Stenhousemuir 1 Dunfermline 0

Saturday, 15th Nov 2014

SPFL League One: same eleven starts. Kris Faulds (71) 1-0

STENHOUSEMUIR 1 DUNFERMLINE 0

Jim Jefferies team was on the road for the third successive match and for the second time in those three it was back to Ochilview Park. The Pars were hoping that they could repeat their comfortable Scottish Cup victory over East Stirlingshire with a win over their ground sharing partners, Stenhousemuir.

The only change in the Pars squad from that at Peterhead the previous Saturday was the return of Josh Falkingham who took Lewis Martin's place on the bench. Lewis turned out for the Scotland Under 19s the previous day.

Stenhousemuir made four changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Airdrieonians; in came Ross Meechan, Jamie Reid, Kris Faulds and Gary Oliver. It was second top Pars who kicked off against second bottom Stenny and we could only hope that the home side would find Faissal El Bakhtaoui just as tough as their stadium announced found it getting to grips with his name!

Dunfermline immediately got into an impressive passing game with Alex Whittle and Lewis Spence combining to send Michael Moffat down the left and then Andy Geggan setting up Ross Forbes for the first shot of the afternoon that keeper Greg Fleming dropped on one knee to gather.

In sixth minute Geggan was put through and had a good chance but his right footed shot was well stopped by the former Pars keeper. Whittle then caused Stenny some difficulty down the left but his neat flick to Forbes found his team mate in an offside position. Ryan Scully was being kept involved but primarily sweeping up overhit passes and passbacks.

Moffat and El Bakhtaoui linked well in 13 minutes but when the Frenchman fed the ball out right to Ross Millen his return was too strong. Whittle forced the Pars first corner in 14th minute. Millen sent that in from the left but Fleming fisted that away. Play continued towards the home goal and Forbes tried an early effort that rocketed over the bar.

Forbes was then given an opportunity from a free kick awarded when Ross McMillan was late in on El Bakhtaoui but he drover that into the Stenny wall. At the other end Scully made his first save as Sean Dickson got in a shot from the edge of the box.

In 21minutes Stenhousemuir came extremely close to opening the scoring. Meechan was given space to run into on the right and when he crossed Kris Faulds turned a powerful shot at goal only for the ball to come back off the underside of Scully's crossbar.

McMenamin forced the home side's first corner on the half hour and when that came in from the right Scully came twice to try and take a poorly cleared attempt by Spence and the Pars got lucky when the crossbar again saved them. The Warriors could take heart as slowly but surely they were getting into the game.

Stenny's Gary Oliver was then presented with the ball and as he drew the Pars defence released the ball to McMenamin to his right and the no.9 beat the keeper only for the base of the left goalpost to keep the ball out.

Lewis Spence was forced to retire in 35 minutes with what looked like a hamstring problem meaning Josh Falkingham was introduced slightly earlier than was anticipated. Stenny were unlucky in 39 minutes when Reid sent over a good cross from a corner on the left that McMillan just failed to get his head to and Buchanan headed behind. Thankfully Scully grabbed the subsequent corner.

Whittle created and just failed to convert as Fleming came out towards him. Falkingham's good delivery from the right byeline was cut out by Lithgow and then El Bakhtaoui got a half chance that he crashed over the bar from an angle on the right.

Shaun Byrne and then Falkingham tried shots from 25 yards out, the first was blocked and the second travelled across goal and out on the left. Millen launched a free kick in from the left touchline in the second added minute of the half and although Stuart Urquhart got close to heading the ball on Stenny survived.

Maybe a wee bit lucky at the break that the woodwork kept Stenhousemuir out. After a very lively start the Pars had let their opponents into the match. The introduction of Falkingham seemed to inject some urgency but yet again it was a goalless first half.

Stenhousemuir 0 Dunfermline 0

El Bakhtaoui earned an early free kick with his flight of feet down the right but when Forbes sent the ball into the box it was well defended. After McMenamin collected a yellow card for a late challenge, Millen lobbed another free kick into the box this time from the right but again to no effect.

Six minutes into the half Falkingham was given the chance but Fleming parried away the ball and then Forbes powered in the rebound only for Fleming to again beat the ball away. Next Geggan and Moffat combined to lay the ball off for Whittle on the edge of the box but again the defence came out on top.

Andy Stirling replaced Ross Forbes just before the hour mark but within two minutes McMenamin's shoulder charge felled Scully and Ryan Goodfellow had to come on as Dunfermline's final sub of the afternoon.

Play was stopped again after Meechan had to receive treatment before Millen sent over a corner from the left then El Bakhtaoui and Falkingham tried a short taken one from the right but still the Pars could not test Fleming.

At the other end Oliver gave Goodfellow a save to make but it was an easy one to take but then on 71 minutes McMenamin produced a cross from the right that FAULDS swept past a fairly helpless sub keeper. 1-0

A Pars corner in from the left three minutes later was defended by McMenamin's header. Next Stirling got round the defence on the right and cut across an inviting ball that Duncan got away before it reached any Dunfermline players.

Stenny got very deep and Dunfermline enjoyed the space. Stirling buzzed around the area and El Bakhtaoui hung on to possession to give Urquhart a chance but it came to him too quickly to convert.

Stenhousemuir were denied a second goal in 86 minutes when Goodfellow came out quick and strong to take the ball off the feet of McMenamin. There was likely to be a good number of minutes added for stoppages and substitutions so the Pars kept trying hard to break down their opponents rear guard.

