U19s v St Mirren
Saturday, 23rd Sep 2006St Mirren coach sent off, his team miss double take penalty and Pars take two goal victory.
DUNFERMLINE 2 ST MIRREN 0
St Mirren turned up on a beautiful sunny morning in Rosyth and as a consequence of not getting shots on target and missing the same second half penalty twice allowed their Dunfermline counterparts to teach them a lesson in grabbing victory. Two Calum Smith goals were gratefully received and although the Pars defence stuck to their task well the visitors had only themselves to blame for leaving with nothing from the match.
Derek Howie had the first goal attempt of the match when Scott McBride`s tenth minute corner from the left as cleared to the edge of the box and then thumped just over the crossbar. Saints threatened five minutes later with Andy Stirling bursting down the left to send over a good cross that Robbie Weir headed wide left.
St Mirren kept the territorial advantage forcing corners and free kicks. Dunfermline looked dangerous on the break especially when Nick Phinn laced through a fine ball for Alan McDonough forcing keeper Dan McColgan to race out and block. Then McDonough was provider, getting to the right byeline inside the Saints penalty box to cut back an inviting ball that was defended only as far as Phinn but although he got a shot on target, it lacked enough power to open the scoring.
At the midway stage Mark Docherty sent the ball wide for Craig Marr to centre but Robbie Weir failed to find the open goal and John McCulloch stepped in to belt the ball clear. In 31 minutes a diagonal ball into the box from the right from Marr went tantalisingly in front of Docherty and Stirling. Darren Stewart had to save from Weir close in before a simple move led to the Pars first goal.
Neil Fenwick swept a high ball over the Saints defence that Calum Smith ran on to and scooped over the keeper. The Saints coaching team protested that two Pars players were offside and after the Saints kicked off the referee was called back by his Assistant and the Saints coach Stewart Balmer was sent to the stand; well not quite - the other side of the railings.
Kevin Adam had a golden chance to make it level at the break but he failed to shoot when the 44th minute ball in from Marr looked like setting up the equaliser. Balmer must have got the message to Adam at half time because as the Pars kicked off the Saints no.10 robbed Howie and popped a shot at goal, albeit high after just 10 seconds.
McDonough felt that he should have been awarded a penalty in 47 minutes when Charlie Bradshaw`s fine ball into the six yard box called for some desperate defending. Smith tried to clip the ball in from the left side of the penalty box but his effort dropped just over the crossbar. Sean Muhsin played Bradshaw through on the right side of the Saints box but McColgan came out to block.
Smith`s chipped shot
The Paisley youngsters came storming back and for a twenty minute period had umpteen chances to get the equaliser. Adam dispossessed the defence and Stewart pulled off a good save. Then Stirling turned his defender but shot high. McCulloch had to step in to clear when Docherty`s pass to the right wing was returned by Marr but two minutes later in 77th of the match it looked as though the Pars luck had been broken.
Stirling`s shot was parried by Stewart and as the ball broke, Adam was pulled down as he was about to convert the loose ball and a penalty was given. Mark Docherty stepped up and his weak effort went straight to the keeper but the Assistant Referee who had been responsible for Balmer`s sending off had his flag raised. The penalty was to be re-taken. Gus McPherson watching from the sidelines with Scotland U19 supremo, Archie Knox was howling to change the kicker but Docherty took the re-take this time sending the ball tamely to the right allowing Stewart to save.
Eight minutes from the end Stirling sent another ball across the face of goal and despite getting two chances to net Saints failed again and the Pars defence cleared. Two minutes later Neil Fenwick was up for a free kick and McColgan had to produce a great save to keep the header out.
With St Mirren`s ideas running out, Dunfermline punished them further with a fast flowing move from Howie to McBride being met by Smith on the edge of the box to side foot into the far side of the net. A good result for Hamish French`s men but the opposition must have spent their journey back west contemplating how on earth they manage to lose this game.
Archie Knox (left) with Gus MacPherson
SUBS NOT USED: Sandy Nairn, Greg Paterson (GK)
SCORERS: Smith (34, 86)
ST MIRREN: Daniel McColgan; Alex Rawcliffe, Ryan Carr, Stephen McMinn, Marc McAusland, Calum McGregor, Craig Marr, Mark Docherty, Robbie Weir, Kevin Adam (Chris McMenamin 85), Andrew Stirling
SUBS NOT USED: Ben Carson, Steven Gaffney
YELLOW CARD: Docherty (60), McAusland (85)
REFEREE:
WEATHER: Sunny 17˚C
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