U20s v Aberdeen

The Under 20s took on Aberdeen at East End Park on Tuesday night. 

MATCH PICTURES
The Under 20s took on Aberdeen at East End Park on Tuesday night. The visitors kicked off at 6.00pm attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end.

Play was even until Nicky Low got in the first shot of the game, his sixth minute effort going wide. Lewis Martin came close to getting on the end of a Scott Mercer free kick before Dunfermline took an 19th minute lead. The goal was made by Alex Whittle carrying the ball down the left before cutting in to set up Allan SMITH to head home. 1-0

Marcus Campanile narrowly missed latching on to a cross to the far post. Then Low sent over two corners from the right on the half hour before Wright`s corner from the left was chested away.  Three minutes later Kerr Young was just too short with his leap to convert another Mercer free kick.

There were two narrow escapes for the Pars in 39 minutes. Firstly Alan O`Sullivan headed narrowly wide as the ball bounced through the six yard box and then O`Sullivan got in on the left but Ryan Goodfellow cut out the cross before Declan McManus could convert and the defence did well to sweep away the loose ball.

Just before the break Smith sent Paul Joseph Crossan through on the break but his shot picked out Dons keeper Craig Burns. At the other end there was time for Craig Murray to keep the ball in and cut back for McManus but Goodfellow pulled off a fine save to keep the Pars ahead at the interval.

Half time: Dunfermline 1 Aberdeen 0

Whittle was played out towards the left corner flag on 58 minutes by Shaun Byrne but a defender`s diving header cleared the threat. Scott Gray replaced Crossan on the hour and he might have been closer to Whittle`s cross in 65 minutes after the Liverpudlian had made a fantastic burst down the left.

Next it was Smith who sent over a great ball from the right that just evaded the inrushing Whittle. Rose stopped Smith in his tracks 24 yards out and while Mercer stood over the 70th minute free kick Martin thrashed a shot on target but the Dons wall did its job.

Young headed a Mercer corner over the bar before in 81 minutes Smith sent sub Cammy McClair through on the keeper but the Dons stopper managed to deflect the shot behind for a corner.  There was quite a stramash when Mercer sent in the cross but Byrne`s shot was dispatched over the bar.

Six minutes from time Michael Kelly`s free kick was met at the far post by Campanile but thankfully Goodfellow beat away the effort. Next minute Goodfellow was forced well out of his goals to challenge Campanile but although round the Pars keeper birthday boy Lewis Martin saved the day with a block on the shot.

An impressively worked move sealed the points for the Pars in 89 minutes. Smith stepped over the ball when McClair cut the ball back to Mercer and he threaded a finely weighted pass through for GRAY to score off the right goalpost. 2-0