Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

U20s v Falkirk

Monday, 6th Mar 2017

SPFL Development League: (home) Kevin O`Hara (8) 0-1: Scott Shepherd (15) 0-2

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DUNFERMLINE 0 FALKIRK 2

Due to the first team league match against Queen of the South on Tuesday night the Development team was bereft of first team squad players for their match at New Central Park, Kelty on Monday afternoon. They started promisingly with good link up between Scott Lochhead and Robbie Crawford letting Callum Smith in for a shot that he hit into the sidenetting.

Things then went badly wrong losing two goals in the space of two minutes. The first goal was headed in by O`HARA when he met a Finlayson cross from the right. 0-1

Evan Horne had a shot wide and then another that keeper Robbie Thomson saved before Scott SHEPHERD netted from a free kick on the edge of the Pars box. The ball soared high into the net giving Cammy Gill little chance. 0-2

The immediate response from the Pars was a Crawford shot that Thomson saved followed by two efforts from Lochhead, the first was blocked and the second after good play between Horne and Crawford on the edge of the box, hit over the bar.

The Bairns then created two more good goalscoring opportunities with both their goal scorers heading wide. Shepherd failed to convert his header after a strong Langton run down the right before in 31 minutes a ball lofted in by Mark Stowe was headed wide by O`Hara.

Stowe came close from a free kick and O`Hara had the ball in the net but the offside flag had been raised. Conner Duthie headed off his goalline four minutes from the interval and both Crawford and Luke tried shots that were off target.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 2

Smith kicked off the second half and both sides tried to test thekeepers early into the half. Lochhead sent his volley wide and Gill held Shepherd`s attempt.

Duthie met a Crawford corner but sent his header wide. Then he accepted a Smith pass before hitting a shot that Thomson got down low to save. Both sides forced corners but efforts at goal continued to be off target.

Dunfermline were unlucky in 64 minutes when a Lochhead cross was turned behind for a corner. From the Crawford corner Horne got his head to it but the ball was cleared off the line by Langton. Three minutes later Thomson was the hero pulling off a great save to keep out Duthie`s free kick.

Chances kept coming at both ends. Smith got in behind the Bairns defence but there were no takers for his cut back. At the other end O`Hara sent a shot wide and then in 79 minutes Duthie released another fantastic shot only for Thomson to pull off an equally impressive save.

The Falkirk keeper then made a double save to deny Dunfermline, there was a header off the line and Shepherd made a crucial block as well as the Pars piled on the pressure. Unbelievably no goal.

Thomson next saved from Duncan and Smith headed wide at a corner. In 88 minutes there was another great save from a Crawford shot, Thomson tipping the effort on to the bar and then cleared. Duthie hit a 89th minute free kick into the defensive wall and it was to prove impossible for the home side to get anything passed the on form keeper.

DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill: Reece Duncan, Paul Allan, Stuart Morrison, Conner Duthie: Johnny Galloway: Robbie Crawford, Evan Horne, Callum Smith, Scott Lochhead, Brandon Luke (Josh Robertson 84).
SUBS NOT USED: Matthew Todd, Gregor Jordan, Owen Andrew
YELLOW CARD: Duthie (77), Morrison (83)

FALKIRK: Robbie Thomson: Mark Finlayson, T Gallacher, J Mitchell, C Eadie, R Peggie, C Langton, C Blues, Kevin O`Hara, Scott Shepherd, Mark Stowe (Jason Jarvis 82)
SUBS NOT USED: L McMinn, K Johnson, M Munro
SCORERS: O`Hara (8), Shepherd (15)
YELLOW CARD: Blues (71), Eadie (90+1)

REFEREE: Evan Cairns
WEATHER: Cloudy 9C
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: SPFL Development League (away) v Rangers, Wednesday 15th March, 2.00pm kick off at Murray Park

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