Dundee United 2 Dunfermline 0
Saturday, 26th Oct 2019Ladbrokes Championship: Andy Ryan stars, Kevin Nisbet on the bench. Lawrence Shankland (9)1-0: Nicky Clark (27) 2-0:
Two goals from moments of slackness separated the teams and an element of bad luck in front of goal separated the teams. The second half was all Dunfermline but by then United were in charge and they saw the 90 minutes out to open a three point gap at the top of the Championship.
The first match of the second quarter of the season started with Dunfermline Athletic travelling to Tannadice. Dundee United returned home after two defeats in away games, hoping to pick up their impressive home form.
For the home side their manager Robbie Neilson made three changes bringing in Jamie Robson, Peter Pawlett and Nicky Clark. Missing from the United side that lost 4-0 at Palmerston were Paul Watson, Louie Appere and Sam Stanton.
Stevie Crawford made one change for this match against the league leaders, Andy Ryan coming in for Kevin Nisbet. Sunshine bathed the far side fans as Greg Kiltie got the match got underway with United attacking the goal in front of the empty Shed Stand.
There was a reassuring start from the Fifers taking the game to their opponents and might have been a bigger threat had there been more height on two early free kicks delivered in from the right side by Josh Edwards.
Despite the early optimism the Pars were to lose a ninth minute goal from virtually the first United attack. Clark switched the ball cleverly on receiving a throw in on the left across field for Liam Smith. He exchanged passes with Paul McMullan before delivering a dangerous cross that Cammy Gill punched away. Clark gathered the ball on the left to return it for Lawrence SHANKLAND to turn in his 14th league goal at the near post. 1-0
There was a chance to level immediately when a Paul Paton free kick was headed on target by Ryan but touched over by Ben Siegrist. Smith was yellow carded for his 16th minute tackle that left Edwards hobbling but when Turner aimed the setpiece at Lee Ashcroft in an attacking position that was intercepted by the United defence.
A foul on Harry Cochrane allowed Turner another attempt to find Ashcroft from a setpiece. This time the offside flag thwarted the offensive. Then in 25 minutes Ryan Dow created a great chance getting in behind the defence and squaring for Ryan but his effort was blocked and dropped for Turner who scooped his opportunity over the crossbar from 15 yards out.
Dunfermline then paid for not taking the chance by conceding another goal in 27 minute. Ian Harkes was brought down 20 yards out level with the corner of the box on the right hand side and a free kick was given despite Paton and Turner’s protestations. CLARK stepped up and smacked the ball with pace into the right side of Gill’s goal for his first goal of the season and his third, one on each of his three games against the Pars at Tannadice. 2-0
Kiltie sent over a cross from the left in 33 minutes, Ryan flicked on but United defended the ball. Paton then gathered on the edge of the box but his netbound shot was blocked by Troy Brown.
Five minutes later a strong Dow run forced a corner on the right but when Turner sent the ball in Ryan was closed down as he shot right footed from ten yards out and the ball ended up in the second tier of the stand. Another tight offside decision went against the visitors as Dow, Kiltie and Comrie tried some intricate passes deep down the right.
Three minutes from the interval Ashcroft made a good block on a Smith ball in towards the near post and in added time at the end of the first half Lewis Martin injured himself in preventing a Shankland attempt just eight yards out.
United had looked the sharper throughout the first half and possibly presented with the same degree of chances as Dunfermline showed how to finish.
Half time: Dundee United 2 Dunfermline 0
Martin did not come out for the second half and Danny Devine came on in his place. The sub was deployed early intercepting a McMullan cross before in 48 minutes Calum Butcher drove a powerful shot over the Pars crossbar from 25 yards out.
Next Ryan tried an effort from as far out but lacked strength and was easily held by Siegrist. The Dunfermline captain Paton injected some urgency interchanging with Dow but his cross from the right side of the penalty box was taken out by the home defence. Ryan swung over a cross from the left but Dow headed that wide right.
Ashcroft was shown a 56th minute yellow card for going straight through Shankland before Siegrist made a great save to deny Dow. He was off his line swiftly as Edwards played a delightful ball into the right side of the United box.
