Dunfermline 6 Clydebank 0
Saturday, 15th Apr 2000SFL First Division
Scott Thomson (7), Stevie Crawford (10, 25), Lee Bullen (38), Ian Ferguson (51), Eddie May (65)
On what turned out to be a significant day in the First Division Dunfermline fielded the side that played the full 90 minutes at Ayr on Tuesday night. Stevie Morrison’s Clydebank already destined to Second Division football next season were out to prove their road traffic delayed journey was worth it.
Dunfermline kicked off at 3.34pm towards the 500 Young Pars seated in the East Stand Right from the start Dunfermline took control The 3-5-2 starting formation soon became 3-4-3 as Stewart Petrie found himself able to push up
Clydebank were caught out by Justin Skinner’s ball from deep and Lee Bullen forced a corner From the Petrie corner on the right Scott THOMSON rose above everyone else to head home a simple goal Seven minutes gone 1-0
Jason Dair was next to trouble the Bankies defence when a clever 1-2 with Crawford A Petrie free kick from 25 yards was touched over by Hutchison The quickly taken corner from the right was half cleared to Petrie out left His cross found the head of Lee Bullen whose header back across the six yard box required just a nod in by Stevie CRAWFORD
With quarter of an hour on the clock Bullen clattered the advertising boards to the left of the Clydebank goal
Ian Cameron combined with McKelvie to force a save from Kris Mampaey after 24 minutes and just as the quips were “Come on Pars you’ve not scored for ten minutes Stevie CRAWFORD burst straight through the Bankies defence and ran in on the keeper Ian Ferguson was arriving fast to take the cross but the Pars top scorer notched another slipping the ball under the keeper
Next John Potter put Crawford away up the right flank and as he closed in on goal with a twist and turn put in a shot that Hutchison saved with his feet Colin Sutherland seemed to severely injure himself as he tried to stop Crawford’s efforts and he was carried off to be replaced by Hunter
Dunfermline kept coming; Bullen touching the ball into Dair’s path but he blasted over the crossbar Ferguson then initiated a smart move involving Crawford and Bullen but Petrie just failed to meet the cross
Goal number four arrived soon though when Michael Doesburg in his own half placed a perfectly weighted ball out on the right for Lee BULLEN to run on to The striker produced a fantastic solo effort to net even though Petrie was arriving to convert any pass
Scott Thomson had a pop at goal before play switched to the other end and a Justin Skinner mistake was almost punished by Hunter whose bending shot just negotiated the far side of Mampaey’s left hand post
Four up at half time, play had been confident and fruitful for the Pars Inside the first 30 seconds of the second half Hunter almost beat Mampaey as the keeper scrambled the ball out from under him
Crawford turned provider for goal 5 when he played a return to his skipper The touch down was collected on the edge of the penalty box and drilled home by Ian FERGUSON
Goal 6 was supplied courtesy of yet again, an industrious Eddie May Lee Bullen’s cross was met by MAY who slotted in the goal to add further to the misery of Clydebank
Two minutes later Petrie homed in on the Bankies goal but won only a corner From the corner the ball was cleared out only as far as Ian Ferguson and he popped one over from 25 yards
Owen Coyle who had been warming up as sub for the last 160 minutes was then introduced with Jason Dair going off Bullen dropped back into midfield and Doesburg switched to the left
The Dutchman immediately linked with Petrie who rounded the defence and sent the ball flashing across the six yard box without connection being made
Stevie Crawford appeared to have split the opposition defence yet again in the 73rd minute when he was hauled down by Steve Murray Crawford’s reaction resulted in him joining Murray on the ref’s yellow card list and the Clydebank man has to be rated as fortunate to have avoided red
Owen Coyle sent a Petrie cross into the sidenetting before the unusually quiet home support joined the 30-40 noisy Bankies songsters with the chant of Stevie Morrison
The former Dunfermline midfielder, now Manager of Clydebank, seemed determined to get a run on the park he used to grace so well A big ovation met his 80th minute appearance David Graham and Andy Tod were both pushed on as both teams exhausted their benches
A Graham back heeler almost set up a gem of a goal for Scott Thomson Then Coyle had two attempts to beat the keeper while Crawford somehow missed out on his hattrick
Dunfermline’s performance was sound throughout with a relaxed almost training ground stroking about of the ball Many of the touches came off as the Bankies were completely outplayed Disappointing perhaps that we should have scored more and I certainly had expectations of ten with 25 minutes left
With St Mirren winning 2-1 at Livingston and Falkirk beating Raith Rovers 1-0 it now looks extremely likely that the title will end up in Paisley and that Dunfermline will be promoted without play offs as Falkirk are now 5 points ahead of Raith Rovers.
SUBS NOT USED:
SCORERS: Thomson (7), Crawford (10, 25), Bullen (38), Ferguson (51), May (65)
YELLOW CARD: Crawford (73)
CLYDEBANK: Stephen Hutchison: Stevie Murray, Jamie Mackay, Fraser Wishart, Kenny Brannigan (Allan Stewart 55), Colin Sutherland (Murray Hunter 31), James McKinstrey, Lee Gardner, Danny McKelvie (Stephen Morrison (80), Ian Cameron, Greig Miller
SUBS NOT USED:
YELLOW CARD: McKelvie (53), Murray (73)
REFEREE: Alan Freeland
WEATHER: Cold and showery
ATTENDANCE 4969
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