Dunfermline 1 Hibernian 1
Saturday, 1st Apr 2017Ladbrokes Championship: John McGinn (12) 0-1: Kallum Higginbotham (59 pen.) 1-1:
Hibs manager Neil Lennon freshened his team up from that which drew 0-0 at home to Morton. Brian Graham, Dylan McGeouch and Brian McLean started while James Keatings and Grant Holt dropped to the bench and Paul Hanlon was pulled out after arriving at East End Park.
Dunfermline kicked off against the league leaders with the bright sunshine in the eyes of keeper Ofir Marciano in the goal in front of the SQMC (East) Stand.
It was Hibs who threatened first with Lee Ashcroft and Callum Morris doing well to clear dangerous balls into the Pars box. Lewis Stevenson had a shot on target in fourth minute that was beaten away but initially it was backs to the wall stuff for the Fifers.
Michael Moffat evaded the offside trap in eight minutes, running on to a long ball from Andy Geggan. He could only force a corner on the right but from that Nicky Clark got a chance to flick Kallum Higginbotham`s corner into the six yard box. Hibs cleared but just two minutes later Nat Wedderburn thumped a shot from 25 yards to the right of target.
Jason Cummings flashed Hibs first corner in 12th minute across the Pars six yards box and although cleared John McGINN latched on to the ball and from 28 yards crashed a low shot passed Sean Murdoch at his left hand post. 0-1
Physio Kenny Murray had to run on to assist Moffat in 17 minutes after he was crushed between McGinn and McGregor. The striker was cut and had to go inside for further treatment. Ironically while a man short the Pars had their best chances. First Paul McMullan got around Marciano but with no support got closed down. Then Clark got round the defence on the right but again lack of support meant the chance could not be converted.
After an absence of eight minutes during which Morris collected the first yellow card of the game, Moff returned. Wedderburn quickly followed Morris into referee Greg Aitken`s book when McGinn ran into the big man.
A Higginbotham free kick on the half hour was launched from the right touchline for Morris to leap and head on target but Marciano tipped the effort over the crossbar. Unfortunately the corner from the left side changed nothing.
A Hibs corner from the left in 34 minutes was headed wide right by Graham. Two minutes later Higginbotham fed Clark an opportunity but his attempt headed towards the corner flag and out. Next Moffat flicked the ball into the Hibs box giving McMullan a half chance but Marciano stepped in to gather.
McMinn was yellow carded for a trip on McMullan and from the free kick Higginbotham floated his delivery in the direction of Morris on the right side of the box but the central defender could not get high enough to connect.
Five minutes before the interval Higginbotham and McGeouch clashed causing the referee top halt the game. The doc sent Higgy for further treatment and he was missing for five minutes but the Hibs man was fit to continue.
A Talbot free kick from just inside the Hibs half out on the left reached Morris on the right side of the box but he could not get enough on his header. Back in front of his own goal Talbot nipped in to deny Cummings.
Hibs had shown class in their play but in the second minute of added time Moffat and Higginbotham combined to allow Moff to cross but his final pass was well intercepted. The final chance of the half fell to Hibs but Cummings tried to cash in Murdoch slid out to prevent any further goals.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Hibernian 1
In the second minute of the second half Hibs missed a glowing chance to go two up. First McGinn`s rocket from 25 yards out was well saved by Murdoch. Cummings kept the ball in play on the right byeline and cut back for Graham four yards out but he unbelievably sent the ball out beyond the left upright.
Four minutes later it was the other way around with Cummings touching a Graham cut back wide. Clark then produced two chances for the home side. In 54 minutes he nutmegged McGregor but was unable to get a shot away and two minutes later he rose at the left post to head a Higginbotham cross over the bar.
Then under more Dunfermline pressure Stevenson handled the ball in the box as McMullan tried to play past him and a 59th minute penalty was awarded. HIGGINBOTHAM looked in no hurry to take it but coolly stepped up to hit the ball to the keeper`s right and although the Israeli internationalist appeared to get close to it the ball nestled in the bottom left and it was all square. 1-1
The stadium got even noisier as both sides created chances that could have put them ahead. Murdoch pulled off a couple of good saves from high crosses into his six yard box while at the other end Clark looked through on goal but was squeezed out by the Hibs defence.
Morris cleared a pass intended for Graham and Dunfermline produced a great diagonal pass with Geggan trying to pick out Clark but a free kick was given to the visitors.
