Reserves v Arbroath

Monday, 3rd May 2010

Dunfermline created a good number of opportunities on the way to their comfortable 3-0 victory

ARBROATH 0 DUNFERMLINE 3

Dunfermline fulfilled their Reserve League Cup fixture when they fielded their U17`s against their Arbroath equivalent at Gayfield Park on Monday night. It was a game that demonstrated the much heralded optimism of the Club`s youth system at this age level. The Fifers were always on top, rarely was their defence troubled and they created a good number of opportunities on the way to their comfortable 3-0 victory.

Blair Henderson capitalised on a mistake by the Arbroath right back to latch on to the first chance of the game but his eighth minute shot on the angle was well held by keeper James Smith. Three minutes later Kevin McHattie pumped the first of several good deliveries into the box and Ross Drummond was unlucky not to get a connection.

In 12 minutes McHattie retrieved a defended ball at a corner to set up Scott McIntosh but Smith produced a great save to parry the attempt over the crossbar. Smith made a good take on another McHattie ball two minutes later that was aimed yet again for McIntosh.

Midway through the first half Drummond and Henderson forced a route down the left and when a clearance fell for Fraser Moncrieff he got two shots, the first coming back off a block and the second testing Smith who also required two takes to hold.

The Arbroath defence were all over the place trying to contain a long through ball in 26 minutes. McIntosh crossed from the left but Shaun Byrne fired the ball wide left of target. Henderson then had a close shot blocked by the keeper while at the other end Liam Neil made Ryan Goodfellow save with a shot from point blank range.

In 34 minutes a McHattie free kick forced another corner but Moncrieff blasted the cross well over the crossbar. Then a Henderson pass was switched on by McIntosh and the ball came off an Arbroath player in the box. Penalty given and Scott McINTOSH powered the spot kick to the keeper`s left and despite Smith going the right way there was no chance of him keeping the ball out.

Two more chances came the Pars way with Byrne laying the ball into the path of the advancing McHattie to force another good save and corner. The half ended with Drummond supplying an opportunity for Henderson to use his height advantage but his header dropped outside the right goalpost.

Half Time: Arbroath 0 Dunfermline 1

Dunfermline almost doubled their lead in 51 minutes when a McHattie free kick picked out Grant Munro but his header came back off the left post only for Kerr Young`s follow up to be kicked off the line. The second goal was only two minutes away however. Spectacular skills from Byrne on the left evaded his two challengers to set up McIntosh with another crack at goal but this time the horizontal saved the Lichties but BYRNE followed up and this time the ball hit the net.

The management team of Stevie Paterson and Gordon Durie immediately sent on two subs - Andy Webster and Craig McManus - but McIntosh went down in 56 minutes and ended up having to be stretchered off with a suspected ligament injury. Jordan Glennie replaced him.

Arbroath`s closest to a goal came in 64 minutes when Mark Walker`s break put him through for a shot at goal that Goodfellow tipped around his post. The home side almost gift wrapped a third for Dunfermline when Gary Wallace played the ball to Scott Mercer but the youngster couldn`t get the ball past Smith, the keeper making another good stop. Again that just precluded another Pars strike when Byrne teed up WEBSTER who made a good finish of goal number three.

Goodfellow held a shot from Neil and retrieved a comic cuts situation where he drove the ball against his own defender Munro. Four minutes from time the Arbroath keeper prevented a further Dunfermline goal, touching a good effort from Webster into the sidenetting.

The win ensures that Dunfermline will be in the semi final of the Reserve League Cup, the date for which has still to be set.

ARBROATH: James Smith; Paul Anderson (Ryan Burnett (78), Liam Duncan (Craig Hay (57), Andrew Webster (Jack Syme (57), Craig Mitchell, Gary Wallace, Matthew Adam, Connor Gray, Liam Neil, Scott Donald, Mark Walker
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Paterson, Steven Khan (GK)

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Goodfellow, Ben Martin, Kerr Young, Grant Munro, Kevin McHattie; Scott Mercer, Fraser Moncreiff (Craig McManus (54), Shaun Byrne, Ross Drummond (Andy Webster (54), Scott McIntosh (Jordan Glennie (60), Blair Henderson
SUBS NOT USED: Steven Mayne (GK)
SCORERS: McIntosh (36 pen), Byrne (53), Webster (66)

REFEREE:
WEATHER:
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: Reserve League Cup v Raith Rovers 15th may 2010

Views : 4,623

ParsTV Highlights To Follow for First team matches.

Check out the Gallery for more photo's -- the images below will scroll through automatically.