The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Pars boss purrs over ‘quality’ performance
Dunfermline begin campaign with comfortable victory over Blue Toon
DUNFERMLINE 3 PETERHEAD 0
Dunfermline boss Allan Johnston was a happy man as he watched his side run out convincing winners against Peterhead in the Betfred Cup last night.
The Pars picked up three points thanks to goals from Myles Hippolyte, Kallum Higginbotham and Andy Ryan, although it could have been a lot more with the Pars, playing their first competitive game of the season, creating chance after chance.
“We had a lot of chances, some good goals and some good individual performances,” said Johnston.
“We are improving game by game. I thought Myles (Hippolyte) was exceptional, then Aidan Connolly comes on shows what he can do and Andy Ryan scores as well. It shows the competition we have in the squad and the quality.
“You can see the quality of play we produced and we restricted Peterhead to only a few opportunities. If I’m honest we could have been a bit more clinical with our chances.”
The visitors were the better side in the early stages and almost took a fluke lead after seven minutes.
A harmless ball from the left inexplicably left Pars defender Lee Ashcroft in knots and keeper Lee Robinson had to scramble the ball away acrobatically.
New signing Hippolye came close with a free-kick from outside the box that he curled on to the roof of the net, then in the closing stages of the first half he opened Dunfermline’s account for the season.
A fantastic bit of work from Ryan Williamson teed the ball up perfectly to the back post where the Peterhead defenders had switched off, leaving Hippolyte with the easiest of headers from three yards.
The second half was an enthralling affair with both sides throwing caution to the wind.
Peterhead almost levelled when Rory McAllister cannoned a free-kick off the post eight minutes after the restart, Russell McLean hitting the woodwork with his effort from the rebound.
The Pars would take control thereafter with Hippolyte, James Craigen and Louis Longridge all spurning chances.
It looked like the second goal was not going to come, particularly after Aidan Connolly saw his 20-yard free-kick come back off the bar.
There was to be a late double salvo that would make for a more pleasing scoreline for the Pars – firstly, Willie Gibson brought down Connolly in the box after 88 minutes and Kallum Higginbotham made no mistake from the spot.
Andy Ryan then cut in from the left and finished well to make it 3-0 in injury time, this being no more than the Pars deserved.