Edinburgh United v East Fife, 6th July 2010

Pre-Season Friendly, Peffermill

Edinburgh United 1 East Fife 5
 
Match Report: Jim Stewart
 
FIFE GO NAP IN THE CAPITAL
 
The new season was opened on a bumpy back pitch at Edinburgh University's Peffermill complex. Pre match rain was to return in the second half. The Fifers starting line up consisted of eight signed players and three trialists with Mark Whatley coming off the bench for Gary Carroll whose non appearance was due to being involved in a car accident.
 
 The first opening was created by the junior side whose number 6 fired over Michael Brown's bar in the fourth minute. Two minutes later, Fife took the lead following a left wing run and cross from Craig Johnstone which Steve Hislop converted, the referee being well placed to judge that the ball had crossed the line.
 
Bobby Linn dominated proceedings midway through the  half with a shot that produced a diving save from the keeper; a shot that went narrowly past and a goal twhich was disallowed for offside. United replied with another shot over the bar from their number 6. Two minutes from the interval, the same player netted the equaliser. A fine save from Brown at the expense of a corner denied the Capital side a half time lead.
 
The manager made four changes at the start of the second half . After only three minutes,Darren Thomson was injured and had to be replaced. Bobby Linn restored the visitors' lead in the 55th minute netting a free kick from 22 yards after Steve Hyslop had been fouled.Two minutes later, he scored again with an exquisite finish to Craig Johnstone's cross. He completed his hat trick on the hour knocking home a Johnstone pass.
 
Lee Bryce and Michael Dick replaced Hyslop and Johnstone in 63 minutes  and 5 minutes later, Crawford came on for Linn. Dick tested the home keeper who turned his shot round the post in the 80th minute. Whatley then returned to replace Paul Tansey. The keeper saved a Robert Sloan free kick before Lee Bryce completed the scoring from a Scott Durie cross in the 85th minute.
 
East Fife - Michael Brown (Baillie 46); Durie, Tansey (Whately), Dair, Smart (Muir 46), Whately (McMillan46), Linn (Crawford 68), Cargill (D Thomson 46, Ross Brown 48) Hyslop (Bryce 63), Sloan , Johnstone (Dick 63)