The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Understrength Fifers see off City in thriller
Bayview boss Young praises team spirit after coming from behind to seal win
East Fife boss Darren Young praised the spirit of his threadbare side after they came from behind to see off Elgin City.
Young was again down to the bare bones and could list just three subs.
The manager was amongst them, along with teenager Ryan Inglis and Kyle Wilkie, who hadn’t played since the middle of last season.
Thankfully the game was a dead rubber, with the most important thing from a Fife perspective to get through it without any further injuries to key men.
Young said: “The team is still gelling together and again we were right down the bare bones. We’ve had to chop and change through pre-season and the cup campaign has been the same.
“We’re missing eight players which is a lot but the boys we had out there did themselves proud and have given me food for thought.”
The visitors started well and were unlucky not to take the lead with just a few minutes on the clock. Jordan Allan managed to break free of the Fife defence and slipped his shot goalward. Luckily for the home side Craig Watson was tracking back to clear off the line.
The scare gave the Fifers a shake and they went on to dominate the early part of the game. Chris Duggan stung Mark Waters’ palms from eight yards as Young’s men pressed.
Jim Weir’s men kept up the pressure on the East Fife goal when Stephen Bronsky’s header was scrambled clear by Kieran Millar.
The visitors then grabbed the lead early in the second half. The goal was an absolute nightmare from an East Fife perspective as Thomas Reilly’s free-kick was allowed to sail over the entire home defence and nestle in at the back post.
East Fife weren’t behind for long, though, with Chris Duggan opening his account for the new season. Mark Docherty’s cross was inch perfect for the striker who brought the ball down, composed himself and slotted past Mark Waters.
Waters was beaten shortly afterwards as the Fifers raced into the lead. Matthew Cooper tripped Pat Slattery inside the box and ref Scott Millar pointed straight to the spot.
Docherty stepped up and lashed his spot-kick well beyond the Elgin goalie.
Remarkably the game, which had been dire up to the break, was the take another twist when Reilly pulled Elgin level again with a strike from close range.
It was a 45 minutes of drama and the action wasn’t finished there.
East Fife swept up the park and a neat, flowing move forward was finished off at the back post by Paul Willis to secure all points for the Methil men.
Elgin boss Weir felt his side was denied a clear first half penalty when Allan took a tumble inside the box.
He said: “I’m not surprised. We’ve suffered a lot over the past couple of seasons but we can’t keep suffering.
“You prepare for the game and all you ask is that they (the officials) get the big decisions right.”
East Fife: Goodfellow, Dunsmore, Docherty, Watson, Slattery, Duggan, Wilson, Millar, Flanagan (Inglis 89), Reilly (Wilkie 77), Willis. Subs – Young.
Elgin City: Waters, Cooper, Smith, McHardy, Bronsky, McGovern, Dodd (Reid 62), Cameron, Allan (McKinnon 83), Reilly, Sutherland (McLeish 75). Subs – Dear, Eadie, Wilson.