Another Saturday and another train journey to Scotland! This week it is for yet another cup competition, the CIS Insurance cup clash between Dunfermline Athletic and Arbroath. The two teams met last weekend in the Alba cup and Dunfermline secured a 1-0 win which, according to a supporter I chatted to, was a bloody awful match. Hopefully today's game would prove more exciting.
After sampling a few beers in the Commercial Inn in town it was a short-ish walk up to East End Park. The ground is a neat and tidy affair but pretty bland in terms of how it looks. Today there was only one stand open, as a big crowd was not expected, and everyone congregated in the old Main Stand.
There was time before taking my seat to nip into the 'legends bar' situated within the Main Stand and have another beverage, whilst supping my pint, as if by magic, a Dunfermline legend did appear, Jim Leishman walking around saying hello to as many people as he could.
The first half was not the greatest in terms of football and the possession was dominated by The Pars but it was Arbroath who took the lead on 12 minutes Paul Sheerin heading home. It wasn't long before Dunfermline were level, Andy Kirk equalising with a header two minutes later. The home team had all the play but Arbroath carved out the best scoring opportunites and should have gone in at the interval in the lead, but it wasn't to be and those missed chances would come back and haunt The Red Lichties.
The second half was a different story as Dunfermline finally made their dominance count. It did take a long time to crack this tough nut as Arbroath defended solidly, rode their luck at times and generally frustrated their hosts. It was a bit of a fluke that eventually did them when Arbroath keeper Darren Hill did a "Robert Green" and spilled an easy shot which Paul Willis then scuffed but it had sufficient power to dribble over the line.
After sampling a few beers in the Commercial Inn in town it was a short-ish walk up to East End Park. The ground is a neat and tidy affair but pretty bland in terms of how it looks. Today there was only one stand open, as a big crowd was not expected, and everyone congregated in the old Main Stand.
There was time before taking my seat to nip into the 'legends bar' situated within the Main Stand and have another beverage, whilst supping my pint, as if by magic, a Dunfermline legend did appear, Jim Leishman walking around saying hello to as many people as he could.
The first half was not the greatest in terms of football and the possession was dominated by The Pars but it was Arbroath who took the lead on 12 minutes Paul Sheerin heading home. It wasn't long before Dunfermline were level, Andy Kirk equalising with a header two minutes later. The home team had all the play but Arbroath carved out the best scoring opportunites and should have gone in at the interval in the lead, but it wasn't to be and those missed chances would come back and haunt The Red Lichties.
The second half was a different story as Dunfermline finally made their dominance count. It did take a long time to crack this tough nut as Arbroath defended solidly, rode their luck at times and generally frustrated their hosts. It was a bit of a fluke that eventually did them when Arbroath keeper Darren Hill did a "Robert Green" and spilled an easy shot which Paul Willis then scuffed but it had sufficient power to dribble over the line.
The floodgates were now open. Andy Kirk added his second two minutes later and Steven McDougall made it four on 82 minutes. Gavin Swankie reduced the deficit for Arbroath on 88 minutes but the Pars went nap in stoppage time when a cross was deflected into his own net by Stuart Malcolm.
Today's trip takes me into single figures, as regards to completing the Scottish League grounds so roll on the next visit north in September!!
Today's trip takes me into single figures, as regards to completing the Scottish League grounds so roll on the next visit north in September!!
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| view of the East End Park floodlights (from the park en-route from station) |
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| the final resting place for crap footballers? |
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| Sheerin gives The Red Lichties a shock lead |
Saturday 31st July 2010
Scottish League Cup 1st Round
Dunfermline Athletic 5-2 Arbroath
Attendance: 1,238
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