Herron picked up an injury and could not continue meaning Rhys McCabe came on in 80 minutes.
Nine minutes from the end a McMullan run down the left allowed the on loan Celt to play a fine ball in for Moffat and his on target shot was kept out as it pinballed between two defenders.
An 85th minute free kick was sent across the face of the Fifers goal and at the other end a long throw from the sub reached Morris but in the play that ensued Higginbotham was judged offside.
Then an 88th minute free kick was well defended by Clark. Narvin Bartley and Nat Wedderburn faced up as the heat got too much for the pair of them but the referee calmed the situation down.
A McCabe header put the Pars under pressure from a 90th minute corner but Murdoch rose to take with both hands. The home side successfully defended an Ambrose long throw to secure a point for the Pars.
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Andy Geggan (c), Callum Morris, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, Nat Wedderburn, John Herron (Rhys McCabe 80), Paul McMullan: Michael Moffat, Nicky Clark.
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson Michael Paton, Gavin Reilly, Joe Cardle, Lewis Martin, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: Higginbotham (59 pen.)
YELLOW CARD: Morris (23), Wedderburn (27)
HIBERNIAN: Ofir Marciano: Efe Ambrose, Darren McGregor, Brian McLean, Lewis Stevenson: Martin Boyle (James Keatings 77), Dylan McGeouch, John McGinn, Martin Bartley, Brian Graham (Grant Holt 78), Jason Cummings.
SUBS NOT USED: Fraser Fyvie, Fraser Murray, Scott Martin, David Gray, Ross Laidlaw (GK)
SCORERS: McGinn (12)
YELLOW CARD: Graham (35), McMinn (38), McGeouch (66)
REFEREE: Greg Aitken
WEATHER: Sunny 13C
ATTENDANCE 7058
NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes Championship: (home) v Raith Rovers, Saturday 8th April 2017, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park.
50/50 half time draw, ticket no. 94601 won £983
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Preview Hibernian
Saturday, 1st Apr 2017Ladbrokes Championship: East End Park, Saturday 1st April kick off 3.00pm
Dunfermline Athletic welcome the league leaders to East End Park on Saturday. With six matches remaining, Neil Lennon`s Hibs remain 10 points clear at the top of the Scottish Championship after drawing 0-0 with Greenock Morton on Wednesday night.
Dunfermline defeated Morton last time out so this could be a close game.
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League Record v Hibernian |
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Pld |
W |
D |
L |
|
105 |
22 |
35 |
48 |
The win in April 2007 ended a run of over five years since Dunfermline recorded an SPL win over Hibs at East End Park. After the Edinburgh side smashed their thirteen year gap without a win with their 4-1 victory back in March 2005, they continued that winning habit. The meeting of the clubs at East End Park on 23rd October 2006 was Jim Leishman`s final match in charge, Jim threw in the towel after the 4-0 Monday night defeat.
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Milestones
Hibernian (home) |
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Last
League Victory |
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1-0 |
SPL |
|
Last
League Defeat |
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1-3 |
Championship |
|
Best
League Victory |
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4-0 |
Div One* |
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Worst
League Defeat |
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0-5 |
First Div |
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*Pre league reconstruction |
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The Pars have won only two of the last 12 meetings, Hibs have won eight and there have been two draws. .
