Dumbarton 0 Dunfermline 2
Saturday, 15th Apr 2017Ladbrokes Championship: Nicky Clark out, Gavin Reilly started. Rhys McCabe (80) 0-1: David Hopkirk (85) 0-2:
Easter Saturday saw Dunfermline travel to The Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium where it was seventh v sixth. While Dumbarton were out to record a win to leapfrog their opponents, the Pars arrived seeking three points that could, depending upon Ayr United and Raith Rovers results, secure their Championship status for another season.
Allan Johnston would have gone with his tried and tested starting eleven with Rhys McCabe continuing in midfield but Nicky Clark was out and Gavin Reilly came in for his first league start since 29th October coincidentally at Dumbarton. The home manager Stevie Aitken was able to go with the same starting eleven and that meant he fielded five on-loan players.
Both sides endured a cold wind fuelled with driving rain as they attempted to warm up. The sides changed ends before Dumbarton kicked off defending the river end. A foul on Michael Moffat by the home skipper Darren Barr handed the Pars a first minute free kick midway into the opposition half but the defence cleared Kallum Higginbotham`s delivery.
Next minute Dunfermline forced a corner on the left that was taken short to Paul McMullan who tried a shot but it was curling away from the far post all the way. The Sons first attempt came from a Lewis Vaughan free kick in a central position 35 yards out that he blasted into the car park.
Higginbotham and Moffat linked up to feed McMullan the ball on the edge of the box but his attempts to get in a shot were closed out. The same pair combined again on the right and this time Andy Geggan overlapped to send over a cross that Alan Martin easily held.
When Callum Morris squeezed out Vaughan the home side were awarded their first corner of the match. That was taken short and only resulted in another on the other side that Dunfermline successfully got away. Dumbarton continued to enjoy territorial advantage and Sam Stanton tried a 13th minute shot from 25 yards but was well wide left of target.
Dumbarton created a good opportunity three minutes later when the bounce of the ball deceived Lee Ashcroft and Stanton was able to cut back from the right byeline. Fortunately Vaughan sent the shot screaming over the bar. The on loan Rover was unlucky again with a 18th minute effort from wide right that looked like it was tipped over by Sean Murdoch. The official thought otherwise and awarded a goal kick much to the annoyance of the home support.
The Pars had been kept quiet for a spell but in 20 minutes McMullan`s cross was headed down by Moffat for McCabe on the edge of the box but his aim was wide. Stanton sent a shot narrowly outside Murdoch`s right hand post before Dunfermline replied winning two corners at the midway point of the half. From the second one, Higginbotham`s delivery was headed on target but the keeper tipped it over.
Two more corners followed for the Fifers with the closest being Nat Wedderburn whose well connected shot got deflected behind. Andy Stirling took the heat off his defence with a run and shot from 25 yards that Murdoch held.
The travelling support was roused into song as Moffat received a pass on the edge of the box and swept a good effort towards goal but narrowly wide. Then in 33rd minute there was a double let off for the Pars. Indecision in the visitors defence let Gregor Buchanan in but he lifted his shot on to the crossbar and then Vaughan`s follow up was stopped by the Pars keeper.
Buchanan collected a 37th minute yellow when he illegally halted Higginbotham`s progress during own the left but when the Pars man floated over the ball the wind caught it and blew it away from goal. McCabe was able to gather and shoot but his shot went wide left.
The wind worked in Geggan`s favour four minutes later when his cross could only be turned behind by David Smith and from that short taken corner McMullan fired a shot on target but Martin moved to his left to hold.
Both teams had further corners but the defences came out on top. 58% first half possession for the visitors and ten corners to Dumbarton`s three. No goals though.
Half time: Dumbarton 0 Dunfermline 0
Playing with the strengthening wind on their backs Dunfermline did not make the most impressive of starts to the second half and might have gone behind had Stirling made a better job of his 48th minute shot from in front of goal after Smith had cut back from the right byeline.
McMullan sent a cross through the home box and then after McCabe`s shot was deflected behind for a corner, Geggan met that when it came in from the right but his header went wide.
A 53rd minute long throw by McCabe was headed on by Morris and when Higginbotham got in a shot he too found the car park. Two minutes later some of the travelling support thought they had a goal to celebrate but after a fine penetrating run by McMullan his shot caught the sidenetting and ran along the back of the goal.
