Dunfermline 2 Celtic B 1

SPFL Trust Trophy: three sixteen year olds start - Sam Young, Andrew Tod and Taylor Sutherland. Taylor Sutherland (3) 1-0: Nikolay Todorov (26) 2-0: Johnny Kenny (36) 2-1:

The Third Round of the SPFL Trust Trophy brought Lowland League Celtic B to the KDM Group East End Park for their first ever encounter with the Pars. This match was scheduled for September but due to international call ups on the Celtic side was postponed until this third Tuesday in November.

Manager James McPake was without the cup tied on loan players Kane Ritchie-Hosler and Chris Mochrie. Max Little was given the chance to make his debut in goal and three sixteen year olds also made starting debuts - Sam Young, Andrew Tod and Taylor Sutherland. Chris Hamilton returned to captain the team with Kyle Benedictus, Josh Edwards and Craig Wighton dropping to the bench.

Celtic B manager Stephen McManus made four changes from the side that defeated Edinburgh University 4-2 on Saturday. Into the Hoops starting eleven came Joe Murphy, Daniel Kelly, Johnny Kenney and former Tottenham Hotspur Academy keeper Tobi Oluwayemi.

Dunfermline got off to a great start when in the third minute Joe Chalmers fed the ball out wide to Kyle Macdonald and his cross was met by Taylor SUTHERLAND to head the ball home at the near post. It was Taylor’s first start for Dunfermline and it had not taken him long to make an impact. 1-0

Sam Fisher picked up a 15th minute yellow card for his challenge on Ben Quinn out on the Celtic left but when Quinn took it short to his captain Ewan Otoo they failed to get any advantage from it.

Eight minutes later Matty Todd played a defence splitting pass to put Sutherland through one on one with the keeper who blocked the youngster’s shot. An offside flag went up but one for VAR

Then when Hamilton crossed the ball for TODOROV on the left side of the Celtic box the Bulgarian striker chested the ball down to squeeze the ball home at the left goalpost for his seventh goal of the season. 2-0

Todorov had another chance just six minutes later after a Chalmers pass sent Sutherland through the middle and he released a perfect ball but the shot was always rising and cleared the crossbar.

Nine minutes from the break Celtic got a goal back but with everyone waiting for the Assistant Referee Barry Reid to flag it for offside, Johnny KENNY slotted past the advancing Little. No offside decision. 2-1

Half time: Dunfermline 2 Celtic B 1

Within 30 seconds of the restart a Todorov shot was saved by the keeper and the crossbar denied Tod with the follow up. At the other end Rhys Breen cleared a fierce 51st minute effort from Tsoanelo Letsosa off the line.

Todorov had another chance when a neat pass from Chalmers sent Todd down the left and Matty managed to get over an inviting chance which sadly just wasn’t taken. That was the striker’s last involvement as he was subbed by Craig Wighton. Josh Edwards was also introduced with Andrew Tod going off.

While it remained 2-1 Celtic were always a danger but their efforts were all restricted to outside the box. There was a lengthy stoppage on 80 minutes while Celtic’s Daniel Kelly received treatment. Unable to continue he was assisted off and replaced by Mitchell Frame in 83rd minute.

A further minute of play was completed before there was another halt in play for treatment to Dylan Corr and when he had to leave the pitch Celtic were down to ten men in 86th minute since they had no slots remaining to make a substitution.

Hamilton, Macdonald and Todd exchanged numerous passes out on the right but Celtic stopped the cross. Then Sutherland cut back from the left side but the pass was intercepted before it could reach Wighton.

Edwards sent a low shot wide left and Breen had an effort blocked. Hamilton had the final attempt but after five added minutes it was Dunfermline who advanced into the last sixteen to meet Dick Campbell’s Arbroath.

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