Match ends, East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(5).
East FifeEast Fife1ForfarForfar Athletic1
Forfar Athletic win 5-4 on penalties
It was the scoreline that the late, great Eric Morecambe always used to joke about but had never come true - until now.
East Fife 4 Forfar 5 was the much-loved comedian's idea of the ultimate tongue-twister for anyone trying to read out the football results.
On Sunday, that result finally happened for the first time in the fixture's history - sort of.
The Scottish League Cup Group B tie between the sides went to penalties after a 1-1 draw. And the score in the shootout? East Fife 4 Forfar 5.
Had he lived to see that, it would surely have raised a smile from Morecambe, who came up with the score as a jokey greeting whenever he met his friend James Alexander Gordon, the popular announcer who read the classified results on the BBC for 40 years.
"Eric never called me James," Gordon, who died in 2014, once recalled. "Whenever I saw him over a 20-year period, he would say 'East Fife 4 Forfar 5'. I've got a tape of that."
Before Sunday, there had been two occasions when the scoreline almost occurred. In April 1964, it happened with the wrong team at home - finishing Forfar 5 East Fife 4. And in October 2011, a meeting between the sides ended East Fife 4 Forfar 3.
Anton Dowds claimed the opener on Sunday for East Fife, who had Chris Kane sent off before John Baird equalised.
Group games go to penalties under the League Cup format. With the shootout score at 4-4, Forfar keeper Marc McCallum saved Daryl Meggatt's kick before Thomas Reilly converted to seal a bonus point for the visitors - and make a little piece of sporting history.
Social reaction - 'tongue twister result'
Line-ups
East Fife
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Long
- 4KaneBooked at 28mins
- 5Dunlop
- 6Watson
- 17Meggatt
- 16Davidson
- 20BellSubstituted forDunsmoreat 30'minutesBooked at 57mins
- 11AgnewSubstituted forThomsonat 66'minutes
- 12McBrideSubstituted forSlatteryat 66'minutes
- 15Dowds
- 10Smith
Substitutes
- 2Dunsmore
- 7Thomson
- 8Slattery
- 9Court
- 14Watt
- 21Couser
Forfar
Formation 4-3-3
- 1McCallum
- 3Bain
- 5TravisBooked at 49minsSubstituted forKellyat 77'minutes
- 4MunroBooked at 37mins
- 2Meechan
- 7FraserSubstituted forWhyteat 69'minutes
- 6Reilly
- 8MacKintosh
- 11Baird
- 10Easton
- 9Hilson
Substitutes
- 12Malone
- 14Whyte
- 15Kelly
- 16Coupe
- 17Starkey
- 18Clark
- 21Muir
- Referee:
- Lloyd Wilson
- Attendance:
- 420
Match Stats
Home TeamEast FifeAway TeamForfar
- Possession
- Home47%
- Away53%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away6
- Corners
- Home3
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Penalties over
Penalty Shootout ends, East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(5).
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(5). Thomas Reilly (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Penalty saved! Daryll Meggatt (East Fife) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(4). Dylan Easton (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(3). Anton Dowds (East Fife) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(3), Forfar Athletic 1(3). Ross Meechan (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Post update
Penalty saved! Ross Davidson (East Fife) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(3), Forfar Athletic 1(2). Dale Hilson (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(3), Forfar Athletic 1(1). Brett Long (East Fife) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Penalty saved! John Baird (Forfar Athletic) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the centre of the goal.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(2), Forfar Athletic 1(1). Aaron Dunsmore (East Fife) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(1), Forfar Athletic 1(1). Andy Munro (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(1), Forfar Athletic 1. Craig Watson (East Fife) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalties in progress
Penalty Shootout begins East Fife 1, Forfar Athletic 1.
Full Time
Second Half ends, East Fife 1, Forfar Athletic 1.
Post update
Anton Dowds (East Fife) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Darren Whyte (Forfar Athletic).
Post update
Attempt missed. Patrick Slattery (East Fife) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
Post update
Corner, East Fife. Conceded by Andy Munro.
Comments
Join the conversation
But instead gonna binge watch Morecambe and Wise all night now.
Well, you could.
And for many years they did.
But now you don't have to
Result!
(I hope we can keep politics out of this.)
My favourite headline, following the sending off of Gerry Queen: ‘Queen in Brawl at Palace.’
3 minutes ago
For all you millennials out there. They had comedy before 2000....
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And the comedy was intended to make you smile not bombard you with some moronic patronising politically driven drivel
3 minutes ago
After Brexit we'll be boiling footballs to make soup
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A rare laugh on a Sunday night ruined by drab boring nothingness.
Bet they all hide under the tables when you arrive at the party
Eric and Ernie!
"He'll not sell much ice-cream going at that speed !! "
How many dads have since cracked that joke to their kids?
East Fife 5 Forfar 4 wouldn't be a tongue-twister. A tongue-twister is a phrase where it is easy to get it wrong
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You sum up everything that is wrong with the modern generation. No sense of humour. You need to lighten up or get a girlfriend.