Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

East Fife 1 Dunfermline 2

Saturday, 30th Jun 2018

First Pre Season Friendly of 2018-2019 season. Jonathan Court (60) 1-0: Matthew Todd (62) 1-1: Lewis McCann (81) 1-2

Seventeen year olds Matty Todd and Lewis McCann scored the goals that saw Dunfermline hit back from 2-1 down to win the first pre season friendly at East Fife.

The East End club travelled to the Kingdom’s far east for their first pre season friendly against East Fife. Allan Johnston fielded a strong eleven for the first half and a younger team in the second for the last 30 minutes.

First sight in a Pars shirt, albeit the new away strip, for Mark Durnan, Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge, Louis Longridge and Aidan Connolly. Trialist on the left wing for the hosts was former Par Scott McBride.

Louis Longridge got the match underway with the Pars attacking the goal at the Forth end. The first attempt from either side came in ninth minute when Scott Agnew’s snap shot from 25 yards out dipped narrowly over Cammy Gill’s crossbar. Five more minutes passed before a Jackson Longridge cross targeted James Craigen but it had just too much altitude.

A better chance materialised on 15 minutes when Louis Longridge pumped a useful ball into the left side of the East Fife box for Craigen to cut back and Kallum Higginbotham was just squeezed out as he tried to finish from in front of goal.

An 18th minute corner for the opposition was delivered in from the left and from a bunch of Pars players the ball was duly defended. There was then a bit of a let off when as Jonathan Court made his way back out of the Pars box after recovering from a knock, Ryan Williamson played the ball against him allowing the striker a shot but that was not on target.

Williamson then showed some slick play, keeping the ball in on the touchline and interchanging with Higginbotham and L Longridge but then running out of pitch. He next produced another good marauding run that earned the Pars their first corner in 26 minutes but that was defended.

L Longridge then picked out Ryan and he got through for a shot at an angle from the left but drove his effort narrowly wide left. In 38 minute Ryan had another chance to shoot from 25 yards out but was wide right.

When L Longridge was taken down by Davidson the Pars were given a chance to shoot from a free kick in a central position 25 yards out. Unluckily Craigen’s setpiece effort just cleared Long’s crossbar.

Two minutes from the break a cracking pass from Higginbotham curled into the path of Connolly on the left but the new boy’s attempt went over the bar.

Half time: East Fife 0 Dunfermline 0

The thirteen subs were put through their paces by Stevie Crawford at the interval but there were no changes to the Dunfermline Athletic side at the restart. East Fife manager Darren Young made three changes withdrawing McBride, Dunsmore and Thomson to bring on Kevin Smith, Chris Kane and a trialist.

A Higginbotham slip gave East Fife to quickly counter and there were five v three at the back but Agnew and two Trialists combined to fail to take the chance. Almost immediately Connolly sent L Longridge through on goal but he unselfishly tried to square for Ryan and the pass was intercepted.

East Fife sub Kane got a warning from the referee for a robust tackle on Ryan before in 58 minutes Dunfermline substituted their entire team!

Things looked to have gone badly wrong when Jonathan COURT opened the scoring for East Fife within two minutes but a slick move and a good cutbackfrom Lewis McCann two more minutes on, laid on a great chance that Matty TODD put away with style. 1-1

The young Dunfermline side were applauded regularly by the travelling support for some impressive passing play and in 79 minutes they really appreciated it when Todd spread the ball out right for Crosbie and then on to Robertson. That move ran out of pitch but two minutes later another impressive move involving Josh Robertson and Paul Allan saw the former lace the ball into the path of McCANN who dispatched the ball on an angle into the far side of the opposition net. 1-2

EAST FIFE: Brett Long; Aaron Dunsmore (Chris Kane HT), Pat Slattery, Ross Davidson (Trialist 61), Daryl Meggatt, Craig Watson (c), Craig Thomson(Kevin Smith HT), Liam Watt, Jonathan Court (Trialist 61), Scott Agnew (Trialist 69), Trialist (Trialist HT)
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Kane, Kevin Smith, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist.
SCORERS: Court (60)

DUNFERMLINE: First 58 minutes- Cammy Gill; Ryan Williamson, Mark Durnan, Danny Devine (c), Lewis Martin, Jackson Longridge; Kallum Higginbotham, James Craigen, Aidan Connolly; Louis Longridge, Andy Ryan. From 58 minutes - Trialist, Josh Robertson, Gregor Jordan, Stuart Morrison (c), Kieran Swanson: Lewis Crosbie, Matty Todd, Paul Allan, Brandon Luke: Trialist, Lewis McCann
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Sawers, Paul Brown, Trialist.
SCORERS: Todd (62), McCann (81)
YELLOW CARD: Ryan (36)

REFEREE: G Irvine
WEATHER: 18C Sunny
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: Pre Season Friendly v Raith Rovers, Wednesday 4th July 2018, 8.00pm kick off at Bayview.

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