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Albion Rovers 0 v 3 East Fife |  |
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Albion Rovers 0 v 3 East Fife | |
| Scottish League Third Division 24th February 2007 |
Attendance : 520
Scorers ~ East Fife : O'Reilly (9, 26), Smart (38).
Albion Rovers came into the match after four winless games and East Fife had not
won in eight. If Rovers won they'd have leapfrog the Fifers, possibly into a
play-off position. All indicators pointed to a tough match with both sides
requiring nothing less than a win, but you'd hardly know it from the way the men
in red and yellow performed.
Within 45 seconds of the commencement of the match East Fife in their drab kit which matched the dreech Coatbridge day had Graham Gibson blast the ball over the home crossbar from 8 yards.
Gordon Lennon intervened to make a clearance from a dangerous move shortly afterwards. A minute after a 30 yarder smacked of Rovers bar and went out East Fife took the lead when a Paul Walker shot rebounded off 'keeper Lee Thompson to former Dundee striker Craig O'Reilly who was well placed to fire the ball into the net.
Kevin McBride was next to try his luck but his 20 yarder was given too much elevation to trouble Thompson. The deficit for Rovers was doubled in 26 minutes when O'Reilly lifted the ball over Ciaran Donnelly at the edge of Rovers box and ran onto the ball in the area, he then coolly drove the ball low into the net at the nearside.
In 38 minutes the scoring was completed when McBride swung in a corner which Jonathan Smart rose to head into the goal at the far side. Rovers were to make a rare foray down the park with Scott Chaplain and Dave McFarlane combining in a couple of 1-2's, regrettably the final segment of the move disappointed.
Kevin Nicoll made an uncharacteristic mistake giving that man O'Reilly the ball near Rovers box but Lennon saved the day with a trademark clearance. O'Reilly finished the half by dragging a shot a yard wide of goal.
Half-Time
The second period started in a familiar style with the Fifers dominating, Paul Ritchie skimming the ball past the goalpost, McBride making it easy for Thompson to save his shot and O'Reilly putting the ball over the net from all of 2 yards. Gordon Lennon then stepped in to dispossess a marauding Fifer but his passback to Thompson was a tad soft making it awkward for the young 'keeper.
Scott Chaplain made a rare run, weaving in and out of the Fife defence but his attempt hit the side netting. Then substitute John McGoldrick, McFarlane and Pat Walker looked to be onto something but their move fizzled out without the visitors' goal being assaulted.
Thompson was then called on to make a decent stop of an O'Reilly drive. McGoldrick then Peter Watson forced saves from John Dodds before Rovers were reduced to 10 men when Gordon Lennon limped off injured after Jim Chapman had committed all three permissible subs. The stalwart of the defence attempted to return to the match but was suffering too much pain to reenter the pitch.
A Chaplain shot well over the crossbar ended a disappointing match from the home point of view!
Summary
A very poor performance from Albion Rovers who, perhaps thankfully have little time to wallow in defeat before the visit of Stenhousemuir.
Albion Rovers : Thompson, Moffat, Lennox, Lennon, Donnelly (Watson 79), Nicoll, Chisholm (McGoldrick 60), Chaplain, McFarlane, Walker (Sim 73), Smith. Subs Not Used : Thomson, Scott.
East Fife : Dodds, Smith, McBride, Smart, Doyle, McDonald,
Gibson, Blackadder, Ritchie (Nicholas 75), O'Reilly, Walker. Subs Not Used :
Gordon, Crabbe, Hampshire, Ross.
Referee : David Somers
Man of the Match : Tommy Lennox
