U19s v Falkirk
Monday, 8th Nov 2010Scottish Youth Cup
FALKIRK 4 DUNFERMLINE 2 (AET)
MATCH PICTURES
Jordan White came into the side for the Scottish Youth Cup third round tie at the Falkirk Stadium but after first minute optimism with Steven Leslie crossing across the face of goal for White to head down an effort that was taken by Graham Bowman, the Fifers got off to a bad start.
Inside the fourth minute Stephen Kingsley cut in from the left to centre a ball that was not properly cleared and Bairns captain Blair Alston smacked the ball home from eight yards. Leslie had the ball in the net six minutes later but he was adjudged to have been offside when he converted a Conor Schiavone cross from the left at the far post.
Steven didn`t have to wait long however to get his goal. In 14 minutes LESLIE took advantage of loose marking to launch the ball into the back of the net from 25 yards and the match was back to all square. Next Ross Drummond did well to dispossess a Falkirk defender on the edge of their box but hit his shot into the sidenetting.
Dunfermline then looked the more composed side but Falkirk defended well to allow them no opportunities. It was the home side threatened from two corners from the right in 32 minutes but both times Scott Davidson`s low ball to the edge of the box for Alston was blocked out by Schiavone.
McWhirter`s strong run three minutes later forced the first of two Pars corners but Bowman eventually fisted the danger away. On 40 minutes Scott won the ball in midfield and sent John MacDonald speeding down the right wing. His cross for White on the penalty spot was just too strong for the tall striker to head on target.
In 44 minutes Dunfermline were relieved to see Ally Graham send an easy shot from a Conor Kelly cross outside the right goalpost. It would have been cruel had the teams turned around with the Fifers behind.
Half Time: Falkirk 1 Dunfermline 1
Dunfermline played the second 45 into the wind and at times driving rain. They survived a Joe McCafferty chance in 56 minutes when Sommerville touched the ball round his left hand post. Then from the resultant corner Alston`s header was directed wide left.
Schiavone played a 1-2 off Leslie on the 18 yard line but the shot from his yellow boot was deflected off McCafferty for a corner. Schivone was challenged to get the ball to sit still before he sent in the ball from the left corner flag. When it arrived it dropped nicely at the feet of Young but he could only notch another corner that was sent into the hands of Bowman off the head of Leslie. Play switched to the other end and Sommerville did well to parry away another strike from Alston.
Falkirk came close after a corner from the right was returned by McCafferty only for a shot to escape back through the six yard box narrowly evading sub Fulton at the left post. The home side were certainly on the ascendancy and when Kieran Duffie broke out of his own half he tested the Pars keeper with a thundering effort from 40 yards that was turned behind for a corner.
Sommerville then touched over over a Bonar effort from the corner and another was sent over from the left. The ball travelled to Duffie on the far side of the box and he hammered a low ball into the six yard box for KELLY to flick past Sommerville and restore the Bairns lead. The Pars might have felt that the tie was then behind them but Hamish French`s lads came back with an equaliser in 86 minutes. The Falkirk keeper came for the ball as it was played to his right hand post, Leslie challenged and the ball spun up for Shaun BYRNE to head home from close quarters.
In the second minute of added time the final kick of the ball was a Steven Leslie effort after MacDonald had put him through on the left side. The striker was always going to shoot and the ball dropped across the goal but unluckily rebounded back off the far post. The referee then blew up to signal extra time.
Full time: Falkirk 2 Dunfermline 2
Sixteen year old Fraser Moncrieff replaced Drummond for the restart but that meant MacDonald taking on the left defensive role. McCafferty crossed from the right in 96th minute and some remarkable goalline heroics from Sommerville and McWhirter kept out Falkirk when it looked like they had to score.
Scott fired a 30 yard attempt into hands of the green kitted Falkirk keeper and the same keeper then held a free kick that was also delivered by Scott. In the last minute of the first period of extra time Sommerville pulled off a fine save after Davidson had got lucky in receiving Bonar`s mis-hit shot.
Extra Time Half time: Falkirk 2 Dunfermline 2
The Falkirk captain was the greatest danger all night and it was he who drove home their third goal of the night. Kingsley swung in a ball from the right that was fed back to ALSTON on the edge of the box. It was two minutes into the fourth period when he took a touch on to his left foot and spinning over the line, his shot was just too fierce for Sommerville to hold.
Substitute Jay FULTON then put the result beyond question floating a shot from distance over the Pars keeper to drop in at the left upright. That knocked the stuffing out of the stuffy Pars and despite shots from Henderson and Moncrieff that were bravely blocked the contest was over. Falkirk go through to the Fourth Round but they`ll recognise that they had to beat off good opposition in Dunfermline.
SUBS NOT USED: Jordan Roberts
SCORERS: Alston (4, 107), Kelly (78), Fulton (111)
DUNFERMLINE: Aaron Sommerville; Blair McWhirter, Kerr Young, Grant Munro,, Ross Drummond (Fraser Moncrieff 91); John MacDonald, Aaron Scott (c), Shaun Byrne, Conor Schiavone (Blair Henderson 85); Jordan White, Steven Leslie
SUBS NOT USED: Jordan Glennie, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)
SCORERS: Leslie (14), Byrne (86)
REFEREE:
WEATHER: Wet and Windy 5˚C
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: (home) SFL Youth League v Clyde
Sunday 13th November 2010, kick off 2.15pm at Loch Leven Community Campus, Kinross
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