Dunfermline 3 Albion Rovers 0

Saturday, 3rd Oct 2015

Ladbrokes League One: Joe Cardle (43) 1-0, McCabe (62) 2-0; El Bakhtaoui (75) 3-0

The final game of the first quarter of the season brought Albion Rovers to East End Park for the first time in over 15 years. Their manager former Pars midfielder Darren Young is their player/manager he brought with him several other former Pars in his squad. Andy Barrowman and Paul Willis started while Scott McBride was on the bench.

Dunfermline were without the services of Josh Falkingham, out with a back injury, and Lewis Martin who had a lucky escape in a car accident on Monday. That meant the return of Shaun Rooney and Jason Talbot with Andy Geggan moving back to midfield to replace Shaun Byrne.

Ryan Wallace also dropped out of the team to make way for the return of Michael Moffat. The visitors were everybody's tip to go straight back down but a good opening eight games has seen the Coatbridge club sit joint third in League One.

There was a mark of respect for sponsor and fan Sandy Morris who died on Wednesday before the teams changed ends and Dunfermline kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie stand end. Michael Paton created the first chance of the day but having burst into the right side of the penalty box and sent a great ball across the face of goal there was no one to convert.

A fourth minute corner delivered by Paton from the right was glanced wide left off the head of Marc McAusland. The Rovers then tested Sean Murdoch when Josh Mullin was able to fire a sot on target from 20 yards. That was quickly followed by a Mullin cross that Barrowman might have finished but as he swung and missed with his right foot the ball bounced away off his left shin.

The Lanarkshire team won their first corner in 14th minute but Moffat got that away and when play switched to the other end Joe Cardle was pushed off the ball by Ricardo Talu in a way that riled the crowd but failed to move referee Mike Roncone. Faissal El Bakhtaoui robbed the ball off Gary Fisher on the edge of the Rovers box but Ross Stewart held the striker's effort.

Play stopped in 17th minute when Talbot required physio Kenny Murray's attention after Mullin had been late in to a tackle on him. The sun came out but the Pars play still failed to shine. Rhys McCabe and then Cardle punted diagonal balls into the Albion Rovers box but both went out beyond the right goalpost. A Talbot pass from deep was left by the defence and the all green keeper gathered easily.

A 25th minute Rovers free kick was lobbed into the Pars box but that just ran straight through. There was more optimism when Cardle sent over a cross from the left two minutes later but neither El Bakhtaoui or Moffat were able to get a strike on the opportunity.

Ally Love certainly had his shooting boots on however and he controlled and then struck a Talu cross narrowly wide left of the Pars net. At the other end Rooney chipped a cross into the six yard box but Stewart held. Paton sent a corner in from the left that the Rovers defence were relieved to get away and then a good move involving Cardle and Moffat got Geggan round the defence on the left but his cut back was not to break the deadlock.

Barrowman was unlucky at a 35th minute corner his headed effort coming back off McAusland and then Love's return was clipped back by Mullin for Murdoch to hold. As the small band of travelling supporters sung "Championees" their side broke through on the right and McCabe and Geggan eventually cleared the danger.

Dunfermline were finding it hard to create chances and in 40th minute Paton headed a half chance wide right. El Bakhtaoui had a shot blocked but then just two minutes from the break, a Dunfermline goal. CARDLE won possession on the edge of the box on the right side and picked his spot in the left corner. 1-0

It had been far from the best Pars performance of the season, they had made hard work of the first 45 but at the break there was a lead, slender though it was.

Half Time: Dunfermline 1 Albion Rovers 0

Striker Mickael Antoine-Curier came on for Michael Moffat as the second half started and was immediately involved harrassing the Rovers defence. It was Cardle, now on the right wing, who got in an early cross that Paton headed downwards towards goal but Stewart saved. The Albion Rovers captain Michael Dunlop blocked a shot from El Bakhtaoui and then in 55th minute Paton's 30 yard shot was easily taken by Stewart.

Dunfermline continued to make misguided passes and even passing the ball out of play on more than one accasion. Rooney forced a 57th minute corner on the right and Paton's low delivery was well short of the big target men in the Rovers box. Another effort from distance saw Geggan drill the ball wide left and when Rooney was presented with a chance from a Cardle cross he stroked the ball from 12 yards allowing Stewart to save.

