Dunfermline 1 BK Hacken 1
Wednesday, 15th Aug 2007A draw and conceding a goal at home makes it a tough task to progress in UEFA Cup Second Qualifying Round.
There were three changes from Saturday`s starting line up; Tam McManus and Stevie Crawford dropped to the bench and Scott Muirhead was out after sustaining an injury in training. Jim Hamilton and Stephen Simmons were on from the start and Scott Wilson returned having recovered from his calf strain.
Pre match the atmosphere was quiet but expectant with everyone hoping that the return of European football to East End Park after a gap of over 37 years was not going to be a one off. Swedish Division One club BK Hacken provided the opposition but they were stunned by a Dunfermline goal after just 55 seconds. Kevin Harper won a corner on the right after 20 seconds and although that was delivered in a very tame way, Dunfermline won possession and Darren Young lofted a high ball into the box. A defender sent the air soaring into the evening sky and when it came down to earth, Sol Bamba was high above his opponents to head the ball beyond K?llqvist but the crossbar saved the Swedes. Jim HAMILTON was on hand at the left goalpost to grab the early goal. What a start!
Hacken responded with a rocket of a free kick from 35 yards by the Brazilian José Antônio Periera and Roddy McKenzie had to drop down to his left to hold. The match was still inside the third minute when a Scott Thomson pass back was hoofed in the air by McKenzie. He was challenged by Dioh Williams but neither player could find the ball over their heads and eventually Williams got a connection that went wide right as McKenzie covered back.
McKenzie hurt himself as he fell on top of a low cross from the left and after a lengthy period while the physio Gerry Docherty and Doctor Bobby Robertson tried to repair him but the thigh strain forced him to retire so Sean Murdoch was introduced in 10th minute to make his senior debut.
Next a Glass free kick was sent through the Hacken box with Bamba and Wilson just failing to reach the strongly hit delivery. Bamba lived dangerously at the other end, losing possession on the left side of his penalty box and letting Hacken cut the ball back for a shot from the edge of the box that went high over the crossbar into the empty East Stand.
At the midway point of the first half Shields picked out Burchill and he played the ball off Hamilton on 18 yards but fell in his challenge to head at goal. No penalty for the challenge.
A 26th minute free kick from Glass tried to find Hamilton but a corner was won and Thomson was wide with his headed effort. Glass tried something different with another free kick just three minutes later. This time he hit the ball straight for Burchill to run on to in the left side of the box. His cross was cleared only as far as Harper and when he slipped the pass to Hamilton Hacken were saved by a defender`s block.
On the half hour Hacken had two good attempts and there were deep sighs of relief all around East End Park when Murdoch saved from Williams and then after a cut back from Henriksson was sent over the top by Williams. In 33rd minute Harper sent a free kick in from the left touch line and Bamba could not take the half chance at the far post.
Hacken were far from out of things, they were getting in a worrying amount of crosses, off target shots and winning the odd corner. With a stoppage for a late tackle on Scott Thomson in addition to the delay when changing keepers there were four added minutes at the end of the regulation 45.
The Hacken keeper made no mistake clutching Harper`s cross to deny Hamilton and the Pars ended the half attacking but at the break there was just the one goal separating the sides.
Half Time: Dunfermline 1 BK Hacken 0
A medial knee strain meant Scott Thomson was replaced by Scott Morrison for the restart, Greg Shields assuming the captain`s armband. Burchill almost got the second half off to a flyer racing beyond the defenders on to a Scott Wilson free kick but despite his speed he just couldn`t catch the chance.
The Pars fans were bursting into song after two near things in 50th minute. Periera earned himself a yellow card for his foul on Young and from the free kick Bamba flick the ball into the path of Hamilton who from a tight angle hit the right goalpost. A minute later Burchill broke into the right side of the Hacken box, he checked and as three defenders closed him down teed up Simmons to launch a good shot that hit the wrong side of the roof of the net.
Dunfermline`s young goalkeeper was having a good debut game until in 57th minutes he came for a ball on the right side of his area. Williams was running towards Murdoch but the ball bounced over the substitute keeper`s head. A touch from the keeper had slowed the ball and HENRIKSSON latched on to it to score an extremely soft equaliser.
Simmons went down in the Hacken box and then Burchill felt that he too should have had a penalty. His dissent won him only a yellow card. Sean Murdoch redeemed himself a bit with a great save from Daniel Larsson as Hacken seemed to step up the pressure. The orange shirts raced around and they completed a deeply concerning amount of passes.
Glass had a wild attempt that was high over the top before he had two free kicks in from the right touchline. From the second Harper prodded the ball into the left side of the Hacken box where Bamba just could not control the bouncing ball and the defence turned the ball away for a corner.
In 75th minute Sean Murdoch pulled off another fine stop from Sk?lason and then from a corner Williams header was headed clear at the far post by Bamba. Dunfermline won a corner on the right from a Hamilton challenge and when Harper whizzed the ball through the six yard box Bamba, Hamilton and Wilson all failed to get the vital touch.
Six minutes remained when Darren Young found himself with an inviting ball on the edge of the Hacken box but his well struck shot was blocked by Mats Hed?n. Next Bamba wound up for a shot from a Harper cross but his wild shot was well wide right.
Three added minutes were shown as the Pars pushed for a winner but it was the Swedish side that should have clinched it when in 93rd minute Henriksson`s run down the left was squared and somehow Williams missed the chance and luck was with the Pars as Scott Morrison`s attempt to clear went behind him and around the far post.
