Dunfermline Athletic 1 Queen’s Park 2

Josh Scott was missing from the line-up at The KDM Group East End Park with Josh Hinds moving to the substitutes’ bench after his start against Ayr United last weekend.

Henry Fieldson was back in from the first whistle along with skipper Dom Thomas who missed out when the Honest Men visited with a thigh problem. New recruit Reece Evans was amongst the replacements as was Timam Scott who impressed in the midweek B Team win over Hamilton Academical.

The Pars kicked off against the red shirted visitors with Fieldson starting in a left back role in a defensive four.
Queen’s first attacking foray was ended when Rudden was fouled forty yards from goal in the second minute with Welsh’s free-kick headed away to Dane Murray who nodded back into the danger area only for Deniz Mehmet to come and take control.

Former Dunfermline favourite Thomas sparked a move forward on 7 minutes as he weaved forward for 15 yards before picking out Rudden who looked to return the ball however his pass was cut-out in the home box.

Dunfermline won two corners in quick succession however the visiting defence held firm and Fieldson soon carried the ball into the home half with the help of Roddy MacGregor.

The move soon involved Thomas and Ryan Duncan with it eventually broken up as the on-loan Aberdeen man sent over a cross that was cleared.

Fieldson and MacGregor combined again on 15 minutes to win Qp’s first corner and from MacGregor’s delivery Callum Davidson’s side took the lead.

Murray met the cross from the left with a glancing header that looked set to sneak in however RUDDEN made sure by touching the ball over the line from close range despite having his back to goal.

Kerr took charge with a powerful header back to Calum Ferrie midway through the half when a bouncing Craig Clay pass dropped in-between three Queen’s defenders.

On 24 minutes home captain Chris Hamiton was booked for a lunging tackle on Thomas in the Dunfermline D to give Queen’s Park a good opportunity for a second.

However, Duncan’s 19 yard free-kick came crashing back off the defensive wall with play stopped to allow Hamilton to recover from blocking the ball with his head.

Seven minutes later Tizzard made a strong block on Matty Todd on Queen’s 18-yard line to deny the Dunfermline man a route towards goal.

The visitors almost scored a fantastic second goal ten minutes from the break when Rudden released Duncan down the right with a superb whipped first-time 30-yard pass. The goalscorer darted forward and Duncan looked to return the favour with a 30-yard cross into the box with his ball just evading Rudden’s out-stretched boot.

David Wotherspoon entered the referee’s notebook for a foul on Jack Turner in The Spiders half and when the dead ball was worked to the other end an inviting Fieldson cross went unconverted.

Kerr took control in defence again a minute from the break as he stepped in to kick clear after Chris Kane had twisted and turned his way towards Ferrie’s goal.

There were hopeful home shouts for a penalty in injury time when Aaron Comrie collided into MacGregor as he chased a cross however there was no whistle.

Half time – Dunfermline Athletic 0 Queen’s Park 1

Dunfermline manager James McPake responded to the half time score by making three changes at the interval however it was Queen’s who restarted the brightest with Thomas and Duncan figuring prominently.

Despite there being a fourth home substitute being introduced before five minutes of the second half had been played, the early pattern of play stayed the same, with Duncan just inches out with an incisive pass to Rudden at the edge of the Dunfermline box.

Thomas looked to be pulled back as he advanced into a dangerous position on 53 minutes however no whistle came, and Queen’s had Murray to thank for a clearance as the hosts raced to the other end with Kane heading over from the resultant corner.

A scramble in the Dunfermline box on 57 minutes gave Welsh and Duncan shooting opportunities however their efforts were charged down and the danger cleared.

Three minutes later a mistake at the back by Dunfermline allowed Thomas to bear down on the home goal and his low drive was turned past by a diving Mehmet.

The Spiders fans behind that goal did not have long to wait to cry ‘GOAL’ as MacGregor’s back post delivery was met by Kerr who headed back across goal where WELSH was waiting to nod firmly into the net from five yards.

Dunfermline looked to hit back quickly, and it took a Kerr sliding block and then a fine diving save from Ferrie to prevent Josh Cooper from pulling a goal back.

As the hosts looked to build up a head of steam Murray stood up to a Lewis McCann shot and Ferrie’s goal was untroubled as a result.

Louis Longridge was brought on for Duncan with 17 minutes left and the sub was quickly involved as he skipped past two challenges only to be thwarted by the third.

Dunfermline pulled a goal back on 78 minutes when Cooper was able to gather a cross from the left from Kane Ritchie-Hosler in his path and nip ahead of Tizzard before sliding a shot into the far corner from eight yards out.

The Pars with more fire in their tank came close to an equaliser two minutes later when McCann looped a header onto the top of the bar.

McCann was involved again on 81 minutes with a low cross that Tizzard did well to turn past for a corner that was nodded clear.

Queen’s were almost caught napping at a corner with three minutes left when Comrie received a cut pass back and let fly with his miscued effort headed into the six-yard box by Cooper and Ritchie-Hosler saw a net bound shot blocked.

The hosts were enjoying a spell on top, and it took a last gasp tackle from Kerr to prevent a close-range chance. Dunfermline thought they had levelled from the corner when Joe Chalmers fired for goal however Ferrie blocked with his legs.

Substitute Liam McLeish reduced the pressure with a 40-yard run that took him deep into the Dunfermline half with his cross just out of the reach of Welsh who had charged forward in support.

Queen’s Park – Calum Ferrie, Dane Murray, Will Tizzard, Henry Fieldson, Cameron Kerr, Sean Welsh, Jack Turner, Roddy MacGregor, Ryan Duncan (Louis Longridge 73), Dom Thomas (Liam McLeish 89), Zak Rudden (Zach Mauchin 89).
Unused substitutes – Jack Wills (G/k), Nikola Ujdur, Josh Hinds, Reece Evans, Rocco Hickey-Fugaccia, Timam Scott.

Dunfermline Athletic – Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Chris Hamilton (Josh Cooper 46), Ewan Otoo, Matty Todd (Joe Chalmers 46), Lewis McCann, Tommy Fogarty, David Wotherspoon (Sam Fisher 46), Chris Kane, Craig Clay (Craig Wighton 73), Sam Young (Kane Ritchie-Hosler 49).
Unused substitutes – Lewis Briggs (GK), Michael O’Halloran, Taylor Sutherland.

Referee – Duncan Nicolson.