Aberdeen 1 Dunfermline 0

Saturday, 26th Aug 2006

Despite being without ten first team players Dunfermline made it tough for Aberdeen.

Aaron Labonte replaced Calum Woods who joined the list of injured after Tuesday night`s CIS Insurance Cup tie at Ayr. Otherwise the team was unchanged with Dorus de Vries retaining his place in the only position that Leishman had a selection choice to make.

Jimmy Calderwood made six changes from the team that had a black night at Firhill where Queens Park knocked them out of the cup on penalties. The only ex Pars to start were Langfield and Nicholson as the two Jimmies promised an attacking match with a bold 2-3-5 formation!

Aberdeen kicked off defending the goal at the Richard Donald Stand end and Jamie Langfield was tested within 50 seconds by Owen Morrison with a low shot from 20 yards. As Aberdeen won their first corner of the match after two minutes Greg Ross went down holding his shin on the right. He was able to continue and was back to see John Stewart head the setpiece over the crossbar.

Labonte did well to prevent Nicholson`s shot, pouncing fast to clear and then Mason mopped up a Diamond cross as Aberdeen pressed. De Vries was also called into action but Daal`s header lacked force.

In 13th minute Jamie McCunnie`s sweep in from the right was held by Langfield and his lengthy clearance came off the back of Darren Mackie as he turned. The 24 year old Dons striker latched on to the ball and tried to ease past Labonte in the penalty box. Referee Eddie Smith held out his arm and the home fans thought a penalty had been given but their joy was short lived when the all turquoise official clarified that it was a goal kick he had signalled. The right decision since the defender took the ball and Mackie merely fell over.

Two more corners were despatched over the bar by Anderson and then Diamond. The Pars were content to defend with nine players strung out across their own final third. Toddy ploughed the proverbial lone furrow upfront and on the half hour got around Andrew Considine but the captain, who originally joined the club as a striker from Kelty Hearts, could not produce power or accuracy in his shot that trundled wide right.

Bamba`s bacon was saved by Scott Wilson after Stewart raced through the centre in 32nd minute. Wilson`s tackle just ten yards out was superbly timed and the Pars fans could breath again. Just five minutes later Bamba was light with his pass back on the right and fortunately de Vries was quickly out to blast the ball upfield. Indecision between Langfield and his defence as Tod tried to get on the end of de Vries` clearance led to a sequence of three Dunfermline corners none of which troubled Langfield.

As the interval approached Aberdeen had a further sortie deep into enemy territory with the closest a Severin shot at the end of a period of pressure. Play continued in the direction of de Vries who was pressed into punching several balls and then delighted to see Dyron Daal fail miserably in 43 minutes when presented with a sitter just 8 yards out.

Half Time: Aberdeen 0 Dunfermline 0

Mason got the second half underway playing the ball back for Young to belt up the left in the direction of Tod but the Dons defence read that easily. Aberdeen went forward with Foster and Stewart involved in the move that fed Severin but Wilso was in to blocked.

The match that thus far had been fairly quiet erupted in the 49th minute. Wilson turned back the ball to de Vries but the keeper after tapping the ball out to around 12 yards out on the left side of his box picked up the ball. The Dutch keeper thought that the back pass had come off an Aberdeen leg. An indirect free kick was awarded and as the Dons players tried to grab the ball and a full scale melee resulted with a huddle of about a dozen players becoming physical with fists and tempers flying.

After Wilson and Tod were called over to the ref and the Assistant Referee to discuss the fracas the set piece was taken. Nicholson touched the ball back to Chris Clark but the Pars runners were out to stop the shot. The home fans got behind their side urging them to go for the kill but the Dunfermline defence survived.

Morrison then created the visitor`s first real goal opportunity in 57 minutes lobbing over the ball from the left touchline into the six yard area where Young flicked on with a header that Langfield held dropping to his left. At the other end de Vries had to do the same to hold a Mackie effort from the edge of the box.

Gary Dempsey, who had been introduced for Stewart, broke through the middle but his shooting chance was closed out as was Nicholson`s when he was presented with the lay off. Dunfermline then lost Scott Wilson with a hamstring injury, Iain Campbell came on with Labonte moving into central defence. Within a minute however disaster struck!

A high ball in from the left side from Ricky Foster was left by Labonte in the centre of the box but before Campbell behind him could clear Scott SEVERIN headed passed de Vries from six yards. A second goal almost came immediately after but Dorus de Vries pulled off a fine save to stop a powerful shot.

Eight minutes from full time Diamond was yellow carded for a tackle on the left and from the free kick Owen Morrison swung in a useful ball into the centre of the Dons penalty box. Tod and Smith nodded on and Gary Mason drove the ball on target but luck was out as Bamba deflected the shot over the Aberdeen crossbar. The equaliser was not to come despite a push near the end.

Leishman had ten first team players out yet the side put up great resistance to Aberdeen. Apart from the goal it was a good defensive performance with the loss of Wilson probably costing Dunfermline the game. Andy Tod worked really hard but there was no doubt on this showing that strikers are desperately needed at East End Park.

