Civil Service Strollers 4 Dunfermline XI 0

Friday, 5th Jul 2019

Pre Season Friendly: Paul Brown captains team at Christie Gillies Park. Fraser Patterson (45+2) 1-0: Cameron Muirhead (48) 2-0: Cameron Muirhead (50) 3-0: Alvin (90+2) 4-0.

Eight familiar faces from last season’s Reserves were joined by two Trialists and 18 year old Ben Swinton making his debut in goal at Christie Gillies Park, the home of Civil Service Strollers on Friday night.

Lewis Sawers got the match underway with the visitors attacking the pavilion end with a fairly strong wind on their backs. The hosts forced a sixth minute corner but Swinton confidently plucked the cross out of the air. Strollers drove forward five minutes later and switched the ball left to Andrew Mair whose well connected shot from the edge of the box was easily taken by the Pars keeper.

Josh Donaldson in the home goal was not seeing as much of the ball but Trialist 6 picked out Lewis Crosbie on the right and then Josh Robertson too had a chance to cross but neither picked out a yellow shirt in the box.

Paul Brown had a couple of sorties from the left back position but his final pass was intercepted each time before in 27 minutes Mair had another good effort from 25 yards out that narrowly cleared the far post.

Cameron Muirhead was next to threaten for Strollers, he got in behind the defence from the right but fired his shot into the sidenetting. Alieu Faye crashed a shot over the Fifers bar. When the visitors won a 32nd minute corner they played it short but unfortunately lost possession.

Back at the other end Swinton took a Dorian Nkashana cross, Thomas Bragg beat away a cross from the left and Mark McConnell launched an attempt that went close but was off target.

Six minutes from the break, Robertson tracked Jack Downie back but injured himself in preventing the shot and was carried off by Swinton and physio John Porteous.

A Muirhead effort from 25 yards out was deflected behind for a 41st minute corner that was sent wide left off the head of Faye. Dunfermline’s first real attempt at goal from Crosbie a minute later was deflected into the sidenetting. This time possession was lost at the short taken setpiece.

Fifteen yards out Crosbie was quickly presented with another chance and again a corner was all that came of it. The corner got caught n the wind and dropped behind the goal.

In the second minute of added time Bragg conceded a corner on the right and when that was delivered into a crowded six yard box, Fraser PATTERSON headed in the opener.

Half time: Civil Service Strollers 1 Dunfermline XI 0

Mair created the first chance of the second half floating a free kick to the far post where Patterson again came close. In 48 minutes it was Mair who supplied MUIRHEAD the opportunity to fire in number two and two minutes later MUIRHEAD took advantage of a defensive slip to net his second and Strollers third. 3-0

Liam Newton forced a 58th minute corner and Sawers sent that over from the left Bragg got his header on target but the ball was blocked out by the defence. Quinn Coulston replaced Lucas Berry on the hour before Bragg’s header on a free kick delivered in from the right by Trialist 11 was cleared off the line.

Gregor Jordan met Sawers 75th minute corner but directed his header wide left. Nine minutes later Jordan’s header from a Sawers free kick on the right touchline was blocked and the home defence scrambled away the ball.

Two minutes into added time there looked like a final chance for a consolation as Sawers sent over a cross from a free kick on the right. Unfortunately Strollers defended it and hit on the break. Nkashana sent ALVIN away, he drew the keeper and coolly netted the fourth goal of the game.

It was a cruel ending but the young side will have learned how hard it is to break down such a strong and physical team.

- - Listen to coach Greg Shields assessment

CIVIL SERVICE STROLLERS: Josh Donaldson: Callum Donaldson, Kyle Fee, Fraser Patterson (Bevis Bilell 65), Scott Main: Dorian Nkashana (Alvin 48), Alieu Faye (Mulowa Guillanne 70), Jack Downie, Mark McConnell (Craig Newall 65), Andrew Mair (Jonathan Devers 56): Cameron Muirhead.
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Clapperton, Jack Blake
SCORERS: Patterson (45+2), Muirhead (48, 50), Alvin (90+2)

DUNFERMLINE: Ben Swinton: Josh Robertson (Aaron Arnott 42), Gregor Jordan, Thomas Bragg, Paul Brown (c): Lewis Crosbie, Trialist, Liam Newton, Lucas Berry (Quinn Coulston 60): Lewis Sawers, Trialist
SUBS NOT USED:

REFEREE:
WEATHER: Bright 16C
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: Pre Season Friendly: (away) v Kelty Hearts Wednesday 10th July 2019, kick off 7.45pm at New Central Park, Kelty.

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