Dunfermline 2 Arbroath 0
Tuesday, 15th Aug 2017Irn-Bru Cup: six changes to the starting line-up with a debut for Andy Ryan. Ryan (24) 1-0. Ryan (40) 2-0. Red cards for Little in the first half and Duthie in stoppage time.
The Pars welcomed Arbroath back to East End Park for a first round tie in this season’s Irn Bru Cup competition. There were plenty of Pars connections on the Lichties’ bench, and another on the pitch where David Hutton was the last line of defence in what looked like their strongest line-up.
Manager Allan Johnston made a number of changes but stuck to his normal formation. Jason Talbot moved to left centre-back in place of Lee Ashcroft, allowing Conner Duthie to come in at left-back. the entire midfield quarter was changed, with Michael Paton and Aaron Splaine starting in the middle and Fraser Aird right and Scott Lochhead left. new signing Andy Ryan would lead the attack with David Hopkirk playing in a slightly deeper role.
Skipper Callum Morris won the toss and elected to kick the traditional way, towards the Cowdenbeath end, which saw most of the early action, with Aird prominent on the right, twice collecting a pass from Hopkirk, but being unable to cause much danger on either occasion.
The first chance fell in seven minutes, with a good passing movement ending with Hopkirk creating space for a shot, but his effort from 25 yards failed to trouble Hutton. Soon after there were a couple of near things – first Ryan latched onto a long ball and although he took the ball past Hutton he was forced wide, and Aird couldn’t get on the end of his cut-back. Seconds later it was Lochhead wriggling through the Lichties’ rearguard, this time finding Aird, but he blasted over from 12 yards.
Another good opportunity presented itself on the quarter-hour when Hopkirk was put through but Hutton dived to his left to divert the ball away for the Pars’ first corner.
The home team were enjoying the bulk of possession, although Duthie had to look lively midway through the half when Barr nearly got away from him. Soon after pressure from Hopkirk won another corner and although that came to nothing, the breakthrough was made shortly after. Again Hopkirk applied pressure, this time on O’Brien, who failed to deal with a long ball from Paton. his header fell to RYAN who volleyed home from 12 yards.
Five minutes later and we had another key moment –Hopkirk latched onto a long ball through the middle, and appeared to get the better of both centre-backs, but went to ground as he burst clear. The referee took his time, gave a free-kick just outside the box, but red carded Little for pulling Hopkirk back. Splaine took the free kick, but cleared the bar by a yard.
Dick Campbell was quick to rejig his line up, dropping Yule back to plug the defensive gap, with Swankie moving into the middle, before offering the linesman some friendly advice, presumably with regard to the previous decision. The visitors tried to hit back almost immediately when a quickly taken free-kick nearly caught the Pars napping, but Lochhead got back to block, before Linn nearly surprised Murdoch from distance.
However, the Pars double their lead five minutes before the break. Aird won a corner on the right, which he took himself, and this lead to another on the left. Aird took this one as well, and landed it on the head of RYAN who nodded home from 6 yards.
Half time: Dunfermline 2 Arbroath 0
The Pars started the second period brightly, Lochhead had an early shooting chance but tried to engineer a better one, only to be dispossessed inside the box, before Williamson got to the bye line and chipped in a cross. With a debut hat-trick there for the taking, Andy Ryan mistimed his header and it looped over the bar.
Thereafter the game got a bit scrappy, with a succession of off-side flags punctuating the action. Declan McManus had come on for David Hopkirk, before Callum Smith replaced Andy Ryan, who received well-deserved applause. Hutton dealt comfortably with a firm McManus shot, although was less convincing with a long-range effort from Aird, which squirmed out of his hands.
At the other end Duthie had survived a shout for a penalty when he blocked Barr’s attempted flick and Murdoch was relieved just before the hour mark when he mistimed his rush from goal, although perhaps he did enough as Doris saw his shot go beyond the far post.
