U19s v Ross County

Dunfermline lost out in their third SFL U19 League match of the season to a well organised Ross County team that switched the ball about well and took the chances that came their way.

DUNFERMLINE 1 ROSS COUNTY 3

Dunfermline lost out in their third SFL U19 League match of the season to a well organised Ross County team that switched the ball about well and took the chances that came their way.

Both sides had opportunities in the opening quarter.  For the home side Ryan Thomson broke through the middle but his attempts to keep off the challenge of his marker as he bore in on goal and possibly a little harshly he was punished with a foul against him.  David Allan was to be a major threat for County but Garry Leighton was quickly in to prevent a shot.

The visitors enjoyed possession and pressure but Scott McBride eased that with a strong run down the left and a good cross that David Kirkwood`s Ross County were happy to send behind for a corner. In 20 minutes Thomson`s control on the edge of the opposition box allowed a fine ball to the left side that McBride returned first time to Kris Maxwell but he was very unlucky to have his shot blocked.

Two minutes later a break by Lloyd Murphy led to a good shot that came back off the left post but ALLAN netted the rebound. Dunfermline tried hard to recover from the setback. 

Maxwell`s solo effort ending with a shot that curled wide right and then from a corner on the right, Stuart Dearden forced keeper Matthew Curtis to hold.

Chances kept coming at both ends after the break. Paul Willis tried a snapshot from 20 yards that went narrowly over the crossbar. Pars keeper Craig Bauld parried an Allan drive and covered back to gather the ball off his goal line.  In 59 minutes Gary MacLachlan headed a good try from a Willis corner on to the back of Maxwell.  But on the hour another Willis corner, again from the left was headed on target by Dearden.  Curtis stopped it but failed to hold leaving MAXWELL in no doubt as he rattled the ball into the net at the far post.

Ross County reclaimed the lead within two minutes.  A slick passing movement from Steven Cunningham through Allan to MURPHY did the damage but it was controversial in as much the Pars players had stopped for a throw in when the ball appeared to go out of play. Then in 73 minutes Murphy hooked a shot wide but wide enough to be into the path of substitute John CAMERON and he gave Bauld no chance of stopping it.

Despite valiant Dunfermline efforts to grab a goal back Ross County held out for an impressive win that must have given their Manager Dick Campbell much satisafaction as he looked on at the Fleet Ground since he expects some of these players to feature in his first team this season.