Lewis McCann was the match winner as Dunfermline Athletic edged past Alloa Athletic, in a tense SPFL Trust Trophy Quarter Final. Aaron Fraser reports from East End Park:
James McPake made three changes from the team that lost 2-1 at Hampden against Queen’s Park on Saturday. Chris Hamilton, Joe Chalmers and Matthew Todd replaced Tommy Fogarty, David Wotherspoon, and Craig Clay.
Meanwhile, Andy Graham also shuffled his pack, making two changes from his Wasps side that drew 1-1 away to Queen of the South last weekend. Tochukwu Ogayi and Kane Thomson came into the starting eleven. PJ Morrison and Calum Waters dropped to the bench.
After a scrappy opening few minutes, in which both teams struggled to maintain any meaningful possession, the Pars created the first clear cut chance of the evening. Lewis McCann scampered into the box and saw a tame effort beaten away by Ogayi in the Alloa net.
Dunfermline then started to dominate, going close to opening the scoring on numerous occasions. Joe Chalmers lined up a long range effort which was deflected behind for a corner. From the resulting set piece, captain Kyle Benedictus headed narrowly over the bar.
Kieran Ngwenya was next to drive the hosts into the Alloa half. Bursting up the left hand side with intent, Dunfermline’s number three squared the ball for the onrushing Matthew Todd, who forced an excellent save from Ogayi. Ngwenya then tried to take goal scoring matters into his own hands, finding himself on the end of a dangerous delivery from Dapo Mebude, but his first time shot ended up inches wide of the post.
On a bitterly cold night in Fife, Dunfermline were certainly the side trying to play more football. Alloa were happy to absorb the pressure and then hit the Pars on the break, while also disrupting the hosts’ momentum with a series of agricultural fouls.
Dunfermline continued to ramp up the pressure as the first half went on. Ngwenya once again delivered with precision, finding the head of Aaron Comrie. Ogayi, who was keeping his team in the game, pulled off another fine stop.
Lewis McCann then spurned a golden chance to put Dunfermline into the lead. Given time and space to shoot, he could only fire straight at Ogayi, who gathered his shot with ease.
On the stroke of half time, McCann made amends as he opened the scoring, racing clear of the Wasps defence before drilling a precise effort into the bottom corner. Most of the 1,400 crowd inside East End Park acclaimed the strike with a mixture of joy and relief. The goal was no less than Dunfermline deserved, after being on top for the entire first half.
This didn’t stop the 132 travelling fans from voicing their displeasure, as the Alloa crowd felt that their team had been on the wrong end of several decisions. One particularly irate supporter was shouting himself red in the face, branding the officials “a shambles” amongst several other insults that are far too explicit for print.
Referee Duncan Williams took the brunt of the away support’s fury, with his name loudly booed as the teams re-emerged for the second half. No changes were made at the break and the game quickly got back underway.
The second half began in the same fashion as the first, with Dunfermline continuing to have the lion’s share of possession and chances. Aside from a wayward long range effort from Scott Taggart, Alloa were next to non-existent in the attacking third.
Dapo Mebude thought that he had doubled the lead for Dunfermline on fifty eight minutes. Drifting into the box, the Pars number 62 jinked past David McKay and sent a dipping shot goalwards which looked destined to end up in the Alloa net. A back-pedalling Ogayi was relieved to see the ball crash off his crossbar and away to safety.
Alloa slowly began to claw themselves back into the contest, but were yet to seriously test Dunfermline goalkeeper Tobi Owulayemi. Substitute Kevin Cawley found himself in the Pars box, but his shot didn’t trouble Owulayemi, who barely had to raise a glove all game.
Dunfermline should have put the game beyond doubt in a frantic five minute spell, but incredibly could not score from three golden opportunities. McCann failed to double his tally from inside the box, before Josh Cooper incredibly headed Kane Ritchie-Hosler’s cross wide when it looked easier to score than miss. Cooper then stepped up and rattled the outside of the post with a free kick.
18-year-old Taylor Sutherland had a late chance to bag himself a goal off the bench. Bearing down on goal, the talented teenager looked certain to find the net, but his effort was comfortably stopped in the end.
Full time arrived not long afterwards, and Dunfermline Athletic had managed to secure themselves a semi final clash with fellow Championship side Livingston. While the game was far from a classic, the hardcore band of Pars supporters had a win to celebrate, which has not been a common occurrence so far this season. “A Winning Team” is the slogan proudly displayed in the North West Stand, and on this foggy Tuesday night, the Pars made sure to live up to it. Alloa battled well, and grew into the second half, but ultimately couldn’t do enough to force a late equaliser.
Dunfermline’s next match at home to Airdrieonians, while Alloa are on their travels to take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
