Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 1

Saturday, 13th Apr 2019

Ladbrokes Championship: Vincent and El Bakhtaoui in for Louis Longridge and Hippolyte. Bruce Anderson (17) penalty saved. Davis Keillor-Dunn (76) 0-1:

Falkirk returned to East End Park hoping to repeat their feat in November when they recorded just their second league win of the season. The Bairns sat bottom of the table but only four points behind sixth placed Morton so there was little doubt that they needed points.

Hard though it looked, Dunfermline had not given up on making the final play off place and would not be easy opponents.

After defeat to Ross County and in Falkirk’s case Alloa Athletic, both sides made two changes to their starting elevens. Stevie Crawford brought in Faissal El Bakhtaoui and James Vincent for Myles Hippolyte and the injured Louis Longridge. For the visitors Ray McKinnon started Aaron Jarvis and Ross MacLean for Mark Waddington and Ian McShane.

Falkirk kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end and within a minute Zak Rudden despatched a cross from the right side of the near post. Bruce Anderson caused the Falkirk defence some anxious moments none more so that a fifth minute cross into the box from the right that was just too far away from El Bakhtaoui to be finished.

El Bakhtaoui forced an eighth minute corner but when Ryan Blair delivered from the left James Craigen on the far side of the box failed to get a good connection on his shot. Next Blair broke into the Bairns box but his shot from the left cleared the crossbar.

Paul Paton crashed an eleventh minute shot high into the McCathie while at the other end an excellent square pass 25 yards out from Anderson to Blair let the former Falkirk man in for a shot but that was blocked.

Falkirk’s first threatening shot followed in 13th minute, Abdul Osman send his effort from the edge of the box narrowly wide left. Four minutes later Dunfermline were awarded a penalty kick when a pass from the right seeking out Anderson caused defender Ciaran McKenna to tumble the on loan striker and referee Willie Collum pointed to the spot.

Anderson stepped up but the Falkirk keeper Harry Burgoyne turned the penalty kick around his left hand post. Much celebration from the travelling support behind the goal.

On 25 minutes Craigen picked out Anderson on the edge of the Falkirk box and when McKenna slipped, Anderson snapped a shot that escaped wide left of target. Next it was Jackson Longridge who made a break up the left but the on loan Wolves keeper stopped the shot.

A fine cross from Matty Todd picked out Longridge on the far side of the box but his well struck 33rd minute shot was blocked. Deimantas Petravicius next lumped a ball in from the left touchline that landed on the roof of the Pars net.

Tom Beadling dropped to the ground on half way in 37th minute and when the physio could not help Kallum Higginbotham to a chorus of boos from the away end, became the first sub of the match.

Todd and then Craigen had crosses into the Bairns box but both were cleared. A 43rd minute free kick was pumped by Blair in the direction of the opposition box but that got cleared all too easily.

The home side had edged the possession in the first half and had managed seven shots to their opponents four.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 0

Ryan Scully made a great save diving down to his right to deny Aaron Jarvis a 47th minute opener. The chance came from a fine diagonal pass into the area in front of goal by Ghanaian Osman.

Davis Keillor-Dunn replaced Deimantas Petravicius in 51 minutes before it took a header from Scully to mop up after a bit of delay between Ashcroft and Devine almost let Jarvis through. Back at the other end Longridge launched a low shot from 25 yards out that whizzed wide right.

Craigen was injured and required treatment in 57 minutes after a light clearance by Devine. After treatment he was able to walk off and duly return. An overhead kick from Vincent earned a 63rd minute corner but the Falkirk defence headed away Blair’s inswinger from the right.

Three minutes later Pars captain Lee Ashcroft arrived from the right to meet a Blair free kick and he was desperately unlucky as his header was kept out by the left upright. Tenacious play from Craigen earned a corner on the right at the midpoint of the second half. Another followed from the left but neither created great threats.

Falkirk looked hungrier and when Keillor-Dunn stuck in to feed the ball to Rudden, Scully had to dive to his right to save. In 73 minutes Myles Hippolyte replaced the luckless Faissal El Bakhtaoui. Next minute there was the best chance do far for the home side. Todd picked out Anderson but his shot crashed down off the crossbar.

