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Fifers On Fire Against Airdrieonians At Bayview
Ladbrokes League 1
Saturday 25th November 2017
Bayview Stadium
East Fife 6 (Wilkie 25’, 51’, Duggan 29’, Lamont 39’, Kane 58’, Hurst 79’)
Airdrieonians 1 (Stewart 1’)
East Fife XI: M Hurst, Dunsmore, Kane, Page, Piggott, Docherty (Watson 76’), Lamont, Smith (Flanagan 65’), Wilkie (G Hurst 70’), Millar, Duggan
Subs: Goodfellow, Wilson, Reilly, Willis
Airdrieonians XI: Mason, McIntosh, MacDonald, McGregor, Cairns, Watt, Stewart, Conroy, Hastie (Brown 68’), Furtado, Fry (Russell 46’)
Subs: Edwards, Alan, Ferguson, Higgins, Truesdale
Booked: Watt
Referee: Gavin Duncan
Attendance: 619
Airdrieonians were the visitors to Bayview but left empty-handed as East Fife put in their most completed performance of the season as they ran out comfortable 6-1 winners in a game that they completely dominated. Manager Darren Young made two changes to the side the beat Clyde last time out with Mark Hurst and Jordan Piggott, both missing at the request of their parent clubs last week, returned in place of Ryan Goodfellow and Kyle Wilson.
East Fife didn’t get off to the best of starts, however, as the visitors grabbed a goal inside the opening minute. Ryan Conroy’s corner from the far side was met by Scott Stewart in the centre of the goal who flicked the ball into the net. Not the ideal start for the home side but that was to be the one and only time they were troubled.
East Fife had the chance to draw level on 4 minutes when good foot-work for Mark Lamont down the right and cut inside before feeding Chris Duggan 6-yards from goal. Duggan’s shot was pushed away by Diamond’s ‘keeper Kelby Mason but only as far as Kyle Wilkie but he couldn’t get enough power behind his strike and Mason was able to collect. An equaliser was coming and it duly arrived on 25 minutes. Terrific build-up play saw Duggan get in behind the Airdrie defence and latch onto a ball from Mark Docherty; his initial shot was blocked but the rebound fell to Wilkie who composed himself before slotting past Mason from 6-yards.
East Fife were in front minutes later when Duggan was put through by Kevin Smith. Mason was out quickly to block but the ball spun back up over the ‘keeper into the net. Smith was inches away from adding his name to the score sheet on 32 minutes when he sent a volley narrowly wide of the right-hand post. The home side had their tails up and could have added to their lead when first a penalty shot was waved away by referee Gavin Duncan after Duggan looked to have been bundled over inside the area before the visitors were saved, somewhat questionably, by the referee’s whistle after Mason had spilled a corner.
The game was over before the break when great link up between Duggan and Piggott saw the latter play in Lamont who gave Mason no chance with a strike from 20-yards into the bottom left-hand corner for his second goal of the season. East Fife had one final opportunity before half-time when Lamont worked some space for himself on the right before firing on a cross which Kieran Millar managed to get on the end of but his header was straight at Mason.
A completely dominant first half for the home side who were looking very dangerous every time they had the ball.
East Fife continued their dominance at the start of the second half and extended their lead on 51 minutes. Docherty’s free kick from 10-yards inside the Airdrieonians half was cleared by Cairns but only as far as Duggan who lifted the ball back into the danger area and Wilkie was on hand to claim his second, and East Fife’s 4th, of the afternoon. Duggan was unlucky not to double his tally for the match when he was fractions away from dispossessing Mason who had delayed in clearing a pass back.
In a rare venture into the East Fife half, Jake Hastie tried his luck from 20-yards but the ball flew past the outside of the post. The home side made it 5-1 shortly before the hour mark when following another set piece. Docherty’s free kick wasn’t properly dealt with by the Airdrieonians defence and the ball fell to Wilkie 20-yards from goal. His effort took a deflection on its way through to Mason but Chris Kane was on hand to steer the ball into the net with a back heel that wrong-footed the ‘keeper.
With 10 minutes left to play, substitute Greg Hurst added a 6th from close range when he got on the end of a cross from Nathan Flanagan. Hurst was agonisingly close to adding a 7th a few minutes from time when his volley from 25-yards just curled away at the last moment for what would have been the pick of the goals.
East Fife have now won their last 4 home matches scoring 17 goals in the process. Up next is a trip to the National Stadium to face League 1’s bottom side Queen’s Park who have been a bit of a bogey team for East Fife of the last few year but they go into the match full of confidence after a resounding win.
