The Thistle Archive

Media report

06-Mar-2004, bbc.com

Dunfermline eased their way into the Scottish Cup semi finals with a comfortable win at Firhill. Richie Byrne gave the Fifers the lead after 11 minutes when he slammed the ball into the net from close range. In the 36th minute, Barry Nicholson slotted the ball past Kenny Arthur after a slick passing move. Brewster headed a third in the 69th minute when he met a cross from Stevie Crawford and Nicholson saw his penalty kick saved late in the game.

The game began at a frantic pace, with the home side forcing a couple of corners, but the Pars' defence held firm. In the 11th minute, though, the visitors rocked the Jags with an opening goal. Brewster found some space on the right-hand side of the box and, when he rolled the ball along the six-yard box, the unmarked Byrne had the easiest of tasks to hammer the ball into the roof of the net from two yards out. Thistle might have grabbed an equaliser after 20 minutes when Stephane Bonnes found Adrian Madaschi in a good position but the defender headed straight at Pars' keeper Derek Stillie. In the 27th minute, Darren Young swung in a free-kick from the left which was left by the Jags' defence, including keeper Arthur, only to drift inches past the post. The visitors were knocking the ball around well, while Thistle were reduced to long aimless balls. As the match nudged towards the interval, Dunfermline's five-man midfield took control of the game and there was no surprise when the visitors grabbed a second goal. Darren Young put Nicholson through on the right-hand side and the Pars' man coolly slotted the ball past Arthur from 14 yards out. Stevie Crawford was given a chance after Jags' defender Grant Murray was woefully short with a back-pass but Arthur was quickly out of his goal to smother. The Jags almost snatched a goal back on the half-time whistle but Stillie reacted well to save a David Rowson header from close range.

Partick started the second half brightly and Bonnes twice went close to scoring shortly after the break. The Frenchman saw his looping shot on the turn land on the crossbar and then Stillie pushed away his shot after he had broken away from the Pars defence. Dunfermline were seeing little of the ball but a Crawford shot from 20 yards had Arthur scrambling to his right to save at the second attempt. And, in the 64th minute, as the home defence hesitated, Crawford's shot from an acute angle sped across the Jags' goal-line before running out to safety. The visitors stretched their lead five minutes later when Crawford crossed from the left and, with the home defence posted missing, Brewster had time to steer a header past the onrushing Arthur from 16 yards. Jags substitute Derek Fleming tried his luck from 25 yards but his shot flashed inches wide of the target. Fleming's afternoon was cut short when he was sent off for pushing Noel Hunt, after the Dunfermline replacement had won his team a penalty. Nicholson was denied a second goal when Arthur dived to his right to block the spot kick.

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