Dunfermline 0 - 0 St. Mirren
Dunfermline unfurled the first division champions flag in front of just over five thousand fans in a lacklustre game against a St. Mirren side looking to put their newly signed players to use. Nigel Hasselbaink and Gary Teale provided the early opportunities for an opener, with the former going close after being put through by Jerome Tesselaar. St. Mirren continued to have most of the game and the Pars looked very overwhelmed by the occasion. A curling Martin Hardie free kick being the closest the Pars fans got to seeing a home goal on the night. Things began to heat up near the end of the first half, when ex Buddies captain John Potter was penalised for what looked like a soft push on new signing Steven Thompson, but the new recruit from Burnley could only watch as his penalty was saved by another ex Buddie in Paul Gallacher in the Pars goal. The second half continued to produce not a lot, with Teale and Thompson both going close for St. Mirren while Hardie had another free kick that went close.
Not the fairytale return to the SPL that Pars fans may have wanted, however, a draw against a strong looking St. Mirren side is not as bad as it could have been.
Man of the Match - Jim Goodwin (St. Mirren): The new St. Mirren captain looked very assured in the middle of the park, his strength and passing set him a class apart from the rest of the players on show. St. Mirren fans will be hoping that his standards don’t fall throughout the season.
Dunfermline unfurled the first division champions flag in front of just over five thousand fans in a lacklustre game against a St. Mirren side looking to put their newly signed players to use. Nigel Hasselbaink and Gary Teale provided the early opportunities for an opener, with the former going close after being put through by Jerome Tesselaar. St. Mirren continued to have most of the game and the Pars looked very overwhelmed by the occasion. A curling Martin Hardie free kick being the closest the Pars fans got to seeing a home goal on the night. Things began to heat up near the end of the first half, when ex Buddies captain John Potter was penalised for what looked like a soft push on new signing Steven Thompson, but the new recruit from Burnley could only watch as his penalty was saved by another ex Buddie in Paul Gallacher in the Pars goal. The second half continued to produce not a lot, with Teale and Thompson both going close for St. Mirren while Hardie had another free kick that went close.
Not the fairytale return to the SPL that Pars fans may have wanted, however, a draw against a strong looking St. Mirren side is not as bad as it could have been.
Man of the Match - Jim Goodwin (St. Mirren): The new St. Mirren captain looked very assured in the middle of the park, his strength and passing set him a class apart from the rest of the players on show. St. Mirren fans will be hoping that his standards don’t fall throughout the season.
