Dunfermline 1 Kilmarnock 1

Tuesday, 7th Feb 2012

Four changes and Iain Turner out through injury in warm up. Chris Smith returned. Fowler (21) 0-1; Kirk (44) 1-1.

MATCH PICTURES
On loan goalkeeper Iain Turner sustained a back injury in the warm up meaning Chris Smith stepped in to the team at the last minute. Dunfermline subsequently took the field with no substitute keeper on the bench.  There were four other changes from the team that lost at Pittodrie. Gary Mason dropped out, Ryan Thomson, Andy Dowie and Paul Willis were relegated to the bench.  In to the team came new signings Jordan McMillan and Kyle Hutton while Paul Burns and Andy Kirk also returned.

Kilmarnock made one change from the side that lost at Easter Road in the Scottish Cup on Saturday; Lewis Toshney, on loan from Celtic took the place of James Dayton.

Dunfermline attacked the goal at the Cowdenbeath end as they faced a Kilmarnock team that had won just two matches in their last twenty away games. Apart from a marginal offside decision against Liam Buchanan the opening ten minutes were a tentative affair as the sides sized each other up.

The first attempt at goal came in 14 minutes when Andy Kirk turned and sent the ball over the crossbar from 25 yards.  Then two minutes later Buchanan sprung Manuel Pascali on the right side of the defence and flashed a low ball through the six yard box. The ball broke to David Graham but his effort was headed away by James Fowler.

The same Kilmarnock player was to make an impact in the opposite box in 21st minute when a Toshney cross was defended out only as far as FOWLER who drove the ball through a busy penalty box and past Smith. The visitors duly found themselves a goal up which many would describe against the run of play.

Hearts were in the mouth when Gordon stole the ball off Burns. The break down the left fed Dean Shiels and he had a one on one with Smith but the keeper came out on top. In 27 minutes Buchanan forced the first corner of the match but Killie cleared.

Then in 31 minutes Graham and Burns had chances in the box but the visitors kept the Pars out. Dunfermline were creating without testing the red shirted Cammy Bell. Ten minutes from the break Kilmarnock had a good chance to extend their lead. Shiels might have shot as he broke through on the left but Boyle slid in bravely as the Killie striker tried to find Paul Heffernan in front of goal.

Smith dropped to his left in 37 minutes to hold a Shiels effort. Two minutes later a Toshney cross from the right picked out Danny Racchi and he sent a crisp shot over the crossbar. Dunfermline created their own threat from a McMillan thrown in level with the penalty spot but despite good close play by Buchanan Killie ushered the ball out.

Then in 44 minutes Burns pass to Graham was switched swiftly on for KIRK to net at the far post as Bell came racing out in vain. The goal was no less than the Pars deserved for a good first half in which it was commonly acknowledged that both goals were possibly scored by the team who were not on top at the time.

Half Time: Dunfermline 1 Kilmarnock 1

Kilmarnock got the second half underway and the early pressure came from their corner from the left. Shiels delivery gave Michael Nelson no fewer than three goes at goal but the Pars defence blocked each time. Then a loose cross gave Smith the jitters and he had a nervy moment as he decided to kick instead of holding the ball. Shiels was nudged off the ball in the box by Hutton but that was adjudged to be good defending.

In 52 minutes Buchanan broke through into the left side of the box but the angle was narrowing all the time and his shot beat the keeper only to slip wide of the far post. Kilmarnock sent good balls into the box with Toshney in particular producing quality crosses.

On 58 minutes Smith pulled off a great block when Heffernan intercepted Kirk`s pass back. Rutkiewicz did well in closing down the Killie striker but the save certainly kept his team in the game. Sadly the big goalkeeper followed that up with a far from convincing kick that he scuffed across the penalty box.

First substitution of the night was made by the visitors, a Belgian for a Welshman - Dieter Van Tornhout for Danny Racchi in 61 minutes. Smith then pulled off another good save from Heffernan after a fine move sweeping forward from Ben Gordon through Fowler. The Pars first tactical substitution followed that with birthday boy Joe Cardle coming on for Paul Burns with David Graham switching to the right.

