Dunfermline 2 Dundee United 0
Saturday, 29th Feb 2020Ladbrokes Championship: Ethan Ross starts in place of Ryan Dow. Kevin Nisbet (26) 1:0: Jon Alofabi (60) 2-0:
Dundee United returned to East End Park with an 18 point lead at the top of the Ladbrokes Championship. The home team however, were hoping for a win to keep another match away from what seems a certain United title win.
Stevie Crawford was without Ryan Dow out with a hamstring injury but on loan Don, Ethan Ross came in to replace him in an otherwise unchanged starting eleven.
Dundee United’s line up showed one change from their last time out against Inverness Caley Thistle, Calum Butcher was out so 24 year old Ian Harkes came in to replace him.
Dunfermline kicked off through Jon Afolabi and Dom Thomas accepted a Kyle Turner pass to force a corner on the right within 90 seconds. Ross sent the corner over but Mark Connolly rose highest you clear. At the other bend the Fifers did well to prevent Lawrence Shankland getting in a fourth minute shot after Louis Appere had chipped the ball into the Pars box.
Euan Murray earned a corner on the left three minutes later but again Connolly defended Ross’ delivery. Thomas won a corner on the right off Robson and this time it was the on loan Killie player who centred but United defended that one too.
First attempt at goal came in the ninth minute but from 23 yards out Kevin Nisbet made Ben Siegrist’s job elementary. Three minutes later Afolabi evaded the offside trap to burst through on the left but his effort was wayward and went out for a thrown in on the right.
There was an early substitution for Dunfermline when in 16 minutes Lewis Martin had to replace Aaron Comrie. The Pars kept up the pressure but United got in their first attempt when Rakish Bingham crashed the ball over the crossbar from just inside the penalty box in 21st minute.
The Pars were pushed forward when Ross tucked the ball back to Turner in a central area of the United half. Then his superb pass floated in on the right side of the opposition half for NISBET to head over Siegrist to open the scoring in 26th minute. 1-0
Three minutes later Martin sent over a good left footed cross that just evaded both Afolabi and Ross. Then Owain Fon Williams had to react fast to smother a loose ball in front of goal after Harkes had got to the left byeline and his cut back had come off Lee Ashcroft.
Murray forced a corner on the left and he required treatment for the low boot of Harkes as he tried to attack Ross’ delivery. Despite the attention and making himself available, it was several minutes playing with ten men before the far side assistant was happy to allow the left back on.
Afolabi supplied a great ball in from the left that first Nisbet and then Ross tried to finish but United kept them out and when Nisbet subsequently hit the post he was offside. In time added on at the end of the first half Shankland got his first chance but sent the ball straight at Williams.
Half time: Dunfermline 1 Dundee United 0
Just four minutes into the second Nisbet flicked the ball on to burst in on the right side of the United box and from a tight angle thrashed the ball on target but the ball went behind off Siegrist and the goalpost but still no corner was given.
In 52 minutes Appere served a warning to the home defence firing far wide from 22 yards. Peter Pawlett flighted a free kick into the Pars box but Danny Devine and then Nisbet headed the ball away. That was Pawlett’s final act as he was then replaced by Paul McMullan.
There were loud appeals for a free kick on the edge of the visitors box as Paul Watson tumbled Nisbet. No foul was the referee’s decision.
There was no decision either for the Terrors when McMullan’s 59th corner saw Connolly restrained by Ashcroft. The Pars broke and a fast run up the right let Thomas in to cross into the six yard box where AFOLABI turned the ball in. The first goal in senior football for the on loan Celt made it 2-0.
The goalscorer beat the offside trap on 66 minutes but with Ross in the middle United scrambled the ball away for a corner on the left. Ross has to be subbed by Joe Thomson before Thomas sent the corner over and Turner got in a shot that went narrowly wide left from 20 yards.
McMullan swung over a 69th minute corner kick that the Pars defended and two minutes later Afolabi was flagged offside as he blasted another chance over the bar. Thomas showed some fantastic footwork to create a 73rd minute chance and United were stuck in their own box for a spell.
