Dunfermline 1 Inverness CT 1
Saturday, 27th Apr 2024cinch Championship: two changes Moffat and Allan start. Kyle Bendictus (41) 1-0: Mehmet pen save (55) 1-0: Aribim Pepple (75) 1-1:
Dundee United were champions, Arbroath were relegated, the top four were already settled but the Pars last home league game season still mattered to both sides. Inverness Caledonian Thistle in eighth faces sixth placed Dunfermline with the home side needing a point to be safe from a play-off place and the Highlanders looking for points to distance themselves from ninth placed Queen’s Park.
Both teams made two changes from the last time out. James McPake brought in Paul Allan and Owen Moffat in place of Miles Hayes-Welch and Lewis McCann while Inverness manager Duncan Ferguson was without Aaron Doran and he chose to place former Par Danny Devine on the bench. Into the Caley side came Remi Savage and Sean McAllister.
Dunfermline kicked off playing into the April sun and a neat back heel from Chris Kane set up Josh Edwards for an early cross there were no takers. Then when Allan and Edwards clashed in the centre circle Inverness broke causing Kyle Benedictus to put a crunching tackle into Billy McKay that earned the Pars captain a second minute yellow card. The Fifers then successfully defended the resultant free kick and a corner from the left.
Both teams cancelled each other out with neither goalkeeper tested. Inverness fell foul of the home side’s offside trap before Kane Ritchie-Hosler successfully got around the Caley defence to centre for Kane who turned and shot but Mark Ridgers beat that away. Edwards missed the follow up and it was Allan who then swept the ball towards the right side post where Ridgers plucked the shot out of the air.
Moffat had an effort from just inside the visitors box but his 28th minute shot was blocked. Then just three minutes later the Blackpool loanee received the ball from Chris Hamilton to cut in from the left and release an on-target shot that Ridgers dropped to his side to hold. An Inverness free kick in 34 minutes was launched into the Dunfermline box from 35 yards out on the right side but Benedictus rose to head Kerr’s delivery away. Caley continued to press and Mehmet had to be alert to turn a Carragher header over his bar.
The Pars struggled to take the play into the opposition half and while they had possession it tended to be in their own half. A Sam Fisher ball towards Allan earned the home team their first corner of the afternoon and it proved to break the deadlock. Allan’s delivery created a lot of head tennis in front of goal before Ridgers fisted the ball away. The return was met by BENEDICTUS and he powered his header into the net from close in. 1-0
Just before the interval Matt Todd sent an inviting ball along the 18 yard line to be met by Alan but his good attempt narrowly cleared the crossbar.
Half time: Dunfermline 1 Inverness Caley Thistle 0
News of Queen’s Park being 3-0 up at Arbroath had to increase the incentive for the away team who were now occupying the play-off place. It was Dunfermline who almost scored just five minutes into the second half. Hamilton threaded the ball through to play Todd in on the right side but Ridgers outstretched right foot diverted the shot around the far post.
In the 54th minute Moffat was adjudged to have handled the ball and referee Alan Muir awarded Caley Thistle a penalty. Billy McKay who had already had a spot kick saved by Deniz Mehmet this season stepped up again. The Dunfermline keeper made it four penalty saves in a row diving to his right to hold the shot.
The visitors forced two corners on the hour mark and it was Allan who cleared from the second. Andrew Tod made his return to the first team as a 62nd minute sub for Matty Todd. It continued to be a defensive performance from the Fifers with Mehmet fisting away a corner from the left and then holding a Cameron Harper shot from distance.
Alex Jakubiak was introduced in place of Chris Kane for the final twenty minutes but still Caley Thistle kept the pressure on the Dunfermline defence. It was the Inverness substitute Aribim PEPPLE who got his side back into the match just five minutes after his introduction. 1-1. The 319 away supporters were suddenly injected with fresh hope and encouraged their side on.
Mehmet held a speculative shot from McAllister in 84 minutes, Carragher launched a long throw in that was cleared but as the time ran out Dunfermline got the ball into the Caley half to see the match out.
It had been a real battle of a second half just as could have been anticipated. The point suited Dunfermline since it meant Championship football for the next season but Inverness were left needing to beat Morton at home on Friday night and hope that Queen’s Park don’t win over Airdrieonians at Hampden.
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet, Sam Fisher, Kyle Benedictus (c), Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Kane Ritchie-Hosler (Miles Welch-Hayes 75), Chris Hamilton, Paul Allan, Josh Edwards, Matty Todd (Andrew Tod 62), Owen Moffat (Lewis McCann 79), Chris Kane (Alex Jakubiak 69)SUBS NOT USED: Joe Chalmers, Rhys Breen, Michael O’Halloran, Brad Holmes, Max Little (GK)
SCORERS: Benedictus (41)
YELLOW CARD: Benedictus (2), Tod (90+1)
INVERNESS CT: Mark Ridgers, Remi Savage (Aribim Pepple 70), Morgan Boyes, Jamie Carragher, Cameron Harper, Cammy Kerr, Sean McAllister, Max Anderson, Luis Longstaff (Samson Lawal 79), Billy McKay (c) (Roddy McGregor 76), Alex Samuel
SUBS NOT USED: Danny Devine, Wallace Duffy, Austin Samuels, Cameron Mackay (GK)
SCORERS: Pepple (75)
YELLOW CARD: Carragher (24)
REFEREE: Alan Muir
WEATHER: Sunny 11°C
ATTENDANCE 5317
NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship (away) v Ayr United, Friday 3rd May 2024 kick off 7.45pm at Somerset Park
50/50 Half Time Draw: Winning Ticket 52695, Jackpot: £843
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Match Photos To Follow.
