Pre Season Friendly v Dundee United

Wednesday, 24th Jul 2013

Pars start trialist Luke Johnston. Falkingham (11) 1-0; Gauld (22) 1-1; Goodwillie (52) 1-2; Dow (59) 1-3;

MATCH PICTURES
The final preparation match before competitive seaon begins brought SPL Dundee United to East End Park.  Jim Jefferies used the match to take a look at 19 year old central defender, Luke Johnston who would be up against his current club mates. Kevin Buchan started upfront and United loanee Ryan Ferguson did not feature against his own club.

The visitors kicked off but within 19 seconds had conceded a corner after Ryan Thomson`s shot from just inside the box was deflected wide right. Ross Millen`s corner was successfully defended and United then made a better start than they had succeeded in doing from the kick off.

In four minutes David Goodwillie broke through the centre of the Pars defence but Ryan Scully came out and spread himself well to stop the shot and allow the loose ball to be swept clear.

Millen sent in a free kick from the right that keeper Mark McCallum fisted away. In tenth minute Millen won a corner on the right off Andrew Robertson and from his cross Dunfermline took the lead. Chris Kane met the ball in the centre of the penalty box but failed to execute a shot but Josh FALKINGHAM was right behind him to drill a fine shot into the net. 1-0.

On 20 minutes it looked certain that Goodwillie would net the equaliser after the ball was worked in from the right but he managed to somehow pull his shot across the face of goal. That equaliser did come though two minutes later and it was from the boot of 17 year old Ryan GAULD scoring direct from a free kick 20 yards out.

The ball traversed the Pars six yard line a couiple of times but when a shot did come in fortunately Scully held from close in when Gary Mackay-Steven directed it straight at him. A United 32nd minute corner was headed behind by Ryan Thomson and the following one from the right was also cleared by his header.

Three minutes later a cross to the far post looked destined to be headed home by Goodwillie but the on loan Blackburn Rovers player sent his effort into the sidenetting. Dunfermline were firmly on the back foot by now and survived more deliveries into the centre of their penalty box.

Kane blocked from Stuart Armstrong and then Paul Paton drilled a shot wide left. Byrne made ground up the right in an attempt to turn on the attack and when he was unceremoniously dumped by Robertson Millen struck his free kick against an Arab to win another corner. This time Kane got his head to the delivery but the ball was sent wide left.

Gauld got another pop at goal before the interval after referee George Salmond lectured Callum Morris but this time he was narrowly off target. The Fifers had lived dangerously all half and were a shade fortunate to go in all square.

Half Time: Dunfermline 1 Dundee United 1

The Pars kicked off the second half but it was soon Dundee United who were pressing again. Goodwillie missed an absolute sitter from seven yards in 49 minutes when Armstrong had cut back from the left byeline to find him right in front of goal. Then next minute Morris struck a Mackay-Steven cross cannoning off the left upright.  Within seconds the woodwork and Alex Whittle saved the Pars again with a remarkable sequence of touches to keep the ball out of the net.

The luck did not hold up however in 52 minutes when GOODWILLIE was played into the right side of the box to smash the ball on the angle past Scully. 1-2 

Ryan DOW was one of eight subs for Dundee United in 58 minutes and within a minute he had hit the net with a good strike from outside the penalty area. 1-3

Dunfermline had introduced Stephen Husband and Lewis Spence for the trialist Luke Johnston and Kevin Buchan before some five minutes later Michal Hrivnak relieved Ryan Scully of his duities. Ryan Williamson replaced Alex Whittle in 66 minutes with Millen crossing to left back. The changes continued five minutes later with the final four Pars subs given match time.

The Pars new central defence was kept busy and another cross cum shot cleared Hrivnak`s far post. Then in 78 minutes some neat exchanges involving Thomson, El Bakhtaoui, Spence and Millen led to Dargo getting in a shot from eight yards but McCallum the United keeper, at full stretch, turned the ball around his right hand post.

Potter blocked a powerful drive from Nadir Ciftci and Hrivnak fisted away his subsequent corner. In 88 minutes Martin beat down Ciftci`s blast from the edge of the box and then Kane deflected a shot behind.  It had been a fair test for Dunfermline and hopefully the Manager took a lot from it.

MATCH PICTURES

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully (Michal Hrivnak 63): Ross MIllen, Kerr Young (John Potter 71), Trailist (Stephen Husband 58), Callum Morris (Lewis Martin 71), Alex Whittle Ryan Williamson 66); Shaun Byrne (Craig Dargo 71) Chris Kane, Josh Falkingham (c)(Faissal El Bakhtaoui 71), Kevin Buchan (Lewis Spence 58), Ryan Thomson.
SUBS NOT USED:
SCORERS: Falkingham (11)
YELLOW CARD: Young (28)

DUNDEE UNITED: Mark McCallum; Sean Dillon (c), Keith Watson, Trialist, Andrew Robertson, Stuart Armstrong, Paul Paton, Chris Erskine, Ryan Gauld, Gary Mackay-Steven, David Goodwillie
SUBS NOT USED: Radoslaw Cierziak (GK), Kudus Oyenuga, Ryan Dow, Brian Graham, Gavin Gunning, Nadir Ciftci, Neal Trotman, Michael Gardyne, John Souttar, John Rankin.
SCORERS: Gauld (22), Goodwillie (52), Dow (59).

REFEREE: George Salmond
WEATHER: Fine 21C
ATTENDANCE 1830

NEXT MATCH: Ramsden Cup (away) v CowdenbeathL Saturday 27th July, kick off 3.00pm

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