Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

Dunfermline 1 Queen of the South 2

Tuesday, 18th Aug 2009

ALBA Challenge Cup. Kean 0-1 (12), Cardle equaliser (54) 1-1. Tosh (90+1) 1-2

Neil McGregor was suspended and David Graham was out injured as Dunfermline took on Queen of the South at East End Park for the second year in succession. The visitors kicked off attacking the goal in front of the empty McCathie Stand and they had most of the early play Derek Holmes knocking down the ball for Stewart Kean to get in the first shot of the evening, albeit off target.

McDougall had the first Pars chance in seven minutes, his shot from the edge of the box canoning up and dropping under Ludovic Roy`s crossbar and causing the keeper to fist it behind. Willie Gibson`s delivery from the left was easily cleared.

Queen of the South opened the scoring in 12 minutes. A fine pass from midfield sent Holmes down the left and when he crossed Stewart KEAN nipped in front of Austin McCann to head past Fleming and the ball rattled down off the crossbar, 1-0.

Dunfermline did try to get back at the Doonhamers with Holmes and Cardle pinging the ball through their penalty box and Phinn unlucky not to connect as McDougall headed down a crossed ball to him 16 yards out. Andy Kirk tried a shot from the right corner of the Queens penalty box but he was wide with his shot to the near post.

Midway through the first half Gibson sent in a very inviting ball from the right and Phinn came close but failed to connect as the ball whizzed beyond the far post. At the other end Willie McLaren made the break to set up Kean with another shot but he hit that well over the crossbar from 15 yards out.

When Paul Burns illegally stopped Joe Cardle`s run in the centre of the park, Andy Kirk was handed responsibility for the 33rd minute free kick but he blasted that over the wall and the bar. Two minutes later Gibson provided the pass that put Kirk in on the right side again and this time his powerful drive was on target meaning Roy had to turn it around his near post.

The visitors won a corner in 40 minutes and although cleared initially McLaren was allowed to tee up McKenna for a shot that went over the top. Next Roy had to pull off a fine save as Gibson rifled in a shot on the angle from 25 yards out. The former St Mirren keeper struggled but was successful in turning the ball over his bar.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 Queen of the South 1

QOS were brighter to restart with Holmes presented with a tremendous chance that thankfully he failed to take and Quinn threatening with a header. Dunfermline`s best opportunity came from a Muirhead free kick that was hit into the wall.

Then 54 minutes into the game Joe CARDLE conjured up another fantastic piece of magic ripping the right side of the visitor``s defence apart before hitting an unstoppable ball from the edge of the box into the top right. Not quite as good as his Greenock goal but still very special.

The goal gave the Pars (and their supporters) a lift and for a moment it looked as though the home side could just go on and finish the game off. Queens had other thoughts and Bob Harris forced a route through to the edge of the Pars box where he slid the ball to Holmes who unleashed a shot that came back off the left goalpost. Quinn too fired in a shot from distance that Fleming easily held.

Steven Bell replaced Graeme Holmes who limped off after not recovering from an ankle injury on the far side and Paul Willis came on for Joe Cardle in 71 minutes. The Queens sub McQuilken powered a shot at Fleming that he failed to hold and McCann turned the ball behind.

Dunfermline were failing to get near enough to shoot at Roy`s goal and Willis was luckless as he failed to get a strike on a lay off from Bell 25 yards out. A Gibson chip to the far post in 79 was headed behind as Phinn lined up a header and McDougall headed wide when Gibson hit the corner in from the right.

Two minutes later Woods crossed from the right and this time Phinn got a good header in sending the ball towards the bottom right but Roy got across to turn the ball out for a corner. In 82 minutes Derek Holmes was presented with a free header courtesy of a Tosh cross but Fleming held.

Jordan White replaced McDougall as time ran out and play switched from end to end with Kirk seeing his shot deflected off Lilley. In 90th minute White was covering back when he took down Harris on the right edge of the Pars box. Harris got up and took the free kick short to Steven TOSH 25 yards out and he whacked a low drive into the Pars net with the aid of a slight deflection off McCann. With the match already into added time like the Inverness match again there was no time to resurrect the game and yet again Queen of the South took the Challenge Cup scalp of Dunfermline.

DUNFERMLINE: Greg Fleming; Calum Woods, Andy Dowie, Austin McCann (c), Scott Muirhead; Willie Gibson, Graeme Holmes (Steven Bell 63), Nick Phinn, Joe Cardle (Paul Willis 71); Andy Kirk, Steven McDougall (Jordan White 83).
SUBS NOT USED: Greg Ross, Greg Paterson (GK)
SCORERS: Cardle (54)
YELLOW CARD: Cardle (56)

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH: Ludovic Roy; Craig Reid, Robert Harris, Steven McKenna, David Lilley, Marc McAusland, Paul Burns, Roco Quinn (Stevie Tosh 66), Derek Holmes, Stewart Kean (David Weatherpoon 83), Willie McLaren (Jamie McQuilken 66).
SUBS NOT USED: David Hutton (GK), Jim Thomson
SCORERS: Kean (12), Tosh (90+1)
YELLOW CARD: Lilley (79)

REFEREE: Crawford Allan
WEATHER: Overcast 18°C
ATTENDANCE 941

NEXT MATCH: (home) SFL First Division v Airdrie United
Saturday 22nd August 2009, kick off 3.00pm

Views : 4,071