East Fife 0-0 Queen’s Park (4-2 Pens), Viaplay Cup Group G MD1
Saturday 15th July 2023, MGM Timber Bayview Stadium
East Fife started their competitive season in emphatic fashion as they overcame Championship opposition in Queen’s Park. The Fifers showed their defensive prowess to withstand a barrage from the Spiders before Allan Fleming became the hero in the shootout, ensuring that the Methil Men grabbed the bonus point in the first game of the Viaplay Cup group stages.
Chances flowed for the visitors in the early stages of the first half, as Fleming was called into action making crucial three saves in the opening 30 minutes. They kept knocking on the door too, putting the ball in the back of the net after 36 minutes of action, but the linesman’s flag was raised up. The Fifers continued to hold the Championship outfit off, and made it into the interval goalless, despite Turner missing a golden chance in injury time.
Jack Healy had an excellent chance saved just after half time, as McKenna tipped his shot round the post in the 53rd minute. Fife began to grow into the game, and despite leaking the odd chance, they began to show some quality in the latter stages. With 10 minutes on the clock the ‘keeper charged 40 yards out to half Brogan Walls, denying him in a chance that would have gifted the Fifers all three points. At the death, it looked like Fife stole it, as captain Alan Trouten pumped the ball into the back of the net but like in the first half the linesman’s flag went up.
The game went the distance and as a result, to a penalty shootout. Facing the North Sea, both sides scored their first, before Fleming got a hand to the Spiders’ second. Walls converted handing the Black and Gold the lead, and they never looked back. Another Fleming save paired with goals from Shepherd, Healy and Trouten were enough to guarantee the bonus point stayed in Methil this weekend.
Report by Oli Anderson
East Fife – Fleming, Newton, Millar (McManus 78’), Page, Shepherd, Trouten, Healy, Nicol (Schiavone 78’), Docherty, Walls, Easton
Subs not used: Beveridge, Slattery, Austin, Philp, Cunningham, Comerford
Queen’s Park – McKenna, Robson (McLeish 83’), Fox, Spong, Hepburn, Thomson (Jarrett 62’), Paton, Thomas, Tizzard, Turner, Longridge (Bannon 83’)
Subs not used: Ferrie, Healy, Bruce, Hickey-Fugaccia, Connolly, Reid
Referee: Lloyd Wilson
Attendance: 584