Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Dunfermline Athletic at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 19.09.15

Ladbrokes League One                  Att 1,554

Stenhousemuir 0 Dunfermline Athletic 5 [Cardle 11, El Bakhtaoui 24,52, Byrne 44, Antoine-Curier 85]

Stenhousemuir – Barclay, Meechan, Henderson [b29][McCormack 63], Malcolm [b13], Murray, Robertson, Stirling [McCroary 83], Millar [Mazana h/t], McMenamin, Smith and Gilhaney. Subs not used – McShane, Marenghi, Shaw and Eddington.

Dunfermline Athletic – Murdoch, Rooney [McCabe 35], Talbot, Martin, Everton, Geggan, Paton [Hopkirk 53], Byrne, Wallace, El Bakhtaoui and Cardle [Antoine-Curier 65]. Subs not used – Potter, Falkingham, Moffat and Hutton.

Referee – Brian Colvin   Assistants – Frank Connor and Chris Fordyce

Stenhousemuir went into this game with a 100% win record at Ochilview this season but by the end of this game that record was in tatters after Dunfermline went nap and could have possibly inflicted an even higher defeat. It’s not to say that Stenhousemuir played particularly badly but more that the Pars were on top of their game and apart from the start of the game when the match was open the Warriors were chasing shadows.

Indeed the home side came close to opening the scoring after only 17 seconds when Allan Smith had a strike saved unconvincingly by Andy Murdoch.  A timely tackle by Stuart Malcolm on Faissal El Bakhtaoi in the third minute stopped the Dunfermline hitman from scoring on this occasion, though he had more success later in the game. Joe Cardle then shot wide of the target in the 5^th minute and a running half volley by Ryan Wallace was tipped over the bar in the seventh minute. The visitors were rewarded for their efforts though in the 11st minute when Cardle was allowed to step inside and fire a thunderous drive into the net giving Barclay no chance. The Warriors struggled to compete with the movement from Dunfermline and the Pars doubled their lead in the 24^th minute when El Bakhtaoui headed home a Shaun Rooney cross.  The striker then just shot wide in the 36^th minute from an Andy Geggan cross. Stenhousemuir were struggling to hold on but if they had went into half time just the two goals down they would have had a chance to regroup. Virtually on the stroke of half time though they conceded a third. This was a bad goal to lose not just in its timing but that it should have been prevented. Barclay could only push a cross into the danger area and Euan Murray was able to block an El Bakhtaoui shot but somehow the ball wasn’t cleared and when it fell to Shaun Byrne he fired into the net.

That was effectively the end of the game but more was to follow in the second half. Geggan was to take advantage of Liam Henderson allowing a ball to bounce and picked out El Bakhtaoui in the middle and he made no mistake in firing home. A powerful drive by Smith in the 57^th minute was comfortably saved by the well positioned keeper before the play transferred to the other end and Barclay tipped over another El Bakhtaoui as he sought to get a hat trick. Stenhousemuir did have a decent spell after this and Gilhaney was unlucky not to score then with an effort that struck the woodwork in the 68^th minute. This was followed by a Malcolm header just wide from a Gilhaney corner. The best chance though fell to Colin McMenamin in the 77^th minute after probably the best move of the day by the home side but with only the keeper to beat he fired over the bar from 10 yards.

It was Dunfermline though that had the final say when Mickael Antoine-Curier met a through pass before tucking the ball past Barclay into the net. The score was harsh but was probably a true reflection of the game.