Falkirk 5 Dunfermline 2
Tuesday, 17th Oct 2023cinch SPFL Reserve League Cup: Allan (11) 1-0: Walker (14) 2-0: Sutherland (21) 2-1: Sutherland (26) 2-2: Lawal (42) 3-2: Walker (51) 4-2: Alfie Agyeman (78) 5-2:
The Dunfermline reserves showed three changes from the side that won away to Queen of the South two weeks previously. Max Little came in for Deniz Mehmet, Kian McHale for Sam Young and Mark Beveridge for Jake Sutherland.
Michael Beagley kicked off with the Fifers attacking the goal at the home end. Falkirk showed early intent with former Par Ethan Ross threatening within 45 seconds and Jordan Allan heading home 80 seconds later with the offside flag raised against him.
Falkirk were awarded a fourth minute penalty when McHale handled in the box but Max Little saved Allan’s powerful effort diving down to his right to save. Two minutes later Beveridge found the net at other end but again an offside flag ruled out a goal.
The first goal came in eleven minutes when Scott Honeyman’s run up the right allowed him to cut back for ALLAN to slot past Little. 1-0
The second goal followed just three minutes later when Rhys WALKER exchanged a pass with Allan to break through the middle and crash the ball past the Pars keeper. 2-0
The visitors showed tenacity to keep the ball in the Falkirk half and it paid off in 21 minutes when Taylor SUTHERLAND rose to head home a cross from the left. 2-1
There was further promise when Sutherland evaded offside to run on to a pass from Miller Fenton. His cross from the right byeline found Beveridge in front of goal but unfortunately his shot went straight into the arms of keeper Owen Haywood. The Falkirk stopper had no answer however to SUTHERLAND’s next shot. Latching on to a Freddie Rowe lay off the striker found the bottom right of the net from the edge of the box. 2-2
Walker rolled a shot narrowly wide of Little’s left hand post before Sutherland took on the defence and managed to pop a good effort just wide of target. Falkirk regained the lead three minutes before the break from a Honeyman corner. When the ball came in from the aright Ola LAWAL rifled his shot into the Dunfermline net. 3-2
Half time: Falkirk 3 Dunfermline 2
Alfie Agyeman replaced Jordan Allan for the second half, the only change to either team. Dunfermline threatened from the restart with Sutherland rounding the keeper but being denied by a defender. Then there were several attempts as Sutherland, Rowe, Beveridge and Beagley were kept out in a goalmouth scramble.
It was the Bairns who scored next, WALKER spinning and finding the net from 16 yards out. 4-2
Still Sutherland troubled the Falkirk defence out running his marker to smack a shot on target that Haywood managed to stop. Sub Cooper Knox was yellow carded for hauling down Sutherland and from the setplay McLeod picked out Fenton at the far post but his header went wide.
Sutherland shot wide in 69 minutes when he succeeded in breaking through again and then eight minutes later earned the free kick that Fenton drove from 25 yards. Haywood dived to his right to hold and Falkirk replied by going straight up the park to score. A simple ball over from the left was touched in at the far post by AGYEMAN. 5-2
Both teams had opportunities but there would be no more goals.
SUBS NOT USED: Cameron McNab, Thomas Jay Gibb (GK)
SCORERS: Allan (11), Walker (14, 51), Lawal (42), Agyeman (78)
YELLOW CARD: Sinclair (58), Bisland (60), Knox (62)
DUNFERMLINE: Max Little: Kian McHale (Conley Adamson 65), Miller Fenton (c), John Tod: Jake Rennie, Ewan McLeod, Freddie Rowe, Michael Beagley (Daniel Bell 71) Liam Hoggan: Taylor Sutherland, Mark Beveridge (Neil Blake 65)
SUBS NOT USED: Ethan Merritt, Logan Kudesia, Aidan Meikle (GK), Lewis Briggs (GK)
SCORERS: Sutherland (21, 26)
YELLOW CARD: McHale (61)
REFEREE: Ross Birrell
WEATHER: Foggy 8C
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: cinch SPFL Reserve Cup (home) v Dundee, Tuesday 7th November
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