Dunfermline 3 Clyde 2

Co-operative Insurance Cup, Second Round. Phinn, Mason and Higgins make way for Burke, Clarke and Keddie. Strachan (2) 0-1. Kirk (44) 1-1, McCusker (46) 1-2. McDougall (67) 2-2. Kirk (86) 3-2.

MATCH PICTURES
This was the first time that Dunfermline and Clyde had met in the League Cup competition in thirty three years.  The most recent match was played home and away in 1977 when Dunfermline progressed. At the end of this game it was the same side that succeeded but it wasn`t until three minutes from the end that it was done and dusted.

From the team that started at Starks Park on Saturday Nick Phinn, Gary Mason and Chris Higgins dropped out to make way for Alex Burke, Pat Clarke and Alex Keddie.

After a period of applause in appreciation of the late John Yellowley, club doctor and Chairman from 1971 to 1982 Clyde kicked off attacking the goal in front of the empty McCathie Stand and scored with their first shot at goal.  It was Adam STRACHAN who sent the ball past Chris Smith with a well placed effort from the edge of the box after the ball had canoned to his feet. Just under two minutes on the clock and the Pars were 1-0 down.

It was ten minutes later before Dunfermline got into any kind of shooting position and it was a typical Joe Cardle run that created the opening but his shot from the top of the D was too high to bother John Charles Hutchison. Andy Kirk curled a 17th minute shot outside the left post and Cardle tried another from 30 yards but the ball broke off Murray Henderson.

At least the First Division side were beginning to dominate with plenty of completed passes retaining possession. Ian Gray hauled down Steven Bell on the right and Willie Gibson sent over a good ball into the six yard box from the free kick but the offside flag was up.

Gray headed away a Cardle cross and then a diving header from Henderson looked desperate. Gibson was given another chance to set up the equaliser but he chipped his 24th minute free kick into the thick of the purple shirted Clyde defence. A looping header from Bell almost sneaked under the bar but JC Hutchison pushed the ball over for a corner that failed to make a difference.

Cardle had his cross from the left blocked and when Burke slipped the ball to his right Gibson tried a 25 yard attempt that went over the crossbar. Clyde were to come extremely close to doubling their lead when a Strachan cross was deflected on to the right goalpost by Stuart Mills in 28 minutes.

The Pars were finding it hard to penetrate the Clyde box but on 31 minutes Kirk at least got to the byeline on the right but Alan Lithgow headed clear.  Clarke broke through in the next minute but could only win a corner. Pressure was maintained with Cardle`s flick across the box earning another quick corner but when Gibson picked out the unmarked Burke 20 yards out his shot was miscued skywards.

Still the Pars pushed up with Clarke`s touch to Gibson in the centre of the park being sent right with a perfectly weighted pass for Woods to smash across the Clyde box but there were no takers. Gibson launched another shot at goal but again the sights were set too high. A McCann cross in 38 minutes was headed on target from six yards but Hutchison was quickly down to make the stop on the line and scramble the ball away from the predator, Bell.

The breakthrough that had been heralded for so long came with just under two minutes to the break. Steven Bell headed down a Cardle cross from the left and an Andy KIRK strike finished it to record his seventh goal of the season.

The first half of this cup tie had been an extremely one sided affair but at the break, thanks in no small measure to their defence,  the Third Division side were holding the Pars at 1-1.

Half Time: Dunfermline 1 Clyde 1

Everyone who expected the home team to run riot in the second half were in for a rude awakening. Certainly Dunfermline started like it was going to be just a matter of time and it was just 50 seconds until the goal but it was Clyde`s. A Cardle cross field ball for Woods was cut out by Strachan on the half way line. He raced off down the left and picked out McCUSKER who thrashed the ball beyond Smith from 15 yards.

Cardle had the ball in the net just 70 seconds later but he had fouled in his challenge to get to Woods crossed from the byeline.  Then Smith came to Dunfermline`s rescue as Mills got into the Pars box to shoot on target from 12 yards. Gibson chipped the ball over the Clyde defence for Kirk but he was tumbled by Henderson but only a corner was given.

Played continued towards the Clyde goal.  A Gibson free kick was taken by the keeper then a Cardle cross ended up with Gibson having a go but he failed to trouble the keeper. In 62 minutes Hutchison was beaten when Kirk, 15 yards out, turned and rocketed a phenomenal shot but the ball came back off the left upright. Cardle shot wide right before Steven McDougall came on for Pat Clarke.

As the match entered its final quarter the home support were growing increasingly frustrated but that all changed when Bell received the ball on the edge of the box. He prodded it through for super sub McDOUGALL to ram the ball home and the cup tie was back to all square.

Four minutes later Kirk made a run and almost beat Hutchison but the keeper retrieved the ball after it had squirmed under him. A double substitution with 15 minutes left saw Paul Willis and Nick Phinn take over from Joe Cardle and Alex Burke.  That meant that Gibson moved out of his central midfield role to the left flank from where he immediately swung in a high ball to the far post and Willis was unlucky that no one accepted his header back across the six yard box.

On 81 minutes there were multiple let offs for Clyde after Gibson`s ball into the box was fired on target by Phinn, Kirk and Phinn again. Twice the ball was stopped on the goal line with Hutchison doing everything to keep the Pars out.  Strachan forced a corner for the Bully Wee two minutes later but the Fifers headed that away and play was quickly back at the other end where Willis whipped a shot narrowly wide right.

With the threat of another match going to extra time there was relief in the home ranks when Gibson`s 87th minute corner from the left was headed back from beyond the far post by Bell for KIRK to turn in at close range.

Sub Willie Sawyers made Smith save again before the two minutes of added time came and went. Dunfermline progress to the Third Round but in the process they made it difficult for themselves.