Dunfermline home Feb2024

[tm4tj]

Every Point is a Prisoner

 

Apart from the top three teams, every point gained is crucial in the Championship, especially at the end of the table we find ourselves rooted to. Like us, Dunfermline hit a sticky patch but look to be over the worst and came away from Firhill with all three points on Friday night after nine winless games. We salvaged a draw in stoppage time at Arbroath. No rest for the wicked though, so it's back to action against our fellow strugglers on Tuesday night at 7:45pm. Ferguson has wholesale injuries to contend with for this one. It might be quicker to say who is fit. What could possibly go wrong!

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Match/Ticket Info

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Venue H2H v Pars

Pld

Won

Drn

Lst

For

Agst

+ / -

Home	24	10	9	5	31	22	+9
Away	25	9	11	5	30	27	+3
Neutral	2	0	1	1	3	4	-1
Total	51	19	21	11	64	53	+11

Overall, we have had the beating of Dunfermline over the years since we first crossed swords with them back in August 1999 where our first taste of Championship (Division 1) football ended in a 4-0 defeat at East End Park in front of 4865 fans. You can read the report on that game HERE. Five out of the last ten meetings have ended in draws with two wins apiece.

Last 10 Competitive Meetings v Pars

1 - 1 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

2 - 0 (H)

1 - 1 (A)

1 - 2 (H)

0 - 0 (A)

1 - 0 (A)

1 - 1 (H)

1 - 3 (A)

2 - 1 (A)

 Our last home win over Dunfermline:  2 - 0 Looking promising...Inverness took a massive step towards a play off place by defeating Dunfermline Athletic for the first time this season. An encouraging but goalless first half where Reece McAlear had hit the post was replaced by a two goal second half with chances at both ends. The deadlock was broken by a man who only scores screamers. Reece McAlear lashed the ball across the keeper and into the top right corner of the goal from a difficult position wide on the inside right area. What a strike that was but it only woke the Pars up from their lethargy and they had three or four great opportunities before substitute Austin Samuels sealed the points after he sprinted on to a through ball from Aaron Doran to slot neatly behind Mehmet in goal. Comfortable thereafter for the remainder of the game and an excellent three points to strengthen our hold on third place with Raith, Arbroath and Partick all dropping points. 

Last Time Out

A week after we let slip a two goal advantage over Partick Thistle, we salvaged a point at Gayfield with a 94th minute goal from Cammy Harper after loanee Adam Mackinnon had put Arbroath ahead ten minutes from the end. To be honest, we spurned far too many good opportunities, enough to win three games, but credit to the players for snatching a point at the death. Always a difficult venue, made moreso by a lengthy injury list that saw us without around ten players (Longstaff, Mullen, Ujdur, Boyes, Duffy, MacGregor, Lodovica, Nicolson) and a suspended Max Anderson who will miss the Dunfermline game as well. That left us with a sparse bench of only four outfield players, and not all of them were fully fit. Last five Championship games:  L W L D D 

Dunfermline threw a relegation spanner in the works last Friday a week after they also drew with Arbroath to complete this wee quadrangle of fixtures. However, they landed us all in the kacke by defrauding Partick 3-1 at Firhill where shockingly poor refereeing decisions affected the result in Dunfermline's favour. Brian Graham should have had a hat-trick but officially is only credited with scoring once. Goals from Walcott, Todd and Benjamin turned this game on it's head, much to the chagrin of bottom clubs Arbroath and Inverness. Last five Championship games: D L L D W 

Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Full fixture list on Tuesday night 1. Dundee Utd 24 15 6 3 49 14 51 2. Raith Rovers 24 15 5 4 44 33 50 3. Partick Thistle 24 10 8 6 47 40 38 4. Morton 24 10 6 8 34 28 36 5. Ayr United 25 8 5 12 34 45 29 6. Dunfermline 24 7 7 10 28 34 28 7. Airdrieonians 23 8 4 11 23 29 28 8. Queens Park 25 7 6 12 32 44 27 9. Inverness CT 25 6 8 11 30 32 26 10. Arbroath 24 5 5 14 25 47 20

Tuesday night 27th Feb all at 7:45pm

Ayr United v Partick Thistle

Dundee United v Airdrieonians

Inverness CT v Dunfermline

Queen's Park v Arbroath

Rovers v Morton

Latest Team News

Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen is out for the season with a stress fracture in his back. We already have long term issues with Longstaff, Lodovica and Nicolson. Added to that list is Ujdur, Boyes, MacGregor, Duffy and now Charlie Gilmour who limped off injured to be substituted after an hour and is out with a knee injury. Alex Samuel managed to play the full game with his hand strapped and also picked up stitches after the tackle from Adam Mackinnon. Nathan Shaw was also a doubt on Saturday but played all 95 minutes as well. The good news is that Max Anderson is not injured. The bad news is that Max Anderson is suspended. Of our injured squad, Wallace Duffy and Alex Samuel look the most likely to make an appearance. Expect a another sparse bench tonight.

