EAST FIFE 0 DUNFERMLINE 2
Premier Sports Cup: Lewis McCann (67) 0-1: Lewis McCann (83 pen.) 0-2
A Lewis McCann brace ensured the Pars topped Group C after the first round of matches, assisted by Buckie Thistle holding Ross County to a 1-1 draw.
Dunfermline kicked off their competitive season with the Premier Sports Cup tie against East Fife. Manager James McPake made two changes from the side that started the final pre season friendly against Kilmarnock in midweek with Lewis McCann coming in for Kyle Macdonald and Deniz Mehmet fit to resume in goals.
East Fife manager Stevie Crawford started new signings Ryan Schiavone and Alan Trouten.
It was the Pars who had the first chance of the match, as Craig Wighton fired an early shot wide from 20-yards, with James McPake’s side looking for a fast start against their Fife rivals. But the visitors battled back and forced a corner in 8th minute. After a small stramash within the area, Athletic were able to clear their lines.
The next attack saw McCann battle for a long bouncing ball down the visitors right-hand side. The forward won the battle as he knocked the ball beyond the defender and drove into the area: the recovery challenge was a good one and it denied the Pars another opportunity.
Dunfermline continued to dominate the majority of possession early on, with another attempt at goal well worked, as Todd found himself in a goal-scoring position on the left of the penalty area, 18-yards out. He received the ball with a defender directly behind him, but a neat piece of control and a quick turn onto his weaker foot created the opening, but the end product didn`t test Allan Fleming in the home goal.
The hosts grew into the contest slowly but surely, without creating a goal-scoring opportunity. After a scrappy few minutes where both teams struggled to create an opening, Dunfermline found space down their right-hand side through Kevin O`Hara and after neat play, the striker blazed a left-footed effort over the crossbar.
East Fife notched their first shot of the game through defender Aaron Steele, but the former St Johnstone youngster couldn’t direct his header on target following a corner on the left. The ball was floated to the back post and Steele just couldn’t rise high enough to get a good enough effort at goal and Mehmet remained untroubled in the visitors’ goal.
The match stopped for a water break in 32nd minute due to the soaring heat in Methil, but this didn`t deter the men in the black and white stripes, as they continued to push for the opening goal of the match. And the best opportunity of the first half came on the 38th minute, through McCann, a Joe Chalmers in-swinging corner was flicked by McCann from 6 yards out – in the centre of the goal – but Fleming got down quickly to his left-hand side to palm the ball away. The loose ball fell to Chalmers on the right but his effort was well off-target and the scoreline remained 0-0.
Athletic`s captain, Kyle Benedictus, took things into his own hands with five minutes to go until the break, as he hit a pile-driving effort from 40-yards out as he tried to catch out Fleming in the hosts goal. The shot went over the bar, but it wasn`t a bad effort from the skipper.
Brogan Walls then broke forward for East Fife, with his delivery being nodded back across goal from Schiavone but Scott Shephard`s overhead kick didn`t go to plan and Mehmet continued to be a spectator within the Pars goal. The final effort of the half came from McCann after patient build-up play but his left-footed effort lacked power as it tamely rolled into Fleming`s arms.
Half-Time: East Fife 0-0 Dunfermline Athletic
No changes at half-time by either side, as Iain Sneddon blew his whistle to begin the second period. The visitors were the first to threaten immediately from the restart, with O’Hara firing an effort on-target, but Fleming was alert to gather.
Four minutes later, Schiavone firing the ball wide of the mark after good hold-up play by the experienced Alan Trouten – who was replaced shortly after by East Fife`s newest signing, Lucas Williamson.
Just prior to that substitution, Josh Edwards delivered a teasing ball into the box, curling it around the hosts back-line into the six yard box. All it required was a touch to be a goal, and McCann was inches away from stabbing the ball into the net but the striker just wasn`t able to get a connection at the back-post. It became one-way traffic as Edwards hit a shot wide from distance before McCann cut inside onto his left-foot before testing Fleming once more.
Rhys Breen also fired wide following a free kick before Fleming saved well again from another effort from the edge of the box by the Pars. Jack Healy then entered the fray, replacing Schiavone in 64th minute of the match, as Stevie Crawford hoped for a more offensive display from the hosts in the final quarter of the mathc..
The opener finally came midway through the second half following a corner. East Fife had initially cleared the danger, but the Pars continued to push and Lewis McCANN fired home at the back-post with a volley, following an assist by Benedictus, as he headed the ball back across the six yard box for the striker to send the away fans into raptures.
Paul Allan had been waiting to come on prior to the goal going in and James McPake didn`t change his game plan following McCann’s goal, with the midfielder replacing Chalmers in the centre of the park on 68 minutes. The Pars remained in control and their full-time fitness seemed to be coming into play as the hosts tired and struggled to penetrate the Athletic back-line.
It took until 79th minute for the next chance to come along – and a bit like buses, you wait 12 minutes on one and two come along at once!! Firstly, a great delivery from the left found McCann in the box who swivelled and struck a fierce volley which was goal-bound, but Fleming got down well again to deny the visitors a second. Seconds later, O`Hara was through one-on-one with Fleming but he was also foiled by the shot-stopper signed in the summer from Montrose.
With ten minutes remaining, experienced Pat Slattery replaced youngster Sam Denham but the Fifers weren`t able to re-group quickly enough to thwart the Pars any longer. Aaron Comrie burst into the penalty box and was fouled by Liam Newton. McCANN stepped up and slotted the ball home, despite Fleming going the right way, to double his tally for the day, for the season and for the Pars.
Kyle Macdonald and Andrew Tod – making his competitive debut for the Pars – came on for Craig Wighton and Kevin O`Hara with four minutes to go. But the game was won and McPake`s men saw it out fairly comfortably for the final few minutes. A late East Fife corner brought no harm to Mehmet in the Athletic goal, before Iain Sneddon blew for full-time.
The Pars top Group C after the opening round of fixtures in this season`s Premier Sports Cup, following Buckie Thistle and Ross County`s 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon. The Staggies picked up the extra bonus point for winning the penalty-shoot-out, but Buckie will not be disheartened as they travel to West Fife on Tuesday evening, looking to cause another upset.
EAST FIFE: Allan Fleming: Scott Mercer, Sam Denham (Patrick Slattery 80), Aaron Steele, Stewart Murdoch (c), Kieran Millar, Ryan Schiavone (Jack Healy 64), Brogan Walls, Scott Shepherd, Liam Newton, Alan Trouten (Lucas Williamson 54)
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Anderson, Michael Cunningham, Sam Martin, Adam Mansouri, Jude Smith (GK).
YELLOW CARD: Denham (70)
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Joe Chalmers (Paul Allan 68), Matthew Todd, Chris Hamilton, Kevin O’Hara (Andrew Tod 86), Lewis McCann, Craig Wighton (Kyle Macdonald 86).
SUBS NOT USED: Nikolay Todorov, Miller Fenton, Jake Rennie, Michael Beagley, Sam Young, Callum Archibald (GK)
SCORERS: McCann (67, 83 pen.)
YELLOW CARD: Hamilton (86)
REFEREE: Iain Sneddon
WEATHER: Bright 22°C
ATTENDANCE 963
NEXT MATCH: Premier Sports Cup (home) v Buckie Thistle, Tuesday 12th July 2022, kick off 7.45pm
