Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

U20s v Kilmarnock

Tuesday, 13th Dec 2016

SPFL Development League: Joe Cardle (27 pen.) 1-0: Florent Bojaj (57) 1-1

- - Listen to John Potters post match thoughts

DUNFERMLINE 1 KILMARNOCK 1

Dunfermline u20s were bolstered by the inclusion of first team squad players Michael Paton, David Hopkirk, Lewis Spence and Joe Cardle for this Development League match played at Kelty on Tuesday afternoon.

The visitors kicked off but were quickly put under pressure first from Paton`s long ball in search of Hopkirk and then when Duthie, Hopkirk and Cardle combined but Joe`s delivery went behind for a goal kick. Kilmarnock first threat was from Scott McLean in the fifth minute but his attempt went wide.

Cardle then created further pressure on the Ayrshire side. His eighth minute cross found Hopkirk but his header went wide. Two minutes later his cross for Callum Smith was intercepted by Taylor Queen who conceded a corner. From the corner Cardle`s delivery went through the box but when returned Stuart Morrison had a headed attempt.

Paton too got in on the act of executing dangerous crosses but Smith just couldn`t reach that one. Sam Lidington headed away another Cardle cross and then a Hopkirk attempt was sent behind for a 15th minute corner that came to nothing.

Cammy Gill was out to the edge of his box to deny Florent Bojaj but Killie did come back into it with a further chance and then forcing a headed clearance from Duthie. Euan Spark headed away a McLean corner midway through the half before in 26th minute Hopkirk was adjudged to fouled on the corner of the 18 yard box and Joe CARDLE stepped up to score from the penalty spot. 1-0

Buoyed by taking the lead the Pars pressed again and were very unlucky after fine play between Cardle and Smith. Johnny Galloway an early sub for Michael Paton required treatment on the half hour but was fine to continue. Spark and Duthie got away another Kilmarnock corner before a Hopkirk pass just evaded Cardle in front of the visitors goal.

Both sides had further corners and crosses into dangerous areas before the interval but the closest to altering the scoreline was a Dean Hawkshaw shot in added time that curled wide of Gill`s goal.

Half time: Dunfermline 1 Kilmarnock 0

The Kilmarnock defence played the offside trap to effectively keep Dunfermline out. In 47 minutes Cardle was offside at a Duthie free kick, three minutes later it was Hopkirk, then it was Lochhead. Spence had a shot from distance but was well over the bar and keeper Devlim Mackay was quickly out to smother a Hopkirk cross before Cardle could reach it.

Then in 57 minutes a low ball in from the right reached BOJAJ and he tapped the ball into the Pars net from close range. 1-1

Bojaj fired a shot over Gill`s bar five minutes later and Smith was unlucky to see his promising pass to Hopkirk cut out by a defender. There were Pars appeals for another penalty when a 68th minute free kick delivered by Cardle was suspiciously defended.

Spence had an effort saved by the keeper and Smith a shot blocked before a 78th minute Pars free kick provided another opportunity but Killie cleared. Five more minutes past during which Ciaran Lafferty replaced Callum Smith, before the home side had a great chance to win the match. Cardle played a fine reverse pass to Hopkirk but was wide with his shot.

Kilmarnock then had their turn to try and find the winner and Morrison, Spark and Allan were all kept busy with headed clearances. In 88th minute Lafferty was narrowly wide with a header from a Cardle cross and the sub then forced a corner from his shot in the third minute of added time and the keeper saved Hopkirk`s header from it in the last chance of the match.

DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill: Euan Spark, Paul Allan, Stuart Morrison, Conner Duthie: Michael Paton (Johnny Galloway 25), Lewis Spence, Scott Lochhead, Joe Cardle: Callum Smith (Ciaran Lafferty 82), David Hopkirk.
SUBS NOT USED: Evan Horne, Robbie Crawford, Reece Duncan, Brandon Luke.
SCORERS: Cardle (27 pen.)
YELLOW CARD: Lochhead (76)

KILMARNOCK: Devlin Mackay: Taylor Queen, Charlie Adams (Lewis Clark 65), Josh Webb, Calum McFadzean: Sam Lidington, Jack Whittaker, Martin Smith, Florent Bojaj, Dean Hawkshaw (Lewis Morrison 65), Scott McLean
SUBS NOT USED: Jack Paterson, Ross Miller,
SCORERS: Bojaj (57)
YELLOW CARD: Clark (70), Queen (78)

REFEREE: Kyle Hall
WEATHER: Cloudy 7°C
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: SPFL Development League (away) v Celtic, Tuesday 27th December 2016, 6.00pm kick off at Lennoxtown

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