SFA Youth Cup v Falkirk

U19s go out the cup at the Falkirk Stadium

FALKIRK 2 DUNFERMLINE 1

With five of their side still eligible to play at under 17 level, it was a young side that Dunfermline took to the Falkirk Stadium for this First Round tie in the SFA Youth Cup and they paid the penalty for paying their SPL opponents too much respect. The visitors sat back off Falkirk allowing them to very quickly demonstrate the gulf in resources that now exists between the clubs.

Right from the kick off Falkirk enjoyed the lions share of possession. Pars keeper Craig Bauld had to react quickly to intercept a ball that came from Blair Young to Trialist and then to Jay Lang before being switched in on goal for Paul Sludden.

However on ten minutes Bauld could do little to stop a LANG strike from 25 yards after he exchanged passes with Blair Young before hitting the top right of the Pars goal. The lead was extended to two within two minutes. A loose ball out of defence was accepted by Paul Sludden on the edge of the box. He fed the ball out right from where Craig McLeish laced in a low ball that SLUDDEN slid in to direct into the bottom left.

Dunfermline`s first shot came in 19 minutes but Conner Schivone`s effort from 25 yards went straight into the arms of keeper Michael Andrews. Sadly the visitors had few other chances in the first 45. Falkirk were full of confidence as they stroked the ball about sometimes completing sequences of passes stretching into double figures but Falkirk despite all their pressure were contained.

The Pars started the second half a bit brighter with Schivone`s pass out wide for John McDonald creating danger in the Falkirk box from the return. Unfortunately the better chances kept coming at the other end. McLeish sent over two balls in two minutes that Sludden first headed over the bar and then was forced to shoot wide left by the close attentions of Stuart Dearden.

Having been very influential for the Bairns in the first half Dunfermline managed to quieten 18 year old Ashley Young who had spells with Burnley and Bury before joining Falkirk.

Dunfermline`s substitutions were aggressive with coach Hamish French determined not to give his counterpart Eddie May a comfortable final quarter. Attackers Chris Lennon, Lawrie Cannon and Lewis Turner were all thrown on and Falkirk had to defend a Schivone free kick out for a corner. Although that was cleared Cannon won the ball and picked out Lennon on the right. His delivery was met with a downward header by Jordan White but not enough to beat the one time Scotland U17 keeper, Andrews.

With eight minutes remaining Conner SCHIVONE clipped the ball past Andrews from ten yards and suddenly the cup tie was alive again. The goal came from better play by the strikers, holding the ball up from a throw in to create the space for the goalscorer.

The Bairns Academy and its full time players suddenly looked tired and White had the opportunity to send the match into extra time. In 85 minutes he burst into the box on to a Ryan Thomson pass but luck wasn`t with the tangerine boots this time as he blasted the shot over the crossbar.

The Fifers continued to push in the final minutes with testing shots from Schivone and Turner but time evaporated and so too did their interest in this season`s SFA Youth Cup.