Dunfermline have had it tough since their season began in July and their players’ troubled minds have been occupied by thoughts of survival until last week’s win over Livingston booked their first League Cup final appearance in 15 years, lifting both their spirits and the gloom engulfing East End Park. Confidence often provides a 12th man.
The hosts began by fizzing passes around with speed and precision. Their blood was up and they were keen to improve their one-point advantage over the bottom-placed Almondvale side. Darren Young, the matchwinner at Easter Road, added another priceless strike here on 12 minutes which was equally important to the cause. Cups are nice, but league survival will always be the bottom line. When the hosts so nearly fashioned a second five minutes later, Simon Donnelly’s drive diverted via the strong right hand of Colin Meldrum, the Motherwell goalkeeper, it seemed they were sitting pretty.
Craig Robertson, Dunfermline’s assistant manager, deputised post-match for Jim Leishman. “After the start we made, credit to Motherwell who came back into it in the second half.”
On the half-hour, Motherwell came to life. Richie Foran headed over from close range before Scott McDonald then Foran again passed up decent striking opportunities. The Irishman deserves credit for his persistence, as he struck the post with an angled drive and Kevin McBride should have made more of the rebound.
Terry Butcher, the Motherwell manager admitted: “If both managers are unhappy, then it was probably a fair result. But I’m disappointed, we’ve dropped two points.”
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Dunfermline needed to reignite their cause before parity was restored but they didn’t get the chance. Allan McGregor, their keeper, has stopped plenty when given a fighting chance but the equaliser was so scrappy as to make him almost obsolete. McDonald broke away on the left and flighted a ball to the back post where McBride reversed for Hamilton to tap home, in direct contrast to his wonder goal a week ago against Celtic.
It was now an intriguing contest with victory hanging in the balance. Mark Burchill was magnificently thwarted when his powerful header from Scott Muirhead’s corner was acrobatically tipped to safety, this time by Meldrum’s left hand.
Motherwell countered again, flowing forward in flamboyant style, culminating in Martyn Corrigan’s pass allowing McDonald to turn, only to smack the ball off the bar. Steven Hammell’s pile-driver prompted McGregor to yet another alert block, flipping over in defiant consistency.
It looked over with 10 minutes to go when McDonald’s low grass-cutter was too hot for McGregor to grasp fully and Hamilton loomed large before Yannick Zambernardi’s last-ditch diving intervention. Andy Campbell then released Stephen Simmons, his fellow debutant, but his lob was that of a player lacking match fitness. He commented: “I couldn’t get enough on it, I could have been the hero”. He can save that distinction for the cup final.
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STAR MAN: Allan McGregor (Dunfermline)
Player ratings. Dunfermline: McGregor 8, Shields 6, Wilson 6, Young 7, McCunnie 5 (Thomson 69min 5), Mason 5, Burchill 7, Donnelly 6 (Campbell 57min, 6), Zambernardi 7, Hunt 7, Muirhead 6 (Simmons 80min, 5)
Motherwell: Meldrum 7, Corrigan 6, Hammell 6, Kerr 7, Craigan 7, McCormack 6, McDonald 7 (McGarry 87min, 5), Foran 6, Hamilton 7, McBride 6, McLean 5
Scorers: Dunfermline: Young 12
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Motherwell: Hamilton 51
Booked: Hammell 74
Referee: K Clark
Attendance: 4,961