2015: Dunfermline 7 Cowdenbeath 1

Memorable Match #19
Ladbrokes Scottish League One
Saturday 15th August 2015

A large crowd at East End Park for this League One derby witnessed yet another phenomenal display from Dunfermline. The best ever result against Cowdenbeath featured two more goals for Faissal El Bakhtaoui and for Joe Cardle as Cowdenbeath were sunk by seven great strikes.

The first home league game of the season brought back Colin Nish`s Blue Brazil just two weeks after the Pars sent them crashing 5-1 out of the Scottish League Cup. The visitors came in search of their first competitive win of the season while the supremely confident Pars contemplated continuing their sequence of scoring one more goal than they did in their previous game.

Allan Johnston’s Dunfermline had opened with a 4-1 home won over Arbroath in the Petrofac Training Cup, next match was the 5-1 win over Cowdenbeath and the next a 6-1 win away to Brechin City in the League One opener. Crazy as it sounded many fans and interested punters were wagering on a 7-1 win at huge odds.

For the fourth match running Manager Allan Johnston selected the same starting eleven as had brought him success in the first three matches.

The visitors kicked off in bright sunshine attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end but when Ryan Williamson was sandwiched between Mo Yakub and Greig Spence, Joe Cardle had a second minute opportunity to fire in a free kick. Cowdenbeath headed away but with one minute 54 seconds on the clock Faissal EL BAKHTAOUI swept a cross in from the right past Michael Andrews to find the left hand corner of the net from 15 yards. 1-0

The French Moroccan was soon to add his second, latching on to a Geggan header, he broke away one on one with the keeper. EL BAKHTAOUI took the ball on to his right foot to slide it home. 2-0

Michael Paton was next to have a crack at goal, his first effort being much closer than the second. Fear not, goal number three was not far away. MOFFAT ran on to a ball played over the top and it dropped nicely for him. From the edge of the box he chipped the advancing keeper and was out of luck as the ball came back off the left upright but he was able to race in a turn the ball over the line for the 13th minute goal. 3-0

On the half hour Lewis Martin went in on the wrong side as Nish ran on to a Buchanan lay off. Greig Spence stepped up to hammered the spot kick at goal only for Sean Murdoch to keep the ball out with his legs. Those gambling on a Cowdenbeath goal, and that included a fair number of Dunfermline fans, would think that chance had maybe just gone.

Cowdenbeath`s bad luck was compounded within 90 seconds, Paton supplying the cut back from the left for Joe CARDLE to control and then ram the ball past Andrews. 4-0. With 32 minutes on the clock the home fans were chanting "We want seven!".

There was to be no more goals for this half but Dunfermline finished the half strongly and played the ball across the Cowdenbeath goal on more than one occasion.

Half time: Dunfermline 4 Cowdenbeath 0

For the second half Michael Moffat was replaced by Ryan Wallace and Cowdenbeath brought on former Pars defender Pat Scullion for Kenny Adamson.

Dunfermline`s pressure was incessant but the chance of seven goals seemed thwarted as Wallace smashed a shot on target but Andrews spectacularly turned the ball over his crossbar. In clearing from the corner on the right Cowden played the ball up the right where Williamson was covering. Craig Johnston went right through the Pars defender and was shown a straight red.

Josh Falkingham and David Hopkirk replaced Michael Paton and Faissal El Bakhtaoui in 63 minutes and HOPKIRK was to find the net with an easy conversion in front of goal within two minutes. 5-0

The East End crowd were really enjoying this and the stadium reacted with a "Stand up if you love the Pars". More joy followed as the players continued on song, WALLACE nipping in to send the ball home for 6-0 in 73 minutes.

With the crowd of over 4000 chanting "we want seven" the opportunity presented itself four minutes later. Falkingham was taken down by Scullion on the right side of the box and Referee Greg Aitken pointed to the same penalty spot as he had done in the first half. Wallace stepped forward but rattled his shot against the crossbar. He then tried to head in the rebound but that was blown up.

This did not halt the Dunfermline offensive, hungry for that seventh Hopkirk drove narrowly wide of the right post as the home side past the 20 mark in terms of shots. Williamson was caught offside as Cardle tried a neat pass into the box. Then Byrne turned the ball back from the right and Cowden scrambled the ball away.

Andrews was out to block a Cardle attempt and two corners followed from the right. Geggan was very disappointed that a third penalty was not given as he felt he was completely taken out at the second one.

The Central Park outfit threaten as Spence got in on the left but Richards-Everton nicked it away off the strikers toe. Goal seven duly came as Joe CARDLE was given the chance from the right side of the box. 88 minutes 7-0

In the last minute Cowdenbeath got a consolation, rattling the ball into the Pars net, Pat SCULLION the scorer getting the help of a deflection off Falkingham. 7-1

That concluded the scoring great entertainment for the home fans, happy days for the Pars players and probably a bad day for the bookies given the number of punters who had fluttered the odd pound on the optimistic chance that 4-1, 5-1 and 6-1 wins could be followed by a 7-1 scoreline.

A crazy, crazy game but 22 goals from four games set the Pars up well for the season to come. They went on to score 83 league goals on their way to winning the title on 26th March 2016.

Imagine the disappointment with a 3-0 win at Forfar the following Tuesday when many were hoping for eight!

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch; Ryan Williamson, Callum Fordyce (c), Ben Richards-Everton, Lewis Martin; Michael Paton (Josh Falkingham 63), Shaun Byrne, Andy Geggan, Joe Cardle; Michael Moffat (Ryan Wallace HT), Faissal El Bakhtaoui (David Hopkirk 63).
SUBS NOT USED: Jason Talbot, Lewis Spence, John Potter, David Hutton (GK).
SCORERS: El Bakhtaoui (2, 8), Moffat (13), Cardle (32, 88), Hopkirk (65), Wallace (73)
YELLOW CARD: Ben Richards-Everton (36), Geggan (40)

COWDENBEATH: Michael Andrews; Dean Brett, Kenny Adamson (Pat Scullion HT), Bradley Donaldson (c), Mo Yaqub; Robbie Buchanan, Chris Kane, Craig Johnston, Kyle Miller, Colin Nish, Greig Spence.
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Milne, Sam Orritt, Luke Armstrong, Liam Callaghan, Jack Wright, Jamie Sneddon (GK).
SCORERS: Scullion (89)
YELLOW CARD: Spence (27), Nish (42), Donaldson (57), Brett (60)
RED CARD: Johnston (59)

REFEREE: Greg Aitken
WEATHER: Sunny 14ºC
ATTENDANCE 4009

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