Dunfermline 0 Dundee 1

Saturday, 8th Nov 2008

Unchanged Pars starting eleven. 0-0 at half time. Dundee snatch lead in 68 and Pars fail to make come back

Dundee were the visitors for the Pars seventh home match of the 2008-09 League season. With Jocky Scott returning as manager, the Dens Park club were anxious to break their sequence of nine matches without a win. For the fourth consecutive match, Jim McIntyre was able to name an unchanged team after both Calum Woods and Kevin Harper recovered to be able to start.

Jocky Scott made one change bringing in Eric Paton for Eddie Mearns and it was the visitors who kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end. Dundee had all the early possession until Harper gathered a Kirk pass and laid a measure ball into the path of Woods. His run up the right and cut inside after just 90 seconds, tried to emulate his Airdrie goal but he was shut out by Dundee`s Darren Williams.

At the other end there was a let off for the Pars when Bryan Deasley fought off Scott Wilson to tee up David O`Brien 15 yards out in a central position, but fortunately Woods was back to block the shot that was on target for the net.

When Eddie Malone headed a Burke cross behind to prevent Graham Bayne, the Pars first corner in 13th minute allowed Harper to send the ball deep for Stephen Glass to strike.  His shot on the shot from 25 yards was unlucky to come off the crossbar and two minutes later the same scenario gave Glass a second volley at goal that this time he sent powerfully wide right.

On 20 minutes Dunfermline were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box when Bayne`s pass threatened to put Andy Kirk through on goal but Williams stopped all that. Kirk hammered the 19 yard effort into the Dundee wall but Woods followed up drilling a great low shot that thundered back out off the left goalpost.

Paul Gallacher must have been getting cold since his team mates left him little to do but the Dundee defence was also doing well to stifle the Fifers best efforts.  There was a dearth of goalmouth action not assisted by the Pars being caught out by their opponents` offside trap.  Wilson picked up what might be an expensive yellow card. It was his first in 8 games but because of his early season history takes his 2008-09 tally to eight.

There was inventiveness from Bayne with his backheeler unfortunate not to let Phinn shoot.  Then in 37 minutes Harper prodded a ball deep up the right for Phinn to cut back but although Kirk met the pass the former Jambo sent his attempt outside the right goalpost.

The Dees defence slept as Kirk squared to Bayne just 20 yards out but Burke`s drive on the lay off failed to test Rab Douglas in the visitors` goal. With less than two minutes to the break Gallacher dived forward to catch a Daquin cross but the half time break arrived with neither side having made a breakthrough.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Dundee 0

Two minutes into the second half Harper and Malone required treatment after a challenge on the half way line. The Dundee player was shown a yellow card and although Dunfermline pushed play up from the free kick it was Dundee who forced a corner.  Daquin`s delivery from the right struck Wilson`s arm but Referee O`Reilly quite rightly let play on.

In 54 minutes the home support`s expectations rose with two crosses both by Austin McCann from the left but Douglas seized the second. Kirk was twice caught offside and Douglas had to come out and head away a lofted ball from Phinn. Paton was shown yellow for taking out Burke as he threatened to make the byeline but the keeper gathered Harper`s flighted ball from the free kick.

Still the search for the net went on but Kirk was wide in 61 minutes and sub Scott Muirhead tried a blast with his first touch that went out for a throw in at the far side. Three minutes later Burke fed Kirk a great opportunity on the top of the box but Douglas relived his international class diving low to his left to deny the home fans a celebration.

As the match entered its final quarter Dundee forced a corner that Daquin sent over without creating any danger but in 68 minutes a through ball picked out Beasley. He quickly switched it inside to the sprinting Mickael ANTOINE-CURIER who sent a low shot past the advancing Gallacher from 18 yards.

Well against the run of second half play the Pars then found themselves behind.  Iain Williamson was introduced for Harper but Phinn and then Woods were high with shots from outside the Dundee box.

Malone was wide with his header at another Daquin corner and having weathered a sustained Pars offensive Dundee tried hard to squeeze Dunfermline back. Woods drove forward again to drill a good shot just wide of the right upright and after Scott Thomson replaced Alex Burke, Andy Kirk flashed a shot from 8 yards across the goalmouth.

With two minutes left, Gallacher dived to his right to hold a low drive from Chris Posniak but it looked like Dunfermline had run out of attacking moves as they desperately tried to salvage a point. Failure to take chances in the first half and inability to cash in on the dominance in the third quarter meant that it was the Dundee folk that had everything to cheer about at 16.55.

Strangely because Queen of the South lost heavily at home to Morton Dunfermline go up a place to third but they are now five points behind leaders, St Johnstone.

DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher; Calum Woods, Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c), Austin McCann (Scott Muirhead 61); Kevin Harper (Iain Williamson 69), Nick Phinn, Stephen Glass, Alex Burke (Scott Thomson 83); Andy Kirk, Graham Bayne.
SUBS NOT USED: Greg Ross, Callum Reidford (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Wilson (35)

DUNDEE: Rab Douglas; Eric Paton, Chris Posniak, Eddie Malone, Craig McKeown, Kyle Benedictus, Darren Williams, Freddie Daquin, Mickael Antoine-Curier, Bryan Deasley (Bob Davidson 82) , David O`Brien
SUBS NOT USED: Ludovic Roy, Jim Lauchlan, Eddie Mearns, Mark Giilhaney.
SCORERS: Antoine-Curier (68)
YELLOW CARD: Malone (48), Paton (58)

REFEREE: Steve O`Reilly
WEATHER: Dull after Sunny start 11°C
ATTENDANCE 3506

NEXT MATCH: (away) SFL v Livingston
Saturday 15th November 2008, kick off 3.00pm

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Preview Dundee

Wednesday, 5th Nov 2008

Out the last twelve matches between the teams, Dunfermline have won six, Dundee two with four draws. Dunfermline only scored once in the four games against Dundee last season.

Saturday`s visitors to East End Park are Jocky Scott`s Dundee. The Dees new manager was in charge of Dunfermline from 1991-93 and has recently replaced Alex Rae to begin what is his third period at the helm at Dundee.

His reign kicked off with a 1-1 draw last Saturday to Airdrie United but they will be wanting to find a winning formula when they travel to West Fife this weekend.  Dunfermline bounced back from defeat last Saturday to St Johnstone with a good away win at Airdrie on Tuesday night.

Pars v Dundee: The Full League Record
	P	W	D	L	F	A
At East End Park	48	24	9	15	87	68
At Dens Park	49	12	13	24	59	100
TOTALS	97	36	22	39	146	168

Dundee have the upperhand in fixtures against Dunfermline, but at East End Park the Pars have won as many as they have drawn or lost. 

Milestones Dundee (Home)
Last League Victory	07/05/05	5-0	SPL
Last League Defeat	22/03/08	0-1	First Division
Best League Victory	19/03/88	6-1	Prem Lg
Worst League Defeat	27/10/45	0-6	Div B*
*Pre league reconstruction

Out the last twelve matches between the teams, Dunfermline have won six, Dundee two with four draws. Dunfermline only scored once in the four games against Dundee last season.

Last Twelve League Matches v Dundee
Date	H/A	F-A	Scorers
13/09/08	A	0-0
22/03/08	H	0-1	[0-1] Daquin
05/01/08	A	0-0
01/12/07	H	0-1	[0-1] McDonald
15/09/07	A	1-1	[1-0] Hamilton, [1-1] McDonald
07/05/05	H	5-0	[1-0] Derek Young, [2-0] Derek Young, [3-0]  McDonald og, [4-0]  Skerla, [5-0] Derek Young
09/04/05	A	1-2	[1-0] Darren Young, [1-1] Lovell (pen.), [1-2] Sancho
01/01/05	H	3-1	[1-0] Tod, [2-0] McNally (og), [2-1] Barrett,  [3-1] Tod
23/10/04	A	2-1	[1-0] Thomson, [2-0] Derek Young,  [2-1] Anderson
14/02/04	A	1-0	[1-0] Hunt
22/11/03	H	2-0	[1-0] Crawford  [2-0] Crawford
17/08/03	A	2-0	[1-0] Wilkie (og), [2-0] Crawford

League Form 

Dunfermline	Dundee
Current League Position
3	8
League Points
21	13
Goal Difference
+8	-7
Last 6-Match League Form
LDWDDD	LLDLLD
Home/Away Record
P6, W3, D1, L2	P6, W1, D2, L3

The Pars have won only once in the last six league fixtures while Dundee`s defeat at Hamilton was their first league defeat away from home in 2008.

Recent Form
Dunfermline Home				Dundee Away
St Johnstone	L	1-2		Morton	L	0-2
Partick Thistle	W	1-0		Partick Thistle	D	0-0
St Mirren	W	2-0		St Johnstone	L	0-2
Ross County	W	3-1		Queen of the South	L	1-3
Livingston	L	1-2		Airdrie	D	0-0
Alloa Athletic	W	1-0		Ross County	W	2-1

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher; Calum Woods (Scott Thomson 30), Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c), Austin McCann; Kevin Harper (Simon Wiles 43 (Iain Williamson 80)), Nick Phinn, Stephen Glass, Alex Burke; Andy Kirk, Graham Bayne.
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Muirhead, Callum Reidford (GK)

DUNDEE: Rab Douglas; Posniak, Eddie Malone, Craig McKeown, Kyle Benedictus, Darren Williams, Freddie Daquin (Bob Davidson 78), Eddie Mearns, Mickael Antoine-Curier, Bryan Deasley (Mark Giilhaney 79), David O`Brien
SUBS NOT USED: Ludovic Roy, Jim Lauchlan, Grant Manzie

Referee will be Steve O`Reilly, his first visit this season to East End Park.  He officiated two matches last season; the 1-1 draw at home to Clyde when he sent off Dougie Imrie and the 1-0 win at Firhill towards the end of the season.

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