Dunfermline 0 Stenhousemuir 0
Saturday, 8th Mar 2014Ross Millen and Shaun Byrne returned for the Pars but it turned out to be the Pars first goalless match since May 2012.
MATCH PICTURES
Dunfermline faced Stenhousemuir for the fourth time this season in blustery conditions at East End Park. The match turned out to be their first goalless match since meeting Inverness Caley Thistle in May 2012 but with Stranraer losing 5-0 to Ayr United it was to be a point gained on their nearest rivals.
Ryan Williamson dropped to the bench and Josh Falkingham was out through injury; Ross Millen and Shaun Byrne returned to the starting eleven. Scott Booth the Stenny manager made one change from the team that beat Forfar last time out as Sean Lynch came in for Josh Watt.
It was the Pars who kicked off in Spring like sunshine attacking the goal at the east end. Former Par Chris Smith was the first keeper in action clearing to the very back row of the main stand in second minute. The first corner was won by the visitors and there was some aerial exercise for the match ball before Andy Geggan blocked out a Ross McMillan shot 20 yards out.
In fifth minute Smith dived to his left to parry away an on target Shaun Byrne header from a Danny Grainger delivery from the left. The Pars continued to press with Ross Forbes pumping a good ball in from a corner on the right but Stephen Husband drove his attempt on the far side of the box wide left.
On nine minutes Lawrence Shankland got through one on one with the Stenny keeper and you felt that he had to score but big Smudger slid in and cleared with his feet on the edge of his box. After fighting off his markers with good close skills Geggan tried one from 25 yards but was wide left.
Dunfermline had a good grip of the game as the twenty minute mark past and Grainger felt that he should have won his side a penalty when he was tumbled on the left side of the Stenny box. Hodge`s rash tackle on Byrne handed Forbes the opportunity to try to net from a 20 yard free kick but the wall did its job and although the Pars had two quick corners that Forbes sent in from the right they did not give Smith anything to do.
Then at the other end Byrne conceded a free kick on the left corner of the box and Greacen came extremely close to opening the scoring as that flashed into the six yard box. The ball miraculously kept out and a corner on the left was all that Stenny had to show for it. Bryan Hodge met that and crashed a fine low shot narrowly wide of the left goalpost.
With half time approaching Husband made a run and punctuated that with a shot that was off target. In 39th minute Shankland had a good effort from the right corner of the box but the ball was swinging just wide all the way. Two minutes later Shankland sent another wide and the sides were to go in all square after a disappointingly lacklustre first half.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Stenhousemuir 0
The Pars started the second 45 with much greater urgency and Grainger powered a shot from 30 yards narrowly over the top and then Smith was forced to punch away an inswinging corner from Forbes. A surging run from Byrne picked out Shankland in the box but the final pass was intercepted and a corner followed.
Next Chris Smith had to clutch the ball away from Shankland before Jim Jefferies made his first change of the afternoon bringing on striker Allan Smith to take the place of Faissal El Bakhtaoui. On the hour a Grainger throw in was flicked on by Geggan for Shankland but he unfortunately headed high and wide.
When Smith was struggling to keep Shankland out and conceded a corner on the right. When that came over the big keeper failed to hold and Shankland effort looked like going in but somehow the ball stayed out. Page also came close with a header as the Pars dominated.
In 74 minutes Husband switched the ball left to Grainger who drilled the ball low into the six yard box only to see Thomson and Geggan narrowly miss the connection to put the ball in the net. Next there was real pinball in the visitors` box, Grainger hit the post but still they survived. In 79 minutes another Grainger cross was belted away before Thomson could meet it. Two more minutes past before Grainger had a shot from 25 yards but that squirmed wide right.
In 81 minutes Ross McNeil replaced Sean Dickson and the Pars defence had to be on their toes as the Stenhousemuir sub shot judst wide and thenm McMilan headed an effort that slipped over off the crossbar. At the other end Smith`s shot from an acute angle was deflected on to the roof of the net. On 87 minutes Errol Douglas looked certain to break the deadlock when the ball dropped at his feet 12 yards out but Page put in a tremendous last gasp tackle to deny him the shot.
The Pars chances kept coming too with Forbes feeding Thomson but Smith saved. Geggan had another chance of a last minute glory and then Byrne tested Smith. Last chance went to David Rowson but his drive was blocked as two defenders dived in. Quite a finish but no goals. Three minutes of added time came and went but this was to be Dunfermline`s first 0-0 game of the season.
MATCH PICTURES
DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully; Ross Millen (Ryan Williamson 67), Jonathan Page, Callum Morris, Danny Grainger; Andy Geggan (c), Stephen Husband, Shaun Byrne, Ross Forbes; Lawrence Shankland (Ryan Thomson 67), Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Allan Smith 56).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Craig Dargo, Lewis Spence, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)
STENHOUSEMUIR: Chris Smith; Nicky Devlin, Eddie Malone, Ross McMillan, Stewart Greacen, Sean Lynch (Kevin McKinlay 73), Darren Smith (Errol Douglas 67), David Rowson, Bryan Hodge, Sean Dickson (Ross McNeil 81), Sean Higgins.
