U20s v Inverness Caley Thistle
Tuesday, 6th Oct 2015SPFL Development League: Tuesday 6th October 2015, 6.00pm kick off at East End Park
DUNFERMLINE 0 INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE 0
Dunfermline U20s made two changes from the side that lost against Dundee United the previous week. David Hutton was between the sticks and John Potter came in for John James Henderson who dropped to the bench.
Inverness Caley Thistle included four of their unused subs in the Highland derby the previous weekend - Lewis Horner, Nathaniel Wedderburn, Danny Lopez and Ali Sutherland. The Highlanders kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end and forced a corner from their first attack. Their Spanish centre forward, Lopez and the Pars defence failed to get a conection as the ball was flashed across the Pars box from the left.
The first Dunfermline chances came from a Cammy McClair cross from the right and then a Johnny Galloway run in from the other wing that ended with a block on the youngsters shot. The Pars settled down and began to pass the ball around with an air of confidfence.
Inverness showed composure as well building up steadily from the back and Lopez got an attempt on goal way on 10 minutes but the 29 year old's shot from 20 yards went wide right. Stephen Rennie followed that up with a drive from the edge of the box that Hutton took at the second attempt.
Visiting keeper Cammy Mackay was made to save a 14th minute attempt from Paul Joseph Crossan but after a fair amount of park in the middle of the park Struan MacArthur was given a 21st minute chance after Wedderburn's pass was moved on by Sutherland but the no.6 shot low to the outside of Hutton's right hand post.
The Fifers won a corner on the left after Jordan Orru's run from deep panicked the opposition defence. Galloway sent in the corner but Mackay managed to punch away out of a crowded six yard box. Orru was then bundled off the ball on the edge of the box and James Thomas struck the crossbar from the free kick.
Play stopped in 31st minute when Potter's determination to head the ball on half way caused him to clash with Rennie. Kenny Murray came on but there was no way that was going to stop the 35 year old player/coach. Crossan and then Crawford running on to a Spence pass, had chances to put in telling balls but they just did not come off.
At the other end Stuart Morrison blocked a shot from Ali Stark as he tried to benefit from a Sutherland cut back. PJ Crossan made a strong run in 38th minute that he ended with a cut back to his near post but Caley Thistle blocked out Thomas and only a corner transpired. From that Luke got a short chance to shoot from 25 yards out but a blue and red shirt dived in to block the shot.
Not a bad first half from the Pars, a fairly even first half with both sides having had opportunities to score but neither keeper had really been given much testing so far.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Inverness Caley Thistle 0
The second half might have started badly after Wedderburn won possession off the Pars defence in 47th minute but chased by Orru, the former Cowdenbeath player's breakthrough into the right side of the box saw Hutton come to save at his feet. Macrea managed to plant a shot at Hutton too but the effort went straight to him.
A crunching Wedderburn tackle on Crawford set up Galloway with a free kick on the left but when he sent the ball into the Caley Thistle box it was routinely headed away. Although Crossan had a good attempt on 67 minutes that slipped narrowly wide it was the SPL club that tuurned up the pressure in the search for an opening.
A Lopez cut back was met by Macrea in the centre of the box but Hutton was well positioned to save. Danny Lopez made a strong run to end up in a shooting position but he hit his shot firmly into the sidenetting. A Macrea shot was saved by Hutton before the effect of substitutions bedded in.
Reece Duncan made Mackay save a shot from distance and Scott Sutherland tried to take the game to Caley Thistle. Galloway broke down an Inverness attack and broke with a calm touch as he searched for the best option. He found one as Thomas broke from the centre circle but the defence cut out his attempt to send Crossan in on the left.
In 84th minute sub Blair McLennan released a rocket of a shot from 30 yards bringing a superb save out of Hutton. Then therre was much hope for the Pars as they were awarded an indirect free kick for a picked up back pass only yards out from the Caley Thistle left goalpost. Eight opponents lined up along the goaline as Spence touched the ball back for Thomas to smash at goal but predictably the ball rebounded off one of the defenders.
Crossan made one last run, still finding loads of energy to run at the visitors' defence but when shut out for a shot squared for McClair but his blast was to go wildly into the McCathie Stand. No goals but an entertaining match nonetheless. The teams meet again at East End Park in the SFA Youth Cup on the first Sunday in November.
- - Listen to the post match thoughts of coach John Potter
DUNFERMLINE: David Hutton; Lewis Spence, Stuart Morrison, John Potter (Reece Duncan 63), Jordan Orru; Cammy McClair, Brandon Luke (Scott Sutherland 72), Robbie Crawford (John James Henderson 74), Johnny Galloway; James Thomas, Paul Joseph Crossan.SUBS NOT USED: Callum Smith, Cammy Gill (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Spence (77)
INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE: Cammy Mackay; Ali Stark (Jamie Wilson 85), Lewis Horner, Cameron Gilchrist, Calum Howarth; Stewart MacArthur (Blair MacLennan 64), Stephen Rennie (Kane Hull 80), Nathaniel Wedderburn, Andrew Macrea; Danny Lopez, Ali Sutherland.
SUBS NOT USED: Daniel Hoban (GK)
REFEREE: Scott Millar
WEATHER: Damp 15C
ATTENDANCE 80
NEXT MATCH: SPFL Development League (away) v St Johnstone. Tuesday 13th October 2015, kick off 6.00pm at McDiarmid Park
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