NEC Nijmegen 0 Dunfermline 0

Mini tournament where the Pars played 90 minutes but the first 45 against the amateurs and then the next against NEC.

The Pars drove south from Delden through the leafy Dutch countryside to meet local amateurs, Neede and Dutch Premier League side NEC Nijmegen in a mini tournament on the home of the amateurs.

It is a strange feeling to walk through the streets of a remote foreign village and meet up with football fans you have previously met at East End Park. Such was the feeling when Bert and his 7 NEC fellows met up with the Pars fans in Neede.

Bert had led the party to watch Jack de Gier play in what turned out to be his last match for the Pars against St Johnstone back in November. Even Jack de Gier and Pete Schrivers turned up in Neede to watch the Fifers take on the locals.

This was a mini tournament where the Pars played 90 minutes but the first 45 against the amateurs and then the next against NEC. NEC then took on Neede over 45 minutes.

NEEDE 0 DUNFERMLINE 4

Dunfermline settled into this game slowly taking time to realise that all that was required of them was to work out a route through the amateurs defence.

The interchange after 15 minutes between Nish and Brewster ended with young Colin firing over the crossbar. That warning was not heeded by the Neede defence and when Fotheringham came storming up the right wing in the next minute NISH was on hand to slot the cross home from 15 yards.

On 20 minutes Derek Stillie was way out of his box to turn a clearance into a counterattack. The ball broke to Gary Dempsey who made ground up the right before crossing to the awaiting Nish and Brewster. Unfortunately the ball was cut out before it reached its intended targets,

Two minutes later Nish exploited a slack clearance, his cross didn`t reach Craig Brewster as he got flattened in the box and Davie Nicholls smashed the chance over the crossbar.

On 26 minutes a Barry Nicholson corner from the right was met by Scott Thomson but Nish failed to turn in the chance at the far post. Next Jason Dair pkayed a neat 1-2 off Colin Nish to send over a cross that Craig Brewster met only to be saved by the keeper.

Gary Dempsey headed a chance over the crossbar before he received a Barry Nicholson corner on the right, Dempsey was standing unmarked on the near side of the box. Barry took note and Dempsey was allowed ample time to pick his spot. The cracking shot on the half hour came in from 20 yards out and found the net courtesy of a BREWSTER defection.

George FOTHERINGHAM was next in on the act when in the following minute he sped up the right played a 1-2 off Barry Nicholson and stuck the ball away in an experienced way.

The fourth goal came when Brewster sent Nicholls deep into the left side of the box. The ex Falkirk man lined up a great cross for BREWSTER who put it away with some deceptive footwork.

NEC NIJMEGEN 0 DUNFERMLINE 0

The opening 15 minutes of this mini tournament match against NEC must have worried the Pars but composure returned to settle the play down after 20 minutes.

Neat head tennis between Crawford and Brewster almost broke the deadlock after 16 minutes and NEC had their chances as the Pars defence was stretched to deal with some of their inventiveness.

It did look as though there was no way through when Scott Walker` header was cleared and then a Scott Thomson free kick was deflected high over the cross bar.
On 36 minutes there was drama as a Petrie clearance rebounded off a red faced referee and set up a surprise NEC counterattack. With two minutes remaining Kevin McLeish bravely won the ball in open play. The ball was fed to Brewster but the ex Hibs man could not put away the first or second chance.

So it was that the first meeting between Jimmy Calderwood`s previous and current clubs was settled on penalties. Derek Stillie remarkably saved the first three attempts. Dair and Nicholson put the Pars into a two goal lead but when Scott Thomson and then Scott Walker failed to net for the Pars it was left up to Stewart PETRIE to win the day.

3-2 on penalties will do for Calderwood in a match that his team came back into strongly towards the end and NEC looked more like the physical Scottish side.

ParsTV Highlights To Follow for First team matches.

Match Photos To Follow.