Dunfermline Athletic

Dunfermline Athletic 1 - 3 Inverness Caledonian Thistle (AET)

Author: Alistair Campbell Date: Wednesday, 18th Jan 2012

The Pars crashed out of the cup when their footballing frailties were again exposed, this time under the full glare of national television. Once more they scored first but again they couldn’t hang on to the lead, with yet another calamity handing their opponents the equaliser. With both sides missing opportunities to win the tie in normal time, extra-time saw Inverness score twice to guarantee themselves a money-spinning home tie against Celtic in the next round.

Massive delays on the A90 caused by a car abandoned precariously half-way down the embankment at Echline made me question the wisdom of spurning the option of watching the game in the comfort of my own settee, and the prospect of a bridie also had to take a back-seat when I arrived with barely enough time to get myself a ticket. Fortunately, the new kiosk was extremely efficient and I was in my seat in time to see Sammy and the ball boys vary their routine by running out in front of the main stand, rather than the empty Norrie and North-West sides of the stadium.

The big team news was that Rutkiewicz was back, one of three changes, with Chris Smith in goals and Ryan Thomson taking Mason’s place in the middle. Otherwise, Dowie, Keddie and Boyle started in defence, Cardle, Graham and Hardie in midfield and Barrowman and Kirk in attack. The 5 subs included Mason, Potter, Buchanan, Willis and Ryan Goodfellow. Terry Butcher had made a couple of changes from first time out, Ross Tokely coming in for the suspended Gillet and Greg Tansey in for the departed Davis. Many of the Inverness lads were sporting beards as part of the month long “Beards for Bairns” campaign to raise money for the children’s unit at Raigmore Hospital in the Highland capital.

Richie Foran won the toss and elected to play towards the empty Cowdenbeath end. Thus the Pars kicked off and within 10 seconds Barrowman had turned and hit a snap-shot, but off target. Only a half-chance but 2 minutes later he had a much better opportunity when Graham sent him clear with a simple ball over the top. However Tuffey stood his ground offering space to his right and was down quickly to save when Barrowman shot from 10 yards.

Tuffey also appeared wise to the Pars’ trick of Hardie peeling off his marker at a corner to reappear for a header beyond the back post. When the Pars won their first corner in five minutes after Boyle’s poor shot was rescued by a deflection, the Inverness keeper was quick to come off his line to punch away Cardle’s delivery. Meanwhile Chris Smith got his first kick when Hardie tested him with a half-volleyed pass-back, but as the crowd held its collective breath, Smith half-volleyed clear. The Pars keeper had more to do a couple of minutes later, punching a free-kick half clear before falling on Foran’s mishit shot.

The match was still pretty level – the Pars had created more in the final third, by the simple expedient of missing out the midfield altogether, an area where the visitors looked stronger, Hardie eventually being booked for persistent fouling. Cardle managed to reach the byeline but his left foot cut-back was to no-one and Kirk and Tansey had weak shots that never worked the keeper.

However, five minutes from half-time, the Pars took the lead. A soft Tadé challenge on Thomson conceded a free-kick just inside the Inverness half, but Dowie’s delivery was poor and the ball was cleared to the half-way line where Rutkiewicz nipped in ahead of McKay and sent a ball down the line to Cardle. Joe gathered, skipped back onto his right foot, crossed to the back post where Barrowman headed down into the ground and into the net.

Half Time Pars 1 ICT 0

Terry Butcher wasn’t slow to react to the deficit, swapping Andrew Shinnie for Cox and the visitors soon had the equaliser, in circumstances that were simultaneously barely credible yet entirely and sadly predictable. Not long after Shinnie had played in McKay only for Smith to block at his near post, Keddie attempted a back header from a punt up the park, but misplayed it, leading to a high, bouncing ball coming to earth just outside the box. Smith shouted for it, but Rutkiewicz neither dealt with it nor got out of the way and the keeper’s clearance rebounded off his centre-back and fell nicely for a stunned Hayes who held off Tadé to knock the ball into the empty net. 1-1.

A terrible goal to lose and there was more alarm 5 minutes later when Tadé beat Rutkiewicz for pace, and as Keddie went to ground, Smith had to come out to force Tadé away from goal, the ball eventually ricocheting out for a corner.

The visitors had their tails up which doesn’t explain a bizarre incident in 74 minutes when Hayes and Foran fell out, actually coming to blows in the sense that Hayes hit out at his captain, only to catch referee Norris a glancing slap. Most players would have gone to ground, but Mr Norris shrugged the incident off, although the yellow cards he flashed to each player could easily have been red.

Inverness couldn’t capitalise on their superiority, although Andrew Shinnie was allowed the time and space from a throw-in to shoot from the edge of the box but Smith did well to tip over. By now the Pars had used all three subs – Willis had replaced Graham again, Buchanan had come on for Barrowman and Rutkiewicz, who had played very well other than at the goal, had started to cramp and Potter had come on at the back.

Thomson had a good chance when he robbed Golobart with 10 minutes left but his first touch took him a little wide and Tuffey beat away his left foot shot, before we had another curious refereeing decision. Dowie was booked for a clear obstruction near the dug-out and Smith appeared to take a blow to the ribs when punching the resultant free-kick clear. Whilst he lay on the ground play was allowed to continue, but with Tansey appearing to have a shot from 50 yards Mr Norris changed his mind and blew with the ball in mid-flight. Fortunately the ball was wide anyway, and play restarted with a drop ball. The Pars had some late half chance to win it – Willis first finding Kirk in the box, then Thomson with a neat lay-off but each time the player was a smidgeon too slow to capitalise, as was Kirk again, when he was inches away from a typical Willis dipping ball from the wing.

Score after 90 minutes: Pars 1 ICT 1



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