Stirling Albion 0 Dunfermline 1

Wednesday, 8th Jul 2009

First Pre Season friendly at Forthbank
Joe Cardle goal after 15 minutes wins the day

238 Pars fans travelled to Forthbank on Wednesday night to capture Jim McIntrye`s new side`s first kicks of the ball. Greg Ross and Simon Wiles were not fit to be considered and Scott McBride and Chris Higgins were ruled out after a training ground clash on Monday.

The visitors had the early pressure with four corners in the first seven minutes.  Calum Woods headed one down for Graham Bayne but was just behind him and Andy Dowie met Glass` delivery from the left to test Scott Christie.  Stirling`s first shot on target in 14 minutes was fired by Liam Corr into the hands of Greg Paterson from 20 yards.

Joe CARDLE opened the scoring in the next minute rounding Kenny Feakes and shooting in at the left post with the slightest of a deflection off Roycroft wrong footing Christie. In 24th minute Cardle threatened to do the same again but this time Roycroft turned the ball behind for a corner on the left.

Calum Woods looping header from Glass corner was palmed away at the far post by Christie. Cardle`s pace and jinks was quickly winning him the Dunfermline supporters approval and in 27th minute his cross was headed down by Muirhead but went narrowly wide left, then Steven McDougall had a chance to go through on the keeper but Christie cleared.

A Bayne header went over off the crossbar and next Kirk accepted a pass back and McDougall got another chance that earned only a corner.  In 33 Cardle worked himself into a central position to fire on target from 25 yards but Christie, by now the busiest man on the park, parried the ball away.

From a Michael Mullen cut back Feakes shot over Paterson`s bar while Dunfermline were temporarily down to ten men before with just 39 minutes gone a 19 year old Trialist was the first sub of the night coming on for the injured Steven Bell.  Corr tested Paterson again with a shot from 30 yards just before Stephen Finnie blew up for the break.

Half Time: Stirling Albion 0 Dunfermline 1

Three more subs were brought on by Jim McIntyre for the restart with Wille Gibson, David Graham and  Alex Burke replacing McDougall, Cardle and Glass.  Bayne headed a good Graham cross at the keeper before being withdrawn along with Kirk in favour of Paul Willis and Graeme Holmes. Gibson, Graham and Willis forming a front three.

It was the Pars Trialist who chested down a clearance and popped a shot on target in 57 minutes but Christie held.  Five minutes later the red boot of David Graham directed a fine curling shot from 30 yards that just scraped over the Stirling bar.

Andy Dowie was forward in 66 minutes threatening to get on the end of a Graham cross but the keeper won the ball first. At the other end three Stirling trialists created an opening for one of their two no.16s to shoot towards Paterson`s near post but the youngster got down well to earn the Pars fans appreciation.

Nick Phinn, Lee Graham and Harry McGregor were given the final twenty minutes.  While Dunfermline looked comfortably the better side the margin was still the narrowest and Paterson had to come out to intercept a loft cross in 75th minute.

The Pars keeper was brave in coming out amidst a cluster of attacking Albion players to fist away at a corner kick and next the Pars Trialist had the ball in the net after along the ground passes from Phinn to Graham to him carved open the Second Division side`s defence but the linesman raised his flag for offside.

Lee Graham conceded an 82nd minute corner but Alex Burke saw the headed attempt passed the left goalpost. At the other end Burke touched a free kick for Willis to smack a low drive but unluckily David Graham was in the way of the drive on the edge of the box.  Right on full time Willis had another go from 25 yards out but the ball slipped wide right.

A good first run out for the Pars but slight concern seeing Steven Bell on crutches at the end.

STIRLING ALBION: Scott Christie; Kenny Feakes (Trialist 53), Ross Forsyth, Sean Roycroft, Paul Murphy, Liam Corr, Nathan Taggart (Trialist HT), Trialist (Andy Graham HT), Michael Mullen (David McKenna 52), Trialist (Trialist.62), Stewart Devine (Trialist 68).
SUBS NOT USED:

DUNFERMLINE: Greg Paterson; Calum Woods (Nick Phinn 71), Andy Dowie (Lee Graham 71), Austin McCann, Scott Muirhead (Harry McGregor 71); Steven McDougall (David Graham HT), Steven Bell (Trialist 39), Stephen Glass (c)(Alex Burke HT), Joe Cardle (Willie Gibson HT); Graham Bayne (Graeme Holmes 55), Andy Kirk (Paul Willis 55).
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Bald (GK)
SCORERS: Cardle (15)

REFEREE: Stephen Finnie
WEATHER: Dry 14C
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: PRE SEASON FRIENDLY (away) v Blyth Spartans, Saturday 11th July kick off 3.00pm

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