In 94th minute Josh Falkingham got to the right byeline and chipped an inviting ball across the face of goal where Moffat got his head to it but directed the ball unbelievably wide left.

It was to be the Warriors first win over Dunfermline in 13 games, their first win over the Fifers since September 1984.

STENHOUSEMUIR: Greg Fleming; Ross Meechan (Robbie Duncan 68), Stewart Greacen, Ross McMillan (c), Alan Lithgow; Jamie Reid (Gregor Fotheringham 78), Kris Faulds, Kieran Millar, Sean Dickson (Tom Walsh 78); Colin McMenamin, Gary Oliver
SUBS NOT USED: Ciaran Summers, Josh Watt, Fraser Eddington, Chris Smith (GK)
SCORERS: Faulds (71)
YELLOW CARD: McMillan (16), McMenamin (47), Millar (58), Oliver (95)

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully (Ryan Goodfellow 64); Ross Millen, Gregor Buchanan, Stuart Urquhart, Alex Whittle; Shaun Byrne, Lewis Spence (Josh Falkingham 36), Andy Geggan (c), Ross Forbes (Andy Stirling 59); Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Michael Moffat
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Thomson, Chigozie Ugwu, Allan Smith, Ryan Williamson.
YELLOW CARD: Urquhart (81)

REFEREE: Nick Walsh
WEATHER: Dry 9C
ATTENDANCE 1177

NEXT MATCH: SPFL (home) v Stirling Albion
Saturday 22nd November, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park

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Preview Stenhousemuir

Wednesday, 12th Nov 2014

The Pars match are back at Ochilview Park this Saturday.

It was just a week past Sunday that they left that ground after a 4-1 win over East Stirlingshire, this time the opposition is Stenhousemuir, the club that has allowed The Shire to ground share since 2008.

There have been 71 previous league meetings against Stenny. The Fifers have won 36 times, Stenhousemuir 17 and 18 matches have been drawn. The best Pars result was an 11-2 win in 1930. The Pars first match this season against Stenhousemuir was on 13th September this year when goals from Ryan Thomson and Michael Moffat sent the Pars to the top of the table.

Milestones v Stenhousemuir (away)
Last Victory	02/01/14	2-1	League One
Last Defeat	22/09/84	0-1	Div Two
Best Victory	02/01/29	7-1	Div Two
Worst Defeat	15/04/50	6-7	Div Two

Last season the two matches at Ochilview Park were both won by the Fifers, the first 5-4. What a match that turned out to be. Stenny led 2-0 and increased their lead to three just six minutes into the second half. Some thought it was all over but there was true grit on the pitch and the Pars staged a remarkable come back. Goals from Jordan Moore and Andy Geggan got it back to 3-2 but when Sean Higgins scored the home side's fourth in 73 minutes some 'fans' headed back for the Kincardine Bridge. Bad luck for them since those who stayed witnessed a startling finale. Husband whacked a low range free kick over the bar before Allan Smith replaced Ryan Thomson for the last ten minutes. It was the sub who was to put the Fifers back into the match six minutes from time. Smith smashed in at an angle from the right and it was 4-3.

Then Moore was turning in front of goal looking for an opening when Ross Smith took him down. Referee Stevie O'Reilly pointed to the spot as Moore grabbed the ball to take the spot kick. He made no mistake and it was all square with four minutes to go. Unbelievably the Pars notched a fifth in 89th minute. Alex Whittle made a fantastic run down the left and his cross was met by Geggan. 4-5.

Stenhousemuir	Dunfermline
Current League Position
9	2
Recent League Results
WDLWLL	WWWDLD
League Points
11	21
Goal Difference
-5	+8
Home / Away League Record
P6, W2, D2, L2	P6, W3, D1, L2

Stenhousemuir have lost their last three matches and indeed have won only two of their last thirteen. Their two home wins this season were against Airdrieonians and Morton. Dunfermline have failed to win in their last three league games and are keen to rediscover their form of earlier in the league campaign when they went on a run of six wins out of seven.

Recent Form this season - home / away
Stenhousemuir (home)				Dunfermline (away)
Brechin City	L	1-2		Peterhead	D	1-1
Peterhead	L	1-2		East Stirlingshire	W	4-1
Stranraer	D	2-2		Ayr United	W	1-0
Morton	W	2-1		Stirling Albion	W	2-0
Ayr United	D	1-1		Morton	L	1-2
Hearts	L	1-2		Stranraer	W	2-1

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Peterhead): Ryan Scully. Ross Millen, Gregor Buchanan, Stuart Urquhart, Andy Whittle; Shaun Byrne, Lewis Spence, Andy Geggan (c) (Chigozie Ugwu 75), Ross Forbes (Ryan Williamson 85); Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Lewis Martin 85), Michael Moffat
SUBS NOT USED: Andy Stirling, Ryan Thomson, Allan Smith, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)

STENHOUSEMUIR (v Airdrieonians): Greg Fleming; Alan Lithgow, Ciaran Summers, Kieran Millar, Stewart Greacen, Bryan Hodge, Fraser Eddington (Gregor Fotheringham 47), Colin McMenamin, Ross McMillan, Paul Sludden, Martin Grehan (Sean Dickson 46)
SUBS NOT USED: Ross Meechan, Robbie Duncan, Kristopher Faulds, Jamie Reid, Chris Smith.

Referee will be Nick Walsh who was in charge of the Pars match at Cappielow back in September and officiated at last Saturday's 5-4 game between Bo'ness United and Elgin City.

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