Dunfermline 1 Falkirk 1
Monday, 26th Dec 2016Ladbrokes Championship:- Pars make three changes - Geggan, Herron and Cardle return. Myles Hippolyte (10) 0-1: Rhys McCabe (59 pen.) 1-1
With the other fixtures in the Championship having been played on Christmas Eve the Pars knew that a win over Falkirk would lift them from 9th place to 6th on the final match of the second diet of Championship fixtures.
Manager Allan Johnston made three changes from the side that started at Dumfries against Queen of the South. In came Andy Geggan, John Herron and Joe Cardle taking the places of Callum Fordyce, Nat Wedderburn and the suspended Kallum Higginbotham.
Falkirk in search of a win to take them into third place in the league made one change from the side that lost 2-1 at Dumbarton a week past Saturday: Scott Shepherd getting the nod ahead of Falkirk`s leading goalscorer this season, Lee Miller who he replaced for the last 30 minutes at Dumbarton. Before the match started however David McCracken pulled out with a hamstring injury meaning Canadian internationalist Luca Gasparetto started in the centre of defence. Paul Watson filled the vacant seat on the Bairns bench.
Prior to kick off there was a minutes applause in a show of appreciation for club director Margaret Ross who died suddenly on 16th December 2016. It was a very moving minute and Margaret would have loved the tribute that the Falkirk fans fully participated in.
Nicky Clark kicked off for the Pars attacking the goal in front of the Falkirk fans in the East Stand. A powerful run up the right by Paul McMullan won the home side a third minute corner. Cardle`s delivery was headed on by Geggan and then behind by Mark Kerr for another. Lee Ashcroft leapt high to try and get his head to that but the ball sailed over to the left.
The opening play was predominantly with Dunfermline as a further corner followed and then an early dangerous ball in from McMullan on the right was held by keeper Danny Rogers as Clark came in to meet it.
In ninth minute a Jason Talbot pass sent Moffat away but tracked by Peter Grant the defender was able to slide the ball out for a corner on the left. When Cardle sent the corner over it was met by Ashcroft but his header was cleared off the line.
Then with their first serious attack of the match Falkirk scored. Tony Gallagher go through on the Pars right and cut back a perfect ball for Myles HIPPOLYTE to slide in. 0-1
When play resumed it continued towards the Falkirk end but efforts continued to be thwarted by the team in white. McMullan earned another corner on the right in 21 minutes and when that came in Clark sent a header on to the crossbar and then Moffat was denied by the American born keeper at the far post. Play continued and as McMullan was flattened by Hippolyte in the box Moffat sent a snapshot low but narrowly wide from the edge of the box.
Dunfermline successfully defended a Falkirk free kick but Herron lost possession on the left and Hippolyte`s cross was headed over the bar by John Baird. Then in 29 minutes McCabe`s challenge on Hippolyte handed the Bairns a free kick just 23 yards out. Hippolyte struck the setpiece into the five man Pars wall and then the rebound into row eight of the McCathie Stand.
Very quickly a Pars free kick at the other end saw Cardle float the ball in from the right and although it was initially cleared Moffat gathered and his delivery dropped for Herron but his shot on goal was blocked.
Peter Grant was shown the match`s first card, yellow, as he took out Clark and Cardle had another free kick to send over from closer in than the previous one. Although causing havoc and McCabe getting in a shot on target, Falkirk cleared.
Then the home crowd roared in anticipation was Moffat slipped the ball inside for Clark with Cardle on the overlap but by the time the ball went left Falkirk had covered back and blotted out the chance. The Pars then had a superb chance as Moffat burst through again and with options arriving Falkirk denied those and McCabe got the shot in but again at a defender.
The home side finished strongly with McMullan creating more danger but Falkirk continued to hold their defences.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 1
The second half started with an early Pars chance but Clark`s header on a cross from the right travelled wide of the near post. Shepherd got up the right and Baird met his cross but sent the ball over the top.
Then in 58 minutes a Geggan cross was overhit and Cardle gathered on the left. Joe`s cross hit Taiwo and the referee Euan Anderson pointed to the spot with the Bairns complaining their man was outside the box. Rhys McCABE accepted the responsibility for the penalty kick and netted to the right giving Rogers no chance. 1-1
The goal raised the temperature in the stadium with both sets of fans getting very vocal. The players responded with a Falkirk break punctuated with a fine cross that Sibbald edged outside the right post. At the other end McMullan made an opportunity for Cardle but he sent his effort wide right.