Last Twelve League Matches v Hibernian |
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Date |
H/A |
F-A |
Scorers |
| 25/02/17 | A | 2-2 | [0-1] Boyle [0-2] Cummings, [1-2] McMullan, [2-2] Higginbotham |
| 22/10/16 | H | 1-3 | [1-0] Higginbotham,[1-1] Ashcroft og. [1-2] Holt (pen), [1-3] Graham . |
| 13/08/16 | A | 1-2 | [0-1] Richards-Everton og, [1-1] Reilly, [1-2] Cummings |
| 07/05/12 | A | 0-4 | [0-1] Doherty, [0-2] Doyle, [0-3] O`Connor,[0-4] Hanlon |
| 14/01/12 | H | 2-3 | [1-0] Kirk, [1-1] Griffiths, [1-2] O`Connor, [2-2] Buchanan, [2-3] Griffiths |
| 05/11/11 | A | 1-0 | [1-0] McCann |
| 17/09/11 | H | 2-2 | [0-1] Sproule, [0-2] O`Connor, [1-2] R Thomson, [2-2] Hanlon (og) |
| 07/04/07 | H | 1-0 | [1-0] McGuire |
| 30/12/06 | A | 0-2 | [0-1] Killen, [0-2] Killen (pen) |
| 23/10/06 | H | 0-4 | [0-1] Sproule, [0-2] Killen, [0-3] Benjoullen, [0-4] Killen |
| 21/01/06 | A | 1-3 | [0-1] Riordan, [1-1] Donnelly, [1-2] Riordan, [1-3] Fletcher . |
| 26/10/05 | H | 1-2 | [0-1] O`Connor, [0-2] O`Connor, [1-2] Mason |
Last League Meeting at East End Park 22 October 2016
Dunfermline 1 Hibernian 3
A Higginbotham cross into the six yard box resulted in Geggan being pushed over and Referee Alan Muir pointed to the spot. HIGGINBOTHAM hit the 22nd minute penalty kick low to the right with Ofir Marciano going the wrong way. At last a successful penalty! 1-0
Ten minutes into the second half KEATINGS created and then finished a great opportunity. The Hibee cut along the 18 yard line before smashing a left footed shot that deflected off Ashcroft and past Murdoch. 1-1
Midway through the second half Hibs pressure ended up with Lee Ashcroft pushing over Andrew Shinnie as he broke into the box. Referee Alan Muir awarded a penalty and issued a yellow card to the Pars no.12. Grant HOLT stepped up to hit the spot kick past Murdoch giving the Pars keeper little chance. 1-2
Brian GRAHAM came on for Grant Holt with two minutes left on the clock and within three minutes he was on the end of a Shinnie cut back from the left byeline to crash the ball past Murdoch from ten yards out. 1-3
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Lewis Martin, Lee Ashcroft, Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot: Michael Paton (Paul McMullan 81), Andy Geggan (c), Nat Wedderburn, Kallum Higginbotham (Michael Moffat 69): Farid El Alagui (David Hopkirk 68), Gavin Reilly.
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Rhys McCabe, Callum Fordyce, David Hutton (GK)
HIBERNIAN: Ofir Marciano: David Gray (c), Paul Hanlon, Liam Fontaine, Darren McGregor. John McMinn, Fraser Fyvie, Lewis Stevenson, Grant Holt (Brian Graham 88), James Keatings (Martin Boyle 58), Andrew Shinnie.
SUBS NOT USED: Martin Bartley, Jason Cummings, Jordan Forster, Alex Harris, Ross Laidlaw (GK).
Recent Form
| Dunfermline | Hibernian |
| Current League Position | |
| 6 | 1 |
| League Points | |
| 35 | 59 |
| Goal Difference | |
| -1 | +26 |
| Last 6 Match Form | |
| DWDDLW | LWWDWD |
| Home / Away League Record | |
| P14, W4, D6, L4 | P15, W9, D4, L2 |
Hibs have lost only twice on the road this season at Dundee United in December and St Mirren at the beginning of March. They have won only one of their last four away games. Dunfermline have lost only two of their last twenty games but won only two of their last ten.
Form last six matches
| . .Dunfermline | . | . Hibernian | ||||
| . Morton (A) | W | 1-0 | . Morton (H)) | D | 0-0 | |
| . Ayr United (H) | L |
.0-1 |
. Falkirk (H) | W | 2-1 | |
| . St Mirren (A) | D | 0-0 | . Dumbarton (H) | D |
2-2 |
|
| . Queen of South (H) | D | 1-1 | . Dundee United (A)) | W |
1-0 |
|
| . Dumbarton (H) | W | .5-1 | . Ayr United (H) | W | 3-1 | |
| . Hibernian (A) | D | 2-2 | . St Mirren (A) | L | 0-2 | |
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Morton): Sean Murdoch (c): Andy Geggan, Callum Morris, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Nat Wedderburn: Kallum Higginbotham, John Herron (Rhys McCabe 73), Paul McMullan (Joe Cardle 90): Nicky Clark, Michael Moffat (David Hopkirk 88).
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Michael Paton, Gavin Reilly, Cammy Gill (GK)
HIBERNIAN (v Morton): Ofir Marciano: Efe Ambrose, Darren McGregor, Paul Hanlon (Jordan Forster 87), Lewis Stevenson: Martin Boyle, James Keatings, John McGinn, Martin Bartley, Grant Holt (Brian Graham 66), Jason Cummings (Dylan McGeough 87).
SUBS NOT USED: Fraser Fyvie, Brian McLean, Scott Martin, Ross Laidlaw (GK)
Referee will be Greg Aitken.
Come on ye Pars!
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