Ladbrokes Scottish Football League 1, Saturday 08th April 2017, Ochilview Park
Stenhousemuir 3 (Furtado 44’ 79’, McMenamin 62’(P))
East Fife 1 (Kane 56’)
Man of the Match: Chris Kane
Stenhousemuir XI: Bowman, Robertson, Duthie, Marsh, Kerr, Berry, Furtado (Manzana 88’), Millar, McMenamin, Gilhaney (Meechan 69’), Cook (Shaw 77’)
Subs Not Used: Crawford, Summers, Grant, Roy
Booked: Cook
East Fife XI: Hurst, Cooper, Kane, Kerr, Brown, Duggan, Smith (Lamont 76’), Curran, Robinson (Austin 45’), Duffie, Paterson
Subs Not Used: Reilly, Gordon, Slattery
Booked: None
Referee: John McKendrick
Attendance: 455
East Fife travelled to Ochilview Park to face League 1’s bottom side Stenhousemuir but left empty-handed after a 3-1 defeat. East Fife made 2 changes to the side that drew with Queen’s Park the previous week with Alex Cooper and Kieran Duffie replacing James Penrice and Pat Slattery who both pick up knocks last time out.
The first chance of the match fell to the home side when a Willis Furtado corner found Alan Cook at the back post but his shot from close range was blocked by Nicki Paterson on 8 minutes. East Fife began to grow into the game and Chris Duggan got in behind the Warrior’s defence twice in a couple of minutes; first when he latched onto a long ball from Mark Hurst but the ball skipped away from him sending his shot high and wide before David Marsh managed to get a vital touch on the ball to take it away from the striker.
A good run up field by defender Fraser Kerr and forced Hurst to turn his shot behind for a corner on 18 minutes. At the other end, the visitors had their first shout for a penalty turned on 20 minutes when Duggan was sent flying in the box following a corner only for referee McKendrick to wave play on. A defence splitting pass from Ross Brown sent Kieran Duffie clear down the right who sent an inviting cross into the box on 24 minutes however Warrior’s ‘keeper Graham Bowman just got to the ball before Duggan.
Stenhousemuir should have been a head on 27 minutes when Furtado picked out Colin McMenamin, unmarked, with a cross from the left but the striker sent his header from 12-yards well wide under no pressure. At the other end Bowman pulled off a good save from Duggan after seeing his shot late. The home side took the lead just before half time when Furtado capitalised on a fortunate break of the ball to beat Hurst from a couple of yards.
After the break, good pressure from Jordan Austin down the right hand side gave Duggan a sight of goal on 50 minutes but Bowman was more than equal to his shot. East Fife grabbed an equaliser on 56 minutes following a succession of corners when Chris Kane was able to bundle the ball home for his 4th goal of the season. A few minutes later Duggan was sent clear again by Kevin Smith but was off balance when he took his shot and Bowman was comfortably able to collect. Hurst had to be alert on 60 minutes to turn Connor Duthie’s 40-yard strike behind. From the resulting corner, Austin brought down Marsh while attempting to clear and referee McKendrick had little option but to point to the spot. Hurst got his hand to McMemamin’s spot kick but ball spun back around the ‘keeper and into the net.
The visitor’s has every right to feel aggrieved on 75 minutes as they were denied a stonewall penalty when Jesse Curran was impeded as he went take his shot but again referee McKendrick again waved play on. The decision turned the game as the home side began to exert their authority on the game and scored a third goal on 79 minutes. The visitors were unable to clear their line and Furtado picked up the ball unmarked to find the back on the net from 20-yards. The final chance of the match fell to Alex Cooper but his free kick from 25-yards was comfortably taken by Bowman.