SUBS NOT USED: Brown Ferguson, Josh Watt, Kris Faulds, Dean Shaw (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Malone (23), Hodge (59)
REFEREE: Crawford Allan
WEATHER: Sunny, windy 8°C
ATTENDANCE 2510
NEXT MATCH: SPFL (away) v Rangers, Saturday 15th March 2014, kick off 12.45pm
50/50 HALF TIME DRAW: Ticket number 89548 won £593
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Preview Stenhousemuir
Thursday, 6th Mar 2014This season`s games between Dunfermline and Stenhousemuir have been thrilling affairs. Next installment:- Saturday 8th March at East End Park.
This Saturday is only the second league match between Dunfermline and Stenhousemuir at East End Park since September 1985. There have been 81 meetings between these teams. The Fifers have won 39, Stenhousemuir 22 and 20 matches have been drawn.
This season`s games between Dunfermline and Stenhousemuir have been thrilling affairs. The first fixtures back in August at Ochilview saw the Fifers come back from three goals down to win 5-4 scoring three goals in the last six minutes of the match. In November`s home game Dunfermline came back from twice being behind to win 3-2 with a 92nd minute Allan Smith strike. That was followed up with a New Year fixture at Ochilview where yet again it was a late late show from the Pars. This time Stenny thought they had gained some retribution with an equaliser six minutes from full time only to suffer from a 91st minute winner from Andy Geggan that made it 2-1.
|
Milestones v Stenhousemuir (home) | |||
|
Last Victory |
09/11/13 |
League One | |
|
Last Defeat |
13/02/60 |
0-1 |
Scottish Cup |
|
Best Victory |
27/09/30 |
11-2 |
Div Two |
|
Worst Defeat |
25/02/50 |
1-4 |
Scottish Cup |
Fixtures between the clubs have yielded several high scoring games. The best Pars result was an 11-2 win in 1930 but there have been two 7-1 games at East End Park and other scorelines at home against Stenny have been 5-1, 5-2 and 4-3. The Warriors have themselves won 5-3, 4-3 and 4-1 at Dunfermline.
| Dunfermline | Stenhousemuir |
| Current League Position | |
| 2 | 5 |
| League form: Last Six Games home / away | |
| WLWWWL | DLDDDW |
| League Points | |
| 53 | 33 |
| Goal Difference | |
| +17 | -10 |
| League Record home / away | |
| P13, W8, D1, L4 | P13, W4, D2, L7 |
Their 4-1 over Forfar Athletic was Stenhousemuir`s first win of 2014. They did have a very creditable 3-3 draw against Rangers at Ibrox just two Saturdays ago but their Scottish Cup exit to Albion Rovers and defeats at Arbroath and Forfar and draws against Airdrieonians and East Fife have contributed to their slide out of the play off spots.
Dunfermline will be desperate to extinguish the memory of last Saturday`s fruitless trip to the far south west where Stranraer inflicted a 3-1 defeat on them. That was quite a set back given the string of three good league wins before that. The Pars have won both their last two home games by 3-0..
| Recent Home / Away League Form | ||||||
| Dunfermline Home | Stenhousemuir Away | |||||
| Arbroath | W | 3-0 | Airdrieonians | D | 1-1 | |
| Ayr United | W | 3-0 | Rangers | D | 3-3 | |
| Airdrieonians | L | 0-1 | Albion Rovers | L | 0-2 | |
| Stranraer |
W |
3-2 | Arbroath | L | 1-2 | |
| Rangers | L | 0-4 | Forfar Athletic | L |
0-3 | |
| Forfar Athletic |
D |
Brechin City | W | 1-0 | ||
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Stranraer): Ryan Scully; Ryan Williamson, Danny Grainger, Jonathan Page, Callum Morris, Andy Geggan (c), Stephen Husband, Josh Falkingham (Alex Whittle HT), Ross Forbes; Lawrence Shankland, Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Ryan Thomson 68).
SUBS NOT USED: Ross Millen, Lewis Martin, Allan Smith, Shaun Byrne, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)
STENHOUSEMUIR (v Forfar Athletic): Chris Smith, Eddie Malone, Nicky Devlin, Ross McMillan, Stewart Greacen , Josh Watt (Sean Lynch, 65), Darren Smith (Kevin McKinlay, 89), David Rowson, Bryan Hodge, Sean Dickson, Sean Higgins (Errol Douglas, 78)
SUBS NOT USED: Brown Ferguson, Dean Shaw, Ross McNeil, Ross Brash
Referee will be Crawford Allan.
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