Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

U20s v St Johnstone

Tuesday, 2nd May 2017

SPFL Development League (home) v St Johnstone, Tuesday 2nd May 2017 at New Central Park, Kelty kick off 2.00pm

- - Listen to John Potters post match comments

DUNFERMLINE 2 ST JOHNSTONE 1

In this the last Development League fixture of the season Dunfermline came from behind at half time to win courtesy of a Brandon Luke goal two minutes from full time. It was a young side that John Potter fielded with only Lewis Martin having any quantity of first team appearances.

The Pars kicked off but within 12 minutes they were doing that again after the visitors took an early lead. A low cross from the right travelled across goal and George HUNTER slotted the ball home at the back post. 0-1

St Johnstone continue to press the Pars and were unlucky not to increase their advantage. Gill saved from Jamie Docherty and then in 16 minutes Martin headed away a Connor McLaren cross. The Pars keeper gathered the ball when Alastair Gilchrist got his head on a free kick two minutes later.

Greg Hurst then sent a chance just outside Gill`s post before Evan Horne took a pop at the other end and the ball just cleared the bar. On the half hour Saints keeper Ross Sinclair palmed away Horne`s free kick for a corner. It was taken short and St Johnstone cleared.

In 32 minutes a good ball from Callum Smith set up Scott Lochhead and he forced Sinclair to block the shot. St Johnstone then resumed their pressure with Hurst firing over the bar, Gill holding a Hurst header and Paul Allan pulling off a good tackle to concede a corner.

Sinclair was made to save by Horne in the last action of the half but at the break St Johnstone deserved their lead having had much of the early play and creating the majority of the chances.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 St Johnstone 1

The Fifers resumed better with Smith netting but he was adjudged to have been offside. Debatable decision thought the crowd.

Luke headed away a St Johnstone corner before his side began to take some ascendancy. When McCann took down Smith in the centre circle, Martin Pumped the free kick forward. Lochhead saw his shot deflected behind for a corner again taken short and again cleared.

A Robbie Crawford corner from the right picked out Lochhead but his effort was high and wide. St Johnstone then defended another corner but couldn`t do anything about SMITH`s shot in 57th minute. Stuart Morrison knocked the ball down for the striker who fought off the persistent and close tracking of Cameron Thomson to stick the ball in the bottom left. 1-1

There followed chances for both sides but in 88th minute great work by Johnny Galloway set up LUKE to plant the ball in the corner of the net. The 18 year old chose a good time to score his first goal of the season.

Dunfermline saw the game out to take all three points and secure a top 10 place finish. A big improvement in the second half provided a decent win.

DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill, Paul Allan, Josh Robertson, Lewis Martin, Stuart Morrison, Johnny Galloway, Robbie Crawford, Evan Horne, Callum Smith, Scott Lochhead (Matty Todd 73), Brandon Luke
SUBS NOT USED: Owen Andrew, Gregor Jordan
SCORERS: Smith (57), Luke (88)

ST JOHNSTONE: Ross Sinclair, Cameron Lumsden, Cameron Thomson, Daniel Jardine (Jamie McKenzie 76), Alastair McCann, Alastair Gilchrist, Connor McLaren, Paul Simpson, George Hunter, Jamie Docherty (Ciaran Brian 83), Greg Hurst
SUBS NOT USED: Ben McKenzie, Kyle Wooley
SCORERS: Hunter (12)
YELLOW CARD: Lumsden (72), Hunter (92)

REFEREE: Peter Stuart
WEATHER: 12C Fine
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH:

Views : 7,920