The Pars did not give up on their thus far unsuccessful shoot on sight policy and a speculative 35 yarder netted the second. Rhys McCABE launched his shot at goal from the right side and it looked like keeper Ross Stewart had done enough to stop the shot but having dived to his right to save it the ball spun up in the air and in behind him. 2-0

David Hopkirk was introduced in place of Joe Cardle while Albion Rovers withdrew Ally Love to bring on Scott McBride. Rooney tested his own keeper with a miscued clearance. When on 70th minute play stopped again after Hopkirk and Turnbull clashed, the visitors full back was yellow carded and 'Hoppy' continued after receiving treatment.

He was certainly in fine form when he made the Pars third of the afternoon in 75th minute. Hopkirk cut in from the left and picked out the unmarked EL BAKHTAOUI who bulged the net from 15 yards. 3-0

Ryan Wallace waited to come on as Geggan received treatment and with a distinct lack of haste the game resumed and the sub duly came on in 81st minute when Shaun Rooney came off. The sub had a quick opportunity to be super after El Bakhtaoui was pushed 25 yards out but he hit his attempt over both the five man wall and the crossbar.

The home side dominated the final ten minutes but there were to be no more goals. Darren Young had come on in 82 minutes but was to last only nine. He collected a yellow on 85 for a foul on El Bakhtaoui and then collected another for his challenge on McCabe.

El Bakhtaoui felt hard done by when not awarded a late penalty but three more points to keep up the pressure on Ayr United who lead the league by one point.

Pars TV highlights
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch; Shaun Rooney (Ryan Wallace 81), Marc McAusland, Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot; Michael Paton, Andy Geggan (c), Rhys McCabe, Joe Cardle (David Hopkirk 64); Michael Moffat (Mickael Antoine-Curier HT), Faissal El Bakhtaoui
SUBS NOT USED: Shaun Byrne, Lewis Spence, John Potter, David Hutton (GK).
SCORERS: Cardle (43), McCabe (62), El Bakhtaoui (75)

ALBION ROVERS: Ross Stewart; Ricardo Talu, Michael Dunlop (c), Ross Dunlop, Kyle Turnbull; Josh Mullin, Gary Fisher (Mark Ferry 82), Ross Davidson, Ally Love (Scott McBride 67), Paul Willis (Darren Young 82); Andy Barrowman.
SUBS NOT USED: John Gemmell, Callum McRobbie, Blair Lochhead (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Davidson (63), Turnbull (71), Young (85)
RED CARD: Young (91)

REFEREE: Mark Roncone
WEATHER: Fine 12C
ATTENDANCE 3086

NEXT MATCH: Petrofac Training Cup Quarter Final (away) v St Mirren
Saturday 10th October 2015, kick off 3.00pm

50/50 draw winning ticket number 16509 wins £717


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Preview Albion Rovers

Saturday, 3rd Oct 2015

Dunfermline's games against the Lanarkshire club have tended to be high scoring games. The Pars have scored 19 goals in the last five encounters without reply.

The final game of the first quarter of the season sees Albion Rovers visit East End Park on Saturday for the first time in over 15 years. Former Pars midfielder Darren Young is their player/manager and the club has to be pleased with the largely solid start to the season so far. They currently sit in joint third spot in the Ladbrokes League One table along with Forfar Athletic and Airdrieonians. Dunfermline are just three points ahead of the Coatbridge club in second place.

Milestones v Albion Rovers (home)
Last Victory	21/08/90	4-0	League Cup
Last Defeat	11/02/84	1-2	Div Two
Best Victory	15/03/58	8-1	Div Two
Worst Defeat	11/08/28	1-5	Div Two

Albion Rovers were founded in October 1882 with players drawn from two junior teams - the Rovers and The Albion. It was not until 1903 when they entered the Scottish League playing in Division Two. Dunfermline first met Albion Rovers on 14th September 1912 when the Pars ran out comfortable 5-2 winners. The following season Albion Rovers finished runners up - one point ahead of the Pars.

In season 1919/20 they were elected to the First Division and in the same year they moved to their current home, Cliftonhill. This was perhaps The Wee Rovers most successful period in their history, reaching the Scottish Cup final in 1920 only to lose 3-2 to Kilmarnock in front of a crowd of 95,000, a record for the time..

With their relegation in 1922/23 season it meant that they would face Dunfermline once more, with the Fifers taking three points out of four but finishing three points and two places behind fifth placed Albion. In season 1933/34, Albion pipped Dunfermline to the Second Division title. They had to thank their 2-1 victory at East End Park on 17th March - when Dunfermline were top of the league and undefeated at home - for this achievement.

