Dunfermline Athletic Football Club

Forfar Athletic 0 Dunfermline 1

Saturday, 29th Jun 2019

Pre Season Friendly: 22 players feature in opening friendly. Kyle Turner (20) 0-1

The friendly at Forfar kicked off the first full season under the stewardship of Stevie Crawford and the match provided the first opportunity to see in action his ten new signings.

A second half line up was to announced over PA at half time but to start, at a rather warm Station Park, the eleven included new faces Tom Lang, Gabby McGill and Kyle Turner. Two young Pars players were given an opportunity to show their worth - Josh Robertson and Lewis McCann - and the eleven also included Stuart Morrison and Paul Allan both moving up to the first team squad.

The Forfar side included former Par Ross Forbes and it was the home side that kicked off attacking the goal at the Station Road end. Both teams showed great respect for each other in the open exchanges. Ryan Scully was the busier keeper but purely through back passes before in seventh minute Pars new striker Gabby McGill showed great tenacity to track play across field, win the ball and try a break down the left. He was denied but his desire to take opponents on was quickly noted.

Forfar forced the first corner of the match in 12th minute but Jordan Kirkpatrick overhit his delivery from the left and wasted the chance. Two minutes later McGill’s pass for Callum Smith running into the right side of the Forfar box forced the Fifers first corner. Kyle Turner’s initial delivery was headed out but the new signing from Stranraer gathered and fired in a cross that just evaded Morrison’s head.

Dunfermline were awarded a 16th minute penalty when Darren Whyte cut down Turner as he lined up to shoot from 15 yards out. Callum Smith supplied a low cross from the right and a Paul Allan flick behind him for Turner caused three Forfar players to challenge and flatten him. Tom Beadling stepped up and drove the ball low to the left side only for keeper Marc McCallum to dive the correct way and block the effort. The rebound looked certain to be converted by the spot kick taker but he smashed the follow up over the bar and out of the ground.

No need to worry however since the visitors scored with their next attack. Lewis McCann did well to dispossess Ross Meechan as he attempted to shield the ball out for a goal kick. His cut back from the left byeline set up TURNER who struck his shot sweetly into the net 0-1.

Forfar’s response, a shot from distance from Forbes that went wide right. Then in 29th minute Scully did really well to beat away a bullet of a shot from a Forbes free kick on the edge of the box. Forbes followed up with another stinger that Allan deflected behind for a corner.

Lee Ashcroft incurred a cut above his eye and returned to the field with a bandage wrapped around his head. He was up for a 33rd minute Pars corner but referee Alan Muir blew it up for pushing in the box.

At the other end Andy Jackson tried to force a route into the box for a shot but Morrison mopped up impressively. Forbes confirmed his status as Forfar’s number one danger man with another shot flashed across the goalmouth.

Turner required treatment after being caught in the face three minutes from the break. He was able to continue and saw the half out as possibly the Pars most influential player.

Half time: Forfar Athletic 0 Dunfermline Athletic 1

All change for the second half with a totally different starting eleven with only Cammy Gill, Paul Brown, Lewis Martin, Andy Ryan and Matty Todd recognisable from the previous season. Josh Coley was named as a Trialist given his on loan term starts on 1st July.

Kevin Nisbet forced a 52nd minute corner and Ryan Dow’s ball in from the left was met by the head of Euan Murray but his forceful effort dropped narrowly wide right. Thomas Bragg made a timely interception in his box to deny Jackson and Todd picked out Dow with a clever pass but the offside flag had been raised.

Ryan tested the keeper with a 55th minute shot after embarking on a run from the left and playing the ball off Nisbet before pulling the trigger from 20 yards out. Four minutes later Ryan won a free kick deep down the right and when he pinged the setpiece into the box Dow got a flick on it but the ball continued out on the left.

Forfar made three substitutions in 64th minute but it was half time sub Conner Coupe who almost made the breakthrough for an equaliser. Forbes fired over a decent cross from the right but Coupe’s diving header was narrowly wide left. A minute on and Forbes produced another dangerous cross that was too high for sub Matty Aitken and was fisted away by Cammy Gill before Coupe got the chance of another header at goal.

While not testing the Forfar keeper this Dunfermline side looked sharp and threatened to create good openings but nothing really came of them. Typical of the lack of luck was a long ball from Paul Paton in 75th minute that Ryan just failed to control.

From a Forfar corner, Martin was able to break and pick out Dow speeding up the right. Unluckily Mark Docherty timed his intervention perfectly to thwart the counterattack. An 80th minute Forfar corner was similarly overhit by Forbes and back at the other end Coley got in a shot from an angle on the left but blasted the ball narrowly wide and high. The young man on on loan from Norwich City tried another fine flick minutes later and was very unfortunate to see the effort drop beyond the goal.

Pars TV Match Highlights
FORFAR ATHLETIC: Marc McCallum: Ross Meehan (Jamie Bain HT), Sean Burns (Murray MacKintosh 64), Darren Whyte, Michael Travis (Scott Robertson HT) Mark Docherty, Dale Hilson (Gary Irvine 64), Callum Tapping (Matthew Aitken 64), Andy Jackson, Ross Forbes, Jordan Kirkpatrick (Connor Coupe HT).
SUBS NOT USED: Jack Allan, Sam McGuff (GK).

DUNFERMLINE: FIRST HALF: Ryan Scully: Stuart Morrison, Tom Lang, Lee Ashcroft, Josh Robertson: Callum Smith, Tom Beadling, Paul Allan, Kyle Turner, Lewis McCann SECOND HALF: Cammy Gill: Paul Brown, Euan Murray, Thomas Bragg, Lewis Martin: Paul Paton: Ryan Dow, Matty Todd, Trialist: Kevin Nisbet, Andy Ryan.
SUBS NOT USED: Kieran Swanson, Lewis Sawers, Lucas Berry, Lewis Crosbie
SCORERS: Turner (20)

REFEREE: Alan Muir
WEATHER: Bright 22C
ATTENDANCE 545

NEXT MATCH: Pre Season Friendly (away) v Dumbarton, Tuesday 2nd July, 7.45pm kick off at the C&G Systems Stadium

Views : 13,813