Published: Thursday, 28th August, 2008 15:10
Athletic pay a high price for cup victory
By Siew Peng Lee
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Co-operative Insurance Cup second round: Dunfermline 1 Alloa 0
Kevin Harper is out injured again
THIS was a match the Pars were tipped to win easily but they made hard work of it against the Wasps.
Jim McIntyre’s men were slack in possession and lacked imagination until Andy Kirk lifted the gloom.
His belter from 20 yards in the eighth minute was quite literally a bolt out of midfield.
The striker almost put the Pars two up three minutes later and with Kevin Harper and Graham Bayne combining well, there were plenty of chances but there never seemed to be anyone near enough to cash in.
The Wasps almost stung in the 25th minute when some slick passing on the left saw the ball fall to ex-Par Iain Campbell but the shot thundered wide of Paul Gallacher’s right.
Steven Bell then came on for the injured Steven Glass in the 39th minute.
Kirk continued to trouble Alloa with flashes of brilliance and was unlucky when his impressive header come back off the bar on the stroke of half-time.
Both sides looked more spirited after the break but Dunfermline’s luck appeared to take a dive in the next 10 minutes.
Injured Greg Shields was replaced by Scott Muirhead in the 50th minute and Nicky Phinn was out of luck when his low drive hit the post.
To compound matters, Harper’s recurring hamstring problem played up and Simon Wiles replaced him.
Alex Burke’s corner in the 66th minute dropped invitingly into the danger area but a trio of Pars couldn’t convert the chance.
Alloa came close with Dougie Wilson’s lob sailing over the bar and in the 71st minute Campbell sent a free kick the same way. Another free kick six minutes later by Chris Townsley had Gallacher at full stretch.
There was drama when Steven McKeown was sent off in the 85th minute for a rough challenge on Bayne but even with a man less the Pars couldn’t take full advantage.
The Wasps continued to create a buzz around the box but to no avail as the final whistle went.
However, with Glass, Harper and Shields now injured, victory may have cost the Pars dear.
McIntyre said, “I thought we were excellent the first half hour of the game and then we just got a wee bit sloppy. We didn’t capitalise on the chances we created in the first half.
“But three will be out for Saturday so it’s a costly victory.”
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