Destinies took a change of direction when Falkirk scored in 76 minutes. KEILLOR-DUNN got the break of the ball off Devine on the edge of the box to round him and stick the ball low into the left side of the Pars net.

Falkirk then cane close from a Paton corner played in from the right side, McKenna getting a touch but sending the ball outside the far post. There was then ping pong in the Bairns six yard box with the ball being kept out by the left goalpost.

Robbie Muirhead replaced Matty Todd in 87 minutes and the home fans welcomed an 89th minute corner that came off Longridge to go wide right.

There were scenes of joy at the final whistle but entirely from the loud travelling support. Falkirk moved off the bottom of the table, a point ahead of Partick Thistle who drew in Dingwall. Patrick have four matches to play, their game in hand against Morton. Everyone else has three to play and only two points separate the bottom four teams. Dunfermline Athletic remain fifth but are now just three points ahead of Alloa Athletic who made it four wins in a row with a home win over Queen of the South.

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully: James Craigen, Danny Devine, Lee Ashcroft (c), Jackson Longridge: Tom Beadling (Kallum Higginbotham 38): Matthew Todd (Robbie Muirhead 87), James Vincent, Ryan Blair: Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Myles Hippolyte 76), Bruce Anderson.
SUBS NOT USED: Aidan Connolly, Stuart Morrison, Mark Durnan, Cammy Gill (GK)

FALKIRK: Harry Burgoyne: Jordan McGhee (c), Ciaran McKenna, William Edjenguele, Paul Dixon: Paul Paton, Deimantas Petravicius (Davis Keillor-Dunn 51), Ross MacLean, Abdul Osman, Aaron Jarvis (Nikolai Todorov 59), Zak Rudden (Mark Waddington 90).
SUBS NOT USED: Ian McShane, Tommy Robson, Shayne Lavery, David Mitchell (GK).
SCORERS: Keillor-Dunn (76)
YELLOW CARD: MacLean (85)

REFEREE: Willie Collum
WEATHER: Sunny 9C
ATTENDANCE 6089

NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes Championship: (away) v Queen of the South, Saturday 20th April 2019, kick off 3.00pm

Half time 50/50 draw - winning ticket is number 405820 for the prize of £810


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Preview Falkirk

Saturday, 13th Apr 2019

Ladbrokes Championship (home) Saturday 13th April 2019, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park

Dunfermline against Falkirk is the big derby game for both clubs and both sets of fans but if the Bairns don’t watch out it might not happen next season.

There have been 101 league meetings between Dunfermline and Falkirk. So far the Bairns have the most success, they have 44 wins to the Pars 35 and 22 have been drawn. Like they did in November when they came to East End Park, Falkirk sit at the foot of the league. Form and predictability in the Championship is extremely difficult to achieve, proven that day with a 1-0 win away from home.

Now with only four matches remained Falkirk are back at the bottom of the league and are one of five clubs separated by four points. Yes it’s a derby but motivation will be driven by the desire to retain Championship status.

Meanwhile the Pars, not having given up on a play off place, are still seeking to take full points from the visit of Ray McKinnon’s Falkirk in the hope that they might go to Inverness on the final day of the season with their ambitions still alive.

Dunfermline v Falkirk: The Full League Record
At East End Park | P49 | W19 | D12 | L19 | F67 | A62
At Brockville | P36 | W10 | D7 | L19 | F39 | A60
At Falkirk Stadium | P15 | W6 | D3 | L6 | F17 | A16
TOTALS | P101 | W35 | D22 | L44 | F123 | A138

Milestones Falkirk (Home)
Last League Victory | 02/01/18 |2-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat | 10/11/18 |0-1 | Championship
Best League Victory | 13/04/66 | 6-1 | Division 1
Worst League Defeat | 02/01/52 | 0-6 | Division 2

Dunfermline have won five of the last eight meetings but that followed a run of ten meetings without a Pars win.

