The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Profligate Pars left to pay the penalty
IRN-BRU CUP: East End Park side stung by Wasps after failing to convert chances into goals
DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 2 ALLOA ATHLETIC 2 (ALLOA WIN 5-4 ON PENALTIES)
Dunfermline’s long wait to get their hands on the Scottish Challenge Cup – currently operating as the Irn Bru Cup – continues.
The Pars have never enjoyed much luck in the cup competition for the lower tiers of Scottish football in its many guises and their misfortunes were evident yet again at East End Park on Saturday as they crashed out to part-time Alloa on penalties.
Instead it was the Wasps who progressed to the quarter-finals via a penalty shootout after the teams were tied at 2-2 after 90 minutes.
Dunfermline striker Louis Longridge, who scored both of his side’s goals in regulation time as well as netting during the shootout, put the blame for the Pars’ failure to qualify firmly on himself and his team-mates for their inability to close out the game in regulation time.
“As well as the goals I scored, I had a few other opportunities,” said Longridge.
“I felt we were totally dominant during the 15-20 minutes after we went 2-1 ahead and we should have put the game to bed by adding to the goals we’d already scored, but we weren’t clinical enough and that came back to bite us.
“We knew Alloa would grind it out at that stage and maybe create just one chance – that’s what they did and it was down to a mistake on our part.
“Alan Trouten equalised and after that it was penalties. It’s always 50-50 in these situations and it just wasn’t to be for us today.”
Alloa were the livelier side early on and they took the lead after just eight minutes when Trouten fired past Lee Robinson from 12 yards following Jon Robertson’s cutback.
Dunfermline hit back just before the half-hour when Longridge made space on the edge of the box before sending a sweetly struck low shot beyond the reach of Wasps keeper Neil Parry.
The Pars frontman put Allan Johnston’s men ahead one minute into the second half from the penalty spot, the award having been made by referee Nick Walsh after Longridge had been impeded by Alloa defender Liam Dick in the midst of a goalmouth scramble.
A place in the quarter-finals then looked to be assured for the Fifers as they took control of the game, but they squandered a number of chances to establish the comfort of a two-goal cushion before Trouten levelled the scores.
Penalties ensued, with the first nine spot-kicks being converted immaculately before Aidan Connolly’s effort was saved by Parry.
“It’s always hard to win a game when your opponents sit in and defend as resolutely as Alloa did today,” said Longridge.
“It’s frustrating as we were on top for most of the game and in my eyes we should have won.
“We wanted to go as far as we could in the competition, maybe even go all the way, so it’s disappointing to be eliminated, but our priority has to be the league.”