Hutton was yellow carded in 79 minutes for a professional foul on Shiels and then Smith made a fine save from Hay`s set piece. Killie maintained the pressure with the ball flashing through the box more than once. Mark Kerr cleared off the line and Boyle nicked the ball away from Heffernan when in a goalscoring position.

Graham made a surging run in 86 minutes and his ball to McDougall was crossed for Hardie but his header was deflected for a corner. Then it was the Fifers turn to press and Hardie got a shot in from the corner but Bell saved and the defence cleared.

Into the 90th minute Kerr conceded a free kick and collected a yellow card in the process.  The game`s two added minutes changed nothing and it ended in a draw that was more welcome to the visitors than it was for the Pars. Nevertheless given the amount of chances that the Ayrshire side produced in the second half a draw was gratefully accepted.

DUNFERMLINE: Chris Smith; Jordan McMillan, Kevin Rutkiewicz, Alex Keddie, Paddy Boyle; Paul Burns (Joe Cardle 64), Mark Kerr, Kyle Hutton, David Graham, Liam Buchanan (Martin Hardie 80), Andy Kirk (Steven McDougall 80)
SUBS NOT USED: Andy Dowie, Ryan Thomson, Paul Willis,
SCORERS: Kirk (44)
YELLOW CARD: Hutton (79), Kerr (90)

KILMARNOCK: Cameron Bell; Lewis Toshney, Michael Nelson, Manuel Pascali, Ben Gordon, James Fowler, Garry Hay, Danny Racchi (Dieter Van Tornhout 61), Liam Kelly, Dean Shiels, Paul Heffernan (James Dayton 82).
SUBS NOT USED: Rory McKeown, Kyle Letheren, Matthew Kennedy, Zdenek Kroca, Mohamadou Sissoko.
SCORERS: Fowler (21)

REFEREE: Calum Murray
WEATHER: Fine 1°C
ATTENDANCE 2303

NEXT MATCH: (home) SPL v Rangers
Saturday 11th February 2012, kick off 12 noon

50/50 Draw winning number: 45733: Prize worth £352


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Preview Kilmarnock

Saturday, 4th Feb 2012

Jim McIntyre:- "It would be a psychological boost to get off the bottom of the league and obviously we want to get the monkey off our back by winning at home for the first time too

One of many consequences of this fixture being postponed on 10th December was that Dunfermline dropped from eleventh in the SPL to the bottom of the table.  Tuesday night`s re-arranged game gives the Pars another chance to climb above Hibs who are one point ahead with a superior goal difference by six.

Dunfermline Manager Jim McIntyre said:-

"We need to work extremely hard to get three points but we know that we`re more than capable. It would be a psychological boost to get off the bottom of the league and obviously we want to get the monkey off our back by winning at home for the first time too."

The home games since the first fixture`s postponement against St Johnstone, Celtic, Hibs and Inverness Caley did not end in victory and the last time Pars fans watched a home win was on 6th May last year against Falkirk so the Kilmarnock match also provides the chance to end the record breaking run of home games without a win.

At East End Park it is eight wins to six in the seventeen Premier League games played between the clubs at East End Park, with Killie having a slight advantage on goal difference.

Premier League v Kilmarnock (home)
Pld	W	D	L	F	A
17	8	3	6	26	29

Scorer at Rugby Park, Liam Buchanan

This is Kilmarnock`s first visit to East End Park since February 2007 and of course Jim McIntyre welcomes  back one of his former clubs.

Milestones Kilmarnock (home)
Last League Victory	09/09/06	3-2	SPL
Last League Defeat	03/12/05	0-1	SPL
Best League Victory	06/10/51	5-2	Div B*
Worst League Defeat	17/04/99	0-6	SPL
*Pre league reconstruction

Over the last twelve meetings, Kilmarnock have had the upper hand winning nine of the contests. DA have managed to win only three with one game ending all square.  Goals from Darren Young, Gary Mason and then Stevie Crawford six minutes from time secured the Pars last home win over their Ayrshire opponents in September 2006. When the clubs met at Rugby Park less than three weeks ago the Fifers came away with an impressive 3-0 win. Macca recalled:-

"We had a really good performance against them not that long ago but it`s important for us to remember that no two games are the same. We want to put pressure on Hibs and we want to do what Aberdeen have done of late and put a wee run together."