Arbroath made a triple substitution in seventy three minutes, before the Pars made their last change, Wedderburn replacing Talbot in the Pars’ defence. The officials were kept busy, with Yule being cautioned for obstructing McManus (Aird trying and failing to catch out Hutton at the near post) and Splaine following him into the book for a clumsy challenge 25 yards from goal, Swankie’s free-kick landing on the roof of the net.
If anything, it was the visitors who seemed to be looking the likelier, Duthie being beaten again by Kader, before recovering with a well-timed tackle 8 yards from goal, Murdoch hacking the loose ball clear. Paton gave away another free-kick with two minutes left, and this time Hamilton headed over.
With the match heading into stoppage time there was still time for late drama, Duthie getting himself sent off incurring two bookings in much less than a minute. The first was for a foul on the touchline, the second for poking the ball away after a second foul in a more central position, when a quick free kick was unlikely to be possible.
After Duthie had trudged off, with the dawning realisation that he would be suspended from the next round, Swankie crashed the free-kick off the bar, the ball was cleared and the game was over.
SUBS NOT USED: Kallum Higginbotham, Dean Shiels, Joe Cardle, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: Ryan (24, 40)
YELLOW CARD: Splaine (78), Duthie (90+2)
RED CARD: Duthie (90+2)
ARBROATH: David Hutton, Mark Whatley (c) , Colin Hamilton, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien, Blair Yule, Bobby Linn (Omar Kader, 73), Ryan McCord (Jamie Henry, 73), Steven Doris (Bryan Prunty, 73), Gavin Swankie, Danny Denholm
SUBS NOT USED: Kane Hester, David Gold, Josh Skelly, Ricky Gomes (GK).
YELLOW CARD: McCord (67), Yule (77), Prunty (87)
RED CARD: Little (30)
REFEREE: Euan Anderson
WEATHER: Clear 15C
ATTENDANCE 1462
NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes Championship: (home) v Falkirk, Saturday 19th August 2017, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park
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Preview Arbroath
Tuesday, 15th Aug 2017Irn-Bru Cup: Tuesday 15th August 2017, 7.45pm kick off at East End Park
The Pars face their second of three home matches in the space of eight days when they welcome Dick Campbell`s Arbroath to East End Park for the Irn-Bru Cup tie.
Fresh on the back of scoring sixteen goals in their last three home games the Fifers are looking forward to meeting their League One opponents. No one can imagine that Arbroath will be quite so keen.
Previously
| Last Sixteen Matches v Arbroath | ||||
|
Date |
Competition |
H/A |
W D L |
. F-A |
| 19/07/16 | League Cup | H | W | 3-0 |
| 25/07/15 | Challenge Cup | A | W | 4-1 |
| 26/04/14 | League One | A | W | 2-1 |
| 25/02/14 | League One | H | W | 3-0 |
| 21/12/13 | League One | A | W | 3-0 |
| 17/08/13 | League One | H | L | 2-3 |
| 31/07/10 | League Cup | H | W | 5-2 |
| 24/07/10 | Challenge Cup | H | W | 1-0 |
| 25/07/09 | League Cup | H | W | 2-1 |
| 22/04/86 | Division Two | H | W | 2-0 |
| 23/03/86 | Division Two | H | D | 0-0 |
| 10/08/85 | Division Two | A | D | 3-3 |
| 09/03/85 | Division Two | A | W | 3-1 |
| 01/12/84 | Division Two | H | L | 1-2 |
| 06/10/84 | Division Two | A | W | 2-0 |
| 15/08/84 | League Cup | H | W | 4-0 |
In the last thirty years the sides have only spent one season together in the league and have met four times in cup competitions since 2009. Arbroath were the visitors for the opening league match of season 2013-2014 and it was to be the Angus club`s first win at East End Park since December 1984.
