U20s v St Johnstone

SPFL Development League: George Hunter (63) 0-1.

DUNFERMLINE 0 ST JOHNSTONE 1

The 'home' match against St Johnstone in the Development League was played at the Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie on Wednesday night. It was a young Dunfermline team but they did well against an older more experienced Saints.

First chance fell to the Pars when Jordan Orru ran through on goal on the left side but took the option to pass when maybe a shot would have paid better dividend. Two minutes later Declan O'Kane sent Allan Smith through but keeper Mark Hurst came out swiftly and deflected the ball away for a corner.

Goodfellow got his fingers to Danny Swanston's seventh minute shot to turn the ball over off the crossbar. Then it was back to the other end, great work by Finn Graham, Lewis Spence and Scott Mercer set up Cammy McClair for a cross into the box but that evaded everybody and when returned the keeper held.

Goodfellow cut out a dangerous cross and then another cross from the right was headed on by Graham but Dunfermline's defence managed to clear. A free kick midway through the first half picked out James Thomas but his shot was parried by the keeper and then cleared.

Connor McLaren sent an attempt wide, Goodfellow blocked a shot from Graham and then Graham had another chance that went out for a free kick. Jason Kerr sent a free kick high and wide before in 33 minutes a long ball out of defence by O'Kane picked out Thomas. The keeper came out and brought down the Pars striker. Smith won the right off Thomas to take the spot kick but he sent it to the keeper's left but Hurst saved it.

In 37 minutes Smith and Thomas challenge to put away a shot but the latter' effort was deflected for a corner. St Johnstone had a couple of chances with Graham sending a free kick high over the bar. It had been an entertaining first half in which both teams had chances.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 St Johnstone 0

The second half was six minutes old when Gavin McMilan's cross was stolen away from Thomas by centre half Kerr. The resultant corner yielded a chance for Soence but that was deflected behind as well.

A long range effort from Spence went straight to the goalkeeper before both sides made double substitutions. A St Johnstone throw in created an opening for HUNTER to shoot from the edge of the box and what turned out to be the winning goal trundled over the line. 0-1

Thomas was adjudged offside as Dunfermline looked to get back level. Next another decision went against the Fifers when a push on Smith in the box went unpunished.

In a final push McClair had two opportunities, one was saved by the keeper and the other he sent wide right.

It was a good game between two sides who really competed. Play was open and tempo good. Coach Andy Barrowman felt that with the manager watching, a few of the team did their chances of first team selection no harm at all and hopes that they can keep up that standard in every game.

- - Listen to the post match thoughts of coach Andy Barrowman

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Goodfellow, Scott Mercer, Lewis Martin (Stuart Morrison 62), Declan O'Kane, Jordan Orru; Finn Graham, Gavin Macmillan, Lewis Spence (Anthony Laing 62), Allan Smith, James Thomas, Cammy McClair
SUBS NOT USED: Jamie Wilson (GK), Paul Joseph Crossan, Fraser Scott
YELLOW CARD: Mercer (61)

ST JOHNSTONE: Mark Hurst, Aaron Comrie, Rhys Evans, Scott Brown, Jason Kerr, Gareth Rodger, Connor McLaren, Daniel Swanson (Paul Esslemont 62), Graham (Scott Wilson 62), George Hunter, Liam Caddis
SUBS NOT USED: Kenneth Giles, Paul Simpson, Kyle Lander, Brodie Gray, Matthew Buchanan,
SCORER: Hunter (63)

REFEREE: David Munro
WEATHER: Showery 7C

NEXT MATCH: SPFL Development League (away) v St Mirren
Monday 2nd March 2015, kick off 6.00pm.

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