Arbroath 1 Dunfermline 4

Saturday, 25th Jul 2015

Pertrofac Training Cup: Martin, Cardle and Byrne start. El Bakhtaoui (8) 0-1; Moffat (20) 0-2; El Bakhtaoui (28) 0-3; Wallace (64) 0-4: Grehan (72) 1-4

Allan Johnston's first competitive match as Dunfermline manager turned out to be an emphatic away win at Gayfield. His selection for this match had been worked on all pre season but in the end he was missing three of the players who had faced Hibs the previous Saturday.

No Josh Falkingham out with a hip injury, no David Hopkirk and no Jason Talbot due to his red card against Hibs. That made way for Lewis Martin, Shaun Byrne and the return of Joe Cardle.

Arbroath were unchanged from their starting eleven in their last pre season friendly v a Rangers XI. That meant that right back Craig Wilson faced his old club.

Heavy rain fell during the warm up but when the Pars kicked off it had ceased. In the opening five minutes Michael Paton delivered two good balls into the Pars box and on two occasions Dunfermline were caught offside.

Arbroath's first foray was assisted when Wilson was not flagged for offside but the Pars defence blotted out any potential danger. The Pars countered and when Martin passed infield for Faissal EL BAKHTAOUI he took a touch before sending a 25 yard shot low into the bottom left. 0-1

Five minutes later Martin started another good move, Byrne switched the ball on to Paton who took a touch from his right foot on to his left to take a blast at goal but the ball sailed wide left. Cardle jumped but failed to get the header in that could have produced goal number two.

Michael Moffat ran on to a long ball up the left, got the better of his marker Graham Hay but then drove his shot into the sidenetting. He had better fortune when another swift move in 20th minute picked out Ryan Williamson sprinting up the right. The full back cut the ball back into the six yard box where MOFFAT met it perfectly to turn it past Allan Fleming. 0-2

Next Cardle had a shot that cleared the bar and then Joe took three corners where Ben Richards-Everton was the target but having created enough problems with the first two, the third went over the head of the tall Pars target.

A third Dunfermline goal was to come in 28 minutes. Geggan swept a pass out wide right where Williamson slid the ball to Paton and from his cross EL BAKHTAOUI headed home. 0-3

Three minutes later there was a severe let off for the Red Lichties when Paton crashed the ball on to the crossbar and Geggan's follow up was held by Fleming. Cardle was taken down by Hay on the edge of the box earning the Arbroath central defender a yellow card and the Pars a free kick. Cardle and Paton stood over the ball as a five man wall was formed but when the latter struck the ball deflected off Wilson on the right end of the wall and a corner ensued. From the corner El Bakhtaoui drove a low shot towards the bottom left and when the defence stopped its course, Callum Fordyce rattled the woodwork yet again.

Cardle came very close to scoring the Fifers' fourth when in 41 minutes his shot was prevented entering the net by the outstretched foot of the Arbroath keeper. The new signing from Ross County then had another crack at goal when the short taken corner was fed back for him to again test Fleming at the near post.

Before the interval there was yet another Dunfermline chance, Williamson showed off his skills to find El Bakhtaoui and his cross evaded Moffat at the far post. A great first half from the Pars who could have been much further ahead than by just three goals.

Half time: Arbroath 0 Dunfermline 3

Just 45 seconds into the second half Fleming had to be out sharpish to deny El Bakhtaoui of his hattrick and within the next minute Cardle slipped the ball to Moffat just inside the Arbroath box. The former Ayr United striker turned and managed to get in a shot that was just wide to left of goal.

A long ball out of defence presented Moffat with another chance. He beat off the challenge of Hay to clip the ball on target but Fleming held.

A Williamson cross was well plucked out the air by Fleming as the Pars continued to push forward. Martin squeezed up and El Bakhtaoui and Cardle looked strong against their League Two opponents. Faiss was to play no further part however as he was subject of the first substitution of the afternoon, Ryan Wallace replacing him on 55 minutes.

After a break on the counter where Wallace switched the ball to Moffat and then wide via Cardle to Paton, the sub was on the end of the cross but Fleming held the ball just under his crossbar. Four minutes later however WALLACE hit the target from 20 yards after a corner kick that was defended dropped to Richards-Everton who was able to slip the ball back for the striker to finish. 0-4

Martin Grehan had come on as a sub in place of Lewis Coult and in 72 minutes the former Stenhousemuir striker latched on to an opportunity from a corner from the left. The ball was not properly cleared and GREHAN stuck it away to reduce the Angus side's deficit.

A trio of Pars attackers were unlucky not to net a tricky ball in from Cardle with Fleming coming off best, controlling the ball while sitting in front of goal.

A classic Cardle run in 82 minutes took him past his marker to cut back along the six yard line. Wallace slid in to send the ball towards the inside of the right post but Fleming pulled off another good stop.

