U19s v Queen of the South

SFL Youth League; McShane (27) 0-1; Leslie missed pen (47), Smillie (55) 0-2; Smillie (85) 0-3.

DUNFERMLINE 0 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 3

MATCH PICTURES
The Under 19s faced Queen of the South in the SFL Youth League on Sunday. Queens arrived at East End Park one point behind fourth placed Dunfermline but with two games in hand. Fraser Moncrieff was ill so Scott McIntosh started and it was Aaron Sommerville`s turn to start between the sticks. Despite three U19s being earmarked to travel to Dingwall on Tuesday with only one substitute and a keeper they were not going to be able to be rested at any stage. Queen of the South fielded two players who had featured for their first team the previous day against Stirling - Ian McShane and Ryan Smillie.

Scott McIntosh back in action

Sommerville was the first keeper put to the test with a cut out save from Steven Degnan`s pull back in eight minutes. Then Stewart Dixon in goals at the opposite end held both a corner and free kick from Aaron Scott. Shaun Byrne tried a shot from distance but the ball cleared the crossbar.

Kevin Holt forced a corner fot the visitors in 19 minutes but Smillie was too quick to shoot as the defence headed away and his shot was sliced wide right. He had more success with a drive and cross from the right in the next minute but Sommerville held before Justin Begg had time to reach the ball.

Dunfermline had been restricted to pumping balls into the box that Dixon had no difficulty with and the visitors deservedly took the lead in 27 minutes when Ian McSHANE brushed off the persistent challenge of Byrne, running from the centre circle all the way into the Pars box to smash the ball passed Sommerville through the narrowest space at his near post.

Ryan Smillie and Grant Munro

Four minutes later Degnan found space again on the left side and his fiercely struck shot was turned over his crossbar by Sommerville. then five minutes from the interval Scott McIntosh went down in a tackle immediately in front of the home dug out.  The player who was making his first start in eleven months following a cruciate op was helped off in obvious pain with an injury to the same knee. Ben Martin came on as play restarted three minutes later.

Scott McIntosh receives treatment

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Queen of the South 1

Dunfermline were handed a great opportunity to get back level in just the second minute of the second half. Kerr Young surged forward and the played the ball off Leslie to let Byrne burst in on goal. He was brushed aside and referee Lorraine Clark pointed to the spot. Steven Leslie took an extremely long run up and blasted the shot midway up the East Stand.

Instead it was the Dumfries side who scored, Ryan SMILLIE powering his way through the centre of the defence in 55 minutes to release a fine low shot that Sommerville could only half stop and the ball ran into his net off the left goalpost. 0-2.

Sommerville was quickly called upon again impressively fisting away an opportunist strike from 20 yards by Begg. Dunfermline went down to ten men Leslie had to retire with a groin injury in 72 minutes and Queens turned up the pressure again with Smillie in particular getting himself into promising positions.

McShane swung in a 78th minute free kick after Young was pulled up for a somewhat rustic tackle, but fortunately James McGowan`s header slipped wide right. Queens were to increase their lead when SMILLIE received a throw in on the right and curled the ball into the left of the Pars goal.

Smillie makes it 3-0 to the visitors

Queen of the South saw the match out to maintain an unbeaten record that stretches back to November last year.