U20s v Hibernian
Tuesday, 8th Mar 2016SPFL Development League: Trialist (72) 0-1
HIBERNIAN 0 DUNFERMLINE 1
The Pars earned a welcome victory in a hard fought encounter at Ainslie Park with a second half strike from their trialist being the difference between the sides.
The young Pars took on their Hibernian counterparts in familiar surroundings, Hibs choosing to host this fixture at Spartans’ Ainslie Park complex. With the Hibs first team squad enjoying the sun at their pre-cup final training camp on the Costa del Sol, Joe McBride and Grant Murray’s line-up was still likely to be a more than fair match for a Dunfermline side made up of players who would not be considered for the big evening match v Albion Rovers.
Thus the Pars team had a familiar look to it: Ryan Williamson was getting more game time at right back, meaning Reece Duncan moved to the left back berth, flanking the centre back pairing of Morrison and Orru. Horne and Galloway were in the middle of the park with the Trialist on the left and Cammy McClair on the right, although they would swap places on occasion. Up front we had the speedy pairing of James Thomas and Scott Sutherland, and Cammy Gill was in goals.
Hibs took the kick-off but it was the Pars who showed first, Thomas breaking but Sutherland wasn’t able to direct the lay-off on target. The home team began to enjoy the bulk of possession, but the Pars defended in numbers, several times getting their bodies in the way of shots around the edge of the box. When Gill was called into action, he was able to save comfortably; one moment of danger, when Waugh headed a corner back across goal, was averted by Jordan Orru heading over his own bar.
Dunfermline came into it more – the trialist had the ball in the net when he lobbed Brennan, but the off-side flag had already been raised – and Williamson began to make runs down the other wing – Thomas trying an overhead kick from one cross on the half hour, but his effort bounced wide.
Peters and Shaw combined well soon after to allow the latter to burst through but Duncan read the situation well and came across to block; likewise at the other end another good Williamson ended when Thomas was robbed as he was about to pull the trigger.
Although Hibs had had a majority of possession, they hadn’t turned that into meaningful chances and we were goal-less at the break.
Half time: Hibernian 0 Dunfermlime Athletic 0
There was an early scare for the Pars when Morrison conceded an early corner from which Waugh missed the target with a free header. However, the Pars enjoyed their best spell of play to date, with Williamson prominent down the right, but the final ball was lacking. At least Galloway forced Brennan into a save with an ambitious lob from 35 yards, and soon after Thomas got a header on target, but without any power.
On 58 minutes it looked as if the Pars were going to take the lead – quick feet from Duncan allowed him the space to put a ball into the channel – Sutherland was offside, but left it for Thomas who wasn’t; the linesman put his flag up, then down again and the referee waved play on. Thomas ran through and shot across the keeper, but Waugh got back to clear off the line.
Hibs made their 3 substitutions, but they seemed to favour the Pars, with Sutherland’s pace now proving troubling, and McClair seeing more of the ball. The latter was fouled at the edge of the box, but after Thomas had crashed a shot off the wall, Horne was too deliberate with his follow-up and Brennan gathered comfortably.
Then, with John James Henderson all set to replace the trialist, the Pars scored. In the 72nd minute a corner was sent to the back post, Thomas nodded it back and TRIALIST showed good technique from 10 yards to hit a low drive through a ruck of legs and beyond the keeper.
As Henderson put his track-suit back on, Dunfermline looked for a second – Sutherland chased down a pass-back and was a bit unlucky when the keeper’s clearance rebounded off him but spun wide of the goal. However, it was Hibs who finished the stronger – two corners were won in quick succession and Sutherland, back helping his defence, put in a saving block. With the young Pars having conceded a lot of late goals this season, there were further concerns deep into stoppage time when Sinclair got on the end of a cross, but Gill collected and the game was over.
HIBERNIAN: Sean Brennan, Callum Donaldson, Aaron Dunsmore, Kevin Waugh (Josh Campbell, 64), Ryan Porteous, Ben Stirling, Fraser Murray (Ali Smith, 54), Jordan Sinclair, Oli Shaw, Adam Watson, Josh Peters (Jamie Gullan), 61).SUBS NOT USED: Scott Costello (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Watson (85)
DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill, Ryan Williamson, Reece Duncan, Jordon Orru, Stuart Morrison, Evan Horne, Cammy McClair, Johnny Galloway, Scott Sutherland, James Thomas, Trialist.
SUBS NOT USED: John James Henderson, Josh Robertson, Robbie Crawford, Josh Dunn (GK)
SCORERS: Trialist (72)
REFEREE: Scott Millar
WEATHER: Overcast 9C
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: SPFL Development League (away) v Inverness Caley Thistle, 2.00pm kick off at the Highland Football Academy, Dingwall
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