After the Second World War Albion found themselves, like Dunfermline, in Division 'B' and in 1947/48 they were promoted as runners up to East Fife. One season on they were back in the bottom league. They finished fourth in the Second Division in 1979/80 and in 1988/89 won that league. Albion Rovers won League Two last season by a ten point margin and a goal difference of +28. Last season's League Two champions find themselves up against the Pars in the league for the first time since season 1985/86.

Last twelve meetings
1990/91
Skol Cup	Dunfermline	4-0	Albion Rovers	21/08/90
1985/86
Division Two	Dunfermline	6-0	Albion Rovers	26/10/85
Division Two	Albion Rovers	0-3	Dunfermline	31/03/86
Division Two	Dunfermline	4-0	Albion Rovers	12/04/86
1984/85
Division Two	Albion Rovers	0-2	Dunfermline	20/10/84
Division Two	Dunfermline	1-1	Albion Rovers	09/02/85
Division Two	Albion Rovers	1-1	Dunfermline	16/04/85
1983/84
Division Two	Albion Rovers	1-1	Dunfermline	17/09/83
Division Two	Dunfermline	1-2	Albion Rovers	11/02/84
Division Two	Dunfermline	5-0	Albion Rovers	28/04/84
1978/79
Division Two	Albion Rovers	1-0	Dunfermline	28/04/79
Division Two	Dunfermline	1-1	Albion Rovers	10/03/79

Dunfermline's games against the Lanarkshire club have tended to be high scoring games but the most recent have been all one way with the Pars scoring 19 goals in the last five encounters without reply.

Of the 70 previous league matches, the Pars have won 36, 12 have been drawn and 22 lost. In the last dozen meetings Dunfermline have won six, Albion two and four games have been drawn

Dunfermline	Albion Rovers
Current League Position
2	5
League Points
16	13
Goal Difference
+19	+1
Recent League form Home / Away
WWWLWD	LWDLWW
League Record
P8, W5, D1, L2	P8, W4, D1, L3

The last two Saturday's have seen Albion pick up their first consecutive League One victories since gaining promotion last season, Rovers recording two fine wins over Stranraer and Stenhousemuir.  Darren Young said that he feels that all his players played their part, he praised his squad for having good belief and a real togetherness. He commented:-

"I thought we knocked the ball about well, looked confident and we had a lot of possession, but the longer the first half went on I was thinking to myself, if we don't take all the chances we are creating we might get punished, but luckily enough we got the breakthrough."

Form last six games Home / Away
Dunfermline				Albion Rovers
Airdrieonians	D	1-1		Stranraer	W	1-0
Ayr United	L	0-2		Peterhead	D	1-1
Stranraer	W	3-1		Cowdenbeath	L	0-1
Dundee	W	3-1		Forfar Athletic	L	0-4
Cowdenbeath	W	7-1		Raith Rovers	L	0-3
Cowdenbeath	W	5-1		Ayr United	L	1-3

Sandy Clark left Albion Rovers in the summer to join Allan Johnston's management team at Dunfermline but the most famous link between the clubs is Jock Stein. Stein played 94 times for Albion between 1942 and 1950 and was part of the team that won Division 'B' in 1948.

In addition to Darren Young the current Albion squad includes former Pars players Andy Barrowman (who scored two last week), Paul Willis and Scott McBride.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Airdrieonians): Sean Murdoch; Andy Geggan (c), Lewis Martin, Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot; Rhys McCabe, Shaun Byrne (Mickael Antoine-Curier HT), Josh Falkingham (Michael Moffat 51), Joe Cardle; Ryan Wallace, Faissal El Bakhtaoui.
SUBS NOT USED: Jason Talbot, Lewis Spence, James Thomas, John Potter, David Hutton (GK).

ALBION ROVERS (v Ayr United): Ross Stewart; Alan Reid (Ricardo Talu 38), Michael Dunlop, Ross Dunlop, Kyle Turnbull; Josh Mullin, Gary Fisher, Ross Davidson, Ally Love (Scott McBride 79), Andy Barrowman (Callum McRobbie 78), Paul Willis
SUBS NOT USED: Mark Ferry, Darren Young, Blair Lochhead (GK)

Referee will be Mike Roncone who was last at East End Park for the Jock Stein Memorial match against Celtic Legends.

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