Dundee United 3-1 PARS

DUNFERMLINE were knocked out of the League Cup after extra time despite a brave performance at Dundee United tonight.

Goals from Blair Spittal and Scott Fraser won it for the Tangerines but only after they given an almighty fright by the Pars.

Michael Paton's first goal for Athletic fired them into an early lead only for Callum Morris to equalise before half-time.

Chances were squandered at both ends and having ridden a United storm towards the end of normal time, a tired Dunfermline side were eventually edged out by Jackie  McNamara's team.

The visitors made one change to the side that thumped Stenhousemuir on Saturday as Josh Falkingham replaced the injured Shaun Rooney, with Andy Geggan deployed at right back.

The visitors started confidently, with El Bakhtaoui testing Luis Zwick early on, before they sent their large travelling support wild after 10 minutes.

After El Bakhtaoui won possession, he sent Ryan Wallace racing into the United half where he picked out Joe Cardle on the left.

The winger moved infield and passed to Paton, whose 25-yarder somehow slipped through Zwick's hands and into the net.

The already impatient home crowd became ingreasingly agitated as Dunfermline passed the ball with purpose, and Cardle was next to have a go but his effort was weak and off target.

El Bakhtaoui and Mark Durnan were then booked after a coming together while chasing a long ball, before Morris showed there was no love lost with former flat mate El Bakhtaoui as he sent him sprawling to earn a yellow card.

Ten minutes before half-time it was Morris who came back to haunt his former employers, heading home from close range after Dunfermline failed to clear a corner kick.

Sean Murdoch was then needed to beat away efforts from John Rankin and Fraser, but Wallace had two fantastic opportunities to move ahead just before half-time.

After cracking the post with a daisycutter from outside the area, he should have done better than shoot wide after rounding Zwick after evading the United offside trap.

Dunfermline were more than holding their own but United began to create more chances after the break, with substitute Blair Spittal coming close to firing United ahead in the 71st minute as he raced on to Billy Mckay's pass to shoot inches wide.

An even better chance fell the way of the former Inverness hitman moments later when he evaded the attentions of Ben Richards-Everton to run one-on-one with Murdoch, but the keeper raced from his line to make a superb block.

Simon Murray then blazed over after great work by Spittal to pick him out before Dunfermline had a great chance at the other end.

El Bakhtaoui sent Moffat clear on goal but after his heavy touch allowed Zwick to narrow the angle, he passed to El Bakhtaoui who sliced wide under pressure.

In the dying seconds, Ryan McGowan sent Mckay clear on the right and his terrifc ball across goal narrowly fell behind two onrushing United men as Dunfermline, deservedly, forced extra time.

But with the visitors tiring, two goals in three minutes sealed the Tangerines' place in the quarter-finals.

Fraser took control of the ball midway inside the Pars half and after skipping beyond a tired looking Cardle, he shot into the bottom corner of Murdoch's net.

Spittal then sealed victory by cutting in from the right and firing beyond the helpless Murdoch and despite their best efforts, Dunfermline were knocked out but received a standing ovation from their supporters.

Dundee United:  Zwick, Robson, Morris, Mckay, Rankin, McGowan, Durnan, Telfer, Fraser, Kuhl, Bodul.

Subs: Souttar, Spittal, Dow, Connolly, Murray, Taggart, McCallum.

Pars: Murdoch, Geggan, Talbot, Martin, Richards-Everton, FalkinghM, Paton, Byrne, Wallace, El Bakhtaoui, Cardle.

Subs: Potter, Thomas, Hopkirk, Moffat, McCabe, Antoine-Curier, Hutton.

Referee: John Beaton.

Att: 5174.