Queen of the South 1 Dunfermline 0
Saturday, 2nd Oct 2021cinch Championship: three changes as Allan, O’Hara and Wighton start. Lee Connelly (85) 1-0:
Seventh placed Queen of the South, without a point from their three home league matches hosted a Dunfermline side without a win in their last eight matches. It seemed that someone was going to be happy after 90 minutes of football.
Peter Grant had selection doubts for Wednesday night’s derby at Stark’s Park and for this match he was without captain Graham Dorrans. Paul Allan stepped back into midfield while Owain Fôn Williams wore the armband. Kevin O’Hara and Craig Wighton second half subs on Wednesday were handed starts while Reece Cole and Nikolay Todorov were on the bench which also contained the returning Lewis McCann.
For Queen of the South, Allan Johnston made four changes - Euan East, Ben Liddle, Calvin McGrory and Niyah Joseph making way for Alex Cooper, Harry Cochrane, Ruben Soares-Junior and new signing on loan from Kilmarnock, 21 year old Innes Cameron.
The rain blew in from the open end of the ground as Dunfermline emerged from below the stand opposite the main stand. It was the home side who kicked off with the home fans at their back.
It was a tentative start from both sides with Queens having the edge territorially and it was their no.10 Lee Connelly who produced the first shot of the afternoon sending his eighth minute effort from 25 yards out wide left.
It was eight minutes later when Dunfermline were almost presented with a chance when keeper Solomon Brynn miscleared. The ball narrowly missed O’Hara but dropped for Wighton 25 yards out but he was closed out before he could release a shot. Next minute Kai Kennedy was on target from 25 yards out but his effort was deflected wide right for a corner. Edwards delivered and Ryan Dow had no joy in getting in the telling shot and after a bit of a goalmouth scramble Queens got themselves out of trouble.
Connelly pumped a 24th minute corner over from the right and Mark Connolly headed clear. Max Johnston and Willie Gibson threatened with balls in from the right but nothing that the defence could not deal with. The visitors were restricted to trying counterattacks none of which worked too well.
Thirteen minutes from the end of the first half Soares-Junior nodded on for Paul MacKay in front of the Dunfermline goal and Fon Williams saved the header as the offside flag was raised.
In 41 minutes a corner was conceded softly on the left and when Connelly crossed Dow cleared. Play switched to the other end but Edwards deep down the left failed to get past Willie Gibson.
It was a half that got bogged down in midfield, plagued with misplaced passes and yielding only three shots in the entire 45 minutes. The second half has to be better.
Half time: Queen of the South 0 Dunfermline 0
The Pars forced their second corner of the game just three minutes into the second half but Brynn fisted away Edwards cross and Queens tried a counterattack that was prevented by O’Hara’s speedy covering back.
Fon Williams was called upon in 55 minutes to block a well struck attempt by Alex Cooper and Connolly hooked away the loose ball. Four minutes past before the best chance so far for the visitors. Pybus crossed from the left and O’Hara met the ball with a header that he sent wide left from just ten yards out.
Midway through the second half with the game at stalemate Peter Grant sent on Nikolay Todorov to replace Craig Wighton. The Fifers pushed up with several passes involving Allan, Comrie, Dow and Pybus before Kennedy broke through the middle to release a shot that travelled outside the left goalpost.
Dom Thomas came on for Ryan Dow in 77 minutes but it was Kennedy who broke into the top of the Queens box but his pass to O’Hara was just too strong. Then in 82 a trademark run across field by Thomas allowed him to pick out O’Hara to his left but as the ball was rifled into the net the offside flag was raised.
The home side had pushed up forcing a corner on the left and had the Pars pinned back. Todorov blocked a Fitzpatrick shot but the ball was not cleared and Roberto Nditi fired a block that landed back for Lee CONNELLY to crash the ball at an angle from the left into the far side of the Fifers net. 85 minutes on the clock and 1-0 to the home side.
Connolly headed another Edwards corner over the bar in 89 minutes. Kennedy to Edwards to a Thomas but his shot was blocked. Lewis McCann had replaced Paul Allan in the first minute of time added on and he got a chance but unfortunately blasted that wildly over the top.
So it was the Palmerston Park club who won their first league match of the season and a long fruitless journey back up the M74 for Dunfermline who sit tenth with four points.
SUBS NOT USED: Ally Roy, Calvin McGrory, Euan East, Charlie Cowie (GK).
SCORERS: Connelly (85)
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams (c): Aaron Comrie, Mark Connolly, Vytas Gašpuitis, Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow (Dom Thomas 77), Paul Allan (Lewis McCann 90+1), Dan Pybus, Kai Kennedy: Kevin O’Hara, Craig Wighton (Nikolay Todorov 67)
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Leon Jones, Reece Cole, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
REFEREE: Steven McLean
WEATHER: Wet 10°C
ATTENDANCE 1071
NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship (home) v Kilmarnock, Saturday 16th October 2021, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park.
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