U20s v Hearts

Thomson (16), 1-0; Millen (27) 2-0, Moore (44) 3-0, Mercer (75) 4-

MATCH PICTURES
Jonathan Page played his first match as a Dunfermline player in the under 20s faced Hearts on Tuesday night at East End Park. It was 15th v 14th in the league and Hearts fielded possibly an even younger side than the Pars.

Hearts kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end but it was Faissal El Bakhtaoui who got in the first shot of the night on two minutes but he was wildly off target to the right. In eighth minute Jordan Moore turned his man as he received a throw in from Ross Drummond down near the left corner flag. Moore sent in a dangerous ball but Ryan Thomson turned the chance wide.

It was THOMSON who headed the Fifers into a 16th minute lead when he forcefully met a Ross Millen corner from the left. The goal gave the team confidence to maintain the pressure.  Moore persisted on the right to be able to gain ground into the Hearts box, he shot and keeper Jack Hamilton blocked, El Bakhtaoui hit the rebound and when that came back to Ross MILLEN he netted. 27 minutes played 2-0.

More corners and shots folowed until MOORE notched a third just before the break. The goal was headed in from a Drummond free kick from the right.

Half time: Dunfermline 3 Hearts 0

Hearts introduced Nathan Flanagan for the restart and it was him who broke away from a Dunfermline corner in 49 minutes to create a chance for Rhys Craigie that Ross Drummond blocked for a corner.  Two minutes later Buchanan headed narrowly outside the left post.

El Bakhtaoui collected the ball on half way made ground down the middle to lay off for Scott Mercer to shoot but that was stopped by the defence. Hearts came into game for a spell but didn`t really test Ryan Goodfellow in the Pars goal until 72nd minute when a Angus Beith free kick caused the keeper to dive to his right to concede a corner.  Fortunately that caused no problems and Dunfermline increased their lead with 15 minutes left.

MERCER scored the fourth goal of the night when Millen`s corner from the left fell to him to loop over keeper Jack Hamilton. Salt was rubbed further into the Jambos wounds in the last minute when new boy PAGE made it five from an Adam Forrest cross that Mercer headed back for a diving header to net.

MATCH PICTURES

Listen to John Potter`s post Hearts match comments