Dunfermline Athletic 2
Ayr United 3
League (Championship)

Match Report

The last Saturday before Christmas and Ayr United were the visitors to KDM Group East End Park. It was the first match of the second half of the William Hill Championship season and Dunfermline were seeking a home win that could take them into fourth place for just the third time this season.

Alfons Amade was absent on international duty with Mozambique as they prepare for their first AFCON match in Morocco on Christmas Eve. Also missing from the previous Saturday against Queen’s Park were Nurudeen Abdulai, Barney Stewart and Keith Bray, although only the former was absent the bench. Into the side came Rory Macleod, Josh Cooper, Zak Rudden and Kieran Ngwenya.

Ayr United made two changes to the starting eleven that took on St Johnstone eight days before at Somerset Park. Stuart Bannigan and Anton Dowds coming in for Dylan Watret and Ethan Walker.

Sammy was smartly dressed and lit up as a Santa and all the well known Christmas music gave a warmth to the build up. Mariah Carey might be happy that she doesn’t want a lot for Christmas but a win for Dunfermline was top of every home fans wish list.

Ayr United kicked off towards the McCathie Stand end forcing a corner in 45 seconds from which Billy Terrell held a weak effort. Ngwenya did well to thwart the early threat from Dowds but the warnings had been posted before Marco Rus broke into the left side of the box and teed up Mark McKENZIE to place the ball past Terrell in just the fifth minute. 0-1

Robbie Fraser was the first to register a Dunfermline shot on target but his eighth minute shot was deflected away. The Honest Men lost their goalscorer after just 13 minutes, McKenzie forced off with an injury replaced by Dylan Watret. It was six minutes later when Matty Todd got the better of Bannigan deep down the right and his cross was turned behind for a corner by Kevin Holt. Cooper’s short taken setpiece was switched through Macleod for Todd to cross but the header back from beyond the far post was gathered by keeper Liam Russell.

Ayr increased their lead in 26th minute after a Ben Dempsey shot from the edge of the Pars box hit Cooper’s back. The ball spun forward and DOWDS rose relatively unmarked to head past Terrell 0-2

Dunfermline’s immediate response was a Cooper cross from the left that MacLeod looped towards goal but Russell held the headed effort. Next Russell struggled to reach a Macleod cross and Andrew Tod looked destined to finish at the far post until he was pulled back. Referee Calum Scott saw nothing untoward and play continued.

There was a break on 38 minutes for Billy Terrell to receive treatment from the physio and no resumption Cooper and Macleod had changed to be playing on the right and left wings. Macleod reacted when presented with a good chance to shoot but possibly typical, the shot hit the back of Tod. There was more disruption to play in 42 minutes after McAllister went down in a challenge that earned Rudden a yellow card.

In time added on at the end of the half, Matty Todd tried a shot from 25 yards out that Russell at full stretch pushed away. Then there was still time for Ayr to inflict further punishment on the Fifers. Terrell did well to turn away Rus shot for a corner on the right. When that was delivered Terrell’s leap failed to divert the ball away, McAllister headed the ball down and in a goalmouth scramble, Leon KING crashed the ball into the Pars net. 0-3

It had been a frustrating first half for Dunfermline, they lost possession all too easily and offered up three simple chances for Scott Brown’s team. Throughout the first half there was little debate that the boys in black were the better side. The half time whistle was greeted with loud boos and well, unfortunately it had been quite a pantomime.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 Ayr United 3

Kyle Benedictus and Barney Stewart were introduced for the second half with Rory Macleod and Josh Cooper going off. Within 45 seconds Ngwenya headed a Todd free kick narrowly wide right and then in 48 minutes after Russell was forced well out of his box to head clear, Rudden drove the ball at goal from 28 yards out but wide to the left.

Strong runs from Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen and Todd raised the volume from the home support. Gilmour fired narrowly wide from 25 yards and inside the Ayr box, Stewart slipped an inviting ball to Rudden but the Ayr defence prevented the shot. Then in 55 minutes Todd was prevented from shooting when McMann kicked the Pars man’s foot but somehow a free kick was awarded to Ayr.

Dunfermline had certainly stepped up the gears for the second half and Ayr were defending doggedly. Diving forward Tod came extremely close to converting a Todd cross from the right. Kieran Ngwenya had waited 128 games in senior football to score but there was no better time to score not one but two within three minutes to give his team a real chance of getting something out of this game.

First it came from a lofty Fraser ball struck diagonally to the right goalpost where NGWENYA arrived to convert in 62nd minute. 1-3 Then three minutes later a Todd corner from in front of the buoyant North West stand was fed back from Tod for NGWENYA to volley home from the edge of the Ayr box. 2-3

Treatment to Liam Russell and Nick McAllister took the sting out of the Pars momentum with both being subbed in 71 minutes. Urged on by an eager crowd Dunfermline got fired up again though. Todd latched on to a Stewart cross to feed the ball towards Rudden 20 yards out but the defence snuffed that one out.

The introduction of Keith Bray and Tashan Oakley-Boothe with ten minutes remaining was a determined move to push up. Tod was bowled over by Ayr sub Shaun Want but no whistle before next Bray came close to converting at the far post. Chilokoa-Mullen pumped the ball to the far post but Bray’s on target header was held by Ayr’s sub keeper David Mitchell.

An 88th minute corner taken by Bray from the right raised the hopes but the delivery went out before reaching the goalmouth. A Fraser free kick two minutes later yielded an opportunity for Oakley-Boothe but that got blocked. The referee indicated he was going to add six extra minute. Still the home side pressed, Ngwenya made a break up the left but Ayr put an end to that. Fraser and then Tod peppered the six yard box but there was to be no Christmas cheer for Dunfermline. After a strong second half performance, the Pars were made to pay for their first half deficiencies. As a consequence Dunfermline slip to sixth in the Championship.

Match report written by DAFC