Dunfermline 1 FC Timisoara 4

Pars up against it as they take on Romanian UEFA cup qualifiers
1921 Stiinta Timisoara

Nick Phinn was ruled out for the Fifers with a groin strain. Trialist Joseph Laumann started upfront alongside Graham Bayne; Calum Woods came in at right back with Scott Thomson dropping to the bench to allow Greg Shields to team up in central defence with Scott Wilson. Stephen Glass came in at midfield in place of the sidelined Graeme Holmes (hamstring twinge) and Callum Reidford was given a chance between the sticks.

It was a much cooler 19?C when the teams kicked off at five o`clock local time but Jim McIntyre`s men got off to a terrible start losing a goal in under two minutes. Gheorghe BUCUR latched on to a long through ball from Luis Garcia the centre forward lobbed the keeper from the edge of the box to put the Romanians ahead.

The Pars composed themselves and created pressure. Shields headed a seventh minute corner over the crossbar then after Bayne had won another this time on the right, the Portuguese keeper Pedro Taborda fisted the ball away.

In 13th minute Burke took a quick free kick that Kevin Harper squared from the right but the 25 yard belter from Glass was blocked out. The Eastern Europeans forced their first corner in 18 minutes but Borbely headed Karamyan`s cross over the crossbar.

In the 21st minute the Pars found them two behind after BUCUR popped up at the far post to head home a low Milhares cross. It was a good break with Karamyan doing all the lead up work to find the space on the left.

Dunfermline were far from out of things however and Harper swung over another good ball from the right that Scott Muirhead fired on target from an angle on the left. The keeper made a fine save turning the ball on to his right hand post.

Calum Woods took a knock in a spill with Valentin Badoi in the Pars penalty box and the team were down to ten men for several minutes until the resilient Scouser was able to resume. Unfortunately he was tested right away as Lukas Karamyan fended him off on the left and the cross was hit home for his 42 minute hatrick by BUCUR.

On 45 minutes Dunfermline were awarded a free kick 28 yards out and Stephen Glass cleared the towering five man wall but Taborda dived spectacularly to his left to deny the Pars an opened. Burke returned the resultant corner from the right but Macca fired the defended ball high over the bar.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 FC Timisoara 3

Although the Romanians hit the crossbar within 90 seconds, the second half brought the Pars more possession and chances. Jim McIntyre fired over the bar and then drove an effort at the keeper. Driving runs from both Muirhead and Harper gave some optimism for the remainder of the match.

As both sides committed substitutes to deploy more of their squads, the keeper punched away a 65th minute free kick from the left touchline was delivered by Burke.

After McIntyre was brought down wide left, Burke and McCann worked a passage but the final ball was just too long for the gaffer. A neat Paul Willis pass from the centre spot was nicely flicked into the path of the advancing Bayne but he was squeezed out by the central defence on the edge of the box.

McIntyre lobbed another high ball into the opponents` box and the keeper was out fast to punch the ball off Bayne`s head. Karamyan was yellow carded for unceremoniously ending a fine break down the right by Iain Williamson and Bayne was unlucky to just failed to get a connection on Burke`s free kick.

It painted an unfortunate portrayal of the second half performance that Timisoara snatched a fourth goal in 78 minutes. Substitute Arman Karamyan provided the cross that the Pars defence failed to clear and his twin brother and captain, Artiom whacked in from the left side of the box.

With five minutes remaining, Arman Karamyan took an opportunists pop shot from 30 yards and the dipping ball just crept over the crossbar. It was the Fifers who were to find the net. A pass from right midfield was sprayed wide to Greg Shields and his ball into the six yards box was headed home by Graham BAYNE. A fitting consolation for a hard working team.

After the match Jim McIntyre said that he would not be pursuing any interest in the German trialist Joseph Laumann but fellow trialist Callum Reidford could not be faulted for any of the goals he lost. The Romanians finished clinically and will be ones to watch in the UEFA Cup.