The Pars were looking lively and enjoyed a period of play in their opponents half but in front of his own goal, Devine had to be alert to steal the ball away from Clark as the ball was played in from the left.
Kevin Nisbet was introduced for Harry Cochrane in 61 minutes and Ashcroft tried to break the duck with a speculative strike from 35 yards out. Kiltie fired a right footed shot on target from just outside the box but that got blocked. When a Ryan cross was sent behind for a corner on the left, the corner was defended out to Paton who in turn fed Devine lying wide right and Nisbet got the chance at the far post but he drove the ball into the ground and up over the bar.
In 74th minute Ryan hit the bar after a fine move up the left where he picked out Nisbet and was handy to receive the return on the edge of the box. Four minutes later it was a Kiltie cross from the left headed back across goal by Dow that was taken by Siegrist.
The home side seemed happy just to contain their opponents and as the clock ran down it was still only Dunfermline that made efforts to alter the score line. Turner’s 86th minute free kick was headed back out of the United box before the former Stranraer player was subbed for Gabby McGill.
It was all Dunfermline until the end of the four added minutes but it was United’s points. The 569 strong travelling support had to retreat down the A90 having witnessed Dundee United yet again better of their side. One win in the last 23 meetings, maybe the sooner the Tangerines are out of this league the better!
DUNDEE UNITED: Benjamin Siegrist: Liam Smith, Troy Brown, Mark Reynolds, Jamie Robson: Paul McMullan, Callum Butcher (Cammy Smith 90+2) Ian Harkes, Peter Pawlett (Louis Appere 69): Nicky Clark (Adam King 79), Lawrence ShanklandSUBS NOT USED: Paul Watson, Sam Stanton, Adrian Sporle, Deniz Mehmet (GK).
SCORERS: Shankland (9), Clark (27)
YELLOW CARD: Smith (16)
DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill: Aaron Comrie, Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin (Danny Devine HT), Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow, Paul Paton (c), Harry Cochrane (Kevin Nisbet 61), Kyle Turner (Gabby McGill 87): Greg Kiltie, Andy Ryan.
SUBS NOT USED: Tom Beadling, Josh Coley, Stuart Morrison, Ryan Scully (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Ashcroft (56)
REFEREE: Steven Reid
WEATHER: Sunny 9C
ATTENDANCE 7682
NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes Championship: (home) v Arbroath, Tuesday 29th October 2019 7.45pm kick off at East End Park
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Preview Dundee United
Saturday, 26th Oct 2019Ladbrokes Championship (away) Saturday 26th October 2019, kick off 3.00pm at Tannadice
Only a few weeks ago it looked like Dundee United were running away with the Championship but defeats to Ayr United, Alloa Athletic and Queen of the South have seen them stage an unexpected reversal. They are still sitting top of the Championship but Dunfermline will need to be cautious as the Tannadice club return home after two bad away results.
In the 142 league meetings Dunfermline have 49 wins and United 55 with 38 match drawn but the Tayside club have a very good record against the Fifers in recent times.
Milestones Dundee United (away)
Last League Victory:
04/08/18: 3-2: Championship
Last Defeat:
12/01/19: 0-1: Championship
Best League Victories:
29/01/66: 4-0: Div 1*
22/08/62: 4-0: Div 1*
28/02/48: 4-0: Div B*
Worst League Defeat
29/04/61: 0-5: Div 1*
*Pre league reconstruction
Last Meeting at Tannadice
Ladbrokes Championship, Saturday 12th January 2019
Dundee United 1 Dunfermline Athletic 0
Following the departure of Allan Johnston, this was the first game with Stevie Crawford in charge of the team. Seventh placed Pars took the road and the miles to Dundee to face third placed United.
In a pretty even first half, the Pars had managed marginally more shots than their hosts and they had shown plenty of effort. Former Celtic youth Aidan Nesbitt replaced Matty Smith for the second half and when Safranko charged down Devine’s pass the United player scurried away down the left and despite Devine’s pursuit got in a shot that Robinson parried away to his left.
United kept the Pars much quieter in the second half. Callum Smith became the first sub of the Crawford era coming on for Aidan Keena but it was to be a well known United sub who that broke the deadlock with just nine minutes remaining.
