Dunfermline 1 Montrose 0
Saturday, 13th Aug 2022cinch League One: Chris Hamilton started in place of Paul Allan. Nikolay Todorov (79) 1-0:
On a red hot day in West Fife Montrose were the opposition for the second home league match of the 2022-2023 season. For their first visit on league business since March 1987, the Gables Endies arrived goalless but undefeated in their opening two league matches.
Dunfermline with maximum points made one change as Chris Hamilton returned from suspension to replace the absent Paul Allan. After rave performances in the U18s, sixteen year old Taylor Sutherland was given a place on the Pars bench.
Ensured a friendly welcome at East End Park, Pars legend Stewart Petrie the Montrose manager made one change from the side that drew against Queen of the South with Adam Hutchinson taking the place of Liam Callaghan.
The match wasn’t two minutes old when Lewis McCann created the first chance. After dispossessing Kerr Waddell 30 yards out he advanced before slipping the ball left for Craig Wighton but keeper Ross Sinclair blocked the on target shot.
Kyle Benedictus embarked on a surging run upfield and picked out McCann on the right but he couldn’t get the cross in. Next minute, the tenth, Rhys Breen lobbed the ball deep down the left for Josh Edwards and he won a free kick on the left edge of the Montrose box. Joe Chalmers took the setplay short to Wighton but Breen’s header was held by Sinclair.
It was not all one way however and Deniz Mehmet was called upon to save a stinging 12th minute shot from Blair Lyons and then from a corner on the left Graham Webster tried a back heeler at the near post and fortunately for the Pars found the sidenetting.
Wighton fired an effort from 25 yards that narrowly cleared the Montrose crossbar before the visitors produced more pressure on the home defence with a free kick, conceded by Hamilton for a challenge on Lyons and a Lewis Milne corner from the left that Mehmet held. Rory McAllister skied a really good Montrose chance in 32 minutes.
Seven minutes from the break Aaron Comrie put in an excellent cross that Hamilton met ten yards out but his header went over the bar. Right on 45 minutes a Comrie pass to finds McCann who shoots, Sinclair blocks the shot and McCann has another shot that was going wide before O’Hara in an offside position taps the ball in.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Montrose 0
Attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end in the second half the home side came out of the blocks fighting. Wighton’s pass to O’Hara set up a 49th minute chance but the striker’s shot from 25 yards was turned around his left hand post by Sinclair. Chalmers delivered from the corner from the right and as Edwards went for the cross he was flattened. No penalty despite astonished remonstrations from the full back.
Wighton made ground in from the right in 56 minutes but McCann could not control his pass, instead it was Hamilton who swept the ball into the left side of the opposition box but the keeper beat Edwards to the ball. Dunfermline then fielded their first sub with Chris Mochrie replacing Craig Wighton in 58 minutes.
Mochrie did not take long to get involved and he received an Edwards ball deep down the left that he cut back for his supplier but it was just off target. Still looking for the breakthrough as the match entered its final quarter Kyle Macdonald came on for Joe Chalmers. Minutes later Nikolay Todorov replaced Kevin O’Hara.
It was the Bulgarian striker who would break the deadlock eleven minutes from time. McCann fed Macdonald on the right and ignoring the striker’s overlap the former Airdrie man deliver a sweet cross for TODOROV to head home at the near post.
McCann next has an opportunity to the game to bed but was closed out before he could release his shot. Todorov headed clear a 86th minute Montrose corner before Allan collected yellow for a foul on McCann. The free kick down by the left corner flag saw Mochrie fed the ball and he got in a cross but the defence came out on top.
As the 90 minutes ran out keeper Ross Sinclair went up for a free kick delivered in from the right. He got his head to it but it was Webster who launched a high ball goalwards that Mehmet had to hold.
This was another tough game for Dunfermline but with three wins out of three they are outright leaders of League One.
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Chris Hamilton: Matthew Todd, Joe Chalmers (Kyle Macdonald 68): Kevin O’Hara (Nikolay Todorov 72), Lewis McCann, Craig Wighton (Chris Mochrie 58),SUBS NOT USED: Sam Young, Taylor Sutherland, Max Little (GK)
SCORERS: Todorov (79)
YELLOW CARD: Todorov (83), McCann (88)
MONTROSE: Ross Sinclair: Andrew Steeves (c), Adam Hutchinson (Matty Allan 20), Kerr Waddell, Sean Dillon, Lewis Milne, Adam McKinnon, Mark Whatley, Blair Lyons (Craig Brown 58), Graham Webster, Rory McAllister (Matthew Wright 72)
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Watson, Aaron Lennox (GK).
YELLOW CARD: Whatley (75), Allan (87)
REFEREE: Ross Hardie
WEATHER: Sunny 23°C
ATTENDANCE 3720
NEXT MATCH: cinch League One (away) v Kelty Hearts, Saturday 20th August 2022, kick off 3.00pm at New Central Park
The winning ticket for today’s Half Time draw 10063 won the prize is £559.
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