Dunfermline 1 Ross County 2
Saturday, 21st Feb 2009Brewster put County one up on stroke of half time. Graham Bayne equalised on the hour. Higgins made it 1-2 in 67.
Scott Thomson dropped out with a calf injury, and Graham Bayne was preferred to Andy Kirk. Calum Woods was at right back and Stephen Glass made the bench after an absence of six weeks.
For Ross County Craig Brewster, Steven Watt and Andy Dowie came in to replace Dyron Daal and the suspended duo of Scott Boyd and Alex Keddie. Brew was back at his very familiar location, the centre spot to get the match underway with the visitors attacking the goal in front of the McCathie Stand.
The first real chance of the game came to Nick Phinn in the fifth minute. A knock down from Bayne to Bell was slipped left to the midfielder but his shot from 20 yards just cleared the crossbar. The Pars had a reasonable start but apart from Phinn`s effort, County kept them away from shooting opportunities for the opening 15 minutes.
Brittain lobbed over a high ball that Brewster headed tamely into the hands of Paul Gallacher but it was 21st minute before his counterpart, Derek Soutar, was forced into serious action fisting away a Graeme Holmes corner. Steven Watt was rather lucky not to put the ball in his own net when conceding that corner off a firmly struck Holmes cross.
In 24th minute there were close escapes at either end. Firstly Mark McCulloch hooked away a Wilson header and then as Richie Hart broke he squared an inviting ball for Steven Craig on the edge of the box but he completely miscued.
Phinn headed a good McCann cross over the crossbar in 32nd minute but this period of the match was characterised with the lack of goalmouth action. McIntyre and McCabe consulted on what to change in order to inject some urgency into the play and the home support grew increasingly unhappy with the ball being passed back to Gallacher.
In 45th minute a Bell-Holmes-Bell exchange almost broke the deadlock but Soutar cut out the low cross and his defence belted the ball away. Then play switched to the other end and Ross failed to cut out the ball into the box for Sean Higgins and the Ross County man presented Craig BREWSTER with the easiest of chances to slot the ball past Gallacher from six yards.
The half time whistle was greeted by jeers from the home support who were disappointed at the half time scoreline and with the first half performance.
Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Ross County 1
The second half started promisingly for Athletic with Phinn heading a Woods cross on to the crossbar after only 20 seconds. The visitors forced two corners in 48 minutes with Bell clearing the first into the CCW East Stand.
Eight minutes into the half, with the match again getting into a stalemate, David Graham was introduced in place of Rory Loy. It was Ross County who had the next chance however when Corrigan`s 59th minute pass to Brewster on the right side of the box was laid back to the unmarked Andy Dowie. Fortunately his low shot from the edge of the box went straight on to the boot of a defender.
Andy Kirk replaced Greg Ross on the hour and when play resumed Holmes free kick was flighted in from the right for BAYNE to head home into the right side of the net. The goal roused the crowd from its slumber and on the field the team in black and white rallied.
A Graham cross was clipped away by Watt but then as the game approached its final quarter, things took an unwelcome twist with the visitors regaining their lead. Calum Woods was turned by Hart out wide and his squared cross was headed home by Sean HIGGINS from only four yards out.
In 74th minute Jamie Mole replaced Calum Woods as Dunfermline went to a 3-4-3 formation but still it was County who threatened with Brewster making Gallacher stop a stinging shot from 25 yards.
Two minutes later the crossbar yet again saved Ross County as Andy Kirk fired a 25 yard free kick on to the woodwork and Bell could not get enough control on the rebound to net. Time and time again Shields and Wilson were finding themselves pumping balls forward that the opposition defence were just mopping up with monotonous regularity.
Five minutes from the end, Phinn managed to flick a pass on to Bayne on the edge of the box but his hurried shot was never going to trouble the yellow shirted keeper. Brewster received a standing ovation from both travelling and many home fans as he came off for John Stewart in 87. The former Pars man had run all afternoon and deserved all the credit.
