Match Report

East Fife v Stenhousemuir at Bayview Stadium, Methil on 7.1.17

SPFL Ladbrokes League One              Att 635

East Fife 1 [Robinson 22] Stenhousemuir 0

The games between Stenhiousemuir and East Fife so far this season have been very close affairs and this encounter was to prove to be on similar lines.

Stenhousemuir made a couple of changes to the side that had lost to Alloa with David Marsh returning to the side for Grant Hamilton and Ol iShaw replacing the injured Mark Gilhaney.

There were few chances throughout the game though Scott Robinson was thwarted by a fine stop by Colin McCabe in the 10^th minute after he was allowed to advance on goal from a seemingly offside position.

In the 22^nd minute though the Fifers took the lead in controversial fashion. A high ball was played down the middle of the park and Robinson won the challenge with Ross Meechan with the Warrior being unbalanced after a push before playing the ball past McCabe and into the net.

Stenhousemuir had been doing reasonably well up to this stage of the game and were unlucky to find themselves in arrears. They responded with a run and shot by ex- East Fifer Alan Cook that went just wide of the target. As the game progressed the home side were content to defend and hit on the break. They were almost undone with a Willis Furtado screamer that crashed off the post in the 40^th minute. Towards the end of the half though East Fife came close with Jamie Insall denied by McCabe who stopped the initial shot and smothered the rebound.

There was little action in the second period with Stenhousemuir struggling to get behind a resolute defence whilst the home forwards were living on scraps. Gradually though Stenhousemuir started to get more of the ball and they were unlucky not to get an equaliser when a flurry of shots were kept out by a resolute home defence. The play was halted after Chris Kane picked up a head knock after he intercepted a drive with his head.  Although the play was stopped for this the game resumed with an East Fife free kick to the bemusement of many. Stenhousemuir’s David Marsh was cautioned for comments to the referee.

Alan Cook was causing East Fife most problems and he was denied in the 81^st minute by Mark Hurst who showed why he is a Scotland Under 21 keeper with a superb tip over the bar.

As the game went into the final minute of normal time the East Fife keeper was beaten. A Cook free kick was headed home by David Marsh but as the Stenhousemuir ranks celebrated it was noticed that the ‘goal’ had been disallowed though the reason wasn’t obvious it appears that Marsh was penalised for a push though it looked softer than the goal already given.

The final whistle blew shortly afterwards and it was clear that the Stenhousemuir contingent were unhappy about the outcome of the game that they could and probably should have had a share of the points if decisions had went the way they thought they should.

It was not the best start to 2017 and they will be hoping that their fortune turns fairly rapidly

East Fife – Hurst, Mercer, Slattery [b73], Kane, Page, Kerr [b74], Brown, Insall [Austin 83], Robinson, Penrice and O’Hara [Smith 72]. Subs not used – Trialist, Lamont, Mutch and Duggan.

Stenhousemuir – McCabe, McCormack [Manzana 83], Summers, Meechan, Marsh [b76], Berry [b90], Furtado, Millar, McMenamin, Shaw and Cook. Subs not used – Hamilton, Runciman, McMaster and Crawford.

Referee – Kevin Graham        Assistants – Graham Chambers and Daniel Graves