COWDENBEATH 1 DUNFERMLINE 2 Date: 17/07/06

Fixture: Pre Season Friendly

Attendance: 674, Kick Off: 19:30

Referee: Stephen Finnie, Weather: Sunny 25ºC

Dunfermline fielded French trialist, Cedric Arus at left back and recent signing Roddy McKenzie was in goals for the short trip to Cowden. McKenzie was quickly called upon touching away Graham Guy`s well struck effort from the right after only 30 seconds that was destined for the top left corner.

It was the 9th minute before the SPL side conjured up an attack that led to a shot that tested Davie Hay. Scott Muirhead picked out Steven Simmons and he laid the ball off for Jim McIntyre`s shot from 18 yards. Back at the other end Ryan McCallum`s delivery in from the left corner flag was stabbed just wide of McKenzie`s left hand post.

Cowden were defending the goal at the High Street end with a strong sun shining into them but that could not be blamed as Muirhead swung over the ball from the left flank that McINTYRE rose to head past Hay in 14th minute.

McIntyre almost capitalised on a poor Hay clearance eight minutes later but a defender headed the ball off the line and into his keeper`s hands. The blue Cowdenbeath shirts were kept well away from McKenzie and their only attempt was a long range shot from former Par Pat Clark in 28 minutes.

On the half hour Innes Ritchie conceded three successive corners the last of which McIntyre headed wide of the left post. Had this not been a friendly Jamie McCunnie could well have been in big trouble when after fouling Ritchie he took exception to some verbal and chose to shove away the big defender.

Steven Simmons seemed somewhat surprised when a cross reached him and his shot was weakly struck into Hay`s arms. Two minutes later he headed another chance wide after Muirhead had got the better of Guy on the left side of the Blue Brazils box.

The electronic scoreboard showed 20:11 as Markus Paatelinen`s looped shot from the left was deflected on to the roof of the net but the corner from the left got nowhere near following that. It was Dunfermline broke with Morrison working his way through the middle to set up McIntyre for a stinging shot that Hay parried away.

Three minutes from the interval Pat Clark drove in on the left side of the Pars box to test McKenzie. The keeper stopped the ball but it broke for RITCHIE to slot home from six yards. All square at the half time:

Cowdenbeath 1 Dunfermline 1

Both sides fielded one sub at the resumption, Iain Campbell replacing the trialist left back. Powerful perseverance by Daquin on the right won the Pars an early second half corner but this was another that was to no effect. Jim McIntyre headed a McCunnie cross on to the left goalpost. It looked that good that no one followed up and it was McKenzie who had to make the next save diving to his right to hold a Clarke drive in 54 minutes.

Dunfermline got little joy out of Cowden and the game lacked any goalmouth incidents although the home team could have made an impact in 66 minutes if Paatelinen`s cross at the end of a strong run up the left wing been met by a Cowden head. A lobbed ball into the goalmouth from McBride was tipped away by McKenzie but the keeper was fouled in the process.

Craig Wilson won a free kick out on the right on 74 minutes, and this gave Muirhead another chance to place a dangerous ball into the Cowdenbeath six yard box. Scott Wilson rose to head the ball down but Hay got the loose ball before sub Calum Smith could turn the ball in. Muirhead had a shot from distance that escaped left and Phinn had a pop that was wide on the other side. Thankfully Dunfermline began to look more like the team from the higher division.

Play continued to be more in the direction of Hay with Phinn in particular keen to push play up. Davie Muir came on for the injured Scott Wilson who immediately got ice wrapped around his left leg and it was the under 19 player who supplied Phinn with the ball at the edge of the box that broke kindly for SMITH to net.

The Blue Brazil could not retrieve the game in the final two minutes and the Pars left with a victory but far from a resounding result. Well done for the youngsters for saving the blushes.

Dunfermline: Roddy McKenzie; Craig Wilson, Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (Davie Muir 84), Trialist (Iain Campbell HT); Freddie Daquin (Nick Phinn 72), Steven Simmons, Jamie McCunnie, Scott Muirhead; Jim McIntyre, Owen Morrison (Calum Smith 70)


Dunfermline Subs: Bryn Halliwell, Mark Burchill, Clark Kay


Dunfermline Strip: New Red Away Strip


Dunfermline Goal Scorers: McIntyre (14), Smith (88)

Cowdenbeath: David Hay; Graham Guy, Kevin McBride (Darren McGregor 79), Trialist, Innes Ritchie (Chris Hughes HT), Gary Smith, Martin Fotheringham (Trialist 53), Markus Paatelinen, Ryan McCallum, Pat Clark, Liam Buchanan


Cowdenbeath Subs: Lucas Krobot, David Orr, Paul McBride


Cowdenbeath Goal Scorers: Ritchie (42)