Play stopped for treatment to Kevin Nisbet after a challenge from Watson. He has gone over on his ankle on landing and after limping off he had to be replaced by Tom Beadling for the final fourteen minutes. Next Watson blocked Afolabi as he threatened to get through on the keeper. Again no decision from referee Graham Beaton.
From a McMullan cross Shankland headed an effort on to the roof of the net but the Dunfermline team were defending well. A 83rd minute free kick was given in Afolabi’s favour but from 30 yards out Thomas shot narrowly off target.
Shankland was very unlucky to get only a corner as he attacked a McMullan cross and the ball went out between Devine and Williams. Two corners followed for the visitors but with Shankland injuring Ashcroft it was a yellow card for the Championship’s top goalscorer.
Martin headed away another United corner then McMullan flashed a cross through the six yard box. Another corner was successfully defended before Afolabi and Thomas tried to run the clock down.
Devine had to blocked Shankland in sixth minute of added time to collect a yellow card but the free kick was sent behind and the game was won.
It was to be the Pars first home win over Dundee United since April 2007 and the victory was wildly celebrated by both players and fans.
SUBS NOT USED: Josh Edwards, Matthew Todd, Lewis McCann, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: Nisbet (26), Afolabi (60)
YELLOW CARD: Afolabi (61), Devine (90+6)
DUNDEE UNITED: Ben Siegrist: Liam Smith, Mark Connolly (c), Paul Watson, Jamie Robson: Dillon Powers, Ian Harkes (Declan Glass 61), Peter Pawlett (Paul McMullan 54), Louis Appere, Rakish Bingham (Adrian Sporle 79), Lawrence Shankland.
SUBS NOT USED: Mark Reynolds, Kieran Freeman, Lewis Nelson, Deniz Mehmet (GK).
YELLOW CARD: Shankland (86), Neilson (89), Smith (90+4)
REFEREE: Graham Beaton
WEATHER: Sunny 4C
ATTENDANCE 6261
NEXT MATCH: Ladbrokes Championship (away) v Arbroath, Wednesday 4th March 2020, kick off 7.45pm at Gayfield Park
Winning 50/50 ticket number was 524550
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Preview Dundee United
Saturday, 29th Feb 2020Ladbrokes Championship (home) Saturday 29th February 2020, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park
Both teams faced Inverness Caley Thistle in front of their home support in their last matches and while the Tannadice faithful witnessed a 2-1 win the Dunfermline fans watched a 2-1 defeat. United’s win ended a run of five games without a win so there can be a belief around East End Park that points can be won from the leap day fixture against the league leaders.
These visitors however have developed a good record in West Fife with Dunfermline not having defeated Dundee United at East End Park since 2007 but that was the last in a run of seventeen home games against the Tannadice club without defeat.
Milestones Dundee United (Home)
Last League Victory | 27/04/07 | 1-0 | SPL
Last League Defeat | 24/08/19 | 0-2 | Championship
Best League Victory | 11/08/45 | 7-0 | Div B*
Worst League Defeat | 29/10/11 | 1-4 | SPL
Last Goalless Draw | 01/05/18 | 0-0 | Premiership Play off
First League Meeting | 08/10/21 | 4-1 | Div 2 (old)
*Pre league reconstruction
Last time at East End Park
Dunfermline 0 Dundee United 2
Ladbrokes Championship Saturday 24 August 2019
Dundee United were the opposition for the second home league match of the Championship season. The league leaders faced a Dunfermline side riding high on their Celtic Park performance the previous Saturday.
After ten minutes Lawrence SHANKLAND shot United into the lead was he slotted the ball under Ryan Scully from the right side. 0-1
United kept up the pressure, enjoyed lots of possession and the home team just couldn’t get going. Pretty quickly it looked like the Pars were up against a very alert team that broke with pace and appeared to get all the loose balls.