In the interim Arbroath had three times come to Halbeath Road on cup business but the Pars had successfully negotiated League Cup and Challenge Cup ties against them. Their last visit at the start of last season resulted in another Pars win.
| Milestones Arbroath (home) |
|||
| Last
Victory |
19/07/16 |
3-0 |
League Cup |
| Last
Defeat |
17/08/13 |
2-3 |
League One |
| Best
Victory |
|
6-0 |
Div Two* |
| Worst Defeat |
|
1-4 |
Div One* |
| *Pre league reconstruction | |||
Last Meeting at East End Park
Dunfermline 3 Arbroath 0
Betfred Cup: Tuesday 19th July 2016
As the interval beckoned Dunfermline got the breakthrough. Robbie Mutch tried to redeem himself for a poor kick and raced out of his box on the right, Gavin Reilly beat him to it and his cross into an empty six yard box saw Michael MOFFAT arrive to convert. 1-0
Then in 61 minutes Reilly sped in from the right, picked out Moffat who slid the ball forward for Andy GEGGAN to stick the ball away for 2-0.
Kallum Higginbotham had barely been on the park three minutes when he picked out Ryan Williamson to take the ball to the byeline and cross for MOFFAT to sweep the ball into the Angus side`s net. 3-0
DUNFERMLINE: David Hutton: Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft, Ben Richards-Everton, Lewis Martin: Rhys McCabe (Paul McMullan 62), Andy Geggan (c), Nat Wedderburn (Lewis Spence 71), Joe Cardle: Michael Moffat, Gavin Reilly (Kallum Higginbotham 62)
SUBS NOT USED: Jason Talbot, Callum Smith, Cammy Gill (GK)
ARBROATH: Robbie Mutch. Gary Philips (Gavin Malin 75), Ricky Little, Colin Hamilton, Mark Whatley (c), Ryan McCord (Liam Callaghan 75), Martin Scott, Omar Kader, Bryan Prunty, Steven Doris, Bobby Linn (Josh Thomson 75)
SUBS NOT USED: David Gold, Michael Dunlop, Kane Hester, Ricky Gomes (GK),
Last Meeting at Gayfield Park
Arbroath 1 Dunfermline 4
Petrofac Training Cup: Saturday 25th July 2015
Allan Johnston`s first competitive match as Dunfermline manager turned out to be an emphatic away win at Gayfield. His selection for this match had been worked on all pre season but in the end he was missing three of the players who had faced Hibs the previous Saturday.
No Josh Falkingham out with a hip injury, no David Hopkirk and no Jason Talbot due to his red card against Hibs. That made way for Lewis Martin, Shaun Byrne and the return of Joe Cardle. Faissal El Bakhtaoui scored the opener in just the eighth minute when Martin passed infield for the striker who took a touch before sending a 25 yard shot low into the bottom left. Michael Moffat made it two 12 minutes later finishing a Ryan Williamson cut back. An El Bakhtaoui header and Wallace with a 20 yard strike made it four before substitute Martin Grehan stuck away a 72nd minute consolation.
Recent Form
Dunfermline
Inverness Caley (H) W 5-1
Rangers (A) L 0-6
Livingston (A) D 1-1
Hearts (A) D 2-2
Peterhead (H) W 5-1
East Fife (A) 0-0
Elgin City (H) W 6-0
Arbroath
Airdrieonians (A) D 1-1
Queens Park (H) W 2-0
Ross County (H) D 0-0
Hibernian (A) L 1-6
Montrose (H) W 4-0
Alloa Athletic (A) 1-1
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Inverness Caley Thistle): Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris (c) Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot (Lewis Martin 70): Kallum Higginbotham, Dean Shiels, Nat Wedderburn (Aaron Splaine 81), Joe Cardle: David Hopkirk (Scott Lochhead 74), Callum Smith
SUBS NOT USED: Jean Yves M`Voto, Michael Paton, Fraser Aird, Cammy Gill (GK)
ARBROATH (v Airdrieonians): David Hutton: David Gold (Gavin Swankie 69), Ricky Little, Thomas O`Brien, Colin Hamilton: Omar Kadar, Yule, Mark Whatley, Danny Denholm, Bobby Linn (Ryan McCord 69), Steven Doris (Kane Hester 86)
SUBS NOT USED: Bryan Prunty, Henry, Skelly, Ricky Gomes (GK).
Referee will be Euan Anderson.
Dunfermline v Arbroath July 2016
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