PREVIEW BUCKIE THISTLE
Premier Sports Cup: Paul Allan and Kyle Macdonald start in place of Joe Chalmers and Craig Wighton. Rhys Breen (19) 1-0: Lewis McCann (51) 2-0: Nikolay Todorov (63) 3-0: Nikolay Todorov (79) 4-0: Josh Edwards (83) 5-0.
The second group match of the Premier Sports Cup brought Highland League runners up to East End Park. The Moray Firth side held Premier League Ross County to a 1-1 draw on the opening day and were clearly a team that required great respect.
The Pars side showed two changes from the one that started against East Fife on Saturday with Paul Allan and Kyle Macdonald coming in for Joe Chalmers and Craig Wighton.
Buckie Thistle made seven changes with Lee Herbert, Joe McCabe, Lewis MacKinnon, Mark McLauchlan, Tom Maclennan, Max Barry and Scott Adams all starting. Hamish Munro, Ryan Fyffe, Cohen Ramsay, Max Barry, Sam Urquhart, Marcus Goodall and keeper Ballint Demus all dropped to the bench.
Dunfermline kicked off playing into the bright sunshine and their early play matched the weather. Their fourth minute corner was the second of the match and when Allan found Rhys Breen at the far side of the six yard box. His header back across goal was well anticipated and Lewis McKinnon on the goalline for the visitors cleared Lewis McCann’s header.
Next minute McCann sent Kevin O’Hara scurrying down the left and his cross looked perfect for Allan but the blocked came in at the crucial time and it was the Pats player who ended in the net. Then in sixth minute O’Hara was presented with an opportunity and it looked like he had to score but Joe McCabe put in a good block to deny him.
Matty Todd was next to strike a powerful effort on target McKinnon came to the rescue again. Josh Edwards forced an 19th minute corner and when Allan delivered again from the left, BREEN times his run to head home from six yards out.
Breen came close again two minutes later when he got his head to a fine O’Hara cross but was off target. Buckie Thistle created a 27th minute chance when Max Barry broke down the left and fired a shot from 16 yards but that cleared the bar.
That apart the Fifers were in complete control of the match but Thistle were doing a good job of denying goalscoring opportunities. Matty Todd smashed a low shot from distance in 41 minutes but was wide left.
Two minutes later Breen ventured forward and he was unlucky that his shot from 25 yards out was blocked. 78% Pars possession in the first half but just the one goal.
Half time: Dunfermline 1 Buckie Thistle 0
Buckie made four changes for the second half with Cohen Ramsay, Sam Urquhart, Declan Milne and Shaun Wood replacing Joe McCabe, Mark McLauchlan, Andrew Macaskill and Scott Adams.
The half started with shots at both ends. Firstly McCann sending an Aaron Comrie pass wide and at the other end Sam Pugh trying a low effort that went wide right. In 49 minutes an indirect free kick was awarded on the Buckie six yard line after Mackinnon tapped the ball back to his keeper. The Highlanders packed their goalmouth and when McCann passed for O’Hara to shoot the ball was inevitably blocked by a defender.
The Pars second goal was only minutes away however. An Edwards cross from the left was headed back across goal by Macdonald and McCANN directed his header home.
Five minutes later Allan came close as he swept a Comrie cross wide right. Then James McPake made a double substitution in 61 minutes with Chris Hamilton and Lewis McCann coming off and Joe Chalmers and Nikolay Todorov coming on. TODOROV made an immediate impact heading in a Macdonald cross after involvement of Chalmers as well.
The next substitution was Tod for Todd with sixteen year old Andrew coming on for his competitive home debut. It was the sub who picked out TODOROV for the fourth goal in 79 minutes.
Seventeen year olds Jake Rennie and Michael Beagley were introduced as late subs to make their first team debuts. Both Tod and Rennie were responsible for creating the chance for the fifth Dunfermline goal.
The ball was switched from Tod through Rennie to EDWARDS bursting into the box in 83 minutes to thrash a low shot into the Buckie net.
Todorov was unlucky with an 87th minute header with keeper Herbert expertly turning the attempt around his right hand post. The chance came after Comrie picked out Tod on the right and he took a touch and delivered a fine left footed cross for the striker.
A satisfactory win, three more group points, three teenager substitutes, four different goalscorers and another clean sheet.
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Matthew Todd (Andrew Tod 66), Paul Allan, Chris Hamilton (Joe Chalmers 63), Kyle Macdonald (Jake Rennie 81), Lewis McCann (Nikolay Todorov 63), Kevin O’Hara (Michael Beagley 81).
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Wighton, Miller Fenton, Sam Young, Callum Archibald (GK)
SCORERS: Breen (19), McCann (51), Todorov (63, 79), Edwards (83)
YELLOW CARD: Benedictus (42), Allan (73)
BUCKIE THISTLE: Lee Herbert: Joe McCabe (Shaun Wood HT), Lewis MacKinnon, Jack Murray, Mark McLauchlan (Cohen Ramsay HT), Kevin Fraser (c), Sam Pugh, Tom Maclennan (Marcus Goodall 36), Max Barry, Andrew MacAskill (Samuel Urquhart HT), Scott Adams (Declan Milne HT)
SUBS NOT USED: Hamish Munro, Ryan Fyffe, Ballint Demus (GK).
YELLOW CARD: Wood (61), Milne (90)
REFEREE: Dan McFarlane
WEATHER: Sunny 21°C
ATTENDANCE 1530
NEXT MATCH: Premier Sports Cup (away) v Ross County, Saturday 16th July 2022, kick off 3.00pm at Global Energy Stadium