We're injured, aren't we>>>

 

The addition of Chris Kane to the Pars squad was a great bit of business for them in the January sales. Here's all of their new additions, all loans: Chris Kane, forward (St Johnstone); Xavier Benjamin, defender (Cardiff City); Malachi Fagan-Walcott, defender (Cardiff City); Brad Holmes, forward (Blackpool).

Pars team at Partick on Friday night

Mehmet

 

Benjamin (Welch-Hayes 80)   Hamilton   Fagan-Walcott

 

Todd (Moffat 67)   Otoo   Allan   Edwards

 

Holmes (Jakubiak 61)   Kane   McCann

 

Subs Not Used: Little; Chalmers, Sutherland, Summers, 

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

As Winston Churchill once whispered to me in a London bunker - "Johndo, Once more unto the breach dear friend".

 

[Satan]

Got a bad feeling about this one.

[jed5697]

Every points a prisoner these days let’s not let any become escapees tonight Dunfermline will try to smuggle them out and spirit them doon the A9 However let’s be strong and resolute retain the points in the highlands. Explain ‘‘twas but a false dawn for poor Dunfermline” begone with zilch and lick thy wounds you mangy curs

[forresjags]

Just a 1 nil will do fine for me.

[STFU]

Gut feeling we're going to win this one.

[tm4tj]

 

[STFU]

The old 6 at the back formation... interesting.

[ICTPaisley]

No defenders on the bench? Probably because we’re starting 6 of them….

[ICTPaisley]

Cammy Kerr further forward tonight maybe? 

[RiG]

Harper probably in midfield for this one?

Anyway, I fancy us here. ICT 2 - 0 Dunfermline. Danny Devine hat trick.

[IBM]

1 minute ago, RiG said:

Harper probably in midfield for this one?

Anyway, I fancy us here. ICT 2 - 0 Dunfermline. Danny Devine hat trick.

2 - 0 and a hat trick 

[Yngwie]

Start 6-2-2 and if we need goals later on bring the entire bench on and then it’s 2-2-6!

[ICTPaisley]

[bdu98196]

Thankfully QP have already demolished Arbroath tonight it seems

Oh and Sheridan scores too

 

Edited February 27 by bdu98196

[Duke of Inverness]

How was the first half? 

[RiG]

Still find it bizarre we signed about 18 defenders in January when our defence wasn't that much of a concern and did precious little to strengthen our attacking options when we were so piss weak up front.

[ICTPaisley]

5 minutes ago, RiG said:

Still find it bizarre we signed about 18 defenders in January when our defence wasn't that much of a concern and did precious little to strengthen our attacking options when we were so **** weak up front.

Drawing our way to 8th?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

The Seer's bum is squeaking

[Duke of Inverness]

Ayr, Airdrie and Queens Park winning makes it a bad night all round. 

Edited February 27 by Duke of Inverness

[+snorbens_caleyman]

BBC stats say 12 shots in total - 6 each - in the game.  And only 1 on target - presumably the missed penalty.

Commiserations to those of you who were there.

[caley1]

How bad a watch was that ?? Embarrassing  game of football .If anything it’s getting worse .

[Hiro]

Other than losing a late goal tonight couldn't have gone any worse. We absolutely had to win at least one of these games against Arbroath and Dunfermline and we've not done that. We are nailed on for 9th.  A lopsided squad with a manager who is resistant to change.

[Yngwie]

0-0 FT. Rather disappointing. But when you consider how poor we are at home and this time we had so many players missing, was a draw the best we could hope for? I thought we still had enough quality on the pitch to be able to win. And we might have won if we had converted the penalty. Is that no goals in 8 matches for Billy now?

[Duke of Inverness]

Just now, caley1 said:

How bad a watch was that ?? Embarrassing  game of football .If anything it’s getting worse .

Sounds like on a par (no pun intended) with the Morton new year 0-0 draw. Which was the worst game of football I can remember.