Dunfermline Athletic 3 – 0 Arbroath – Match Report
Betfred Cup – Group C – Game 2
Tuesday 19th July 2016, East End Park, Dunfermline – 7.45pm kick off
Arbroath lost to Dunfermline on Tuesday evening as they faced temperatures more associated with Florida than Fife as the sun scorched East End Park.
Manager Dick Campbell named the same starting line up that faced up to Dundee United on Friday.
Goalkeeper Robbie Mutch was in goals for the Lichties, with captain Mark Whatley at right back with Gary Phillips at left back and Ricky Little and Colin Hamilton continuing in central defence. Martin Scott started alongside Ryan McCord in central midfield with Bobby Linn and Omar Kader on the wings and Steven Doris partnering Bryan Prunty up front.
Arbroath listed the same 7 substitutes with Malin, Dunlop, Gold, Callaghan, Thomson, Hester and Gomes on the bench.
Dunfermline kicked off as they attacked towards the Norrie McCathie stand as the Lichties avoided the strong sun.
Arbroath were on the back foot early on as Dunfermline looked for an early goal with an early corner and then a great opportunity with a free kick on the edge of the box after Scott fouled McCabe. McCabe took the free kick but the Arbroath wall did their job and blocked his strike.
The Arbroath defence was showing great discipline and were working well at using the offside trap, but still the Pars kept up attacking and Mutch was showing his skills again as he saved from Moffat.
Arbroath were using the pace of Linn to break on the counter and Linn fed the ball into Doris whose clever back heel sent Linn in on goal but defender Ashcroft beat Linn to the ball.
On loan Hearts striker Reilly was looking lively for the Pars and had a shot blocked from outside the box in the 21st minute. Good build up play by Arbroath resulted in Ryan McCord hit a shot in a crowded box, but he couldn’t get enough on it to really test Hutton in goal.
The Lichties weren’t get many decisions from the referee and had a shout for a penalty kick after a move involving Doris and Prunty which found Linn on the wing and as he cut inside his cross seemed to hit the arm of the impressive Ryan Williamson.
Dunfermline again pressed winning their 6th corner kick in the 37th minute which Richards-Everton had a header blocked. The game looked to be heading to half time goalless but Arbroath’s nemesis over the years, Michael Moffat scored in the 44th minute.
Keeper Mutch came running out of his box to try and clear the ball after an initial poor kick, but Gavin Reilly won the race to the ball. With Mutch at the risk of a red card if he brought down the striker, he couldn’t stop Reilly from crossing into the box where Moffat was waiting in the box to hit into the empty net, despite a flying lunge by Ricky Little.
Half time – Dunfermline Athletic 1 – 0 Arbroath
Arbroath came out looking determined in the second half and had their best spell. First Omar Kader found space but he blasted his shot over, before Mutch made another great save from Moffat at the other end. Kader then hit back as he run into the box but his shot was right at Hutton. As Arbroath pushed Linn tried his luck from just outside the box too, but again Hutton was there.
Play continued to race from end to end, with an Arbroath corner in the 51st minute which seen a Steven Doris header flash past Hutton’s back post. Moffat had another effort but his shot was too high, before Linn had Arbroath’s best chance. He ran down the wing chased by Ashcroft, before Linn quickly applied the brakes and cut back, losing Ashcroft allowing space to shoot but Hutton was alert and saved at the cost of the corner.
Arbroath were sent a warning as a Cardle strike hit the post from 18 yards on the hour mark, and just two minutes later were celebrating as they doubled their lead. This time scorer Moffat turned prover as he fed in Geggan who couldn’t miss from 4 yards out, although the skipper looked to be offside.
After the goal Allan Johnston made a double substitution with new signing Kallum Higginbotham replacing Rhys McCabe whilst on loan striker Paul McMullan replaced Gavin Reilly.
Former Kilmarnock player Higginbotham impressed the home fans straight away when he sent a sublime pass through to Williamson who ran to the byeline before teeing up Moffat to tap in to kill the game in the 66th minute.
The Pars made their final switch when Lewis Spence replaced Nat Wedderburn. In the 74th minute Bobby Linn went to claim the ball but was hit in the face by a high boot by Geggan. Ironically Geggan was going to get away with the foul until he kicked the ball away when finally he was shown the yellow card.
Dick Campbell introduced Malin, Thomson and Callaghan for McCord, Phillips and Linn but the game was over by then.
In the closing moments Referee David Munro flashed the red card to Little as he slid in for a tackle with McMullan, yet two minutes later in a near identical tackle Ben Richards-Everton got away scot free, which also resulted in Steven Doris being booked for protesting.
Full time – Dunfermline Athletic 3 – 0 Arbroath
The blistering heat and the fitness of the full time Pars team in the end were too much for the Lichties, but with Cowdenbeath their next opponents it should be a more competitive match.
Stats
Possession – Dunfermline Athletic 63% – 37% Arbroath
Total Shots – Dunfermline Athletic 18 – 7 Arbroath
On Target – Dunfermline Athletic 6 – 4 Arbroath
Corners – Dunfermline Athletic 10 – 4 Arbroath
Fouls Committed – Dunfermline Athletic 6 – 7 Arbroath
Dunfermline Athletic
1 – David Hutton
2 – Ryan Williamson
3 – Lewis Martin
4 – Lee Ashcroft
5 – Ben Richards-Everton
6 – Andy Geggan (c)
7 – Rhys McCabe (Higgingbotham 63)
8 – Nat Wedderburn (Spence 71)
9 – Gavin Reilly (McMullan 63)
10 – Michael Moffat
11 – Joe Cardle
Substitutes
12 – Jason Talbot
14 – Lewis Spence – 8
15 – Paul McMullan – 9
16 – Kallum Higginbotham – 7
17 – Callum Smith
30 – Cammy Gill GK
Bookings – Geggan 74
Goals – Moffat 44, 66, Geggan 62
Arbroath
1 – Robbie Mutch
2 – Mark Whatley (c)
3 – Gary Phillips (Thomson 74)
4 – Ricky Little
5 – Colin Hamilton
6 – Ryan McCord (Malin 74)
7 – Omar Kader
8 – Martin Scott
9 – Bryan Prunty
10 – Steven Doris
11 – Bobby Linn (Callaghan 74)
Substitutes
12 – Gavin Malin – 6
14 – Michael Dunlop
15 – David Gold
16 – Liam Callaghan – 11
17 – Josh Thomson – 3
18 – Kane Hester
21 – Ricky Gomes – GK
Bookings – Scott 63, Doris 90
Dismissal – Little 86
Attendance – 1974
Match Officials
Referee – David Munro
Assistant 1 – Graham Chambers
Assistant 2 – Ryan Oliver
