DUNFERMLINE 3 STIRLING ALBION 0

Albion: Christie, Graham, Lowing, Lawrie, Forsyth, O’Neill, Corr, Murphy, Harty, Waddell, Devine. Subs : Grehan, McKenna, Taggart, Roycroft, Hogarth.

Dunfermline: Gallacher, Shields, Wilson, Woods, Thomson, McCann, Harper, Glass, Bayne, Burke, Phinn. Subs: Williamson, McBride, Willis, Deardon, Reid

The 2008/09 season got off to a disappointing start for the Albion as they crashed out of the Challenge Cup at a warm but overcast East End Park, Dunfermline. The Albion had to list their all their signed players which meant broken nose victim Sean Roycroft took his place on the bench. The side lined up with Andy Graham playing at right back a change from his usual central defensive role. Young Liam Corr made his first senior start on the right side of midfield and Ian Harty and Steven Waddell spearheaded the attack.

The opponents lined up with the 4-5-1 system which as the game progressed caused the visitors a number of problems. They included the scourge of the Albion from the previous season in the shape of Kevin Harper who scored four against ourselves last season.

The game started off with an excellent first six minutes and it was the Albion to have the first opportunities when Ross Forsyth won a through ball to release Ian Harty who held the ball up well before a defence splitting pass saw Liam Corr come in from the right and his cross was cleared for a corner at the far post where Steven Waddell was waiting to pounce. From the resulting corner Andy Graham rose to head the ball downwards only to see his goal bound header saved by Gallacher in the Dunfermline goal.

Dunfermline though took the lead in three minutes when a long ball saw David Lowing and Ross Forsyth challenge with a Dunfermline forward for the same ball. The ball then broke to kindly for the home side and they broke away and squared for Burke to score in the third minute. Two minutes later Liam Corr latched on to a poor cross field ball to run clear but he was fouled 2 yards outside the box. Stewart Devine hit an excellent free kick which Gallacher parried low down to his right the ball broke to Waddell who hit the ball on the up straight into Gallacher’s arms.

In the 19th minute a poor Christie punch from a corner fell to Kevin Harper but Christie recovered to save his goal bound shot. Just after the half hour the Albion came close again when a Stewart Devine free kick was headed on by Andy Lawrie which had Gallacher scrambling over but ball fell onto the top of the net. A few minutes later Christie tipped over a Bayne header. Five minutes before the break Andy Graham again provided a cross from the right which fell to Ian Harty but he was unable to steer his shot away from Gallacher from 8 yards.

The second half got off to a quick start after 30 seconds when Christie parried a shot from the left which fell to Harper who skied over the rebound when it seemed easier to score. The Albion then had a spell of pressure around the Dunfermline box when they forced three corners in a row as they began to control the game but it was not to last as Dunfermline latched on to a poor long ball from Forsyth and Harper was sent free on the right and his cross was met by the unmarked Nicky Phinn to head home from 8 yards.

The Albion though were still in the match though and Paul Murphy headed over a Liam Corr cross just before he left the field to be replaced by Nathan Taggart.

With 16 minutes remaining Dunfermline ended the game as a contest when again Kevin Harper on the right had all the freedom to cross for Dunfermline substitute Ian Williamson to head weakly down only for Scott Christie to fumble a simple save and he could not recover in time to stop the ball from crossing the line.

The home side then began to overrun the visitors but failed to add to their tally and the last chance of the match fell to the Albion when a John O’Neill shot was blocked and it flew up in front of David McKenna but the pace of the ball had been lost and his weak header was easy for Gallacher in the Dunfermline goal to collect.

The referee then ended the match surprisingly these days with no injury time added much to the relief of the Albion travelling support and the joy of the home fans.

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