Holmes low corner in from the left two minutes later was driven wide of the near post by Shields and after that the cause was lost. This was the Pars sixth home defeat in 13 league games and with league leaders St Johnstone held to a draw at Dumfries yet another missed opportunity to press for promotion. Dundee and Partick`s wins took them above Dunfermline who dropped to fourth.
DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher, Calum Woods (Jamie Mole 74), Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c), Austin McCann; Greg Ross (Andy Kirk 60); Steven Bell, Graeme Holmes, Nick Phinn; Rory Loy (David Graham 53), Graham Bayne.SUBS NOT USED: Stephen Glass, Callum Reidford (GK)
SCORERS: Bayne (60)
YELLOW CARD: Woods (45)
ROSS COUNTY: Derek Soutar; Martyn Corrigan, Andy Dowie, Steven Watt, Stuart Golabek; Richard Brittain, Sean Higgins (Michael Gardyne 72), Mark McCulloch, Richie Hart (Scott Morrison 90+2); Steven Craig, Craig Brewster (John Stewart 87).
SUBS NOT USED: Joe Malin (GK), Martin Scott.
SCORERS: Brewster (45+1), Higgins (67)
REFEREE: George Salmond
WEATHER: Fine 10°C
ATTENDANCE 3331
NEXT MATCH: (away) Irn Bru First Division v Morton
Saturday 28th February 2009, kick off 3.00pm
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Preview Ross County
Wednesday, 18th Feb 2009Highland opponents have a special Brew in their midst.
Saturday`s First Division match against Ross County, the most Northerly League Club in the country, is only the third between them in competitive action. Goals from Scott Thomson, Nick Phinn and Steven Bell meant the Pars won the first ever league match between the clubs 3-1 at East End Park earlier in the season.
The return match in Dingwall on 6th December was postponed on the morning of the match because of a frozen pitch. The only other previous meeting was in the Scottish Cup on 25th January 1997 when County were knocked out 4-0 courtesy of goals from Harry Curran, Hamish French and a Andy Smith brace.
| Dunfermline | Ross County |
| Current League Position | |
| 2 | 7 |
| League Points | |
| 35 | 29 |
| Goal Difference | |
| +7 | -2 |
| Last six League form | |
| DWLDLW | LWWLLD |
| Home/Away Record | |
| P12, W4, D3, L5 | P12, W4, D1, L7 |
County`s four away wins have been at Airdrie, Dundee and Partick Thistle (twice). Their away draw was at Clyde. They have picked up points all the way along this season and are only six points behind Dunfermline. Last time they came to East End they were sitting fourth, this time they are seventh but as we well know by now any team can win a game anywhere in this league.
| Form last six home / away | ||||||
| Dunfermline (home) | Ross County (away) | |||||
| Queen of the South | L | 0-2 | Livingston | L | 2-4 | |
| Airdrie United | D | 1-1 | Clyde | L | 0-2 | |
| Livingston | W | 1-0 | Partick Thistle | W | 2-0 | |
| Clyde | D | 4-4 | Morton | L | 1-2 | |
| Morton | L | 0-1 | Airdrie United | W | 2-0 | |
| Dundee | L | 0-1 | St Johnstone | L | 1-2 | |
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Airdrie United): Paul Gallacher, Greg Ross (Calum Woods 33), Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c), Austin McCann; Scott Thomson (Graham Bayne 65); Steven Bell, Nick Phinn, Graeme Holmes, Rory Loy, Andy Kirk (Jamie Mole 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Muirhead, Callum Reidford.
ROSS COUNTY (v St Johnstone): Derek Soutar; Martyn Corrigan, Scott Boyd (sent off 73), Mark McCulloch, Stuart Golabek; Alex Keddie, Richie Hart, Richard Brittain, Sean Higgins, Steven Craig, Dyron Daal.
SUBS: John Stewart, Joe Malin, Martin Scott, Scott Morrison, Craig Brewster
Among the Ross County players, East End Park will welcome back former Pars Mark McCulloch (33), Scott Morrison (24) and 42 year old player coach Craig Brewster. Scott Boyd and Alex Keddie are both suspended.
Referee will be George Salmond.
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