Dunfermline continued their pre-season preparations with a 1-1 draw with Cove Rangers as David Wotherspoon and Kieran Ngwenya made their debuts.
The teams will face each other again in the final Premier Sports Cup group game on July 27 but decided to go ahead with this pre-arranged friendly.
Very much a low-key warm-up game in search of fitness for the campaign ahead, the Pars would still have been happy to have avoided back-to-back losses.
Aaron Comrie headed wide in the first-half and Craig Wighton flashed a shot over just after the break. Then an in-swinging Joe Chalmers cross crashed back off the post.
Cove looked to be heading for the spoils when Connor Scully swept in on the break in the 67th minute.
But half-time substitute Lewis McCann thumped in a headed equaliser in the 89th minute.
Team and tactics
The Pars started with a strong starting XI after fielding two different teams in each 45 minutes against East Fife on Friday night.
The back three of Sam Fisher, Kyle Benedictus and Rhys Breen was familiar and had the fit-again Comrie on the right flank.
Ngwenya was prominent on the left side during the early exchanges.
In the continued absence of Ewan Otoo in his recovery from a knee injury sustained at the end of last season, Chris Hamilton and Joe Chalmers anchored the midfield.
But it was ahead of that pairing that things got slightly different from last term.
Manager James McPake tended to opt for a 3-4-2-1 formation.
However, this was more of a two-pronged strike-force, consisting of Wighton and youngster Taylor Sutherland.
Chris Kane was again not in the squad as his pre-season is carefully managed.
In behind them roamed free Wotherspoon in a roving number ten role.
Two outfield trialists and another in between the sticks were given the second 45 minutes to impress.
New signing Kieran Ngwenya
Wotherspoon, signed on Monday on a 12-month deal, was the obvious attraction for any Dunfermline fans who had made the journey north to the outskirts of Aberdeen.
But it was Ngwenya who was more prominent in the opening exchanges.
The former Aberdeen full-back had spent a previous loan at Cove and certainly looked comfortable in his surroundings.
Repeatedly, the 21-year-old scampered forward dangerously and came close to an eighth-minute assist with a deflected cross that was headed wide by Comrie.
He has big boots to fill following the departure of Josh Edwards for Charlton Athletic. But he came close to a debut goal when his 40th-minute cross-cum-shot clipped the upright.
After a strong first run-out, he did not re-emerge after the break as McPake rang the changes.
So, what about Wotherspoon?
Well, it was obviously only his first outing for the Pars but there were clear signs of what the experienced St Johnstone legend will bring.
It was subtle, but in the ninth minute his movement and a first-time touch back to Hamilton opened up the space for the midfielder’s pass through for the run of Wighton, who was marginally offside.
Eight minutes later, a cute chipped pass into the box failed to find team-mate on the same wavelength. That should come with time.
As the half wore on, he dropped deeper in search of possession and the ability to play a killer pass forward.
However, off the ball, he was prominent as well, pointing the way for colleagues and cajoling those around him when necessary.
Just before half-time there was even time for the famous ‘Spoony chop’ as he attempted to engineer space for a shot at goal after Cove keeper Balint Demos had headed weakly clear outside his box.
Like Ngwenya, it was decided 45 minutes was enough for a first outing.
Teams
Dunfermline first-half (3-4-1-2): Mehmet; Fisher, Benedictus, Breen; Comrie, Hamilton, Chalmers, Ngwenya; Wotherspoon; Wighton, Sutherland.
Dunfermline second-half (3-4-2-1): Trialist; Fisher, Benedictus (Young 64), Comrie; O’Halloran, Trialist, Chalmers (McLeod 73), Trialist; Ritchie-Hosler, McCann; Wighton (Tod 64).
