Dunfermline 2-0 Partick Thistle

By Clive Lindsay

Stephen Simmons scored both goals for Dunfermline

Stephen Simmons' double against battling Partick Thistle sent Dunfermline Athletic into the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.

Simmons headed home a cross from man-of-the-match Owen Morrison after just four minutes to put the Scottish Premier League side ahead.

Another Simmons header flashed wide and a Morrison shot struck a post.

The Pars had to survive late pressure from the First Division side before Simmons headed in a Jim O'Brien cross.

Interview: Dunfermline manager Stephen Kenny

Interview: Partick Thistle manager Dick Campbell

There was to be no romantic cup re-union for brothers Darren and Derek Young.

Derek returned to fitness - and the Thistle starting line-up - in place of another former Dunfermline forward, the injured Simon Donnelly, while Pat Keogh replaced the ineligible Alan Archibald.

Darren failed a Friday fitness test and missed out on playing against his brother for the first time in their professional careers.

Former Scotland striker Stevie Crawford was also missing, being dropped to Pars bench, while on-loan Hibernian full-back Stephen Glass was cup-tied.

So manager Stephen Kenny brought in Owen Morrison and Scott Morrison.

And using two wingers paid off immediately as the Pars took the lead.

Owen Morrison had been switched to the left and curled in a right-footed cross that was headed home powerfully by Simmons from 12 yards.

Stephen Simmons' second goal went in off the crossbar

Thistle refused to lie down and a Billy Gibson free-kick deflected off the defensive wall and a couple of feet wide of the post.

The First Division side were lucky to survive when Adam Hammill beat goalkeeper Kenny Arthur to another Owen Morrison cross, but the winger's header flew just wide.

It was Arthur to the rescue again, rushing out to save at the feet of O'Brien after the forward had latched on to a poor Scott Boyd back-header.

Simmons should have made it 2-0 after a carbon-copy of the opening goal but this time headed Owen Morrison's cross a couple of inches wide.

Thistle were first to threaten after the break, but Jimmy Gibson's 22-yard drive flew a couple of feet past.

Dunfermline came close to killing the game when Owen Morrison turned inside his marker, his curling drive struck the inside of the far post and O'Brien just failed to connect with the rebound.

Thistle suddenly had the SPL outfit under pressure.

Adam Strachan had a low cross-cum-shot blocked clear by goalkeeper Dorus De Vries and Keogh flashed a header across goal dring a spell of four corners in a row.

But Dunfermline killed the tie three minutes from the end, with Simmons heading in off the underside of the bar after some wing trickery by O'Brien.

But the goalscorer picked up a booking for celebrating that means he is suspended for the semi-final.

---

Dunfermline: De Vries, Ross (Bamba 89), Wilson, McGuire, Scott Morrison, O'Brien (Crawford 90), Mason, Simmons, Owen Morrison (McCunnie 72), Hamilton, Hammill.
Subs Not Used: McKenzie, McIntyre.

Booked: Mason, Simmons.

Goals: Simmons 4, 86.

Partick: Arthur, Smith (Strachan 49), John Robertson, Brady, Boyd, Keogh, James Gibson, Billy Gibson, Russell, Roberts, Young (McConalogue 82).
Subs Not Used: Tuffey, McChrystale, Ferguson.

Booked: Keogh, Boyd, Brady.

Att: 7,090

Ref: I Brines