Falkirk 1 Dunfermline 0

Saturday, 13th Jan 2007

Pars fail to take points from The Falkirk Stadium. An Alan Gow goal in 90th minute dealt the Pars a cruel blow.

With his international clearance secured overnight, Bobby Ryan (above) went straight into the team to make his debut for Dunfermline in this local derby against Falkirk. He replaced the suspended Jim Hamilton.

The other change from the successful side that knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup on Sunday was also enforced through suspension, Greg Shields returning to take the place of Phil McGuire.

Falkirk`s only change was the introduction of 20 year-old goalkeeper Kaspar Schmeichel on loan from Manchester City; the Dane with the famous father replaced Dutchman, Jeroen Lambers. It was the home side that kicked off playing into the rain and wind but the Pars were soon on the offensive with both Owen and Scott Morrison trying to feed the twin strike force of Crawford and O`Brien.

It was Owen who placed a 4th minute free kick on the head of Greg Shields for the first chance of the afternoon that the Pars skipper headed narrowly wide right. Dunfermline continued to benefit from the wind and pressed forward. O`Brien was next to try and beat the keeper, collecting a defended ball but shooting wide right.

Two Dunfermline corners demonstrated how difficult it was going to be to defend in the blustery conditions. In 15 minutes Owen Morrison lobbed in another free kick but Kaspar Schmeichel held easily.

The Bairns tried hard to work the ball into the Pars box but they had opposition from the wind as well as from the Fifers defence. High balls were just blown back towards the Falkirk half but despite conditions the home side did manage to peg the Pars back.

From the 21st free kick that earned Scott Morrison a yellow card, Latapy drove a low difficult ball that was well stopped but it broke for Kenny Milne and you feared the worst from the fierce shot but Alan Gow got in the road on the net bound shot. Two minutes later Shields headed another dangerous looking shot behind for a corner on the right. Fortuntately that was to end up in the arms of McKenzie.

Dunfermline`s fourth corner of the game in 32nd minute caused Schmeichel to fist away Scott Morrison`s tricky delivery but it was the Pars who were to have the greatest escape just seven minutes later. Gow looked like shooting but it was Liam Craig who fired the ball across the face of the goal to be deflected for a corner.

A fine move in 42 minutes from O`Brien to Young fed Crawford but that was blocked out and then in the second minute of added time Crawford was again through but the Danish keeper was well out to save Stevie`s shot with his legs. A great chance and a great stop from the keeper.

A blow for the Pars was the calf injury to Scott Wilson that saw him limp off after 42 minutes and into the doubtful for next week category. His departure meant Jamie McCunnie returned for his first game since being injured at Tynecastle on 28th October. Darren Young went to centre half and the sub assumed a central midfield role.

Half time: Falkirk 0 Dunfermline 0

The half time music suggested that "we ain`t seen nothing yet" and as Dunfermline kicked off into the driving rain everyone was hoping that the conditions were not going to be the only winner. Freddie Daquin came on for Owen Morrison as the Pars restarted.

Falkirk were greatly assisted by the wind in 51 minutes with Craig running on to a through ball that Roddy McKenzie took sliding on his side to collect. Next Cregg and Latapy exchanged passes down the right. Cregg made ground into the Pars box before cutting back for Latapy to send a shot into the hands of McKenzie.

Just as Falkirk had done remarkably well when playing into the wind, the Fifers were able to take the game deep into the opposition half. Falkirk`s 64th minute free kick sent the ball invitingly through the Pars penalty box but Craig was penalised for pushing Ross.

At the other end Scott Morrison`s corner was again punched away by Schmeichel and play was quickly back in front of McKenzie. Cregg and Gow combined well and Gow was in on the left side but his pass was overstruck and Falkirk failed to get a shot in. Young did really well to fend off gow in 70th minute and then McKenzie was down bravely to take Latapy`s cross in from the right.

Stephen Simmons had a good chance just 12 minutes from time when Ross`s delivery was teed up off Crawford but the effort hit the right goalpost. Liam Craig then beat two men and threatened to hurt the visitors. Had he chosen to let Latapy shoot, it might have but he chose to shoot from the edge of the box and the attempt was well wide right.

In 88 minutes Latapy put through Lima forcing another fine save out of McKenzie. The Pars finished the game pressing Falkirk but at no time did they give the on loan keeper a chance to show his quality.

Just when it looked like a point had been bagged, right on 90 minutes Craig picked out Alan GOW on the left side of the Pars box and the much sought after striker slotted the ball in at an angle under Roddy McKenzie. There were apppeals for offside but that made no difference. For the 1190 Pars fans behind the goal it was sheer disaster and many immediately headed for the exits.

Another game without a goal from the Pars, their sixth in succession in the SPL and still stuck well adrift in twelfth place.