Dumbarton tried very hard to penetrate their opponents defence but Morris and Ashcroft seem to clean up. There was one dodgy moment when Murdoch came out for a cross that the wind was taking away from him. His team mates thankfully scrambled the ball away. A Higginbotham cross picked out Moffat but amongst shouts for hand ball the Sons cleared.
In 65 minutes Talbot was slipped the ball from McMullan on the left side of Dumbarton`s box but the full back slipped at the vital moment. Three minutes later Ashcroft blocked Vaughan`s progress and the home side had a free kick 20 yards out. From just beyond the right corner of the Pars penalty box Harvey despatched his attempt over the bar.
McCabe tried a shot from 40 yards but although he kept the ball down his shot went wide right. With twenty minutes remaining David Hopkirk then replaced Gavin Reilly quickly followed by the first Dumbarton substitution, Lewis Vaughan being replaced by the 32 year old Frenchman, Christian Nade.
The Pars continued to be closer to the Dumbarton goal but the home side always looked a danger on the counter. McCabe`s 76th minute free kick was defended and then when McMullan sent Hopkirk down the left his second bite at a cross was deflected behind for a corner. Nothing from this one however and next minute Murdoch found himself fisting away from a Dumbarton corner.
Rhys McCABE had looked the most likely to find the net and thankfully his persistence paid off in 80th minute. Dumbarton had defended as best they could but when the ball landed nicely for him the midfielder hit a low shot into the net. 0-1
The lead was extended to two goals five minutes later when HOPKIRK clinically stuck away McMullan`s cut back. 0-2
It certainly was the late show but the three points took Allan Johnston`s team into fifth place above Queen of the South on goal difference.
SUBS NOT USED: Tom Lang, Callum Gallagher, Garry Fleming, Jamie Ewings (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Buchanan (37)
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Andy Geggan (c), Callum Morris, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, Nat Wedderburn, Rhys McCabe, Paul McMullan: Michael Moffat (Michael Paton 81), Gavin Reilly (David Hopkirk 70)
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Joe Cardle, Lewis Martin, Lewis Spence, David Hutton (GK)
SCORERS: McCabe (80), Hopkirk (85)
YELLOW CARD: Morris (35)
REFEREE: Alan Muir
WEATHER: Sunny Intervals 9C
ATTENDANCE 1142
NEXT MATCH: Labrokes Championship: (home) v Falkirk, Saturday 22nd April 2017, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park
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Check out the Gallery for more photo's -- the images below will scroll through automatically.
Preview Dumbarton
Saturday, 15th Apr 2017Ladbrokes Championship: The Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium, kick off 3.00pm on Saturday 15th April 2017
Dunfermline return to Dumbarton on Saturday for only the third league match there in twenty years. It will be sixth placed Pars against seventh placed Sons and while both sides will maintain they are challenging for fifth place, increasing the space between them and the bottom three - St Mirren, Raith Rovers and Ayr United - is sure to be the priority.
|
Dunfermline v Dumbarton: The
Full League Record |
||||
|
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
|
TOTAL |
85 |
45 |
17 |
23 |
Dunfermline have a good record against their opponents winning more games than draws and defeats added together.
|
Milestones
Dumbarton (Away) |
|||
|
Last League Victory |
05/01/13 |
1-0 |
.First Division |
|
Last League Defeat |
18/04/81 |
|
|
|
Best League Victory |
|
5-1 |
.Sc Div 1 |
|
Worst League Defeat |
12/03/38 |
|
|
|
*Pre league reconstruction |
|||
Prior to this season, the sides had only met, in season 2012-13, on league business since April 1996 and the Pars have won ten of the last 12 league meetings. . The last defeat at Dumbarton was on 16th April 1981.
| Last 12 Matches v Dumbarton |
|
Date |
H/A |
F-A |
R | Competition |
| 04/03/17 | H | 5-1 | W | Championship |
| 29/10/16 | A | 2-2 | D | Championship |
| 06/08/16 | H | 4-3 | W | Championship |
| 23/03/13 | H | 3-4 | L | Division One |
| 05/01/13 | A | 1-0 | W | Division One |
| 24/11/12 | H | 4-0 | W | Division One |
| 15/09/012 | A | 2-0 | W | Division One |
| 01/08/09 | A | 5-0 | W | League Cup |
| 20/04/96 | H | 4-1 | W | Division One |
| 09/03/96 | A | 3-0 | W | Division One |
| 21/10/95 | H | 3-1 | W | Division One |
| 02/09/95 | A | 4-0 | W | Division One |
Last Time at Dumbarton
Dumbarton 2 Dunfermline 2
Saturday 29th October 2016
Dunfermline Athletic returned to Dumbarton for their first league match there since January 2013 and went behind when a ball across the Pars box evaded the challenging Williamson and Robert Thomson was able to flash the ball back across the face of goal for Joe THOMSON to slide in and score.
