Football: Berti boosted by Crawford's cracking show

THEY cheered Stevie Crawford off the field at the end as if Scotland's search for an international striker of note was like the finding of the Holy Grail.

Two goals in the stats says much for his skill and accuracy but barely reflects his overall team contribution.

Even before he scored a glorious solo goal in the 78th minute, he looked easy, controlled and swift on the ball.

So effective was his overall performance that you had to wonder why, in this day and age of poor international quality, his cap total is not double what it is.

And all this despite the fact that he was very much starved of the ball throughout and the first half in particular.

He was unselfish and his skilful distribution must havehave delighted Berti Vogts.

The game, though, was not ignited until we had a second half sending-off which produced a furious response from Thistle.

The first 20 minutes really belonged to Partick Thistle.

They were unsettling the home side simply by so much running and effort in midfield.

They seemed brisker and hungrier in midfield in that first 20 minute period.

Hardie, Buchan and Mitchell gave the impression they were double the number of the Pars midfield.

But they didn't so much run out of steam as ideas.

They had much possession without shaping a decent shot at goal.

With much less of the ball. Dunfermline looked infinitely more dangerous.

Then we saw the first sign of Crawford.

In the 19th minute, he took a ball from the excellent Nicholson, swept past two defenders, but his weak left-foot shot was easily saved.

A minute later he repeated the exercise, cutting inside from the right, he left two players in his wake, but again his shot was well saved.

Then in the 26th minute, Dempsey was fouled by Craigan.

From the free kick, Scott Thomson slipped the ball to Nicholson on the edge of the box, who rifled in a beautiful right-foot shot to put the Pars one up.

The second half exploded furiously. Within nine minutes, Lilley of Partick inexcusably fouled Dempsey and was instantly dismissed by Hugh Dallas.

Curiously this inspired the ten-men Thistle.

In a burst of attacks in the 59th minute, Thomson of Dunfermline passed back to Kilgannon inside the box, who remarkably handled the ball without being pressurised, and a penalty resulted.

Mitchell scored from the spot to equalise.

Eight minutes later though, Dunfermline went in front again when Barry Nicholson glanced in a header from a cross by Bullen.

Then, in the final 15 minutes came a speedy Crawford shot. The first of his two goals came in the 78th, when he took on the Thistle defence himself, sidestepped two players, and curved a low shot into the net.

And just before the final whistle, he made an intelligent run into the box to make a cross by Dair to glide past the keeper.

So he must have most certainly put his name down on Berti Vogts' starting eleven for the Iceland game.

In this sort of form Crawford is certainly good enough for Scotland and he looks more than capable of ensuring that Dunfermline enjoy a top six finish in the SPL this season.DUNFERMLINE: Ruitenbeek 6, MacPherson 6 (Petrie 5), Skerla 7, Thomson 7, Nicholson 8, Mason 5, CRAWFORD 9, Kilgannon 6, Dempsey 6 (Dair 5), Nicholls 5 (McGroarty 5), Bullen 7.

PARTICK: Arthur 6, Lilley 4, Archibald 4, Craigan 5, Paterson 6, White 6, Mitchell 7 (Waddell 5), Buchan 7 (Morris 5), Walker 6 (Britton 5), Hardie 7, Burns 5.

MANAGER RATINGS: Calderwood 7, Lampie 6.

REFEREE: H Dallas 8.ATTENDANCE: 5,522MAN OF THE MATCH:

STEVE CRAWFORD - The best Scottish striker around.

Copyright 2002 MGN LTD
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.