U19s v Stirling Albion

Two goals from Chris Hackland set up Pars but after loss of Kerr Young Stirling came back to get a draw

DUNFERMLINE 2 STIRLING ALBION 2

The Pars were without centre back Grant Munro out through injury so Craig McManus accompanied Kerr Young in the centre of the defence. Upfront Chris Hackland continued in the striking role with Conor Schiavone only fit for the bench.  Stirling fielded former Par Grant Tierney`s son Ross at left back.

Dunfermline started really well pinning Stirling back right away. In 11 minutes a John MacDonald cross was decisively cut out at the near post and two minutes later Shaun Byrne sent Ross Drummond down the left and his cross was fed on by Steven Leslie but Hackland was just beaten to the ball.

Aaron Scott shot narrowly wide left in 19 minutes and it was six minutes after that before the visitors managed their first shot at goal but it was wildly off the mark. Dunfermline continued to look dangerous and a quickly taken throw in from Blair McWhirter was played to Leslie from Hackland and his touch back was blasted off target by Scott from the edge of the box.

On the half hour the Pars could have gone ahead after Byrne again sent Drummond in deep and his delivery picked out Leslie but his connection was weak and the green shirted Stirling keeper saved relatively easily. Next minute however a similar move from Byrne to Drummond allowed a cross that HACKLAND met at the near post to glance the ball home inside the far post.

In 33 minutes Pars keeper Ryan Goodfellow did well to keep out a surging run into his box by the left winger and Stirling turned up the pressure encamping themselves in the Dunfermline box only for the home defence to smother every opportunity. Leslie was provided with a fine chance from a Ross Millen cross two minutes later but uncharacteristically lost control at the vital moment.

Stirling then had a strong penalty appeal turned down and suffered doubly as Dunfermline scored a second. Leslie`s shot came back off the crossbar and HACKLAND`s follow up chip just escaped the keeper`s reach, tantalisingly dropping behind him into the net.

Half Time: Dunfermline 2 Stirling Albion 0

Leslie had the first chance of the second period running on to a long ball to clip the ball wide of the keeper but the stopper came out on top and gathered the ball. MacDonald had a shot from target but then Kerr Young was forced to retire with a back injury. Reece Cochrane came on at left midfield, Drummond dropped back and McWhirter moved into the middle beside McManus.

The Binos Gary Brash tested Goodfellow on 65 minutes and then had another effort blocked. At the other end Leslie had a shot stopped by a defender and when he did put the ball away in 75 minutes he was offside.

Stirling began to dominate however with successive corners causing Goodfellow to be at his best. First he touched the ball over off his crossbar and then saved from Brash. The visitors eventually got the break in 81 minutes when substitute Andrew PENDER broke down the left and slotted in their first goal.

The pressure continued on the Pars defence with a dangerous free kick and then a long throw headed on to the crossbar. Disaster struck in 86 minutes however when Goodfellow came to the right edge of his penalty box to block a run but the ball broke high into a central area where PENDER booted the ball towards an empty goal from 25 yards.