East Fife: Hill of Beath draw leaves Bayview team searching for first pre-season win

Of course, the 90 minute result doesn’t matter in the slightest at this stage of the season and Stevie Crawford will believe that his side could have been home and hosed before they were pegged back in the second-half by their visitors.

A series of missed chances in both halves of the match haunted the hosts as work on sharpness continues.

The East Fife squad certainly looked stronger for the visit of their fellow Fifers with just two trialists named.

And one of those trialists did his hopes of winning a deal no harm when he got the right side of his marker and opened the scoring with just seconds gone.

Hill of Beath, though, really impressed in the opening 45, pressing East Fife high and looking comfortable in possession of the ball.

They failed to really trouble Jude Smith in the Fife goal with the hosts having further chances through Scott Shepherd and the trialist.

Subs were made at the break as both teams looked to get as many minutes as they could into their players.

East Fife started the second-half as well as they did the first and the Hill of Beath defence had to scramble to block a couple of early efforts.

They stayed on the front foot with Shepherd and then Liam Newton both denied.

East Fife were made to pay for those missed chances when Haws pulled level.

They were gifted possession on the edge of the Fife box by the home side and Ross Allum punished them with a composed finish.

Allum almost doubled his side’s advantage a minute later when he broke free and met a corner only to nod wide.

The friendly was turned on its head and the Haws, managed by the Dair brothers Jason and Lee, were suddenly on top.

East Fife weathered the storm and had a couple of late chances, Jack Healy unlucky to see his drives miss the target.