Last 12 Matches v Falkirk
29/12/18 (A) 4-2 W Championship
10/11/18 (H) 0-2 L Championship
06/04/18 (A) 2-0 W Championship
07/04/18 (A) 2-1 W Championship
02/01/18 (H) 2-0 W Championship
04/11/17 (A) 1-1 D Championship
05/10/17 (A) 0-2 L Irn Bru Cup
19/08/17 (H) 3-1 W Championship
22/04/17 (H) 1-2 L Championship
04/02/17 (A) 0-2 L Championship
26/12/16 (H) 1-1 D Championship
15/10/16 (A) 1-2 L Championship

Last meeting at East End Park
Ladbrokes Championship 10 November 2018
Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 1

This was yet another home match without a win for the Pars. Fourteen shots from Dunfermline and three from their opponents but it turned out to be Falkirk’s second league win of the season

The Bairns had served warning before duly scoring what was to the only goal of the game in 71 minutes when Zak RUDDEN showed how to take and finish chances. Having received the lay off from Paul Paton the 18 year old player on loan from Rangers, released a strike from 25 yards out that flew into bottom right of the Dunfermline goal and Robinson had little hope of halting it.

DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: Kallum Higginbotham (Aidan Connolly 76), Malaury Martin, Joe Thomson, Myles Hippolyte (Robbie Muirhead 76): Andy Ryan, Aidan Keena (Faissal El Bakhtaoui 35).
SUBS NOT USED: James Craigen, Lewis Martin, James Vincent, Cammy Gill (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Hippolyte (10), Devine (32), Higginbotham (39)

FALKIRK: Leo Fasan: Lewis Kidd, Jordan McGhee (c), Scott Harrison, Patrick Brough (Tom Dallison 83): Tommy Robson, Paul Paton, Prince Buaben, Andrew Irving, Deimantas Petravicius: Zak Rudden.
SUBS NOT USED: Joe McKee, Marcus Haber, Dennon Lewis, Ruben Sammut, Mustapha Dumbuya, Robbie Mutch (GK).

Form Last Six Matches

DUNFERMLINE
Ross County (A) L 0-1
Partick Thistle (A) D 2-2
Ayr United (H) L 0-1
Dundee United (H) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (A) W 1-0
Queen of the South (H) W 1-0

FALKIRK
Alloa Athletic (H) L 1-2
Queen of the South (A) D 1-1
Inverness Caley Th (A) D 0-0
Partick Thistle (H) D 1-1
Ross County (A) L 1-2
Ayr United (H) W 2-0

Recent Form

Since Dunfermline’s run of five winning games, they have lost three of their next four games by 1-0. Last Saturday they went two up against Partick Thistle. Only for the battling Jags to claw it back to a draw.

Falkirk have won just one of their last eight league matches but they have only lost two of their last thirteen. Draws are costing them, taking just one point in five of their last eight.

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 5th
League Points: 41
Goal Difference: -2
Home League Record: P16 W5 D3 L8 GF13 GA16
Last Six League Match Form: WWLLDL

FALKIRK
League Position: 10th
League Points: 32
Goal Difference: -10
Away League Record: P16 W5 D4 L7 GF17 GA20
Last Six League Match Form: WLDDDL

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Ross County): Ryan Scully: James Craigen, Danny Devine, Lee Ashcroft (c), Jackson Longridge: Tom Beadling: Louis Longridge (Faissal El Bakhtaoui 34), Matthew Todd (Lewis McCann 82), Ryan Blair: Myles Hippolyte (Robbie Muirhead 70), Bruce Anderson
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Mark Durnan, James Vincent, Cameron Gill (GK)

FALKIRK (v Alloa Athletic): Harry Burgoyne: Jordan McGhee, William Edjenguele, Paul Dixon, Paul Paton, Deimantas Petravicius, Ian McShane (Aaron Jarvis 45), Abdul Osman (Nikolai Todorov 89), Mark Waddington (Ross MacLean 80), Ciaran McKenna, Zak Rudden.
SUBS NOT USED: Tommy Robson, Patrick Brough, Shayne Lavery, David Mitchell (GK).

Referee will be Willie Collum.

Other Championship Fixtures
Dundee United v Ayr United (Friday night)
Alloa Athletic v Queen of the South
Ross County v Partick Thistle

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