Round Two: El Bakhtaoui (11) 1-0; Hemmings (48) 1-1; Cardle (86) 2-1; El Bakhtaoui (94) 3-1.

Dunfermline disposed of their higher league opponents with a great fighting victory, coming back from being put under the cosh to grab two late goals and qualifying for the next round of the cup.

After a week of mixed fortunes the Pars returned to East End Park for their League Cup Second Round tie against Paul Hartley's Dundee. The Pars 3-0 win at Forfar Athletic was followed by a 2-1 defeat at Peterhead on Saturday so Allan Johnston's side were out to extinguish memories of that. The Pars manager made one change retaining his 20th minute sub Josh Falkingham at the expense of Shaun Byrne.

Midfielder Gary Harkins was free to play despite his red card in the 2-0 Premiership defeat by Aberdeen on Saturday so Dundee were unchanged and it was the visitors who kicked off attacking the McCathie Stand end. Within 30 seconds however Dunfermline created the first good chance of the game Michael Moffat driving through the Dundee defence to set up Joe Cardle but his shot from eight yards went into the sidenetting on the left with the fans at the opposite end anticipating a goal.

There was just five minutes on the clock when a Gary Harkins free kick from the left was met by the head of Julen Etxabeguren and Sean Murdoch had to parry away the header. From the resulted Greg Stewart corner another Etxabeguren header sent the ball wide left.

Eighth minute Cardle had another great opportunity when Moffat nodded down a Michael Paton cross but with the home crowd screaming hit it he duly did but Scott Bain made a fine save.

It could not be said that it was unexpected when Dunfermline took an eleventh minute lead. A simple ball in from the right by Lewis Martin was swept into the bottom left of the Dundee net by Faissal EL BAKHTAOUI from the edge of the box. 1-0

Dundee could have done a lot better when Paul McGinn ran on to the ball deep down the right and flashed an inviting ball across the Pars six yard box. Play got a bit hairy in the home penalty area as the Premier League side stepped on the gas but the Pars survived.

In 22 minutes the strong appeals for a Dunfermline penalty were dismissed by referee Stephen Finnie when Paton was quite clearly impeded by Kevin Holt as he tried to advance further in on the right side of the Dee penalty area.

Within minutes of that decision the referee then awarded the visitors a free kick midway into the Pars half producing more boos than the pantomime baddy but the Pars headed away the danger. Dundee captain demonstrated some of his team's frustrations by trying a shot from 35 yards that was woefully wide.

A 33rd minute cross deep from Cardle to Paton was headed into the area in front of the Dundee goal but the 22 year old keeper held. At the other end Dundee's second corner of the night was glanced well wide left but a Paton attempt to cut out a pass then sent Stewart through the middle but Falkingham went with him and disposessed the Dee striker on the edge of the box.

A Paul McGowan lob towards the right had Nick Ross racing in expecting to release a rocket at goal but the long leg of Ben Richards-Everton reached out to whip that chance away. Two more shots were then blocked by the Pars defence before McPake ran on to a Stewart flick on only to see this effort deflect into the stand off the top of the crossbar.

Harkins was yellow carded in 43 minutes after a succession of previous card decisions appeared to be missed in the crowds' opinion. Ross sent a good effort at Murdoch but his safe save sent the Pars in one up at the interval

Half time: Dunfermline 1 Dundee 0
The second half was only in its third minute when Dundee scored the goal that they had threatened so much towards the end of the previous half. The defence was pulled apart with too many players to take care of and as a consequence Kane HEMMINGS found himself unchallenged just ten yards out to pick his spot. 1-1.


A great ball in from Martin had the McCathie Stand roaring as the Pars forced a 53rd minute corner. That was successfully defended and then a Dundee corner two minutes later met with the same fate. Another within a minute saw Hemmings loop a header that came back off the crossbar.

Dylan Carreiro replaced Julen Etxabeguren who had a hamstring problem before Cardle was shown yellow for dissent. In 64 minute Stewart slipped the ball in nicely for McGowan but Murdoch pulled off a great save. Then McGinn was shown yellow for a tackle that left Moffat flattened and it was not until Dundee played the ball out of play did the referee call on the physio and hunt McGinn out to show him yellow. Allan Johnston obviously said something out of turn to fourth official David Munro and he was ordered to the stand.

In 72 minutes Harkins tackle on El Bakhtaoui was penalised allowing Paton to try a shot from 25 yards but that cleared both the wall and the bar. Magnificent build up play from Dee ended up with Stewart zipping a shot narrowly wide left.

Moffat was withdrawn to introduce Ryan Wallace but the visitors were getting uncomfortably close with Hemmings in particular very unfortunate. Murdoch pulled off a fine save from Harkins with eight minutes of the 90 remaining. Next minute Murdoch turned over a powerful Holt effort from the edge of the box and then saved at point blank range from Stewart.

It was all pressure on the Pars but that all changed as CARDLE took advantage of a counterattack. The ball was sprayed out from El Bakhtaoui on the left to Paton on the right and his pass to "Super Joe" saw him slot the ball under the former Alloa Athletic goalkeeper despite McGinn sliding in to try and stop him. 2-1 and jubilant scenes in the bottom right in front of the home fans.

Dundee had four minutes to salvage the cup tie and when the ball was whacked over from the right Fordyce bravely headed the ball wide at the near post. El Bakhtaoui almost sneaked another but there was some excellent defending to keep him out.


Dundee pressed but it was EL BAKHTAOUI who put the tie out of touch with a 94th minute goal.

David Hopkirk came on for Cardle but referee Finnie ended the contest at the restart. Tremendous scenes at East End Park. Bringing on back the good times with the Allan Johnston magic. More of this please!

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch; Lewis Martin, Callum Fordyce (c), Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot,; Michael Paton, Josh Falkingham, Andy Geggan, Joe Cardle (David Hopkirk 95), Michael Moffat (Ryan Wallace 74), Faissal El Bakhtaoui.
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Joseph Crossan, Shaun Byrne, James Thomas, John Potter, David Hutton (GK).
SCORERS: El Bakhtaoui (11, 94), Cardle (86)
YELLOW CARD: Cardle (64)

DUNDEE: Scott Bain; Paul McGinn, Julen Etxabeguren (Dylan Carreiro 60), James McPake, Kevin Holt; Nick Ross, Greg Stewart, Paul McGowan, Thomas Konrad, Gary Harkins, Kane Hemmings
SUBS NOT USED: Gary Irvine, Daryll Meggatt, Andrew Black, Kostadin Gadzhalov, Jesse Curran, David Mitchell (GK).
SCORERS: Hemmings (48)
YELLOW CARD: Harkins (43), McGinn (64)

REFEREE: Stephen Finnie
WEATHER: Overcast 18C
ATTENDANCE 3806

NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes League One: (home) v Stranraer, Saturday 29th August 2015, kick off 3 00pm
at East End Park