£1,350.00 Goldmine Jackpot Winner of 15th November 2017.
We regret delay publishing the winner of the Goldmine Jackpot of 15th November as we have had issues with the website. Nevertheless, although belated, the above photo shows George Logie receiving his cheque for £1,350.00 on Friday, 17th November from Director, John Donaldson. George said that the cheque came at a great time for Christmas. George has been a long time member of the Goldmine Lotto and also a life long East Fife supporter.
Well done George and have a Happy Christmas!
Fifers Progress In Scottish Cup With Win Against Clyde
William Hill Scottish Cup 3rd Round
Saturday 18th November 2017
Broadwood Stadium
Clyde 0
East Fife 2 (Smith 32’, Page 67’)
Clyde XI: Currie, Home, Breslin (Wright 68’), McNiff, Stewart, Duffie, Nicoll (Ramsay 75’), Cuddihy, Lowdon, Gormley (Osadolor 67’), Goodwillie
Subs: Wilson, Brown, Lamont, Craig
Booked: Breslin, Nicoll
Dismissed: McNiff
East Fife XI: Goodfellow, Dunsmore, Kane, Page, Wilson, Wilkie (Reilly 82’), Docherty, Lamont (Watson 75’), Millar, Smith (Mutch 75’), Duggan
Subs: Willis, Cordery
Booked: Page, Dunsmore
Referee: David Munro
Attendance: 527
East Fife progressed to the 4th round of the William Hill Scottish Cup curtesy of a 2-0 win against Clyde at Broadwood, although the game was a lot closer than the score line suggested. Manager Darren Young made four changes to the side that lost to Forfar Athletic last time out with Ben Reilly making way for fit-again Captain Kevin Smith and Ryan Goodfellow, Chris Kane and Kyle Wilkie replacing Mark Hurst, Jordan Piggott and Nathan Flanagan who were denied permission to play by their parent clubs.
East Fife were unlucky not to be ahead inside 3 minutes when Mark Lamont whipped in a free kick from the touchline which was met by Smith with a diving header at the near post but Clyde ‘keeper Blair Currie got down well to his left to stop the ball on the line. The home side’s first chance of the game fell to former Fifer Kieran Duffie on 13 minutes when a quickly taken free kick made its way to him on the right-hand side of the box and forced Goodfellow into a smart save low to his left. Clyde should have taken the lead 5 minutes later when David Goodwillie picked up the ball on the half-way line and raced in on goal only to drag his shot wide of the right-hand post with only the goalkeeper to beat.
Chris Duggan fired in a cross from the left on 29 minutes that was cleared by the Clyde defence but only as far as Mark Docherty but he couldn’t find the target with a volley from 20-yards. Goodwillie forced Goodfellow into a save from a tight angle just before the half-hour mark before East Fife took the lead. Chris Kane’s cross from the right was headed down by Duggan into the path of Smith who volleyed past Currie for his first goal of the season on 32 minutes. Clyde had a half-claim for a penalty on 33 minutes when David Gormley went down inside the area but referee David Munro was uninterested.
Clyde came out fighting after the break; a long-throw making its way to Barry Cuddihy on the edge of the box but his shot was straight at Goodfellow. Smith should have doubled the visitor’s lead on 53 minutes; Docherty got in behind the Clyde defence, his initial shot was blocked before laying the rebound off for Smith but he was unable to find the target from 10-yards.
Clyde’s best chance of an equaliser came on 59 minutes. Duffie fired in a cross from the right that Goodfellow did enough to push the ball away from Goodwillie but only as far as Gormley who could only lift the ball over the bar from 8-yards. Aaron Dunsmore then pulled off a superb last ditch blocked to deny Gormley on 64 minutes before East Fife put the game to bed on 67 minutes. Smith was fouled by Jamie Breslin on edge of the box, 5-yards from the by-line. Docherty whipped in the free kick from the right-hand side of the goal and Jonathan Page rose highest to head the ball past Currie.
As the game drew to a close, the home side had a couple of opportunities to pull a goal back. First, Goodwillie fired high and wide from 12-yards before Goodfellow was on-hand to punch away a long-range effort from Cuddihy. In between that, Martin McNiff was dismissed for the home side for a miss-timed challenge on Ben Reilly. The decision looked harsh at the time and replays showed that although McNiff didn’t play the ball, the challenge was neither malicious or dangerous.
East Fife have played better and lost this season but a win’s a win and, more importantly, we’re into the 4th round where we have been drawn a home tie against Highland League side Brora Rangers.