U20s v Kilmarnock
Tuesday, 18th Dec 2012Pars at Rugby Park: Martin og (13) 1-0, Taylor (34) 2-0, Johnston (41) 3-0, Muirhead (73) 4-0; Byrne (81) 4-1; Slater (86 pen.) 5-1
MATCH PICTURES
The U20s travelled to Rugby Park on Tuesday night on duty hoping to build on the successful away win at Tynecastle two weeks before. Like that night they went behind early on, this time to an own goal.
Keeper Ryan Goodfellow was tested in 23 minutes but pulled off a good save and then right back Grant Munro had a good blocking tackle. Dunfermline began to look a bit more composed and Ivan D`Angelo flashed a fine cross through the six yard box but with no takers. Then in 28 minutes D`Angelo launched a 28 yard free kick at the Killie goal and was unlucky when his effort skimmed the roof of the net.
In 34 minutes Killie striker was played through and despite the efforts of the Pars defence to stop him Mark TAYLOR dragged the ball right before slotting past Goodfellow. 2-0 The Pars keeper had hardly got back on his feet when James Dayton tried a long range shot that the keeper did well to hold.
Allan Smith broke through the middle but was closed out before he could shoot but then he picked out D`Angelo on the left side of the box but his shot was saved. The home side then increased their lead when Kerr Young was unlucky in his efforts to cut out a cross from the left and his header dropped to Chris JOHNSTON who rammed home Killie`s third from 8 yards.
Half Time: Kilmarnock 3 Dunfermline 0
Scott Mercer replaced Fayssal El Bakhtaoui for the restart and within four more minutes Andy Ritchie came on for Jack Bruce who sustained a knock. Ritchie immediately exploited space down the left and was twice unlucky after reaching the Killie box. Declan O`Kane was also introduced in 62 minutes as John Potter committed his final substitute.
Dunfermline`s second half performance was much improved with more passes completed and better possession. Things only looked better temporarily however. Killie shoved on two subs in 73 minutes and within 30 seconds Robbie MUIRHEAD scooped the ball over Goodfellow from 20 yards to make it four.
Nine minutes from time Mercer`s continual harraying led to a slip up on the right and BYRNE pounched on a loose ball at the byeline before cutting back and sticking it past the advancing keeper. 4-1. Five minutes later Young was yellow carded for a push in the box and Craig SLATER stepped up to send the spot kick past Goodfellow.
This turned out to be a bad night in Ayrshire and Dunfermline just couldn`t stop Kilmarnock piling in the goals. The second half performance was much better from Potts` side and the scoreline was a little bit of an injustice.
Coach John Potter conceded that there was no doubt that Kilmarnock deserved to win but felt that the game shouldn`t have been a 5-1 game:-
"When you look back at the goals; there was an own goal, a couple of mistakes from us for the second and the fourth by just being sloppy in midfield and letting them hit on the counterattack. Kilmarnock were the better team especially in the first half. In the second half we were much more like ourselves but they were breaking away and being dangerous. We had told the boys to take care when trying to score a goal and watch at the back as well.
"We had more possession in the second half but at the same time we didn`t give their goalkeeper too many problems. The subs came on and did well. Andy Ritchie showed great enthusiasm at left back; he will give everything he has got even though it is not a natural position for him, Declan O`Kane and Scott Mercer gave us a bit of energy that forced Kilmarnock back a bit and let us get back in the game.
""Shaun Byrne was a different class to me, I thought that he was the best player on the pitch. He scored a great goal and I thought he was outstanding. Gerry McCabe spoke to him at the end of the game and told him that if he keeps doing what he is doing he can`t be far away from the first team. The rest of the boys need to look at how well Shaun has done and hopefully they can do the same."
KILMARNOCK: Anssi Jaakkola; Ross Barbour, Garry Hay, Craig Slater, Lee Ashcroft, Mark O`Hara (Ross Fisher 73), James Dayton (Robbie Muirhead 62), Ross Davidson, Mark Taylor (David McNeil 73), Jude Winchester, Chris JohnstonSUBS NOT USED: Devlin MacKay, Andrew Haney, Michael McKitrick.
SCORERS: Martin og (13), Taylor (34), Johnston (41), Muirhead (73), Slater (86)
DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Goodfellow; Grant Munro, Kerr Young, Lewis Martin, Jack Bruce (Andy Ritchie 49); Chris Kane, Ivan D`Angelo (Declan O`Kane 62), Shaun Byrne, Fayssal El Bakhtaoui (Scott Mercer HT), Allan Smith, Blair Henderson
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Spence, Scott Gray
SCORERS: Byrne (81)
YELLOW CARD: Young (86)
REFEREE: Craig Napier
WEATHER: Fine 6°C
ATTENDANCE
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