by Ross SMITH. 2-0

There were chances at both ends before the interval and it looked all over when the home side went three up in sixth minute of the second half. This time a break through the middle by Sean LYNCH set him up to side foot past Ryan Scully. 3-0

Four minutes later the visitors got a goal back and it came after great work from Dargo cutting in from the right to play a 1-2 off Andy Geggan and set up Jordan MOORE who finished really well, thrashing the ball home from eight yards. 3-1

There was a double substitution for Dunfermline six minutes later with Dargo and Byrne making way for Ryan Wallace and Stephen Husband and within two minutes Hubby had sent in a superb ball that GEGGAN ran on to head home from eight yards. 3-2

On 70 minutes Wallace`s touch to Moore was smacked at goal but just cleared the bar. Just as the Pars seemed to be staging a push for an equaliser Ferguson ran through the Pars defence to tee up Sean HIGGINS who swept home the fourth Stenhousemuir goal of the afternoon. 4-2

Time was running away from the Pars as Allan Smith replaced Ryan Thomson in 80 minutes. It was the sub who was to put the Fifers back into the match six minutes from time. SMITH smashed in at an angle from the right and it was 4-3.

Then Moore was turning in front of goal looking for an opening when Ross Smith took him down. Stevie O`Reilly pointed to the spot as MOORE grabbed the ball to take the spot kick. He made no mistake and it was all square with four minutes to go.

Unbelievably the Pars notched a fifth in 89th minute, their third goal in five frantic minutes. Alex Whittle made a fantastic run down the left and his cross was met by GEGGAN. 4-5.

What a match and what a comeback from 3-0 and then 4-2 down. There was just six minutes left when the two goal advantage was cut back and Moore and Geggan kept their cool to send the Pars fans home very happy to celebrate a famous 5-4 win.

STENHOUSEMUIR: Chris Smith; Nicky Devlin, Ross Smith, Robbie Duncan, Eddie Malone, Sean Lynch (David Rowson 59), Brown Ferguson (c)(Craig Anderson 75); Darren Smith, Sean Higgins (Ross McNeil 79), Sean Dickson; John Gemmell.
SUBS NOT USED: Dean Shaw (GK), Daniel Nimmo, Errol Douglas.
SCORERS: Gemmell (12), Smith (23), Lynch (51), Higgins (73)
YELLOW CARD: Malone (68), Gemmell (88)

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully; Ross Millen, Kerr Young, Callum Morris, Alex Whittle; Shaun Byrne (Stephen Husband 61), Andy Geggan, Josh Falkingham (c), Ryan Thomson (Allan Smith 79); Craig Dargo (Ryan Wallace 61), Jordan Moore.
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Ferguson, Luke Johnston, Fayssal El Bakhtaoui, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)
SCORERS: Moore (55, 86 pen.), Geggan (63, 89), Smith (84).
YELLOW CARD: Young (24)

REFEREE: Stevie O`Reilly
WEATHER: Fine 17C
ATTENDANCE 968