The equaliser was to come just five minutes into the second half when Talbot swung over a pass that CLARK rose to head home from six yards out. Dumbarton then got caught out when Lee Ashcroft made a great interception to send away Cardle. The Pars sub made ground with haste and released a good ball left to Clark who got away a good shot to the near post. The ball broke nicely off the left goalpost for CARDLE to net from close in.
At 1-2 with just nine minutes left it appeared that the Pars might have secured full points but next minute FLEMING headed a cross down and stuck it past Murdoch to square the match.
DUMBARTON: Alan Martin: Mark Docherty, Gregor Buchanan, Darren Barr, Daniel Harvie: Joe Thomson, Josh Todd, Garry Fleming, Sam Stanton (Andy Stirling 71), David Smith, Robert Thomson (Ryan Stevenson 87)
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Pettigrew, Donald McCallum, Frazer Wright, Jamie Ewings (GK)
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Lewis Martin, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Michael Paton (Joe Cardle HT), Andy Geggan (c), Nat Wedderburn, Kallum Higginbotham: Nicky Clark, Gavin Reilly (Michael Moffat 67)
SUBS NOT USED: Rhys McCabe, Johnny Galloway, Callum Fordyce, Paul McMullan, David Hutton (GK)
With only four matches remaining both sides are conscious of St Mirren now on 34 points and Raith Rovers on 33 battling with Ayr United on 31 to avoid the drop and play offs at the wrong end.
| Current League Form | |
| Dumbarton | Dunfermline |
| League Points | |
| 35 | 39 |
| League Position | |
| 7 | 6 |
| Goal Difference | |
| -8 | -1 |
| Form Last 6 League Matches | |
| LWDLWD | DLWDWL |
| Home / Away League Record | |
| P16, W5, D6, L5 | P16, W4, D5, L7 |
Dumbarton have lost only two of their last 19 league matches, one v Ayr and one at East End Park. Both those defeats were away from home where they are unbeaten since 21st January.
Dunfermline have lost only three of their last 23 matches but 11 of those were draws and they have scored only three goals in their last six matches and two of those were penalties. Matches against against Dumbarton however have not lacked goals with a tally of 40 in the last twelve matches, but they have conceded ten in the last four.
| .Form last six matches | ||||||
| . Dumbarton . | .
. .. . . |
. Dunfermline . | ||||
| . St Mirren (A) | D | 1-1 | . Dundee United . (A) | .L |
.0-1 |
|
| . Morton (H) | W | 1-0 | . Raith Rovers (H) | W | 1-0 | |
| . Ayr United (A) | L | 1-2 | . Hibernian (H) | D |
1-1 |
|
| . Hibernian (A) | D | 2-2 | . Morton (A) | W | 1-0 | |
| . Raith Rovers (H) | W | 4-0 | . Ayr United (H) | .L |
.0-1 |
|
| . Dunfermline (A) | L | 1-5 | . .St Mirren (A) | D | 0-0 | |
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Dundee United): Sean Murdoch: Andy Geggan (c)(Ryan Williamson 65), Callum Morris, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, Nat Wedderburn, Rhys McCabe, Paul McMullan (Joe Cardle 77): Michael Moffat (Gavin Reilly 65), Nicky Clark. .
SUBS NOT USED: Michael Paton, Lewis Martin, Lewis Spence, David Hutton (GK)
DUMBARTON (v St Mirren): Alan Martin: David Smith, Gregor
Buchanan, Darren Barr, Daniel Harvie: Andy Stirling, Stuart Carswell, Ross
McCrorie, Sam Stanton: Robert Thomson, Lewis Vaughan (Christian Nade 76)
SUBS NOT USED: Tom Lang, Callum Gallagher, Kyle Prior, Joe Nuttall, Jamie Ewings (GK)
Referee will be Alan Muir
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