Thomas and then Wallace were both adjudged offside somewhat harshly as Dunfermline sought another goal. At the other end Wilson shot well wide right after he had brushed Cardle aside. Then in 87 minutes Cardle broke through on the left but sliced his shot.

Chances continued to fall at both ends with Hay well up the park to set up Bobby Linn but his blast rocketed over the bar. There was one final chance for Linn from an added time free kick but Sean Murdoch dived to his right to hold.

ARBROATH: Allan Fleming, Craig Wilson, Jordan Lowdon, Ricky Little, Graham Hay, Jamie Clarke, Kieran Stewart, Jamie Reid (Sergio Alvarez 64), David Gold; Bobby Linn (c), Lewis Coult (Martin Grehan 64)
SUBS NOT USED: Kane Hester, Andy Munro, Trialist A, Trialist B, Calum Brodie (GK)
SCORERS: Grehan (72)
YELLOW CARD: Hay (35), Clarke (65)

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch; Ryan Williamson, Callum Fordyce (c), B Richards-Everton, Lewis Martin; Michael Paton, Andy Geggan (Lewis Spence 80), Shaun Byrne, Joe Cardle; Michael Moffat (James Thomas 70), Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Ryan Wallace 55)
SUBS NOT USED: David Hutton (GK), Ryan Finnie, John Potter.
SCORERS: El Bakhtaoui (8, 28), Moffat (20), Wallace (62)
YELLOW CARD: Paton (56)

REFEREE: Nick Walsh
WEATHER: Damp 11C
ATTENDANCE 914

NEXT MATCH: Scottish League Cup: (home) v Cowdenbeath
Saturday 1st August 2015, East End Park kick off 3.00pm

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Preview Arbroath

Saturday, 25th Jul 2015

The Petrofac Cup takes the Pars to Arbroath for only their fourth competitive match at Gayfield since 1985.

Segregation will be in operation at Gayfield. Dunfermline supporters will occupy the Pleasureland end. Admission prices are £13 for adults, £7 for concessions. Adult and child gate will be in operation, admission £15.

The teams met in the Challenge Cup in 2009-10, and 2010-11 the Pars winning both times, 2-1 and 1-0. The Red Lichties last win over Dunfermline at Gayfield was in the Challenge Cup in 1992.

Jim Jefferies men left last time with a 3-0 win but Arbroath won the first encounter of that 2013-14 season at East End Park.

Previously

Last Twelve Matches v Arbroath
Date	Competition	H/A	W D L	F-A
26/04/14	League One	A	W	2-1
25/02/14	League One	H	W	3-0
21/12/13	League One	A	W	3-0
17/08/13	League One	H	L	2-3
31/07/10	League Cup	H	W	5-2
24/07/10	Challenge Cup	H	W	1-0
25/07/09	Challenge Cup	H	W	2-1
06/10/92	Challenge Cup	A	L	0-3
22/04/86	Division Two	H	W	2-0
23/03/86	Division Two	H	D	0-0
10/08/85	Division Two	A	D	3-3
09/03/85	Division Two	A	W	3-1

Up until last Friday Arbroath were unbeaten in pre season but a trip to Murray Park put an end to that. That apart they have had a good warm up to going into the competitive action which will take them to Tynecastle next for a live televised League Cup tie next Thursday night.

Dunfermline have had a good pre season culminating in the home match against Championship contenders, Hibs that they lost by the odd goal in three.

Pre season results
Arbroath				Dunfermline
Rangers XI (A)	L	0-5		Hibernian (H)	L	1-2
Fraserburgh (H)	W	4-0		Queens Park (A)	W	5-2
Edinburgh City (A)	W	2-0		Livingston (N)	D	0-0
Exeter City (H)	W	2-1		Berwick Rangers (A)	D	2-2
Dundee United XI (H)	W	2-0		East Fife (A)	W	3-0

Last time out

Dunfermline (v Hibernian): Sean Murdoch; Ryan Williamson, Callum Fordyce (c), Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot; Andy Geggan (Joe Cardle 76), Michael Paton (Trialist 61), Josh Falkingham, David Hopkirk (Shaun Byrne 74); Michael Moffat (Trialist 64), Faissal El BakhtaouI
SUBS: David Hutton (GK), Lewis Spence, James Thomas, Ryan Wallace, John Potter

Arbroath (v Rangers u20s): Allan Fleming, Craig Wilson, Jordan Lowdon, Ricky Little, Graham Hay, Jamie Clarke, Bobby Linn, David Gold, Lewis Coult, Kieran Stewart, Jamie Reid.
SUBS: Kane Hester, Martin Grehan, Kieran McWalter, Trialist A, Trialist B, Trialist C, Trialist D, Calum Brodie (GK)

Referee will be Nick Walsh who was the referee in the Pars pre season friendly v Hibs last Saturday.

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