Dunfermline Athletic

Archives | Ross County 2 Dunfermline 2

A game of two very different halves. With a sub standard first half, Dunfermline gave their opponents a two goal start but turned in a contrasting second 45 to take home a point.

On the back of four consecutive wins, Dunfermline travelled to Dingwall hoping to take three points there for the first time in 15 years. The hosts were chasing their first win since beat­ing Raith Rovers 2-0 on 28th Feb­ru­ary.

The Pars had lost Olly Thomas from the previous week`s starting line up, the unfortunate on-loan player returning to Bristol City with a season ending injury. Chris Kane started, captain Kyle Benedictus and Aston Oxborough returned. That meant Freddie Turley and Billy Terrell found themselves on the subs bench. Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen and Kieran Ngwenya made their 50th appearances for the club.

County made four changes as they moved Ben Crompton, Dean Cornelius, Jordan White and Jayden Carbon to their subs bench and Stuart Kettlewell started Jay Henderson, Dylan Smith, Uche Ikpeazu and Kieran Phillips in their places.

The home side forced the first corner of the day within 80 seconds and it was Andrew Tod who headed away Sean Mackie`s cross in from the right. The Fifers first threat came after a 10+ passing movement terminated by a Callumn Morrison cross into the County box that the defence was relieved to clear.

Aston Oxborough was called into action to hold a Connor Randall shot on six minutes. Two minutes later the Pars keeper was at full stretch to turn a Jamie Lindsay shot around his left hand post. Dunfermline defended the setpiece and Tod stole away with ball but he conceded a free kick yards out that Morrison intercepted before Declan Gallagher could reach it. The Staggies had threatened and they found a way through in 12 minutes. Henderson finding PHILLIPS out on the right side of the Pars box, Oxborough went out to meet him but the former Everton youth flighted the ball into the Fifers net. 1-0

Four minutes later PHILLIPS found the Pars net for a second time. Ikpeazu got the better of Benedictus on the left side of the penalty box and his cut back was planted into the net by the 26 year-old. 2-0

Kane did well to clear an Ikpeazu header off the line at a 25th minute corner and after Benedictus was shown the first card of the game the defence dealt with a clever Henderson chip into the centre of the Pars box. When Tod was fouled 20 yards out Dunfermline were given an opportunity from the 33rd minute free kick. Callumn MORRISON found a way low through the four man County wall to deposit the ball in the far corner of the opposition net. 2-1

The home side caused problems for Dunfermline. Another, slowly taken, Mackie corner targeting the home side`s big men was defended. Then in 43 minutes Oxborough fisted away a Henderson corner from the left and a minute later the defence cleared another Mackie corner from the right.

Dunfermline found it hard to create much that would test Trevor Carson in the Ross County goal. A bit like the last visit to the Global Energy Stadium after giving County a two goal start they trailed by just one goal at the break. Could it be a different outcome this time?

Half Time: Ross County 2 Dunfermline 1

Shea Kearney and Freddie Turley replaced Matty Todd and Kyle Benedictus before play resumed. The visitors forced two corners of their own within the first five minutes of the second half. It was Tod on the end of the chances both times, his first deflected away for the second corner and from that one Levis Pitan made the clearance.

Play was concentrated in the Ross County but the Pars were continually frustrated by their hosts. At the other end Oxborough impressed as he plucked a corner from the right out of a crowded six yard box. Next a Tod shot flew wide right and a 62nd Pars corner was wasted before Josh Cooper was introduced and Chris Kane was withdrawn. Josh joining Chilokoa-Mullen and Ngwenya in making their 50th Dunfermline appearances in this match.

Andrew TOD restored parity with a finely worked equaliser in 69th minute. Charlie Gilmour fed a great pass to Fraser on the left side of the County box and his lay off teed up the Pars 20 year old for his 15th score of the season. 2-2

With fifteen minutes remaining the home manager made a triple substitution Dean Cornelius, Jordan White and Jayden Carbon replacing Jay Henderson, Uche Ikpeazu and Jamie Lindsay. A White shot was deflected for a corner on the left and Tod made a timely hook away on a netbound ball.

As both sides tried hard to find a winner Morrison went to the ground in trying to catch a ball running out on the left byeline. He hobbled off to the great concern of the 462 strong travelling support, to be replaced by Tashan Oakley-Boothe. Dunfermline finished the stronger, Sean Mackie was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Turley but there would be no more scoring and the five added minute came and went.

ROSS COUNTY: Trevor Carson: Dylan Smith, Declan Gallagher (c), Levis Pitan: Jay Henderson (Dean Cornelius 75), Akil Wright (James Scott 81), Jamie Lindsay (Jayden Carbon 75), Connor Randall, Sean Mackie: Uche Ikpeazu (Jordan White 75), Kieran Philips
SUBS NOT USED: Ben Crompton, Len O`Sullivan, Ryan Duncan, Alex Iacovitti, Bradley Foster (GK).
SCORER: Phillips (12, 16)
YELLOW CARDS: Stephen Frail (34), Ikpeazu (58), Mackie (76), Randall (78)
RED CARD: Mackie (90+3)

DUNFERMLINE: Aston Oxborough: Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen, Kyle Benedictus(c)(Freddie Turley HT), Kieran Ngwenya: Matthew Todd (Shea Kearney HT), Charlie Gilmour, Alfons Amade (Chris Hamilton 88), Robbie Fraser: Callumn Morrison (Tashan Oakley-Boothe 90+1), Andrew Tod, Chris Kane (Josh Cooper 64)
SUBS NOT USED: Nurudeen Abdulai, Keith Bray, Lucas Fyfe, Billy Terrell (GK)
SCORERS: Morrison (33), Tod (69)
YELLOW CARDS: Benedictus (26), Ngwenya (58), Morrison (66)

REFEREE: Grant Irvine
ATTENDANCE: 3203 (inc 462 away fans)
WEATHER: Cloudy 10°C

NEXT MATCH (home) William Hill Championship v Morton, Saturday 4th April 2026 3.00pm kick off at KDM Group East End Park


Ross County 2 Dunfermline 2



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