Dunfermline 1
Dundee Utd 0
League (Premier Division)

Match Report

There was little evidence that Pars would take both points during the early exchanges. Exchanges isn't really the right description, because for the first 25 minutes it was decidedly one way traffic in the direction of Andy Rhodes' goal. However, despite our almost complete dominance in those opening stages, we failed to breach the home side's defence. The nearest we came to scoring was after quarter of an hour when Darren Jackson's chip to the far post found Dave Bowman, but his flick hit the outside of the post. Gradually, Dunfermline unshackled themselves and we had a narrow escape in the 28th minute. Davies met a cross on the volley, but Alan Main tipped it on to the post, Kozma then struck the same post from the rebound as did Jack, but a linesman's flag brought this scramble around our goal to a halt. Alan Main made another tremendous save nine minutes later when Moyes headed down a Kozma cross, but Alan beat his header away to safety. Straight away Billy McKinlay fired in a low shot, which Rhodes saved diving to his left. Two minutes later from the interval Moyes got in another header which Alan Main saved well before Gijs Steinmann eventually scrambled the ball away.

The second half saw Mixu Paatelainen get in a header and a shot after a flowing move, but in each instance, Rhodes saved comfortably. There was then a lull in proceedings until the last twenty minutes when Dave Bowman shot over. Alan Main was then called into action again when he saved from Davies and then palmed over a deceptive Kozma cross. From Davies' corner, David Moyes headed strongly past Alan Main. Five minutes later a move involving Dave Bowman and Michael O'Neill gave Mixu Paatelainen a scoring opportunity, but the Finn shot over. Chances cropped up at both ends in the dying minutes, but without further scoring. So it was disappointing to leave East End pointless, particularly after having enjoyed so much of the play in the opening half.