Aberdeen FC subsequently thanked Dunfermline fans for observing the minute`s silence before the kick off in this match, for their two employees Assistant Operations Manager Peter Simpson and Commercial Department`s Sandy Finnie who died in the week running up to this fixture.

ABERDEEN: Jamie Langfield; Karim Touzani (Andrew Considine 19), Russell Anderson; Zander Diamond, Scott Severin, Barry Nicholson, Chris Clark, Richard Foster; Dyron Daal (Chris Maguire 88), Darren Mackie, John Stewart (Gary Dempsey 58).
SUBS NOT USED: Derek Soutar, Dan Smith, Jamie Winter, David Donald
SCORERS: Severin (68)
YELLOW CARD: Severin (29), Diamond (81), Maguire 89)

DUNFERMLINE: Dorus de Vries, Greg Ross, Scott Wilson (Iain Campbell 67), Soulemayne Bamba, Aaron Labonte; Jamie McCunnie (Craig Wilson 80), Darren Young, Phil McGuire (Calum Smith 75), Gary Mason, Owen Morrison; Andy Tod (c)
SUBS NOT USED: Nick Phinn, Alan McDonough, Iain Williamson, Roddy McKenzie (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Young (40), Ross (72), Tod (77), Campbell (93)

REFEREE: Eddie Smith
WEATHER: Breezy, Overcast 17°C
ATTENDANCE 9889

NEXT MATCH: SPL (home) v Kilmarnock, Saturday 9th September 2006

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Preview Aberdeen

Wednesday, 23rd Aug 2006

Dunfermline will yet again be miles under strength but great things are often achieved in the f

The trip to Aberdeen means that horns will again be locked with the Two Jimmies and their band of five former Pars. The Fifers record there is not the best with the three Premier League wins there coming in 1997 (2-0 and 2-1) and in August 2003 (2-1).

Premier League v Aberdeen (Away)
Pld	W	D	L	F	A
24	3	4	17	17	42

 Dunfermline drew 0-0 on their last trip to Pittodrie in December and it was August 2003 when the Pars last took three points back down the A90.

Milestones Aberdeen (Away)
Last League Victory	23/08/03	2 - 1	SPL
Last League Defeat	13/11/04	1 - 2	SPL
Best League Victory	25/02/61	6 - 3	Div One*
Worst League Defeat	13/09/58 15/09/62	4 - 0	Div One*
*Pre league reconstruction

Out of the last twelve matches against Aberdeen, Dunfermline have won four, drawn two and lost six.

Last Twelve League Matches v Aberdeen
Date	H/A	F-A	Scorers
11/03/06	H	1-0	[1-0] Burchill
10/12/05	A	0-0
17/09/05	H	0-2	[0-1] Crawford, [0-2] Severin
12/02/05	H	2-1	[1-0] Mehmet, [1-1] Diamond, [2-1] Donnelly
13/11/04	A	1-2	[0-1]Tod og, [0-2] Mackie, [1-2] Donnelly
21/08/04	H	0-1	[0-1] Whelan
21/02/04	A	0-2	[0-1] McGuire, [0-2] Booth
29/11/03	H	2-2	[0-1] Deloumeaux, [0-2] Booth, [1-2] Dk Young, [2-2] Bullen
23/08/03	A	2-1	[0-1] Zdrilic, [1-1] Brewster, [2-1] Nicholson
12/04/03	A	0-1	[0-1] Sheerin
15/12/02	H	3-0	[1-0] Crawford, [2-0] McAllister (og), [3-0] Brewster (p)
28/09/02	A	1-3	[1-0] Bullen, [1-1] Billio, [1-2] D`Jaffo, [1-3] Derek Young

Sitting in seventh place, Aberdeen are unbeaten in their five SPL matches this season and they might well be smarting after their CIS Insurance Cup exit to the Queens Park amateurs in midweek.  Dunfermline will yet again be miles under strength but great things are often achieved in the face of adversity.

Recent Form
Aberdeen	D Queens Park 0 - 0	D St Mirren 1 - 1	W Motherwell 2 - 0	D Inverness CT 1 - 1	D Hibernian 1 - 1

Dunfermline

D Ayr United 0 - 0

D Dundee United 0 - 0

D Rangers 1 - 1

L Falkirk 1 - 2

L Hearts 1 - 2

The Pars` away form is not brilliant with only away wins at Livingston and Motherwell in 2006. The team did well at Tannadice last Saturday and one step further would be nice. 

Calderwood`s team last time out against Queens Park was:  Derek Soutar, Richard Foster, Russell Anderson, Andrew Considine, Daniel Smith (Chris Maguire 79), Jamie Winter (Kyle Macauley 45), Barry Nicholson, Gary Dempsey (John Stewart 45), Chris Clark, Darren Mackie, Stevie Crawford.
Subs Not Used: David Donald, Jamie Langfield.

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