Match Report

Dunfermline Athletic v Stenhousemuir at East End Park, Dunfermline on 5.3.15

Ladbrokes SPFL League One             Att 3017

Dunfermline Athletic 5 [Falkingham 28, Paton 31, El Bakhtaoui 54, Wallace 69,78 pen] Stenhousemuir 0

Dunfermline – Murdoch, Reid, Talbot, McKay, Richards-Everton, Falkingham [b63] [McCabe 66], Paton, Byrne, Moffat [Wallace 60], El Bakhtaoui [Hopkirk 67] and Cardle. Subs not used – Hutton, Martin, Rooney and Crossan.

Stenhousemuir – McCabe [so78], McCormack, Summers, Malcolm, Murray, Meechan, Manzana-Martinez [Gilhaney 66], Stirling [b56], Small, Marenghi[b13] [McMenamin 66] and Cook[b30] [Barclay 78]. Subs not used –McCroary, Scotland, Millar and Allan

Referee – Barry Cook            Assistants – Gordon Crawford and Willie Ferguson

The recent schedule had taken its toll and the Warriors made five changes from the midweek game at Coatbridge. This was not the ideal scenario when facing the league leaders and it came as no surprise when Dunfermline won this game with relative ease. It was a slow start to the game and although Faissal El Bakhtaoui had an effort saved in the early stages the game was a low tempo affair with the Warriors doing their best to keep it that way.

The Pars though made  the breakthrough in the 28^th minute when a Jason Talbot free-kick struck the wall and Josh Falkingham reacted first to thunder a shot through a ruck of players and into the net. A minute later a Jamie McCormack interception denied Joe Cardle but that was only denying the inevitable as in the 31^st minute another free kick brought another goal this time Paton’s effort landed in the yop corner of the net.  In a rare Stenhousemuir attack Alan Cook was winded when Sean Murdoch landed on top of him when gathering a McCormack cross.  In the last minute of the half though Stenhousemuir came close to reducing the deficet when Lewis Small spun away from his marker despite being pulled back. The ball fell to  Carlos Manzana-Martinez and although he beat Murdoch with his shot it hit the inside of the post before the danger was cleared. Whether the award of a penalty at this crucial time would have made a change to the outcome is unknown but it would have helped Stenhousemuir’s cause.

Almost immediately after the restart it was Dunfermline’s turn to hit the post when Michael Moffat’s cross was allowed to go across goal and struck the upright. . That was a real let off but set the tone for the second period and the Fifers took the lead in the 54^th minute whenthe St.Tropez born El Bakhtaoui was picked out by Cardle and he fired a powerful drive into the net from 14 yards.  Ryan Wallace came on for the home side on the hour and he made an almost impact dragging a diagonal shot just wide within seconds of his introduction. Stephen Stirling saw a free kick pushed out in the 65^th minute and Murdoch came to the rescue once again in the 69^th minute to deny Euan Murray at close range. The ball was quickly transferred to the other end of the pitch with a sweeping move and substitutes David Hopkirk combined with Wallace with the latter tucking the ball into the net to put Dunfermline four up.

In the 77^th minute another Dunfermline attack saw another substitute combination set up another chance with Rhys McCabe opening up the Stenhousemuir defence and Wallace was only denied when he was brought down by Colin McCabe who was duly red carded. Jamie Barclay stepped into the fray only a week after resuming full training and he did well to get down and save Wallace’s spot kick though Wallace was able to convert the rebound.

There was to be no further scoring but it was a bad day for the Warriors with the heavy defeat, suspension of McCabe for the next game and another series of cautions that could cause problems with suspensions as the season progresses.