Last Twelve SPL League Matches v Kilmarnock
Date	H/A	F-A	Scorers
21/01/12	A	3-0	[1-0] Barrowman, [2-0] Cardle, [3-0] Buchanan
10/09/11	A	2-3	[1-0] J Thomson, [1-1] Heffernan, [1-2] Heffernan, [2-2] R Thomson, [2-3] Kroca
17/02/07	H	1-1	[0-1] Naismith, [1-1] Crawford
02/12/06	A	1-5	[0-1] Hay, [1-1] Crawford, [1-2] Di Giacomo, [1-3] Di Giacomo, [1-4] Nish, [1-5] Nish
09/09/06	H	3-2	[0-1] Invincible, [1-1] Young,  [1-2] Wales, [2-2] Mason, [3-2] Crawford
04/03/06	A	0-1	[0-1] Invincible
03/12/05	H	0-1	[0-1] Boyd
10/09/05	A	2-3	[1-0] Burchill, [1-1] Dodds, [1-2] Boyd, [2-2] Derek Young, [2-3] Invincible
21/05/05	A	0-4	[0-1] Locke, [0-2] Dodds, [0-3] Boyd, [0-4] McDonald
19/02/05	A	1-2	[0-1] Naismith, [1-1] Christiansen, [1-2] Boyd
20/11/04	H	4-1	[1-0] Nicholson, [2-0] Mehmet, [3-0] Wilson, [3-1] Wales, [4-1] Brewster
29/08/04	A	0-1	[0-1] Invincible
03/04/04	H	2-1	[0-1] Invincible, [1-1] Nicholson, [2-1] Crawford

With 17 points from 24 matches, Dunfermline lie ten points behind eighth placed Kilmarnock. Only six points have been taken from the last 13 league games.  Kilmarnock`s form has improved since their shocking 6-3 home defeat at the hands of Inverness. They have taken six points from their last two games against Rangers and Aberdeen without conceding a goal.

Dunfermline	Kilmarnock
League Points
17	27
Current League Position
12	8
Goal Difference
-27	-7
Last 6- SPL Match Form
LLLWLL	DLLWDL
Home/Away Record
P11 W0 D4 L7	P11 W1 D5 L5

Killie have one away win to their credit in this season`s SPL. That 1-0 victory was at Tynecastle at end of October.

Form last six home / away
Dunfermline  (home)				Kilmarnock  (away)
Inverness Caley	L	1-3		Hibernian	L	0-1
Hibs	L	2-3		Aberdeen	D	0-0
Celtic	L	0-3		Dundee	D	1-1
St Johnstone	L	0-3		St Johnstone	L	0-2
Aberdeen	D	3-3		Celtic	L	1-2
Dundee United	L	1-4		Hibernian	D	1-1

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Aberdeen):  Iain Turner; Andy Dowie, Kevin Rutkiewicz, Alex Keddie, Paddy Boyle; Paul Willis (Joe Cardle 79), Mark Kerr, Gary Mason (c) (Martin Hardie 86), Ryan Thomson, David Graham, Liam Buchanan (Andy Kirk 79).
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Smith (GK), John Potter, Steven McDougall, Shaun Byrne.

KILMARNOCK ( v Hibs):  Cameron Bell; Michael Nelson , James Fowler, Garry Hay, Ben Gordon, Danny Racchi, Liam Kelly, Manuel Pascali,  James Dayton, Dean Shiels, Paul Heffernan
SUBS: Dieter Van Tornhout, David Mendes Silva, Kyle Letheren,  Lewis Toshney, Zdenek Kroca.

Original appointment was Bobby Madden but this time the referee will be Calum Murray.

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