Dunfermline Athletic 0
Arbroath 0
Scottish League (Championship)

Match Report

The last Championship fixtures were played on Friday evening and Dunfermline hosted Arbroath in the first of what would be three successive fixtures against the Red Lichties. The two clubs would meet in the first of the Premiership play-offs to be held during the following seven days. The league game was one in which neither side would want to reveal too much of their hand and avoid injuries and suspensions.

Manager Neil Lennon had announced pre-match that he would ‘rotate’ his squad for this match. When the team was announced John Tod was the sole survivor from the eleven that stated v Queen’s Park the previous Saturday. Kyle Benedictus returned to lead the team out and Chris Hamilton made his 150th appearance for Dunfermline against one of his old clubs. Another life long Pars fan, Alasdair Davidson said it was ‘the best day of his life’ as he started his first game at KDM Group East End Park. Four of the Under 17 side were on the subs bench.

Arbroath made five changes from the side that started against Partick Thistle. Aidan McAdams, Aaron Muirhead, Findlay Marshall, Ryan Dow and Gavin Reilly dropped out to make way for Craig Watson, Scott Robinson, Victor Enem, Dapo Mebude and 26 year-old keeper Jordan Pettigrew.

The Pars had the better of the early play forcing a corner off Enem in eighth minute. Josh Cooper crossed from the left and Alasdair Davidson headed his half chance over the bar. The visitors first corner came four minutes later, one followed by another but Cooper raced away with Enem’s delivery.

Davidson cut out a Scott Stewart cut back from the right byeline and Mebude’s attempt to round McLeod restricted the final ball to one that was easily headed away. The game was needing an injection of something and McLeod, Cooper and Kearney linked neatly on the right but possession was soon lost.

A free kick on the half hour was fired over by Wilkie but straight into Mehmet’s hands. Cooper was caught offside after Bray and Fyfe created the chance that Fyfe powered inches over the crossbar. It was Cooper who drew the first save of the match out of Pettigrew in 37 minutes with a shot from 25 yards out. Arbroath responded immediately with McIntyre winning a corner on the right. O’Brien headed the cross back across goal and Stewart lamented sending his header over the bar.

Although the game had warmed up as the break approached it had been an uneventful first 45 minutes with few attempts at goal.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Arbroath 0

Aaron Muirhead took over from Thomas O’Brien for the restart. Arbroath forced two corners in the first seven minutes of the half. Both were defended and Bray broke away from the second one, sent the ball wide left for Macleod to gather and deliver just too high for the in-running Bray. In 55 minutes Bray came close after dispossessing Muirhead on the edge of the box and his effort whistled just outside the top right corner of the Arbroath goal.

A ball over the top set up Robinson in 62 minutes, Mehmet came out and blocked the shot and when Stewart grabbed the chance he sent the ball wildly wide left. From an Arbroath corner in 66 minutes Mehmet did well to touch over Wilkie’s in-swinger. The Pars keeper, making his first start since January, then punched away Robinson’s corner from the opposite side.

When Dunfermline took play to the other end Macleod and McLeod forced the game into the right side of the Arbroath box but Bray had to settle for a corner. That defended it was a Fyfe break up the left that raised the home fans hopes but the pace of the pass defeated Cooper in the box.

Two minutes from the end Benedictus did really well to deny sub Findlay Marshall. The skipper was then given a standing ovation as he was replaced by Nurudeen Abdulai. The second under 17, Jay Haughey joined Jack Quinn in making their first team debuts. There was one late let off as MacIntyre rattled the Pars crossbar from 25 yards out.

The second half had produced more shots but it had been what many would term a typical end of season game. The draw meant Arbroath retained their third place finish in the William Hill Championship and the Fifers finish fourth. So it is on to the next fixture against Arbroath in the quarter final of the Premiership play-off back at KDM Group East End Park on Tuesday night. The teams will play the second leg at Gayfield on Friday 8th May. In 1965 Dunfermline played Third Lanark three times in nine days but the sequence was interrupted by a First Division match away to Aberdeen within that period.

Match report written by dafc.co.uk