Dunfermline 1 FC Edinburgh 0

cinch League One: both sides name unchanged starting elevens. Liam Fontaine (o.g. 88) 1-0:

Dunfermline secured the win that allowed them to leapfrog their opponents and go back on top of the league by one point with a game in hand.

It was second versus first in this cinch League One fixture. James McPake went with the same team as saw off Alloa Athletic the previous week, the only changes being to the subs bench where Lewis McCann returned and 17 year old Michael Beagley claimed Taylor Sutherland’s place.

The visitors FC Edinburgh, seeking their fourth successive win, were also unchanged from the side that defeated Kelty Hearts 2-0 last time out. The one familiar face in the capital side was former Pars midfielder James Craigen.

It was a typical autumn afternoon, dry, sunny at times with a cool breeze. The playing surface looked in tip top condition as FC Edinburgh in all black, kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end.

In ninth minute Edinburgh keeper Robbie Mutch was the first to be brought into serious action, holding both a long throw in from Josh Edwards and a cross from the byeline from Aaron Comrie.

The home crowd were appealing for a 12th minute penalty after Comrie was challenged in the box by Callum Crane and tumbled as he tried to get on to a fine Matty Todd pass. Referee Steven Kirkland awarded a corner but the visitors were not troubled by that was it was too strong.

Mutch comfortably held another Edwards long throw and watched as a Chris Mochrie cross in 21 minutes dropped wide right. At the other end Craigen turned a cut back straight to Deniz Mehmet. Todd was then on the end of a decent Edwards cross from the left touchline but directed his header over the crossbar.

No one was being allowed to get close to hitting the target but Craigen drove a 31st minute effort narrowly wide right of the home goal. Kyle Benedictus picked out Todd deep down the left but Lee Hamilton closed him out and then with the crowd screaming for a shot Joe Chalmers powered a shot over the bar from 25 yards out.

There was a good individual attempt by Mochrie to break the deadlock, creating space for himself his shot from 22 yards out went over off the crossbar. The Pars 37th minute corner was the first of the match but Mochrie’s delivery was low and Sam Fisher sent it wide left.

Hamilton was yellow carded for his 41st minute foul on Todd 20 yards out on the left side but the subsequent free kick only yielded a corner and that did not change anything. The Fifers ended the half with two corners from the right. The first that Fisher connected with but failed to find the net and the second that landed for Benedictus but too much on it for him to send goalwards.

First half possession stats would show a fairly even 45 minutes but the home side had five corners to the visitors none.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 FC Edinburgh 0

The Pars started the second half strongly but were a bit shot shy. Todorov and Hamilton clashed heads as they both went for the ball and after both received treatment the striker was shown a yellow card and the Edinburgh central defender was subbed by Jack Brydon.

It required a good save by Mutch to keep out a Comrie header at the far post as he connected with a Chalmers cross. The visitors however continued to do a good job in frustrating their hosts and James McPake introduced two subs in 61st minute - Lewis McCann and Craig Wighton replacing Nikolay Todorov and Chris Hamilton.

McCann made his presence felt and caused Liam Fontaine to tug him back earning the FC Edinburgh captain a yellow card when most of the stadium was claiming red. The quickly taken free kick failed to trouble the opposing defence.

Following Edinburgh’s first corner of the day, Wighton broke up the left wing in 73 minutes but was closed out before he could release a shot, McCann did and it was deflected wide right but no corner was given.

Mutch came out and held a 79th minute free kick awarded after Allan Delferriere checked Mochrie. With five men strung out across the back Edinburgh were proving impossible to break down but Dunfermline continued to push up. Edwards cross was tantalisingly missed by Wighton and McCann before a free kick from Mochrie down near the left corner flag picked out Benedictus but there was no one to latch on to the knock down.

There was ironic cheers from the home stands as the official awarded a 85th minute corner after Fisher’s shot had been turned behind. Unfortunately FC Edinburgh kept that out and then they were happy to watch an Edwards attempt narrowly clear their crossbar.

McCann pinged a cut back through the six yard box without any touches but you felt a goal just had to come. The next crossed ball from the right duly nestled inside the far sidenetting, the deflection off the luckless Liam FONTAINE directing the ball into his own net. In all fairness it was the on loan Dundee defender Sam Fisher’s shot that caused the goal. 1-0

When that goal broke the deadlock there were only two minutes remaining and three of time added on, all of which the Pars saw out safely. Indeed it was Mutch who was called upon to save a last minute shot from sub Kyle Macdonald. Dunfermline go back to the top of the league and although it took a while coming, a well deserved victory.

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