A quickly taken free kick while the Dunfermline players were arguing with referee Alan Muir over the decision, sent Nesbitt down the left and it was his cross that CLARK met at the near post to glance the ball in. 1-0
DUNDEE UNITED: Benjamin Siegrist: Callum Booth, Frederic Frans, Rachid Bouhenna, Stewart Murdoch (Paul Watson 74), Paul McMullan (Nicky Clark 70), Fraser Fyvie, Sam Stanton, Cammy Smith, Pavol Safranko, Matt Smith (Aidan Nesbitt HT)
SUBS NOT USED: Billy King, Jamie Robson, Archie Thomas, Matej Rakovan (GK).
DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: James Craigen, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: Tom Beadling, Joe Thomson (Aidan Connolly 76), James Vincent: Myles Hippolyte, Aidan Keena (Callum Smith 64), Kallum Higginbotham (Malaury Martin 76).
SUBS NOT USED: Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Robbie Muirhead, Mark Durnan, Cammy Gill (GK)
The last dozen league games between the two sides have seen United win eight, Pars one with three games ending up all square but that one Dunfermline win is their only victory in the last 22 meetings in all competitions.
Last Twelve Matches v Dundee United
Date | H/A | F-A | WDL | Competition
24/08/19 | H | 0-2 | L | Championship
26/03/19 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
12/01/19 | A | 0-1 | L | Championship
27/10/18 | H | 0-2 | L | Championship
04/08/18 | A | 3-2 | W | Championship
05/05/18 | A | 1-2 | L | Premiership Play off
01/05/18 | H | 0-0 | D | Premiership Play off
24/03/18 | A | 1-1 | D | Championship
13/01/18 | H | 0-0 | D | Championship
02/12/17 | A | 1-2 | L | Championship
30/09/17 | H | 1-3 | L | Championship
11/04/17 | A | 0-1 | L | Championship
Form Last Six Matches
Dunfermline have won two of their last six matches and undefeated in their last four. Dundee United have only won two of their last six but their home form is vastly better than their away form.
DUNFERMLINE
Ayr United (H) W 3-2
Morton (A) D 1-1
Alloa Athletic (H) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (A) W 3-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (H) L 1-2
DUNDEE UNITED
Queen of the South (A) L 0-4
Alloa Athletic (A) 0-1
Morton (H) W 6-0
Arbroath (H) W 2-1
Ayr United (A) L 0-2
Arbroath (H) D 0-0
Form in First Quarter
With luck and decisions not going their way, Dunfermline have drawn too often as they faced everyone in the league once. This is just the Pars fifth away match of the league campaign and they are seeking to add to their sole away win at Partick Thistle.
Dundee United have impressed having won all four of their home games and their first two away games but losing their last three league games on the road is a stark contrast to their early form.
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 7th
League Points: 10
Goal Difference: 0
League Record: P8 W1 D4 L3 GF11 GA11
Last Six League Match Form: LLWDDW
DUNDEE UNITED
League Position: 1st
League Points: 18
Goal Difference: +10
League Record: P9 W6 D0 L3 GF22 GA12
Last Six League Match Form: WLWWLL
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Ayr United): Cammy Gill: Aaron Comrie, Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin, Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow, Paul Paton (c), Harry Cochrane (Josh Coley 51), Kyle Turner (Tom Beadling, 79): Greg Kiltie, Kevin Nisbet (Andy Ryan 61).
SUBS NOT USED: Gabby McGill, Danny Devine, Stuart Morrison, Ryan Scully (GK)
DUNDEE UNITED (v Queen of the South): Benjamin Siegrist: Paul Watson, Brown, Mark Reynolds, Liam Smith: Callum Butcher, Ian Harkes (Nicky Clark 59), Sam Stanton, Paul McMullan, Louis Appere, Lawrence Shankland
SUBS NOT USED: Adrian Sporle, Cammy Smith, Adam King, Ross Graham, Nathan Cooney, Denis Mehmet (GK).
Other Championship Fixtures
Ayr United v Dundee (Friday night)
Alloa Athletic v Queen of the South
Morton v Inverness Caley Thistle
Partick Thistle v Arbroath
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