In disappointment, the home crowd booed at the end in recognition that their team will have a really hard task to win through in Gothenburg in a fortnight`s time. For one unfortunate 21 year old this match will be remembered forever for a terrible goalkeeping blunder lets hope things can be different in the Ullevi.
DUNFERMLINE: Roddy McKenzie (Sean Murdoch 10); Greg Shields, Souleymane Bamba, Scott Wilson, Scott Thomson (c)(Scott Morrison HT); Kevin Harper, Darren Young, Stephen Simmons ( Owen Morrison 78), Stephen Glass; Jim Hamilton, Mark Burchill
SUBS NOT USED: Tam McManus, Phil McGuire, Stevie Crawford, Nick Phinn
SCORERS: Hamilton (1)
YELLOW CARD: Burchill (62), Young (70)
BK HACKEN: Christoffer Källqvist; Johan Lind, Mats Hedén, David Marek, Daniel Larsson ( Peter Olofsson 87); Jonas Henriksson, José Antônio Periera, Robert Mambo Mumba, Ari Freyr Skúlason; Dioh Williams, Daniel Forsell.
SUBS NOT USED: Alexander Hysén (GK), Teddy Lucic, Jesper Ljung, Erik Friberg, Fredrik Holster
SCORERS: Henriksson (57)
YELLOW CARD: Periera (49)
REFEREE: Robert Kranjc (Slovenia)
WEATHER: Dry 14ºC
ATTENDANCE 6017
NEXT MATCH: (away) v Livingston, Sunday 19th August kick off 3.00pm
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Preview BK Hacken
Monday, 13th Aug 2007"They will maybe come and attack to try and get an away goal but I would think nine times out of ten they will come and sit in and maybe take a draw.
It`s three years since Dunfermline were knocked out of the last UEFA Cup by the Icelandic part timers from FH Hafnarfjordur. Even though thirty-four years and seven months had elapsed since their last European match against Anderlecht, there had been great optimism that was going to be be the start of a campaign. Unfortunately for all those Fifers who banked on that, the Laugardalsvollur Stadium in Reykjavik was going to be the only match on foreign soil .
This time around, even with a draw against a relegated team struggling to keep their heads up in Sweden`s second flight, no one is going to consider this an automatic pass to the next round. BK H?cken will arrive in Scotland on Wednesday on the back of a 2-0 home win over Landskrona. In Monday night`s match they relied on goals from Jonas Henriksson (pen.) and Dioh Williams. Last Friday they had a 1-0 away win at Falkenbergs FF, a team they defeated 7-2 on their home ground at the start of the Swedish season.
H?cken who are currently seventh in the Superettan, defeated KR Reykavik 1-0 with a late goal in Iceland to go through after a 1-1 draw at home. After the opening two matches of the Scottish First Division season Dunfermline know that there is no such thing as an easy game. BK H?cken will be no different and they will be looking at the Pars current form and saying to themselves `we have a great chance`.
H?cken from Christoffer K?llqvist, Alexander Hys?n, Johan Lind, Mats Hed?n, Teddy Lucic, Emil Wahlstr?m, David Marek, Jesper Ljung, Z? Ant?nio, Dioh Williams, Roger Risholt, Robert Mambo Mumba, Hasse Berggren, Daniel Larsson, Marcus Jarlegren, Erik Friberg, Fredrik Holster, Ari Freyr Sk?lason, Jonas Henriksson, Daniel Forsell, Peter Olofsson, Anders Carlsson, Jakob Karlgren, Tom S?derberg, Paulo Jos? de Oliveiera
McDiarmid Park, August 2004
In August 2004 the much berated artificial surface denied East Park of its first European action since that cold January night back in 1970. This Thursday fans will turn out at East End Park to witness their team`s return to the European stage. That in itself will be special for the City and Royal Burgh but all those home fans turning out for this all ticket game will be hoping that the football is just as special.
When drawn at home it is important not to allow your opponents an away goal but it is equally important to try and secure an advantage to take to Scandinavia. Captain Scott Thomson expects the Swedes to be content to contain the Fifers:-
"They will maybe come and attack to try and get an away goal but I would think nine times out of ten they will come and sit in and maybe take a draw. Then take us back to Sweden where they`d fancy their chances. They are all big games for us but in Europe you want to stay in the competition and get into the group stages. That gets us money for the club, that`s what we want to do."
Dunfermline have met Swedish opposition before, ?rgryte IS from Gothenburg in the 1964-65 Inter Cities Fairs Cup. A 4-2 lead from the first leg was enough to see Willie Cunningham`s side through to face Stuttgart. Back in October 1964, with Jim Herriott in goal, the Pars kept a clean sheet in the old Ullevi Stadium in front of a measly 1341 spectators.The Pars have played 44 European ties to date, winning 23 of them, which is not a bad record.
|
Summary of European games played so far | ||||||
|
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A | |
| UEFA Cup | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
|
Inter Cities Fairs Cup |
28 |
16 |
3 |
9 |
49 |
31 |
|
Cup Winners Cup |
14 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
34 |
14 |
|
Total |
42 |
23 |
5 |
14 |
83 |
45 |
| The Complete European Record | ||||||
So can Dunfermline reproduce some of their past Euro triumphs in 2007? It would be a supreme optimist that thought the Pars could reach the final of the competition in Manchester, but getting past H?cken to the first round proper where the big boys enter the fray would be a result at this stage.
Match Report: 26/08/04 Dunfermline 1 FH Hafnarfjordur 2
Match Report: 12/08/04 FH Hafnarfjordur 2 Dunfermline 2
Come on ye Pars.
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