FALKIRK: Kaspar Schmeichel, Jack Ross (c), Karl Dodd, Darren Barr, Kenny Milne, Patrick Cregg, Victor Manuel Santos Lima, Cedric Uras, Liam Craig, Russell Latapy, Alan Gow
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Higgins, Tom McManus, Steven Thomson, John Stewart, Dean Holden, Thomas Scobbie, Jeroen Lambers (GK)
SCORERS: Gow (90)

DUNFERMLINE: Roddy McKenzie; Greg Ross (Iain Williamson 92), Greg Shields (c), Scott Wilson (Jamie McCunnie 42), Scott Morrison; Bobby Ryan, Stephen Simmons, Darren Young, Owen Morrison (Frederic Daquin HT); Stevie Crawford, Jim O`Brien
SUBS NOT USED: Nick Phinn, Calum Woods, Souleymane Bamba, Dorus de Vries (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Scott Morrison (21), Young (64), Simmons (71), Crawford (79)

REFEREE: Eddie Smith
WEATHER: Blustery, rain -
ATTENDANCE 6051

NEXT MATCH: Fife Cup Semi Final (home) v Raith Rovers, Tuesday 16th January 2007, kick off 7.00pm

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Preview Falkirk

Wednesday, 10th Jan 2007

The win at the Falkirk Stadium on Hogmanay 2005 was the last win for Dunfermline against John Hughes side.

Ticket Info:- Falkirk v Dunfermline

After all the excitement of last Sunday`s Scottish Cup win over Rangers it is back to the very serious business of SPL survival. Old rivals Falkirk provide the next opportunity to pick up points but nobody expects it to be easy at The Falkirk Stadium.

Falkirk	Dunfermline
Current League Position
6	12
Last 6-Match Form
WLLWWW	DDLLLW
Home/Away Record
P11, W5, D2, L4	P11, W0, D3, L8
Leading Scorers
A Stokes (13)	S Crawford (4)

The Bairns have the upper hand in league fixtures between the clubs with 36 wins to the Pars 27.  Despite the derby status that can prove form and expectations can be drastically wrong, both sides have won more home matches than they have lost but Dunfermline`s record in this away fixture is not great.  The win at the Falkirk Stadium on Hogmanay 2005 was the last win for Dunfermline against John Hughes side.  Not only have the Pars not scored in their last five SPL matches, they managed to score only once  in the four SPL matches against Falkirk in 2006. 

PARS v FALKIRK: THE FULL LEAGUE RECORD
	PLD	W	D	L	For	Against
At East End Park	40	16	9	15	56	51
At Falkirk	40	11	8	21	41	63
Division One (up to 1975)	36	20	2	14	65	49
Division Two (up to 1975)	2	0	0	2	1	11
Premier League (since 1975)	14	3	3	8	4	15
First Division (since 1975)	22	3	9	10	22	32
Second Division (since 1975)	6	1	3	2	5	7
TOTALS	78	27	17	34	97	110

Prior to their 1-0 win in August, Falkirk had not registered a home win over Dunfermline in the league since 18th January 1994. 

Milestones Falkirk (Away)
Last League Victory	31/12/05	2-1	SPL
Last League Defeat	05/08/06	0-1	SPL
Best League Victory	01/01/65	4-0	SPL
Worst League Defeat	1951	0-6	Div One*
*Pre league reconstruction

In the last twelve matches between the sides Falkirk have won four, Dunfermline two and six games have been drawn.

Last 12 League Matches v Falkirk
04/11/06	H	0-3	L
05/08/06	A	0-1	L
14/04/06	A	0-0	D
01/04/06	H	1-1	D
31/12/05	A	2-1	W
15/10/05	H	0-1	L
25/03/00	A	1-1	D
15/01/00	H	2-2	D
20/11/99	A	3-1	W
28/08/99	H	1-1	D
18/01/94	A	0-2	L
26/03/94	H	1-1	D

Whilst their away form has been erratic, Falkirk are unbeaten at home since losing 1-0 to Celtic on 1st October.  They have not lost in their last six home games.

Recent Form
Falkirk Home	W Inverness CT 3-1	W Hibernian 2-1	W Rangers 1-0	D Hearts 1-1	W Dundee United  5-1
Dunfermline Away	L Hibernian 0-2	D St Mirren 0-0	L Kilmarnock 1-5	L Rangers 0-3	D Hearts 1-1

DUNFERMLINE last time out (v Rangers): Roddy McKenzie; Greg Ross, Phil McGuire, Scott Wilson, Scott Morrison; Jim O`Brien (Souleymane Bamba 76), Stephen Simmons, Darren Young, Owen Morrison (Calum Woods 67); Jim Hamilton (Frederic Daquin 83), Stevie Crawford.
SUBS: Sean Murdoch (GK), Andy Tod,
YELLOW CARD: Young (48), Wilson (89)
SCORERS: Hamilton (17), Simmons (29), McGuire (46)

FALKIRK last time out (v Berwick Rangers): Jerome Lambers, Jack Ross, Karl Dodd (Holden 70), Darren Barr, Kenny Milne, Patrick Cregg, Victor Manuel Santos Lima (Steven Thomson 70), Cedric Uras, Liam Craig, Russell Latapy (John Stewart 76), Alan Gow
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Higgins, Tom McManus
YELLOW CARD: Cregg
SCORERS: Gow (9), Craig (51)

Referee Eddie Smith will be in charge of this SPL match.  He was the referee for Dunfermline`s defeats this season at Pittodrie and Celtic Park.  He has an average yellow card count of 3.33 per game.

Come on ye Pars!

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