Dunfermline 0 Queen’s Park 3

cinch Championship: Aaron Comrie and Paul Allan start. Jack Turner (66) 0-1: Dom Thomas (75) 0-2: Mackenzie Carse (90+3) 0-3

It was eighth v ninth in this twice postponed first home league fixture against Queen’s Park since March 1986. After last week’s poor performance against Morton James McPake was hoping for a positive reaction from his team. Both sides made two changes to their starting elevens. Aaron Comrie returned to the Pars team and Paul Allan stepped up as well while Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Craig Wighton were out injured.

Queen’s Park manager Callum Davidson made two changes from the side that won the previous week in Inverness with Sean Welsh and Josh Scott taking the places of Tommy Robson and Cameron Bruce.

The visitors kicked off and enjoyed early possession but the first shot at goal was teed up by Josh Edwards for an on-target effort from Lewis McCann. His shot from 20 yards took a deflection and Calum Ferrie became the first keeper to make a save.

With Comrie’s return and in Wighton’s absence, Michael O’Halloran was operating upfront and in 18 minutes he received a pass from Ewan Otoo that allowed him to attack the Spiders defence and having broken through got in a shot that Ferrie dropped to his right to hold.

Midway through the half Queen’s got in for an attempt on goal. Alex Bannon pushed up and he was able to pick out Jack Turner on the right side of the Dunfermline box and he was closed down by Otoo. His shot landed on the roof of the net and Dom Thomas’ delivery from the resultant corner was overhit. That sent Edwards away up the left but he chose a pass to McCann when a better option might have been to send the ball over the defence.

Paul Allan played O’Halloran to his right and accepted the cut back but his effort was blocked. The same two combined again minutes with the same outcome. It was his third such action when in 32 minutes Deniz Mehmet lobbed a free kick from his own half that was nodded on by McCann before hitting a Queen’s hand inside the box but no penalty was awarded.

Edwards launched a 38th minute throw into the Queen’s six yard box that Calum Ferrie fisted away. When Edwards returned a high ball in the keeper went through two Dunfermline players as he punched away the ball much to the annoyance of the home support who felt the challenge was too severe.

Mehmet held a Thomas shot in 44th minute but throughout the first half the home side had defended really well and denied their opponents space to play. The teams would go in level with neither keeper being really tested.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 Queen’s Park 0

O’Halloran kicked the second half off with the home side attacking the goal in front of the McCathie Stand. It continued a measured game from both sides although the visitors enjoyed territorial advantage. Thomas had a couple of strong runs and Scott pinged the ball across the Fifers box. In 56 minutes Stuart McKinstry’s effort from 25 yards out flew over Mehmet’s crossbar.

Next minute Ben Summers was replaced by Owen Moffat. After Thomas fed Ruari Paton, the 192 Queens Park fans appeal for a 61st minute penalty was ignored although there was no serious appeal from their players. Dunfermline were finding it difficult to get into the final third of the pitch and when they did a Moffat pass was intercepted. Play switched swiftly to the other end and on 66 minutes a McKinstry cross from the left was glanced into the home net at the far post by TURNER. 0-1

Loanee from Blackpool, Brad Holmes replaced Lewis McCann before play resumed. Queen’s introduced Louis Longridge and Mackenzie Carse in 74 minutes and within a minute THOMAS found himself in the ideal place on the right side to bend a classic Dom shot into the top left corner. 0-2

Taylor Sutherland was introduced in place of Michael O’Halloran for the final ten minutes. A Benjamin cross was cleared away and an Edwards effort went over the crossbar.

With the exception of a long range shot by Thomson, the scoreline never really look threatened in the final five minutes and added time but running on to a Thomas pass, sub McKenzie CARSE managed to nip in and make it 3-0 in the third minute of time added on to further ruin the Pars day. Queen’s Park victory, their fourth in five, lifted them into seventh place. Dunfermline slipped to ninth equal on points with Inverness Caley Thistle but was an inferior goal difference.

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