Ladbrokes League 1
Saturday 13th January 2018
Bayview Stadium
East Fife 2 (Lamont 42’, Docherty 75’)
Alloa Athletic 1 (Martin 68’)
East Fife XI: Goodfellow, Dunsmore, Kane, Page, Linton, Docherty, Lamont, Slattery. Wilkie (Smith 77’), Millar, Duggan
Subs: G Hurst, Wilson, M Hurst, Willis
Booked: Duggan
Alloa Athletic XI: Parry, Taggart, Crane (Martin 36’), Graham, Robertson, Fleming (Malcolm 77’), Stewart, Hetherington, Cawley, Flannigan, Renton
Subs: McKeown, Hoggan, Cunningham, Goodwin, Wilson
Booked: Fleming
Referee: Scott Millar
Attendance: 492
East Fife recorded their first win since November with a thoroughly deserved win against in-firm Alloa Athletic at Bayview. Manager Darren Young made one change to the side that drew with Airdrieonians last time out with fit-again Pat Slattery returning to the starting line-up at the expense of Nathan Flanagan who had returned to St. Mirren following the completion of his loan spell.
Alloa were first to threaten when a well worked corner fell to Scott Taggert making a late run into the box, but his header was cleared by Chris Duggan inside the opening couple of minutes. The home sides first opening came on 6 minutes when a quickly taken free kick made its way to Mark Lamont down the left-hand side and his inviting cross was sliced over his own bar by Garry Fleming.
The visitors were the stronger side in the first period of the game and were looking dangerous on the break and East Fife had a lucky escape on 10 minutes when Ross Stewart chased down a short back-pass but fortunately for the home side ‘keeper Ryan Goodfellow just did enough to put him off. East Fife had Goodfellow to thank again on 16 minutes when he pulled off a finger-tip save to keep out a close-range effort from Kevin Cawley. Another quick break by the visitors saw Stewart find himself in space inside the area but was denied by a goal-line clearance from Kieran Millar on 18 minutes.
The hosts were slowly working their way into the game; Kyle Wilkie winning the ball in minefield and playing in Duggan down the left who cut inside but couldn’t keep his shot down. Duggan had another half-chance just before the half-hour mark when he fired in a shot from 20-yards but his effort was straight at Alloa ‘keeper Neil Parry. Lamont found space on the right to send in a cross that picked out Scott Linton at the back post but his header was deflected behind for a corner on 31 minutes as the hosts started to dominate. Wilkie tried a long-range effort that was held by Parry before East Fife took the lead on 41 minutes. Lamont picked up the ball on the right-hand side, surrounded by Alloa defenders, and worked enough room for himself to whip in a cross that completely deceived Parry and found the back of the net – Lamont would later claim that he meant it!
After the break, Cawley fired in a long-range effort that failed to trouble Goodfellow and Andy Graham headed wide of target from a free kick as the visitors looked for a way back into the game. Dunsmore took advantage of a few ricochets to hit the by-line and fires in a shot that flashed across the face of goal on 58 minutes before Lamont narrowly missed the target with a left-footed strike as the home side searched for second but it was the visitors who grabbed an equaliser on 67 minutes when East Fife failed to deal with a free kick into the box by Iain Flannigan. The ball was blocked on the line twice before substitute Adam Martin bundled the ball over the line.
East Fife didn’t let their heads go down and scored what turned out to be the winner with 15 minutes to play. Lamont fired in a cross from the right that was cleared as far as Dunsmore 30-yards out who lifted the ball back in, Slattery managed to flick the ball on into the path of Docherty who curled his right-footed effort past Parry into the far corner. Flannigan had an opportunity to draw the visitors level again on 81 minutes with a free kick just outside the box but sent his effort over the bar before substitute Kevin Smith had the chance to seal the points for the home side with 5 minutes left when he broke down the left but Parry was out quickly to block.
In the end a third goal wasn’t required but East Fife emerged as thoroughly deserved winners and picked up a much needed three points.