U20s v Partick Thistle

SP

Firhill for thrills was also Firhill for spills when the U20s faced Partick Thistle on Tuesday night. The match was fairly uneventful until 85th minute when a mass punch up erupted.  Dunfermline`s Chris Kane was red carded for the second time in three games and Thistle lost two players Gary Fraser and Dale Keenan.

A goal down Kane, challenged Fraser for the ball in midfield. They ended up on the deck and the Thistle player lashed out. Kane retaliated and everybody else fired in. Those two plus Keenan were red carded as feet and fists hit out.

The first half had seen the hosts come close after eight minutes when Ryan Goodfellow`s save rebounded over the bar off an opponent. The Pars closest came from a Ryan Ferguson cross that Scott Mercer sent over the bar. A determined run from Lewis Martin played in left back Luke Johnston but the final ball was just too strong.

In 24 minutes Fayssal El Bakhtaoui produced a shot that the Thistle keeper got his fingertips to. Next the keeper cut out a dangerous ball in from Johnston and then from a throw in on the right that Williamson took, the defender received it back to send a diagonal ball through the box that Johnston came close to converting.

Jordan Leyden got in a shot but straight at Goodfellow while at the other end El Bakhtaoui tried unsuccessfully to lob the keeper.

Half Time: Partick Thistle 0 Dunfermline 0

The second half opened with two good chances for Thistle, Goodfellow parried a shot and then a follow up header was blocked by a defender and subsequently cleared. A 54th minute free kick was delivered by Mercer to the far post but Smith couldn`t take the chance.

Caolan McAleer made a break down the left in 59 minutes leaving Williamson in his slipstream. Declan O`Kane stopped the opponent in the box but it was an unarguable penalty. Chris DUGGAN took the spot kick sending Goodfellow the wrong way. 1-0.

Dunfermline equalised 13 minutes later from a Ferguson free kick. The ball was sent high into the penalty box and O`KANE rose to loop the ball over the goalie and into the net`s top left. 1-1

The Fifers hit the crossbar two minutes later but it was Thistle who were to find the net for the winner. A corner was cheaply conceded on the right and after it was defended was crossed back in low for DUGGAN to score again. 2-1

Partick sub James Martin was denied by Goodfellow and Dunfermline`s last chance was when Williamson broke through but he failed to get his shot away.