Queen’s Park 2-1 Dunfermline: Walking-wounded Pars defeated at Hampden

Dunfermline suffered more injury woes ahead of and during their 2-1 defeat to Queen’s Park on Friday night.

Ruari Paton opened the scoring for the home side shortly after half-time before Dom Thomas’ deflected effort made it 2-0. Ben Summers pulled one back late on for Dunfermline.

It leaves the Pars with no wins in five and with another selection headache ahead of next week’s home match versus Airdrie.

Ewan Otoo was the latest Pars player to drop out as James McPake again asked several players to play out of position, including a completely makeshift back three.

First half

Dunfermline didn’t even reach the 20-minute mark before there was another casualty and Aaron Comrie was replaced by Miller Fenton.

The Pars were enjoying a decent spell in a largely uneventful first half when Comrie left the field.

Craig Wighton sent Alex Jakubiak through after intercepting an Alex Bannon pass but Calum Ferrie raced from his goal to clear.

Wighton was then inches away from connecting with a dangerous Paul Allan cross and Owen Moffat and Chris Hamilton fired shots just wide.

It was mainly a story of offsides at the other end though Queen’s Park felt hard done by when Paton’s shot that found the net was one of those to be flagged.

Deniz Mehmet wasn’t tested until late in the half but dealt as expected with tame efforts from Dom Thomas and Paton.

Second half

Switch to a back four at half-time, with Allan dropping into right-back – more natural for Josh Edwards.

Summers gave away possession, Jack Spong found Paton and the Queen’s Park marksman worked a yard before shooting low beyond Mehmet.

Just after, Zach Mauchin came close to making it 2-0 with a shot on the angle.

Alex Jakubiak was then replaced midway through the half after receiving treatment.

Teenage striker Taylor Sutherland was the man brought on in search of an equaliser. He showed flashes and Dunfermline improved as the half progressed.

But the points were secured for Queen’s Park when Thomas’ shot from the edge of the box took a huge deflection and looped over Mehmet and into the far top corner with just over 10 minutes to go.

Summers made amends for his earlier error with a wonderful finish off the post with five minutes to go after some neat play from Moffat.

In the final few minutes, Edwards rippled the side netting with a vicious strike after being teed up by Craig Wighton.

Line-ups

Dunfermline (3-4-1-2): Mehmet; Comrie (Fenton, 18′), Hamilton, Edwards; O’Halloran (Hoggan 80′), Allan, Chalmers, Moffat; Summers; Wighton, Jakubiak (T. Sutherland, 67′).

Subs not used: Sharp, Little, McLeod, J. Sutherland.