Archives | Dunfermline 1 Ross County 2

Premier Sports Cup Second Round
Saturday 15th August 2026
KDM Group East End Park

Allan Oyirwoth scores on his debut but the Pars received knock out blow with Richard Chin`s late winner

Stuart Kettlewell`s League One side continued their good early season form by dumping Dunfermline out of the Premier Sports Cup on their own patch.

In the last sixteen of the Cup Dunfermline hoped to make the best of a home draw against a lower league club. That might have felt like the best possible pairing but Pars manager Neil Lennon warned that the newly relegated Ross County were a Championship opponent in all but name.

Despite signing six players in the last eight days Neil Lennon made only two changes bringing back Aston Oxborough in goal and John Tod to replace the injured and Sam Cleall-Harding. Gambian keeper Musa Dibaga found himself back on the home bench alongside new boys Allan Oyirwoth, Olamilekan Adams and Dylan Lobban.

Ross County`s starting eleven looked vastly different from last seasons with only three of the starting eleven starting for the Staggies the last time they faced Dunfermline in March - Akil Wright, Connor Randall and Jamie Lindsay.

The home side kicked off attacking the goal in front of the McCathie Stand but in the opening quarter of an hour most of the play was towards Oxborough. First shot came as early as the third minute when Lewis Strapp`s cross from a free kick midway inside the Pars half on the left side, targeted Lewis Reid on the right of the Pars box, his header down was good for Brian Graham to shoot but his aim was straight at Oxborough.

County kept up their assault when just two minutes later Jamie Lindsay produced a cross from the right side of the box that presented Graham with an even better opportunity but he drove it at the orange kitted Pars keeper.

Lindsay hit right upright from a 25 yard out free kick and the Pars sole early threat came when Oli Shaw picked out Shea Kearney and the Irishman`s cross from the right was defended and taken away by Lindsay. The Staggies were doing a great job of driving their hosts on to the back foot and they created yet another fine chance on 13 minutes when Luke McCarvel picked out Adam Emslie on the left and he drilled the ball across the face of goal with his attackers just off the pace.

The Pars were making life difficult for themselves with several misplaced passes and misjudged weights and measures on them until a swift attacking move in 19th minute from John Tod to Robbie Fraser on to Andrew Tod and squared for Chris Kane to test keeper Brad Foster. Passing improved as the Fifers put a string 29 completed passes together but frustratingly the possession did not translate into anything close to finding the County net. Luke Robinson displayed a welcome option by mounting his own sortie up the park but his release was too strong for Shaw.

Two County corners on the half hour turned the pressure back on Dunfermline and McCarvel got to the bye line but his ball was cleared. Next Dunfermline corner won a corner after Robinson, Shaw and A Tod combined to send Shea Kearney up the right. Unfortunately A Tod`s delivery was too big but the 20 year-old did produce his side`s best chance of the first half. Andrew evaded two defenders to get in for a powerful attempt that rebounded off the keeper to Shaw but then dropped wide left.

There were two further chances for Dunfermline before the interval but Shaw missed an inviting Fraser cross and in 43 minutes after A Tod had won a corner on the left amid cries of handball from the McCathie. Unfortunately A Tod`s set play head height delivery saw no connections.

Ross County would go in at the break puzzling over not scoring in the first 30 minutes and although making heavy weather of it, Dunfermline had been unlucky not to make their visitors pay for their failure to finish.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Ross County 0

Ross County again created the first chances in the second half. Graham`s strike punched over his bar by Oxborough and then from Strapp`s corner Graham saw his knock down cleared. J Tod bravely sent a McCarvel cross over his own crossbar before in 58th minute the Highlanders eventually found the Pars net. Emslie headed the ball back across goal for Jamie LINDSAY to find the back of the net with a force filled header. 0-1

This cued a triple substitution by Neil Lennon withdrawing Shea Kearney, Luke Robinson and Charlie Gilmour to bring on Dylan Lobban, Allan Oyirwoth and Josh Cooper. The substitutions combined with a switch to four at the back immediately began to look promising. Oxborough had to hold a Graham shot before at the other end Cooper released a good 20 yard shot that was stopped by the County keeper.

Oyirwoth`s ball to Fraser was sent into the Staggies`s box but A Tod miscued from 14 yards out. Cooper exchanged passes with Fraser to set himself up for the next crack at goal only to see that blocked. The Pars worked the ball well to earn their 76th minute equaliser. Amade was sent in on the right side of the opposition box and his cross picked out OYIRWOTH for a straight forward finish on his debut. 1-1

Dunfermline had a opportunities to find the winner, Shaw headed over and Lobban showed some of his attacking skills to lay the ball off for Morrison to cross but presented with a good chance A Tod`s header went wide left. An Oyirwoth header was held by Foster and a Morrison shot from the edge of the box was beaten away for a corner. Vulnerability on the counter was clear after sub Richard Chin quickly switched play forward and Amade did really well to close out Emslie. Next time the Pars paid dearly. Graham set up the 86th minute winner sending CHIN through to stick the ball past Oxborough. 1-2

Foster easily held a Cooper in swinging corner and Morrison crashed a 90th minute attempt wide left. There was nothing in the three added minutes to change the outcome and Dunfermline`s League Cup campaign was over. Referee Ryan Lee certainly didn`t help the cause with some bizarre decisions and he must have been extremely relieved to see Oxborough hold a 69th minute shot from Randall after the official had got in the way and denied a Dunfermline defender a challenge on the full back.

Neil Lennon felt that all four substitutes made a difference but he was unhappy with his starting eleven terming their efforts too passive and as a consequence they got the beating they deserved.

Related Stories

• St Mirren 0 Dunfermline 1
• Dunfermline 5 Cove Rangers 0
• Dunfermline 4 Dumbarton 1
• East Kilbride 3 Dunfermline 0