Lewis McCann’s double secured Dunfermline a 2-0 victory in Glasgow as the Pars registered their second win of the Championship season.
This encounter carried special significance as the home side returned to their cherished old home ground, Hampden Park. For Dunfermline, this match marks their first visit to Hampden Park since April 2009 and this is the first making league match against Queen`s Park since March 1986. It was fourth placed Queen’s against seventh placed Pars.
Manager James McPake was without six players for this match. He welcomed back Harry Sharp, Sam Fisher, Ben Summers and Craig Wighton but his injury list had grown again and so Paul Allan and Andrew Tod were sidelined. Alex Jakubiak was on the bench however where Owen Moffat was really the old other player with much senior experience.
In contrast Queen’s Park named the same outfield ten that successfully saw off Bala Town in the previous Saturday’s SPFL Trust Trophy. Their only change was the return from international duty of their 16 year old keeper Callan McKenna. Former Par, Dom Thomas led out the home team.
Wighton kicked off with the visitors attacking the goal at the west end of the stadium. The early excitement came when Lewis McCann was sent through on goal but the Queens defence tracked him, stopped him shooting and then closed down Joe Chalmers. It was Josh Edwards who got the cross in but too high for McCann to convert.
In ninth minute Barry Hepburn won a corner on the left but Sharp plucked Thomas’ cross out of the air. Four minutes later a Hamilton allowed Summers to advance and fire an on target shot from 25 yards out but McKenna held without any difficulty.
An injection of pace after Hamilton switched play to O’Halloran on the right saw the man in the bright yellow boots speed towards goal. His first effort was blocked but his second required a deflection off Charlie Fox to keep him out. Two corners followed but the home defence came out on top.
In 24 minutes another impressive break down the right by McCann took him all the way to the byeline. His cut back was cleared off the line but Summers got the opportunity with the follow up but his effort was deflected for a corner on the left. Almost immediately after the corner was defended Comrie got himself deep down the right but his ball into the Queen’s box was cleared.
A push on Wighton softly handed Dunfermline a free kick 35 yards out. McCann took charge of the setplay and having cleared the four man wall made McKenna save at full stretch to his right. Another Dunfermline corner failed to create any efforts on goal but another direct run this time by Summers heralded another corner. Fisher appealed profusely when he was hauled down by Jack Turner but the referee saw nothing illegal there.
Ten minutes from the interval a fine move from O’Halloran to Summers sent the on loan Celtic player away down the right and his delivery was good for McCann but when he met the ball he sent it wide right from eight yards out. Although the chances had all been Dunfermline’s the home team manufactured two of their own. Hepburn set up Thomas but his shot was turned behind off Otoo and then Hepburn got the better of Otoo for the first time and released a shot that Hamilton defended.
An Edwards long throw was knocked towards the Queen’s Park goal by Fisher but McKenna stepped in first. It had been a strange first half given the eerie atmosphere. The Fifers had registered more possession, more shots and more corners but the score remained goalless.
Half time: Queen’s Park 0 Dunfermline 0
No changes at half time by either side but the home side produced a chance within 90 seconds of the restart. It was created by a strong Thomas run and lay off to Aaron Healy but he blasted his shot from the left over the bar. Then at the other end a nice interchange with O’Halloran let in to cross the ball in for McCann in front of goal but somehow the ball went wide right.
The home side looked eager and forced a 51st minute corner but Thomas’ left footed delivery landed on the roof of the net. When Summers speed took the ball up the left and towards the Spiders box McCANN accepted the chance with his left footed effort too much for McKenna to stop and the ball went in off the right post. 0-1
Summers rocketed a shot narrowly over the crossbar and McCann tried another shot as Dunfermline took confidence from the goal. Next a long ball from Sharp picked out McCann on the left wing and he played in Summers but he could only force a corner.
Craig Wighton was subbed on the hour making room for Alex Jakubiak to make his Dunfermline debut. The home side took advantage of the stoppage to replace Barry Hepburn with Ben McPherson. The Pars sub was hauled down 28 yards out and McCANN cashed in from the free kick. All ten outfield players were strung along the edge of the Queens Park box but they and the keeper were helpless when it came to stopping the exemplary strike into the top left corner from the Pars no.11. 0-2
Sharp made a classy save from a fierce shot from Thomas before Owen Moffat came on in place of Ben Summers. Dunfermline had some defending to do before Hamilton fired a 78th minute shot from distance narrowly wide left.
The home side’s frustrations showed with nasty challenges on Edwards that earned Jack Thomson a yellow and then on McCann for which Fox saw yellow. In time added on the Pars defiantly defended three corners and a chunk of QP pressure but saw it out to register a good win. A very satisfying afternoon for James McPake’s men and the 811 travelling fans. Dunfermline moved up to sixth in the Championship.
QUEEN’S PARK: Callan McKenna: Louis Longridge, Jack Thomson, Charlie Fox, Tommy Robson, Jack Spong, Jack Turner (Patrick Jarrett 80), Barry Hepburn (Ben McPherson 62), Dom Thomas (c), Aaron Healy, Ruari Paton.
SUBS NOT USED: Liam McLeish, Cameron Bruce, Ricky Waugh, Alex Bannon, Lewis Reid, Alex Fairlie, Calum Ferrie (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Thomson (84), Fox (85)
DUNFERMLINE: Harry Sharp: Aaron Comrie, Sam Fisher, Ewan Otoo: Chris Hamilton (c): Michael O’Halloran, Ben Summers (Owen Moffat 73), Joe Chalmers, Josh Edwards: Craig Wighton (Alex Jakubiak 61), Lewis McCann
SUBS NOT USED: Miller Fenton, Liam Hoggan, Taylor Sutherland, Ewan McLeod, Max Little (GK).
SCORERS: McCann (52, 67)
YELLOW CARD: Sharp (77), Edwards (89), Hamilton (90+2)
REFEREE: Scott Lambie
WEATHER: Dry 12°C
ATTENDANCE 1968
NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship, (home) v Morton, Saturday 23rd September 2023, kick off 3.00pm at KDM Group East End Park.