The offside flag was up against Moffat in 67 minutes as Herron played a neat ball into the Falkirk box. Cardle proved to be too greedy after Clark sent the Pars man away but with McMullan square Cardle tried a shot only to be blocked. Dunfermlne continued to press.
A 72nd minute free kick was hit into the Falkirk wall by McCabe and between them Kerr and Sibbald scrambled the ball away. Three minutes later a fine pass from Cardle put Clark in on the left side but his shot was extremely unlucky since it travelled a cross goal and out beyond the far post.
The clock was running down and Falkirk introduced Bob McHugh with quarter of an hour remaining. Then Gavin Reilly became the first Pars sub on 81 minutes taking over upfront from Michael Moffat. He has through for a shot at goal but Rogers dropped to his right to hold.
Subs Michael Paton and Farid El Alagui were thrown on as well but it was Falkirk who created the most danger but nothing that the Pars defence could not deal with. In the end it was one point a piece, enough to take the Fifers back into seventh place on goal difference.
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Callum Fordyce, Nat Wedderburn, David Hutton (GK)
SCORERS: McCabe (59 pen.)
YELLOW CARD: Geggan (38)
FALKIRK: Daniel Rogers: Aaron Muirhead, Luca Gasparetto, Peter Grant, Tony Gallagher, Tom Taiwo (John Rankin 84) Craig Sibbald: Mark Kerr (c), Miles Hippolyte (Bob McHugh 75), John Baird, Scott Shepherd (Lee Miller 84)
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Watson, Lewis Kidd, Luke Leahy, Deiz Dogan Mehmet (GK).
SCORERS: Hippolyte (10)
YELLOW CARD: Grant (33), Sibbald (52), Taiwo (58), Muirhead (59)
REFEREE: Euan Anderson
WEATHER: Cold, Showery 5C
ATTENDANCE 6134
NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes Championship: (away) v Raith Rovers Monday 2nd January 2017, 3.00pm kick off at Starks Park
50/50 half time winning ticket: 78576 won the prize of £938.
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Preview Falkirk
Monday, 26th Dec 2016Ladbrokes Championship: Monday 26th December kick off 3.00pm at East End Park
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Admission: from
£17 and £11 for concessions |
After a space of three seasons Falkirk FC return to East End Park on league duty. The last league match in March 2013 was just a day after it was announced that Dunfermline Athletic would be going into administration. Not one of the Pars squad from that Wednesday night match remain but Falkirk too are a changed team with only Craig Sibbald remaining since that game.
That 2012-13 season was also the last time that there was a Boxing Day fixture played at East End Park and Falkirk were also the visitors. The game was settled by a solitary goal, a 90th minute sickener for the home team and their fans, all courtesy of former Inverkeithing High School pupil Blair Alston.
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Dunfermline v Falkirk: The Full League Record |
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| . | P | W | D | L | F | A |
| At East End Park | 45 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 61 | 58 |
| At Brockville | 36 | 10 | 7 | 19 | 39 | 60 |
| At Falkirk Stadium | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 |
| TOTALS | 90 | 30 | 20 | 38 | 108 | 128 |
Dunfermline`s last home win over Falkirk in the final match of the 2010-11 season. It was a celebration for the Pars winning the First Division title with the presentation of the Championship trophy and all. What a day and what a night it was and lost in all the excitement was the first home victory over the Bairns since Derek Laing`s winner on 9th October 1993.
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Milestones Falkirk (Home) |
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Last League Victory |
07/05/11 |
. 3-0 |
. First Div |
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Last League Defeat |
27/03/13 |
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|
|
Best League Victory |
13/04/66 |
. 6-1 |
. Division 1 |
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Worst League Defeat |
02/01/52 |
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Since 2005 there have been only four Dunfermline wins in the seventeen league meetings and nine of the games have been defeats. The Pars have won only one of the last ten league matches against Falkirk at East End Park.
