Dunfermline Athletic Football Club | East Fife match report

East Fife 0 Dunfermline 1

Saturday, 26th Sep 2020

Pre Season Friendly: Kevin O’Hara (3) 0-1:

The third pre season friendly in preparation for the 2020-2021 season took Dunfermline to the Locality Hub Bayview Stadium. All three of this week’s on loan signings started - Kerr McInroy (Celtic), Fraser Murray (Hibernian) and Lewis Mayo (Rangers) - and there a first outing for Ryan Dow.

It was a nice sunny day in Methil but a cool wind kept the temperature down as East Fife kicked off defending the goal at the sea end. The visitors started the sharper and within 40 seconds a neat back heeler from Aaron Comrie to Dow allowed Kevin O’Hara to burst into the right side of the East Fife box and his cross had to be blocked.

Kyle Turner has a good attempt from the edge of the box blocked before Fraser Murray supplied O’HARA to slot the ball past Brett Long and find the bottom right for a third minute opener. 0-1

Cammy Gill held relatively easily when Ryan Wallace was able to get a shot in from the left side of the Pars box. In the tenth minute Danny Swanson switched the ball across the Pars box to Aaron Dunsmore on the right side and his subsequent effort dropped wide left of Gill’s goal.

A long ball from the blue boot of Mayo was headed behind by former Par Chris Higgins to give the visitors a 14th minute corner on the right but when a Dom Thomas delivered Stewart Murdoch cleared.

Long held Euan Murray’s header when Fraser Murray swung in a 21st minute free kick from midway inside the East Fife half. Next a Thomas ball in from the left was met by O’Hara but his shot was deflected behind off Ross Dunlop. The corner was defended as was an East Fife one after a cross was stopped by Euan Murray.

There were strong appeals for a penalty on the half hour when Higgins shot from a Wallace corner on the left was claimed to have been handled. No penalty. O`Hara’s downward header from a Thomas corner bounced up and over the bar before Ryan Dow was first to be subbed, Lewis McCann coming on for him in 32nd minute.

Gill held a low shot from Ross Davidson before play switched to the other end and another Thomas corner, taken short to Fraser Murray but his cross was cut out and East Fife would take play away up their left.

In the final minute of the half a Thomas run up the left set up McInroy for a powerful effort on target but Long made an equally good save to keep the deficit to just one goal.

It had been a good first half, Dunfermline looking more comfortable on the ball but East Fife showing that they can put good passes together and be a threat.

Half time: East Fife 0 Dunfermline 1

For the restart Josh Edwards replaced Miller Fenton at left back and the hosts changed keepers with Jordan Hart coming on for Brett Long. East Fife pressed to begin with but then Turner hit the crossbar from a Thomas corner in 50 minutes as the home defence appeared to freeze.

Four minutes later Thomas made a tremendous run down the right producing great trickery to round several opponents and then cut in along the byeline. Unluckily Dunlop picked out the cut back and Comrie’s follow up shot was blocked.

In 62 minutes Dunfermline made seven substitutions, on came Gabby McGill, Trialist, Steven Whittaker, Matty Bowman, Paul Allan, Thomas Bragg and Lucas Berry with only Cammy Gill and Lewis Mayo remaining from the starting eleven.

Berry forced a 70th minute corner and when the ball reached Bragg on the far side he seemed surprised and his header dropped wide left. Ben Swinton had replaced Cammy Gill with 20 minutes remaining and he immediately made a timely save.

Gabby McGill broke through the middle but fired wide left and then Whittaker connected well with a corner from the right but he too was narrowly wide left.

Wallace swept over an 83rd minute free kick that Bragg headed behind but the home side didn’t make good use of the resultant corner. Two minutes later the 16 year old Pars Trialist #10 sent a low ball over from the left that East Fife booted away.

A blatant shove by Bragg prevented Wallace running in on goal and from the free kick taken by Wallace, Tom Collins blasted a shot over the crossbar.

EAST FIFE: Brett Long (Jordan Hart HT): Stuart Murdoch (Craig Watson 70), Ross Dunlop, Chris Higgins, Pat Slattery (Trialist #17 75): Aaron Dunsmore (Liam Watt 70), Ross Davidson (Liam Newton 60), Scott Agnew (c) (Trialist #18 75) Danny Swanson (Thomas Collins 70): Jack Hamilton (Kevin Smith 60), Ryan Wallace.
SUBS NOT USED:

DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill (Ben Swinton 70): Aaron Comrie (Matty Bowman 62), Lewis Mayo, Euan Murray (c) (Thomas Bragg 62), Miller Fenton (Josh Edwards HT): Ryan Dow (Lewis McCann 32), Kyle Turner (Paul Allan 62), Kerr McInroy (Steven Whittaker 62), Dom Thomas (Lucas Berry 62): Fraser Murray (Trialist #10 62): Kevin O’Hara (Gabby McGill 62).
SUBS NOT USED:
SCORERS: O’Hara (3)

REFEREE:
WEATHER: Sunny 13C
ATTENDANCE 0

NEXT MATCH: Pre Season Friendly (away) v Rangers, Tuesday 29th September 2020. No media or spectators allowed.

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