Fifers Dump 10 Man Forfar

East Fife 3 Forfar Athletic 0

This game will be remembered for two huge decisions the officials had to make in the first half. Firstly with only 13 minutes on the clock, from what looked like a 50/50 slide tackle on a fairly greasy surface Stephen Finnie flashed a straight red to Bishop, and then later in the half Park seemed to take Ian Campbell out of the game right on the far touchline and was only shown the yellow even though it was right under the assistants nose. The tackle being so poor that Campbell needed substituted minutes later and replaced by Mowat!

The game itself started brightly for both sides with Hilson taking on the Fifers defense at every opportunity. Linn picked up the ball midway in the Forfar half, played a good one two with Johnston and let off a powerful shot at the edge of the box but flew wide of Gallacher’s left hand post. Forfar pushed on up the right flank and good play between Ross and Hilson seen the ball come back to Sellars who put in a fine deep cross but no one was able to get on the end of the cross. Templeman was again in the thick of the action trying an overhead kick right on the penalty spot but charged down by a cluster of defenders. East fife eventually made the breakthrough with good build up on their left by Linn who slid the ball into the penalty area where Hislop found time to turn and shoot low and hard inside Gallacher’s left hand post. Forfar continued to push and again Hilson and Ross pushed up the right with Ross delivering a ball at the back post but Templeman couldn’t get enough power into the header and saved comfortably by Brown.

The second half seen East Fife start to make the numerical advantage count and were using the full width of the pitch without really threatening and Forfar continued to look for an equalizer. Forfar substituted Templeman for Smith, but it was the Fifers who increased their lead from a corner on the right whipped into the box where Linn was able to deliver the ball to Smart for him to drive the ball low and hard past Gallacher. Forfar’s last substation seen Fotheringham replaced by Watson, with Hilson still getting forward at every opportunity, but it wasn’t to be Forfar’s day and East Fife wrapped up the points with a ball in from their right which Gallacher seemed to have covered but the ball broke of the upright straight to Linn who gratefully slotted it home.

So we move onto two home games this week with Stenny and champions elect, Livingston visiting Station Park and need to show that winning mentality that got three points last week against Brechin to make sure we cement the play-off place we all crave.

Match Report by Brian Henderson