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League Matches v Falkirk since 2005 |
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| 15/10/16 | A | 1-2 | L |
| 27/03/13 | H | 0-2 | L |
| 16/02/13 | A | 0-1 | L |
| 26/12/12 | H | 0-1 | L |
| 06/10/12 | A | 2-2 | D |
| 07/05/11 | H | 3-0 | W |
| 12/03/11 | A | 2-1 | W |
| 15/02/11 | H | 1-1 | D |
| 07/08/10 | A | 1-0 | W |
| 19/05/07 | H | 0-3 | L |
| 13/01/07 | A | 0-1 | L |
| 04/11/06 | H | 0-3 | L |
| 05/08/06 | A | 0-1 | L |
| 14/04/06 | A | 0-0 | D |
| 01/04/06 | H | 1-1 | D |
| 31/12/05 | A | 2-1 | W |
| 15/10/05 | H | 0-1 | L |
Last League Meeting at East End Park
Wednesday 27th March 2013
There was a very subdued atmosphere at a freezing cold East End Park for this Wednesday night derby. Not even the attraction of a home match against the Auld Enermy could raise much heat on the day that the Club went into Interim Administration.
19 year old Kerr Young came into the team to make his senior Dunfermline debut against Falkirk. John Potter dropped out as did Andy Geggan, Ryan Thomson and Joe Cardle. Shaun Byrne, Chris Kane and Josh Falkingham all started.
There was very little he or the defence could do from a free kick played in by Grant that saw TAYLOR rise above everyone and head home in tenth minute. 0-1 Falkirk were then kept out until in 88 minutes when Blair ALSTON with a slick shot made it 2-0.
With the administrator`s axe predicted in the morning, this was a determined effort from a team that included players that would never again pull on the black and white. Full marks to all fourteen who tried their very best in difficult circumstances.
DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher. Jordan McMillan (c), Andy Dowie (c), Kerr Young, Stephen Jordan. Josh Falkingham (Alex Whittle 87), Chris Kane (Ryan Thomson HT), Shaun Byrne (Allan Smith 57), Stephen Husband. Andy Barrowman, Ryan Wallace.
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Dargo, Michal Hrivnak (GK).
FALKIRK: Michael McGovern. Kieran Duffie, Darren Dods, Jonathan Flynn, Stephen Kingsley, Conor McGrandles, Stuart Murdoch, Jay Fulton (Craig Sibbald 74), Blair Alston (Lewis Small 92), Thomas Grant (David Weatherston 68), Lyle Taylor.
SUBS NOT USED: Will Vaulks, , Graham Bowman.
| Dunfermline . | Falkirk |
| Current League Position | |
| 7 | 3 |
| League Points | |
| 17 | 26 |
| Goal Difference | |
| -7 | +4 |
| Last 6-Match League Form | |
| DLWDWD | DDWWDL |
| Home / Away League Record | |
| P8, W3, D2, L3 | P8, W2, D3, L3 |
Falkirk sit in third position in the Championship, Dunfermline are nine points behind in seventh place. The Bairns have won only two league matches on the road this season - at Ayr and Raith Rovers.
| . Form last six matches | ||||||
| . . Dunfermline | . | . Falkirk | ||||
| . Queen of the South (A) | D | 2-2 | . Dumbarton (A) | L | 1-2 | |
| . Morton (H) | W | 2-1 | . Queen of the South (H) | D | 2-2 | |
| . Ayr United (H) | D | 1-1 | . St Mirren (H) | W |
3-1 |
|
| . .Buckie Thistle (A) | W | 5-3 | . .Ayr United (A) | W |
1-0 |
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| . St Mirren (A) | W | 1-0 | . Hibernian (A) | W | 1-1 | |
| . Dundee United (H) | L | 0-1 | . Morton (H) | D | 1-1 | |
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South): .Sean Murdoch: Lewis Martin, Callum Fordyce (c), Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, Nat Wedderburn, Rhys McCabe, Paul McMullan (Joe Cardle 70): Nicky Clark, Michael
Moffat.
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Farid El Alagui, Andy Geggan, David Hopkirk, Gavin Reilly, David Hutton (GK)
FALKIRK (v Dumbarton): Daniel Rogers: Aaron Muirhead,
David McCracken, Peter Grant, Tony Gallagher, Tom Taiwo (Jim Craigen 65), Craig
Sibbald: Mark Kerr, John Baird. Miles Hippolyte, Lee Miller (Scott Shepherd 72).
SUBS NOT USED: Luca Gasparetto, Paul Watson, Luke Leahy, Deiz Dogan Mehmet (GK).
Referee for this match will be Euan Anderson.
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