U19s v Morton

Sunday, 16th Jan 2011

A Steven Leslie double means U19s go doon the water for all three points.

MORTON 1 DUNFERMLINE 2

Dunfermline Under 19s returned to competitive action on Sunday after a gap of 8 weeks since their 3-3 draw at Cowdenbeath. Travelling to face an uncompromising Morton team at Battery Park down on the tail of the bank, the Pars deserved their win even though they had to fight hard for it.

Having made little of the opening play it was with their first serious attack that the Fifers went ahead. Steven LESLIE was sent scurrying down the right in twelve minutes to chase a Ben Martin pass, he cut in and then found the far side of the net with his angled chip.

Connor Schiavone nearly doubled the lead right away, controlling the ball well before sending his strike over the bar. A Jamie Birnie throw in the 19th minute saw John MacDonald latch on to the ball and fend off challenges before slipping a pass to the right for Fraser Moncrieff but his  effort also went high over the top.

The home side were allowed to counter and Scott Arthur drove a shot wide right, and in 37 minutes striker Aaron McKenzie fed Arthur a chance that he hit across goal and off Ryan Goodfellow`s left hand post. Dunfermline had threatened again when Shaun Byrne headed down a MacDonald cross but Leslie`s follow up went straight to the Morton keeper, Kieran McFarlane. Then the keeper parried away a Leslie cut back before it could reach Schiavone.

Morton equalised just five minutes from half time from a simple ball in from the right. It looked fairly harmless but on the edge of the box, ARTHUR produced an overhead flick to send the ball over Goodfellow and into the net.

Half Time: Morton 1 Dunfermline 1

Dunfermline seemed to recover quickly from the setback. Birnie took the ball to the byeline in 48 minutes before finding a good cross for Leslie to get a glancing header on but the ball dropped outside the right post. Next threat came when Byrne took the ball away midway inside his own half to cover ground and feed Macdonald who burst into the left side of the home box. Despite the shot having power Cameron McAllister slid in to cut it out.

Morton reminded the visitors defence that they could be dangerous as well and Birnie was forced to put in a telling tackle on the top of his box and Goodfellow held from a Brendan Grana drive. In 61 minutes MacDonald was through on the keeper but shot directly at him and then Kerr Young headed a Byrne cross over the bar.

Next minute Ross Drummond came on causing a shuffle in the formation. MacDonald who had been operating on the left flank was switched to the right, Moncrieff went up front and the sub slotted in at left midfield. It was from the right that MacDonald then crashed a shot at goal after Leslie and Byrne had worked it across to him, but the shot was just off target.

The complexion of the game then changed when Morton`s sub Martin Buchan was red carded for kicking out at an opponent. Against the ten men for the final 20 minutes Dunfermline`s centre backs pushed up. Still up from a corner Youug and Munro switched the ball along the 18 yard line for Drummond but his shot was cut out.

In 77 minutes Munro saw his header tipped over the Morton bar but the winning goal came in 84 minutes when Young was forward to supply LESLIE and for once having evaded the home side`s much relied on offside trap, the striker angled the ball home.

Ross Dickson replaced Moncrieff to see the game out and he was booked for diving in 93rd minute when trialist Greg Wilson was really lucky not to concede a penalty. Morton battled to the end and Goodfellow sealed the win holding a McKenzie attempt after Jamie Docherty and Arthur had carved out the late opportunity.

MORTON: Trialist; Marty Orr, Daniel McSweeney (Darren Docherty 57), Trialist, Cameron McAllister, Brendan Grana, Scott Murdoch (Martin Buchan HT), Jamie Docherty, Aaron McKenzie, Ryan Coll (Trialist 82), Scott Arthur.
SUBS NOT USED: Kevin Magee, Chris McCormack
SCORERS: Arthur (40)
YELLOW CARD: McAllister (52), D Docherty (75)
RED CARD: Buchan (71)

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Goodfellow; Ben Martin, Kerr Young, Grant Munro, Jamie Birnie; Fraser Moncrieff (Ross Dickson 84), Aaron Scott, Shaun Byrne, John MacDonald; Connor Schiavone (Ross Drummond 62), Steven Leslie
SUBS NOT USED: Aaron Sommerville (GK)
SCORERS: Leslie (12, 84)
YELLOW CARD: Dickson (93)

REFEREE:
WEATHER: Cold wind 10˚C
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: (home) v Ross County
Sunday 23rd January 2011

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