Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

Clyde 0 Dunfermline 1

Tuesday, 5th Jul 2016

Pre season Friendly: Four trialists start. Trialist no.17 (87) 0-1

A fine summer evening with strong sunlight welcomed Dunfermline to the Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld. It was a visiting team comprising four trialists and squad players in need of game time. Lewis Spence led out the team, there was the first look at new on loan signing from Celtic, Paul McMullan while Rhys McCabe was the only player to start both this and the previous match at Livingston.

Dunfermline almost caught the home defence out right from the kick off. Play went down the right to James Thomas who drove a shot into the sidenetting from an acute angle within 20 seconds.

Clyde forced two tenth minute corners but neither really troubled the Pars defence. The Fifers first corner followed in the next minute but shortly taken by McCabe to McMullan failed to produce a telling ball into the box.

A long throw in by Scott Linton won Clyde a 15th minute corner on the right as Martin was forced to head over his own crossbar but Clyde yet again overhit their delivery.

A free kick midway into the Clyde half on the left then allowed McCabe to send a dangerous ball into the centre of the Clyde box but Jordan Lowden got his head to it first and the danger was cleared. Gill was kept involved holding another long throw from Linton before in 26 minutes he made a good stop after Linton broke on the counterattack and fed Dylan Easton the opportunity to drive a shot on target.

Trialist no.10 fired a 25 yard effort narrowly over the crossbar and then in 29 minutes keeper John Gibson came out to take a McCabe cross from a corner on the left. It was an opening half hour of many corners and the next Clyde corner was headed over the bar by David Marks.

McCabe sent in an inswinger from another corner on the left in 34 minutes but again the Bully Wee keeper held. Eight minutes from the break Gill pulled off a fine save to deny Marsh. Johnston had persevered on the right to eventually send the ball across the face of goal to be collected by Easton beyond the left post and cut back for Linton to swerve the ball back across goal and the big no.12 met that with a powerful header that really tested the young keeper.

Thomas had the ball in the net in 40 minutes after he had sent Trialist 11 away left and then converted the cross but he was clearly in an offside position and there was little complaint.

Flynn had a mid air shot on goal when Marsh broke up the right but the direction on his shot was wayward. Then in 44 minute McCabe`s corner again from the left found Duthie at the far post but Clyde kept him out with a no messing clearance out of the ground. All square at the interval with Cammy Gill possibly more involved as the League Two side had the better chances.

Half time: Clyde 0 Dunfermline 0

The same 22 players restarted the match in the second half there were a couple of encouraging moves that took the Pars to within shooting distance but neither the Trialist wearing no.2 nor Thomas could test the keeper. Gibson held a McCabe free kick from the left touchline but knew little about McNeil`s deflection behind after the Trialist 10 then 2 had created the opportunity for a strong pass into the six yard box.

Trialist no.17 was the first sub on the evening replacing McMullan in 58 minutes. Clyde burtst through on the hour with Easton getting the chance but the sting was taken out of his shot by Martin and Gill gathered.

The visitors were not finding it easy to break down the Clyde defence. Their attempts to get their passing game going were continually broke up by a Clyde team that threatened on the counter but invariably let themselves down with the final ball. Spence`s 20 yard attempt on 65 minutes was all too easily held by Gibson but Dunfermline were just not penetrating the Clyde penalty box.

Spence robbed possession off an unsuspecting opponent four minutes later to set up Trialist no.11 with a shot from 25 yards and Gibson pulled off a great save diving to his left to turn the ball around his post.

At the other end Gill was out courageously to steal away Flynn`s chance. John Potter and then Callum Smith were introduced as subs for Trialist no.5 and Trialist no.11. Smith forced a corner in 82nd minute as the sun slipped behind the Campsie but the setpiece failed to shine as well.

Clyde almost had success on the counter raising the hopes of the home faithful but Flynn`s shot just cleared the bar. With five minutes remaining Higgins broke up the right but was unlucky not to find Easton in the middle.

Eventually a good move let the Pars in for what turned out to be the winning goal. Three minutes from time Smith wrestled free of his challenger and laid the ball off to Thomas in a central position. His ball into the box was exquisite allowing Kieran LAFFERTY, Trialist no.17 to run in on the left side and slip under the keeper for 1-0.

CLYDE: John Gibson. Jordan Lowdon, Ewan McNeil, Martin McNiff, Phil Johnston, Scott McLaughlin (c)(Trialist 72), David Marsh (Trialist 59), Matthew Flynn, Scott Linton (Jamie Watson 72), Dlyan Easton, David Gormley (Sean Higgins 59)
SUBS NOT USED: Trialist (GK)

DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill: Trialist, Lewis Martin, Trialist (John Potter 77), Conner Duthie. Paul McMullan (Trialist 58), Rhys McCabe, Lewis Spence (c), Trialist (Callum Smith 79). James Thomas, Trialist (Brandon Luke 82).
SUBS NOT USED: Stuart Morrison, Johnny Galloway, Robbie Crawford, John James Henderson, Evan Horne, David Hutton (GK)
SCORERS: Trialist no.17 (87)

REFEREE: Alan Newlands
WEATHER: Sunny 15 C
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: Pre Season Friendly (home) v Hearts, Saturday 9th July, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park

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