Dunfermline Athletic 3 - 2 Ross County

This was a terrific game of football, with the Pars coming from a goal down to snatch the win in the 90th minute. Gibson and Clarke had given the Pars a half-time lead after Boyd’s controversial opener, only for Craig to level soon after half-time.

Macca pre match

Sometimes things are worth waiting for. Having had no home game for nearly a month, the prospect of an afternoon’s football on a fine autumn day was more enticing than normal, and in the end the entertainment was worth every penny and more – although a last minute goal always sends you homewards with an extra spring in your step.

The fortnight’s break meant there was time for one or two question marks to develop over Macca’s selection, but in the end there were no surprises. McCann was missing injured, so Mason got the captain’s armband, and Keddie got the number 3 shirt, although as expected it was Higgins who found himself in the left back slot. The ex-Ross County pairing of Keddie and Dowie filled the centre-back berths with Woods at right back; Chris Smith had had a fortnight to get over his hesitant performance at Palmerston and was between the sticks. The rest of the team picked itself – Bell and Mason in the middle, Gibson on the right, Cardle on the left, Kirk and Clarke up top.

There was also little doubt about who would be on the bench, with Ross, McGregor and Burke all injured, but David Graham made a welcome reappearance alongside Phinn, McDougall, Willis and Allison. Not a lot of defensive cover there, so the Pars would have to hope no bad luck would befall the back four.

Ross County were also along familiar lines including Scott Morrison at left back, who thus had the opportunity to exchange some “banter” with the Pars, and Craig Brewster got his usual warm reception as he walked to take his place on the bench as Derek Adams’ assistant.

Ross County, in their red strips, took the kick-off attacking the Norrie McCathie end, and an early free-kick conceded by Mason saw both Keddie and Dowie go for the same ball although between them they managed to clear the danger. There was further anxiety when a poor cross field pass found Corcoran rather than Woods, but Gardyne and Craig in the middle couldn’t capitalise.

However, that was all we would see of the Staggies as an attacking force for some time, with the Pars time and again seemingly finding themselves with an extra yard of space. In six minutes Mason exchanged passes with Cardle and had a choice of strikers to hit. He chose to send Clarke free, who was wide but clear on goal. McGovern came out to narrow the angle and made a fine double save when his initial block was retrieved by the Dunfermline striker. Two minutes later and Woods was on the attack before cutting inside and releasing Kirk with a reverse ball – but Kirk couldn’t find the target – not the best effort from the Northern Irishman as one could infer from the way he pulled his shirt over his head.

McGovern was kept on his toes by Kirk’s back-header, grabbing the ball before it got to Cardle, but he would have been helpless had Woods done better with his header from Gibson’s whipped free-kick just after the quarter hour.

The Pars were clearly well on top, but hadn’t made their dominance pay, and there was the nagging doubt that County must be too good a team to be kept quiet for long. Gardyne looked dangerous when he drove forward in 20 minutes, but it was still a surprise when the visitors took the lead five minutes later. Mason had given away a free kick in front of the North West stand which Morrison took. Scotty’s inswinger caused bother for the defence, especially Smith, with the keeper failing to clear, and the ball fell to Boyd, at the back post who had the trivial task of hooking the ball over the line, despite being on the deck. 1-0 County.

The Pars hit back right away – again Woods found a forward with a reverse path, but this time Clarke hit weakly at McGovern – but better was to come a minute later. Kirk kept himself onside to get the ball on the left, and cut it back to Higgins whose cross from 40 yards out wasn’t defended properly,, the ball falling to Gibson at the corner of the six-yard box and he fired it across the keeper and in at the far post. One each, and good to restore parity so quickly.

Gibson was letting his feet do the talking (thankfully, as he’d already been booking for giving Mr McLean his opinion on the legitimacy of the opening goal) – killing the ball and passing in one movement to find Bell in space, although Clarke’s shot didn’t trouble McGovern – then a minute later again finding Bell , but this time with a sumptuous back-heel. Bell fired across the face of the goal, but there were no takers. Gibson next went long, picking out Cardle beyond the back post, but Clarke’s flick from Joe’s header fell behind Kirk.

It wasn’t all about playing down the right – 5 minutes from the break Cardle on the left latched onto Miller’s mistake to run into space, cutting onto his right foot to cross to Clarke, but McGovern made a fine save from the forward’s header, before seeing the follow up blazed over the bar. Clarke might have been ruing all those chances had the game still been level at the break, but with a minute to go he was given another opportunity. Again Kirk beat the off-side trap to get the ball on the left, tried some trickery of his own before picking out Clarke with a perfect ball for his strike partner to turn home.

Half Time: Pars 2 Staggies 1

Derek Adams has never been afraid of making changes if he thinks they are required, and after his side had been distinctly second best, he brought on Andy Barrowman for the ineffective Corcoran, moving to a more traditional 4-4-2. This proved a quick-fix, after surviving some early pressure the Staggies pulled the Pars defence out of position with Jimmy Scott crossing to the far post for Craig to score from close range. Two each.