Kilmarnock v Dunfermline

cinch Championship: Paul Allan and Craig Wighton start, Kyle Macdonald and Kai Kennedy on the bench. Oli Shaw (3 pen.) 1-0: Craig Wighton (20) 1-1:
MATCH ABANDONED after 63 minutes.

On the last Saturday before Christmas Kilmarnock entertained Dunfermline, the first league match between the clubs since May 2012. Four Championship places separated the teams but the Ayrshire men started 15 points better off. Dunfermline were seeking a second away league success after their victory in Inverness in November had broken their run without success since October the previous year.

John Hughes made two changes to his starting eleven with Paul Allan and Craig Wighton starting in preference to Kyle Macdonald and Kai Kennedy who were both on the bench. For the hosts Tommy Wright also made two changes from the side that lost the previous Saturday on Stark’s Park with Chris Burke and Rory McKenzie coming on for Lee Hodson and Brad Lyons.

It was a bright day in Kilmarnock in contrast to the fog in the east and central belt. The Dunfermline fans were bathed in the December sunshine in the upper level of the Chadwick Stand as their side emerged from their new changing facilities in the far away corner. The pre match music included Baccara and one hoped it would be the Pars who would be boogie-ing.

Wighton kicked off but Kilmarnock would soon be bearing down on the Pars goal in front of the away supporters. Mark Connolly was forced into conceding what became two second minute corners. Lewis McCann turned the second one behind but when the ball wasn’t cleared, Graham Dorrans was deemed to have fouled Jack Sanders and referee Craig Napier awarded a penalty. Oli SHAW stepped up and scored with a right footed shot to the bottom left and although Owain Fôn Williams went the right way he couldn’t stop the goal. 1-0

McCann’s eleventh minute shot was deflected wide for a corner on the right but when Josh Edwards centred keeper Zach Hemings was out to pluck the ball out of the air. Fraser Murray was picked out on the left and his run and cross forced Edwards to head behind but fortunately Kilmarnock didn’t get a touch when Murray delivered the 18th minute corner from the left.

Two minutes later the Fifers were back on level terms. Ryan Dow rounded his man on the left edge of the Killie box and when he got the break of the ball, was able to cut the ball back. McCann was too close to connect but WIGHTON finished in style giving the on loan Middlesbrough keeper no chance. 1-1

Just four minutes later Allan pushed forward and Wighton then switched the ball right where Dow popped up and flighted an inviting ball to the far post and the home defence could only head behind. Allan’s corner exposed some shakiness in the defence but they cleared.

Minutes later Wighton and Dow combined and the latter lifted another shot to the far post, the right this time, that just fell wide. Kilmarnock might then have regained the lead after a Connolly slip that let Shaw in with a shot from 16 yards out but Fôn Williams was out fast to make a great block.

The Pars continued to string passes together and were achieving their goal to get more control further up the park. McCann showed great control to bring down a ball in the Killie box to earn another corner after some uncertainty from Dylan McGowan. Unfortunately Hemmings take was able to end the threat.

Dunfermline were enjoying more possession and there were boos coming from the home support as the visitors earned another corner when a Matty Todd shot was deflected off Alston and Hemmings had to push the ball around his left hand post. McCann met the corner with a header but the direction was way out.

The half time whistle brought further representations to the referee by John Hughes and Fon Williams about his penalty decision. There had been seven shots by each team in the first 45, Dunfermline with four on target to Kilmarnock’s three.

Half time: Kilmarnock 1 Dunfermline 1

The fog crept in with the dusk coming down. McCann did well to play a dangerous cross into the Kilmarnock box within a minute of the restart running on to a Dow pass, but it was Todd’s low shot in 50th minute that engaged Hemmings first.

First sub of the match was Callum Hendry replacing Oli Shaw in 57 minutes and he had a glorious chance three minutes later when a Burke cross set him up but he blasted the ball over the crossbar from 15 yards out.

A pass from Rhys Breen to Edwards and on to McCann allowed a shot but that was blocked. Todd made a run in from the right and caused some chaos in front of goal. The far side of the ground was becoming increasingly difficult to see and in 63 minutes the match halted. The referee consulted with both managers and the match was given a five minute postponement to see if the fog might clear somewhat.

With no improvement and visibility not good, the match was abandoned in what would have been the 70th minute.

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