East Fife Youths needed penalties to overcome Rosyth in the Summer Cup Final at Warout Stadium in Glenrothes on Sunday. After a goalless game offered little to separate the two sides, it was Jay Chricton who kept his composure to score the decisive spot kick and bring the cup home for his team.

In a tight and closely fought match, it was Rosyth who perhaps started the better; pressing high up the pitch and possessing a dangerous outlet in forward Jay Thompson. East Fife were looking to capitalise on their opponents high line however, and created the first opportunity of the match when, following a corner, Jack Strang fizzed a shot at goal but to no avail.

East Fife were looking to hurt Rosyth on the counter attack, and when a corner routine broke down at one end, Corey Jardine did well to carry the ball forward and win a corner for his own side. When the ball was delivered into the box, it fell kindly for Dylan Page, but he couldn’t control the shot and the ball sailed harmlessly over the bar.

East Fife soon found joy again playing into the space behind Rosyth’s defence, as Ryan Gilmour was released on the right to deliver a fantastic ball into the box, but despite getting a glancing touch on the ball, Thomas Birrell couldn’t direct the effort towards goal as another chance came and went.

Despite being vulnerable to the counter attack, for the most part Rosyth were doing a good job of controlling possession and looking to play their way through the East Fife defence. Sam Russell was next to try his luck, taking aim with a right footed shot from distance; but the shot was comfortably saved.

That chance proved to be the catalyst for Rosyth to pile on the pressure as the game moved towards half time, with Cain Dow doing well to dance his way past the East Fife backline, but he couldn’t finish as the goalkeeper came out to smother the danger.

Then, a well worked corner routine resulted with Rory Watson being teed up on the edge of the area, but his side footed effort whistled over the bar.

There was just enough time in the half for one more chance, as Zachary Humphries whipped a dangerous looking ball in from the right wing, but it was too close to the goalkeeper who collected with ease; leaving both teams to leave the field at half time with the score locked at nil-nil.

East Fife looked to make a faster start to the second half, with Marc Ritchie letting fly inside the opening few seconds, but the shot was over and posed no threat to the Rosyth goal.

Then, after Dow’s through ball for Rosyth was intercepted, Ritchie was released on the right, but he was unable to find a teammate with the cross.

Chances continued to come and go for both sides as the half wore on, with Regan Anderson flashing a shot across the face of goal for Rosyth, before a deep corner for East Fife was met by Strang on the volley, but he could only find the side netting as the game continued to wait for its first goal.

Despite the lack of goals, the game was developing into a much more entertaining affair; and there was soon another chance for East Fife as Ritchie’s corner fell to Lewis Cunningham, but he could only fire his shot into a defender.

Lewis Aitken then got a sight of goal, but he scuffed his shot and the goalkeeper was able to collect.

As the game headed for penalties, East Fife were beginning to find some rhythm, and they created a host of chances to win the game in normal time.

First, Chricton curled a left footed shot over the bar, before turning his marker inside out to get another effort away; this time the effort was on target but comfortably saved by Ryan McMeechan in the Rosyth goal.

Cunningham was next to try and break the deadlock, but his right footed shot sailed over the bar. Cunningham was in the thick of the action again not long after, when after a mazy run he released a fierce looking shot, but again was not able to find the target.

Despite the chances for East Fife, Rosyth were still in the game; and almost struck a hammer blow to their opponents when a hopeful ball into the box was spilled by the goalkeeper, but as the forwards were closing in he was able to gather at the second time of asking.

East Fife then spurned the chance of the match, after a free kick was saved by McMeechan the ball fell kindly for Chricton, who looked certain to score, but he angled the ball agonisingly wide of the post.

Then, in the dying embers of the game, Chricton had a second chance to prevent a shootout, but his diving header flashed wide of the post.

The final whistle was greeted with an air of inevitability from both sides, as they regrouped in the centre circle for the dreaded penalty shootout.