Dunfermline 1 - 1 Inverness CT

League - Championship
Saturday, April 27th, 2024, 3:00 PM at East End Park, Dunfermline
Attendance: 5,317
Referee: Alan Muir
Dunfermline Inverness CT

Goalscorers
Kyle Benedictus (41) Aribim Pepple (75)

Team Managers
James McPake Duncan Ferguson

Starting Eleven
Deniz Mehmet
Chris Hamilton
Malachi Fagan-Walcott
Josh Edwards
Mathew Todd
Paul Allan
Kyle Benedictus
Kane Ritchie-Hosler
Sam Fisher
Owen Moffat
Chris Kane
Mark Ridgers
James Carragher
Remi Savage
Cameron Harper
Cameron Kerr
Morgan Boyes
Max Anderson
Sean McAllister
Alex Samuel
Luis Longstaff
Billy Mckay

Bench
Joe Chalmers
Michael O'Halloran
Bradley Holmes
Max Little
Miles Welch-Hayes
Lewis McCann
Alex Jakubiak
Rhys Breen
Andrew Tod
Cameron Mackay
Wallace Duffy
Daniel Devine
Roddy MacGregor
Samson Lawal
Austin Samuels
Aribim Pepple

Substitutions
Andrew Tod->Mathew Todd (62)
Alex Jakubiak->Chris Kane (69)
Miles Welsh-Hayes->Kane Richie-Hosler (78)
Lewis McCann->Owen Moffat (78)
Aribim Pepple for Remi Savage (70)
Roddy MacGregor for Billy Mckay (76)
Samson Lawal for Luis Longstaff (79)

Bookings
Kyle Benedictus (2)
Andrew Tod (91)
James Carragher (24)

Red Cards
None. None.
Appearances & Goals To Date
Mark Ridgers (GK) 275 apps -
James Carragher 15 apps -
Remi Savage 13 apps1 goal
Cameron Harper 159 apps11 goals
Cameron Kerr 15 apps1 goal
Morgan Boyes 27 apps2 goals
Max Anderson 32 apps2 goals
Sean McAllister 8 apps1 goal
Alex Samuel 14 apps5 goals
Billy Mckay 288 apps111 goals
Luis Longstaff 29 apps1 goal
Samson Lawal (sub) 8 apps -
Roddy MacGregor (sub) 109 apps6 goals
Aribim Pepple (sub) 13 apps1 goal

Starting Lineup
Youngest Player:James Carragher (21 years 173 days)
Oldest Player:Billy Mckay (35 years 196 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 293 days
Domestic Players:4 (36.36 % of starting eleven)

Matchday Squad
Youngest Player:Samson Lawal (20 years 7 days)
Oldest Player:Billy Mckay (35 years 196 days)
Average Player Age:25 years 43 days
Domestic Players:7 (38.89 % of matchday squad)

First Team Debuts

Milestones
Aribim Pepple scored his first goal for the Club.

Out of our hands now



This was our most important game of the season and a tough one at the best of times. No major changes from the defeat at home to Raith Rovers although Aaron Doran had twisted his knee and is done. Sean McAllister started and Billy Mckay captained the side with Devine and Lawal on the bench. Dunfermline are safe in no mans land but will want to end their season with a flourish at home. Kane started up front for the Pars with Jakubiak and O'Halloran on the bench. Surprise surprise it ended all square after goals from Benedictus and Inverness substitute Aribim Pepple who saved Billy Mckay's blushes after the striker once again failed to strike from the spot. Alas, Queens Park ensured Arbroath's tools stayed on the floor with a 5-0 thrashing of the Smokies. A must win next week or it's the play-offs for us methinks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The penultimate game of the season, unless we drop into the play-off games, kicked off on a bright afternoon at the KDM Group East End Park with Dunfermline getting the game underway and Kyle Benedictus booked within two minutes. It was a cagey opening littered with fouls. First serious attempt in the game came from Chris Kane after twenty minutes when he was denied by Ridgers from close range and moments later the big keeper also saved from Paul Allan as he shot from outside the box. Owen Moffat looked lively and his shot from left side of the box was saved down low by Ridgers with Kane looking to snap up any loose ball. Fifteen minutes before the break and the hosts were getting on top but a James Carragher header reminded them that the visitors were still in the game, Mehmet tipping over for a corner. Five minutes before the break Alex Samuel was denied by Mehmet. Two minutes later Benedictus opened the scoring after he latched onto a ball bouncing around the Inverness box to head home. Allan shot over on half time and a stoppage time corner for Inverness came to nothing. Half time at EEP and news filtering through that Queens Park are thrashing Arbroath 3-0. Meh!

HALF TIME: 1-0

No changes at the break as the visitors restarted the game and Mathew Todd saw an effort from the right saved by Ridgers at the expense of a corner five minutes in. Ooooft! Out of the blue, penalty to Inverness conceded by Moffat with a hand ball. Taken by Billy Mckay and as at Inverness, saved by the keeper. FFS!!! Todd fired well over as the Pars looked for a second goal with half an hour left for Inverness to salvage something from a shocker of a season, Sean McAllister shot wide from inside the box. With twenty minutes left Aribim Pepple replaced Savage and Jakubiak replaced Kane. Substitute Pepple pulled Inverness level in the 75th minute from six yards, his first goal for the club in 13 limited appearances, and moments later Roddy MacGregor replaced spot kick sinner Billy Mckay. Pepple was denied a second by Mehmet and McAllister had one deflected into the keeper as Inverness went for broke. Dunfermline made it an edgy finish with three corners in quick succession but it ended all square, the fourth draw between the sides this season.

FULL TIME: 1-0

It ended in disappointment for the 319 visiting fans with news that Queens Park had hammered Arbroath 0-5. To rub salt into the wounds, Sheridan and Welsh were amongst the scorers. It's out of our hands now, but it's a must win next Friday and hope Queens Park falter. Inverness play Morton and Queens play Airdrie.

I'm not convinced that Billy Mckay was the right man to be taking that penalty, his second failure from the spot in successive games against the Pars.

Match report written by tm4tj



Pld W D L F A +/- Pts
1. Dundee Utd 35 21 9 5 69 22 47 72
2. Raith Rovers 35 19 9 7 53 42 11 66
3. Partick Thistle 35 14 13 8 62 50 12 55
4. Airdrieonians 35 15 7 13 44 42 2 52
5. Morton 35 12 9 14 42 43 -1 45
6. Dunfermline 35 11 11 13 40 45 -5 44
7. Ayr United 35 12 7 16 50 58 -8 43
8. Queens Park 35 10 10 15 48 56 -8 40
9. Inverness CT 35 9 12 14 38 39 -1 39
10. Arbroath 35 6 5 24 35 84 -49 23