U20s v Falkirk

Shepherd (8) 0-1; Smith (33) 1-1; Greene (62) 1-2; Ferguson (73) 2-2.

MATCH PICTURES
Falkirk were the visitors in this SPFL U20 league match played at East End Park on Monday night and they went ahead in the eighth minute through Scott SHEPHERD though he did look suspiciously offside - shot low into the net.

Falkirk were probably the better team in the early part of first half. Dunfermline`s  first real chance was Allan Smith through on goal but goalkeeper blocked in 23rd minute.  One minute later Kerr Young had a clear header from a Mercer corner but sent it wide left. In 31st minute after good play on the right side a cross by Smith went for a corner, Kerr Young had a chance again but the goalkeeper took it off his head. In 33rd minute good work between Smith and Fayssal El Bakhtaoui resulted in Allan SMITH putting the ball away. 1-1.

Ryan Ferguson had a shot blocked by the goalkeeper on line in 38 minute. Best play from Dunfermline was probably coming down right hand side of pitch but at the interval it was all square.

Half time: Dunfermline 1 Falkirk 1

Dunfermline started brightly, Fayssal had a shot from edge of box that went narrowly wide. Then Allan Smith had a good run in on goal two minutes later and Fayssal had another chance to score. In 52 minutes Kerr Young had a header which cleared the bar from a Mercer free kick.

Falkirk had a free kick by Thomas Grant that hit the post and was cleared out. Falkirk went ahead in 62 minutes through Connor GREENE. Six minutes later Fayssal took a free kick after being fouled outside the box.  Allan Smith`s header seemed to be handled by a Falkirk defender but no penalty. Lewis Martin then had a headed effort from a Mercer free kick and Allan Smith was unlucky with another chance from a Mercer corner.

In 73 minutes the Pars equalised through Ryan FERGUSON after being put through by Fayssal. Then six minutes later Fayssal then had a shot from outside the box but it went wide right. There was a clash of heads between Mercer and Greene with both requiring attention but they carried on. Last shot of note was from Fayssal but it sailed over the bar.

MATCH PICTURES

Coach John Potter spoke to the website after the match:-

"I thought we started a bit sloppy and they were the better team for the first 20 minutes. Their first goal was a sloppy one to lose on our part. We tried to change it a wee bit with working a wee bit harder, being a wee bit narrower and I thought we came into it after 25 minutes and I thought we were the better team. 

"We were excellent at the start of the second half and maybe we should have been two or three goals up. We had chance after chance but then we lost a goal. After that we came back strong again and I thought we were good in the second half.

"Ryan Ferguson scored a great goal, Allan Smith was more like himself up front. Lewis Spence was pushing on and Scott Mercer and Fayssal. I thought we would have gone on to win it but then they had a couple of wee breakaways at the end as well. Overall I am quite happy apart from the first 20 minutes. I am a wee bit disappointed with the draw, but another good performance and it keeps us going."

Any standouts tonight?

"I thought Lewis Spence was great, he`s taking on board what we are telling him to do. We are trying to get him to play forward all the time and be creative. He has taken a wee growth spurt and training with the first team every day is helping him enormously. I thought that Kerr and Lewis were good at the back as well and Allan Smith eventually got into the game, it took him a while but he hasn`t played that much, he`s not played a full game until tonight. It was good for him to get 90 minutes.

MATCH PICTURES