The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Fifers boss feels hard done by after red card and defeat to Loons
EAST FIFE 1 FORFAR 1 (FORFAR WIN 5-4 ON PENS)
Forfar managed to wrestle the bonus point from Bayview yesterday – but Fife boss Darren Young reckons his side were harshly treated.
The Methil men were forced to play the majority of this Betfred Cup tie with 10 men after referee Lloyd Wilson sent off Chris Kane for a challenge on Dylan Easton in the first half.
The decision looked cruel on the Fife defender and his gaffer certainly backed up his protests. He said: “I’m gutted. “There were a few controversial moments in the game including Chris Kane’s sending off which, having seen the video, it doesn’t look like he’s caught him but their guy goes down holding his face.
“It was nowhere near his face and for me they’ve got that wrong. But it’s easy for me to say that having seen a slow motion replay.”
Forfar were playing just the second game of their Betfred Cup campaign but there was no sign of any rust early on.
With just a few minutes gone home keeper Brett Long was called on to smother a Dylan Easton shot. The let-off woke the home side up and they raced straight up the park and opened the scoring.
Kevin Smith hit the touchline and his cut-back found Anton Dowds.
The big striker did not get the greatest connection on his effort but it was enough to beat Marc McCallum.
Fife then had a decent penalty claim snubbed when Smith looked to have been clipped inside the box.
They went close again, with Smith once more at the heart of things, when his through ball beat the Forfar defence and found former Loons player Scott McBride, but he couldn’t find a way past McCallum.
The game took a twist shortly before the half hour mark when Kane was shown a straight red card for a studs up challenge on Easton.
The home side almost grabbed the game’s second goal though with Scott Agnew hitting the post from 25 yards.
Forfar managed to get level on the stroke of half time when John Baird wrapped his foot around a Dale Hilson pass and beat Long.
There was sure to be more fireworks in the second half and Agnew almost raised the roof at Bayview when his free-kick was tipped around the post by McCallum.
Thomas Reilly should have put the visitors 2-1 up with quarter of an hour to go when the ball broke to him on the edge of the box.
But Reilly lacked composure and lashed his strike well wide.
The tie had to be decided on penalty kicks and it was Forfar’s Reilly who netted the crucial strike.
Visiting boss Jim Weir said: “We allowed East Fife to dictate the game and outmuscle us.
“The sending off set the tone of the game.”