The second match in this season`s Viaplay Cup brought Annan Athletic to the KDM Group East End Park. Dunfermline were still without the suspended Chris Hamilton, James McPake named the same starting eleven that he fielded on Saturday against Raith Rovers and Michael O’Halloran was missing from the bench.
The visitors manager Peter Murphy made three changes from the side that lost 3-0 at Rugby Pak on Saturday. Chris Johnston and Josh Dixon were relegated to the bench and Aidan Smith was absent altogether. Sam Campbell and Ben Luissint came onto the Annan line up as well as former Par, Willie Gibson.
The League One side kicked off but conceded a free kick 20 yards out on the left side within 35 seconds. Josh Edwards was cut down Scott Hooper and when Lewis McCann sent the ball in to the visitors box Kyle Benedictus was unlucky to turn his effort wide left. Deniz Mehmet held a shot from Hooper after Gibson had sent his side up the park but then in sixth minute an Edwards ball to the back post just evaded Craig Wighton and Aaron Comrie.
The first corner of the evening went Annan’s way in 11th minute but Josh Galloway’s cross was big and their attempt slipped out on the left. Dunfermline had shots from Chalmers and Todd blocked and Comrie came close again to getting on another McCann cross.
The goal that had been threatened duly turned up in 17th minute. A Chalmers free kick from the left was headed on 15 yards out and Sam FISHER drove the ball home at the far post. 1-0
Goal number two followed just six minutes later. Comrie was deep down the right and his cross aimed at McCann was turned into his own goal off the post by Matthew DOUGLAS. 2-0
Things were going well for the home side but Matty Todd went down with an ankle injury in front of the Annan dugout and in 28 minutes he was worryingly helped off by the two physios. Andrew Tod was a sub against Annan while on loan at Elgin City in March this year and he became the first substitute to be used in the tie.
The sub drove into the right side of the box and a block by Campbell cannoned off Tod into the hands of keeper Greg Fleming. In 40th minute the keeper got lucky after a McCann ball in from the right byeline took an awkward bounce, Edwards was knocked down by Fleming but Comrie executed a header that the defence cleared off the line.
Two minutes from the break Tod took a quick short corner for Chalmers to cross from the right. The ball was defended but Benedictus was in line to crash a low shot from 25 yards wide right of target. There was a further good chance for a Pars goal when a McCann pass towards the left post was blasted wide by Campbell off Tod. In time added on Chalmers curled a shot narrowly over the crossbar.
Dunfermline should maybe have been further ahead, they were very comfortably ahead but they had restricted Annan to shots from distance.
Half time: Dunfermline 2 Annan Athletic 0
The second half started quietly but Otoo forced a 54th minute corner on the left. Again Tod and Chalmers combined and Otoo was picked out but his blast ended up in the McCathie Stand. Next minute a similar short taken corner from the left was delivered into the danger area for McCANN to head in number three. 3-0
The music struck up again a further five minutes on when Wighton, evading the offside trap, received a pass on the right side of the Annan box to square for McCANN to slot home. 4-0
Paul Allan had replaced Joe Chalmers and it was Allan who popped the next effort but his attempt from 20 yards went wide left. At the midpoint of the second half McCann got caught in a hefty tackle and although the physios were not called upon he had to retire on 70 minutes.
It was a triple substitution on 72 minutes with Miller Fenton, Taylor Sutherland and Liam Hoggan coming on. For Hoggan it was his senior debut, he replaced Aaron Comrie while Josh Edwards made way for Fenton.
Fisher and Tod created an opening for an Allan shot but a last ditch block denied the fifth. Allan blasted a shot on target but a deflection led to another corner seven minutes from time. Play was deep into the Annan half with all eleven opponents in their own penalty box at times. Predictably Tod’s shot was blocked and when Wighton did make a break to get in on goal Fleming saved the shot.
It was another half dominated by the home team, Mehmet was redundant and his team mates saw out the match for a convincing victory. Dunfermline with five points top the group ahead of the visit of Kilmarnock.
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Sam Fisher, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen: Aaron Comrie (Liam Hoggan 72), Ewan Otoo, Joe Chalmers (Paul Allan 57), Josh Edwards (Miller Fenton 72): Matty Todd (Andrew Tod 28), Craig Wighton, Lewis McCann (Taylor Sutherland 72).
SUBS NOT USED: Max Little (GK)
SCORERS: Fisher (17), Douglas (og 23), McCann (55, 60)
ANNAN ATHLETIC: Greg Fleming: Scott Hooper, Matthew Douglas, Steven Swinglehurst (Josh Dixon 64), Sam Campbell, Ryan Muir (Frazer Glenn 79): Willie Gibson, Benjamin Luissint (Adam Jamison 87), Josh Galloway, Dominic Docherty (Kayn Cranston 87), Tommy Goss.
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Johnston, Ethan Mitchell (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Douglas (62), Galloway (66), Hooper (77)
REFEREE: Lloyd Wilson
WEATHER: Sunny 18°C
ATTENDANCE 1364
NEXT MATCH: Viaplay Cup (home) v Kilmarnock, Saturday 22nd July 2023, 3.00pm kick off at The KDM Group East End Park