United wasted a corner but when Paul McMullan sped up the right on the half hour he was able to deliver a cross into the six yard where SHANKLAND headed downwards and past Ryan Scully 0-2.
The home side put up a much better fight in the second half but the Taysiders were awarded a 76th minute penalty when Liam Smith’s cross hit Kyle Turner on the hand on the right corner of the Pars box. Turner was shown a yellow card for his protests and Shankland lined up to seal his hat trick but Scully had other ideas, diving correctly to his right to save.
DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully: Aaron Comrie, Lee Ashcroft, Stuart Morrison, Lewis Martin: Paul Paton (c), Ryan Dow, Tom Beadling (Matthew Todd, 78), Josh Coley (Kyle Turner HT): Andy Ryan (Lewis McCann 68), Kevin Nisbet.
SUBS NOT USED: Josh Edwards, Gabby McGill, Danny Devine, Cammy Gill (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Turner (76)
DUNDEE UNITED: Ben Siegrist: Jamie Robson, Liam Smith, Mark Reynolds, Ian Harkes, Calum Butcher, Paul McMullan, Sam Stanton (Adam King 82), Nicky Clark (Peter Pawlett 60), Louis Appere, Lawrence Shankland (Osman Sow 90+2).
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Watson, Cammy Smith, Adrian Sporle, Deniz Mehmet
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 23 meetings in all competitions.
Last Twelve Matches v Dundee United
Date | H/A | F-A | WDL | Competition
26/10/19 | A | 0-2 | L | Championship
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
In the second meeting this season, 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.
Form Last Six Matches
Dunfermline have won two of their last six matches and at home have won six of their last nine home games.
Dundee United may have won only one of their last six games but they have lost only one their last sixteen league matches. They have not lost away in the league since early October. Greatly acclaimed United striker Lawrence Shankland with 24 goals is the league’s top goalscorer.
DUNFERMLINE
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) L 1-2
Queen of the South (A) W 3-2
Dundee (H) W 2-0
Morton (A) L 2-3
Ayr United (H) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (H) L 1-3
DUNDEE UNITED
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) 2-1
Alloa Athletic (A) D 0-0
Arbroath (H) L 0-1
Hibernian (A) L 2-4
Morton (H) D 1-1
Hibernian (H) D 2-2
Current League Stats
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 7th
League Points: 31
Goal Difference: +3
League Record: P24 W9 D4 L10 GF37 GA34
Home League Record: P13 W6 D2 L5 GF22 GA16
Last Six League Match Form: LLLWWL
DUNDEE UNITED
League Position: 1st
League Points: 57
Goal Difference: +32
League Record: P25 W18 D3 L4 GF51 GA19
Away League Record: P12 W8 D1 L3 GF17 GA10
Last Six League Match Form: WWDLDW
Teams last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Inverness Caley Thistle): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Lee Ashcroft (Lewis Martin 81), Danny Devine, Euan Murray: Ryan Dow (Ethan Ross 54), Paul Paton (c), Kyle Turner, Dom Thomas: Jonathan Afolabi (Gabby McGill 68): Kevin Nisbet.
SUBS NOT USED: Joe Thomson, Tom Beadling, Lewis McCann, Cammy Gill (GK)
DUNDEE UNITED (v Inverness Caley Thistle): Ben Siegrist: Liam Smith, Mark Connolly, Paul Watson, Jamie Robson: Dillon Powers (Ian Harkes 57), Peter Pawlett (Paul McMullan 58), Calum Butcher, Louis Appere, Rakish Bingham (Mark Reynolds 88), Lawrence Shankland.
SUBS NOT USED: Adrian Sporle, Declan Glass, Chris Mochrie, Deniz Mehmet (GK).
Other Championship Fixtures
Alloa Athletic v Ayr United
Dundee v Arbroath
Queen of the South v Morton
Partick Thistle are without a match due to Inverness Caley Thistle’s Scottish Cup tie v Hibernian on Friday night.
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