Raith Rovers 2 Dunfermline 2
Saturday, 5th Dec 2020Scottish Championship: same starting eleven for Dunfermline. Manny Duku (27) 1-0: Frankie Musonda (64) 2-0: Fraser Murray (73) 2-1: Declan McManus (74) 2-2:
Following Raith Rovers promotion back out of League One, this was the first league match between the teams since April 2017. Raith Rovers had made a good start to their season and with ten points from the opening five Championship matches, they sat third behind their undefeated rivals who were enjoying themselves as league leaders and wanted to stay there. Irrespective of the usual derby day stakes Raith had the added incentive that a win would take them above the Pars on goal difference.
With Steven Whittaker still out with a hamstring injury, Stevie Crawford named an unchanged starting eleven. Paul Smith also named an unchanged starting eleven since he had Iain Davidson out with a thigh tear and Lewis Vaughan missing after having an operation to tidy up scar tissue on his hamstring.
Covid-19 restrictions meant that there were no spectators in the ground making this a very different atmosphere inside Starks Park. Nevertheless there was an air of expectancy amongst the privileged Directors, scouts and media as the teams emerged from different areas in the south east corner of the ground.
After one minute silence in memory of Diego Maradona, it was Regan Hendry and Dylan Tait who got the derby underway with the Rovers attacking the goal in front of the empty McDermid Stand.
Raith won the first corner of the match within three minutes and when taken short on the left by Hendry to Ethan Ross the former Par loan player hit the right goalpost with a good attempt.
Owain Fôn Williams was in action on eight minutes after Regan Tumilty broke into the right side of the Pars box and tested the Welshman was a decent effort.
Dunfermline’s first attempt came next minute from Declan McManus whose shot from an Iain Wilson pass went wide left. Ten minutes past before Ryan Dow was sent off on a run down the right wing. He used his speed and had two teammates more central but elected to shoot and his shot was beaten away by Jamie Macdonald only for Dow to send the rebound over.
On twenty minutes Dom Thomas was wide left to send over an inviting cross that just evaded Kyle Turner. This was a welcome period of pressure on the home defence.
The Rovers opened the scoring in 27th minute from a Dan Armstrong free kick 35 yards out on the right that picked out Manny DUKU at the far post. Fon Williams partied the ball but the big Dutchman netted from close in. 1-0
Tumilty and Armstrong exchanged passes twice before the full back’s shot was deflected into the sidenetting by Fôn Williams. There was a fright for the home side in 37 minutes when Wilson’s through ball caused Jamie Macdonald to race out to the edge of his box to try and deny Dow but the ball rebounded off the back of Dow and dropped wide right of the goal.
Two minutes from the break Thomas floated the ball in from a free kick on the left side 30 yards out but the referee blew presumably for excessive pushing as Mayo, Watson and Murray attacked the ball.
It had been a first half in which Raith enjoyed 54% possession, they had more shots on target, more corners and of course the all important goal.
Half time: Raith Rovers 1 Dunfermline 0
Turner kicked the second half off and Josh Edwards pushed up the left to try and pick out Dow. The vice captain might have got a touch on it but not enough as the ball ended up in the sidenetting.
Frankie Musonda was shown yellow for cutting down Thomas midway inside his half and from the 50th minute free kick Thomas did not manage to pick out his team mates in the box. A Pars shot did transpire but when it did Lewis Mayo drove it low and the keeper held without any difficulty.
Wilson then saw yellow after tripping Ross and from the free kick some 30 yards out Hendry sent the ball over the crossbar. Dunfermline then made two substitutions in 57 and 58 with Aaron Comrie and then Fraser Murray coming on. In between Musonda headed a Hendry cross on to the Pars bar.
Fôn Williams beat away a 63rd minute shot from Ross Matthews but two corners followed and from the second sent in by Ross from the right, Duku met it but the ball was among beyond the right upright until MUSONDA headed home to make it 2-0.
Kevin O’Hara replaced Kerr McInroy before in 72 minutes McManus glanced an Edwards cross wide right. A minute later McManus payed a great ball to Fraser MURRAY who found himself in space on the left, he cut inside Tumilty and finished low into the bottom right from 18 yards. 2-1
The visitors looked a side reinvented and they hit another just two minutes later when with a good pass in from the right side, Dow teed up McMANUS for a special finish that gave the keeper no chance. 2-2. Just imagine what it would have been like in front of a stand full of Pars fans!
Comrie headed behind a cross from Kieran Macdonald to give Raith an 84th minute corner that was successfully defended. O’Hara intercepted a pass and was heading for goal when Musonda’s tackle took him down but no foul.
Both teams pushed for a winner but a draw it ended up. Hearts go top of the league with their 2-0 win at Cappielow and the Pats in second place are one point behind.
SUBS NOT USED: Fernandy Meney, Gozie Ugwu, Quinn Coulson, Luke Mahady, Robbie Thomson (GK).
SCORERS: Duku (27), Musonda (64)
YELLOW CARD: Musonda (50), Matthews (79), Armstrong (89)
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo (Aaron Comrie 57), Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Ian Wilson (Fraser Murray 58): Ryan Dow, Kerr McInroy (Kevin O’Hara 69), Dom Thomas: Kyle Turner: Declan McManus
SUBS NOT USED: Matty Bowman, Lewis McCann, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: F Murray (73), McManus (74)
YELLOW CARD: McInroy (29), Mayo (47), Wilson (54)
REFEREE: Euan Anderson
WEATHER: Fine 5°C
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: Scottish Championship: (home) v Morton, Saturday 12th December 2020, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park behind closed doors.
Views : 6,180
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Raith Rovers 2-2 Dunfermline
Sat, 5th Dec 2020
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Preview Raith Rovers
Saturday, 5th Dec 2020Scottish Championship: (away) Saturday 5th December 2020, 3.00pm kick off at Starks Park behind closed doors.
Following the Rovers relegation to League One it is now almost four years such since the Pars visited Starks Park on league business so it is great to have the local rivals back in the same league. As much as many Pars fans may have enjoyed watching the Rovers demotion, the fixture is still a popular one with both sets of fans.
This will be the 50th league visit to Starks Park where Dunfermline hold the upper hand with 19 wins to Raith’s 15 with the same number drawn.
Raith Rovers are the undefeated in their four home matches this season and their league form is such that a derby day win would put them level on points and above league leaders Dunfermline on goal difference.
Milestones v Raith Rovers (away)
Last League Victory | 02/01/17 | 2-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat | 20/08/16 | 0-2 | Championship
Best League Victory | 29/10/94 | 5-2 | Div One (old)
Worst League Defeat | 01/01/83 | 0-6 | Div One (old)
Last Goalless Draw | 08/09/81 | 0-0 | Division One
First League Meeting | 24/03/28 | 1-5 | Div One (old)
In the last dozen league fixtures the Pars have won seven of them, Raith three and two have ended all square. Dunfermline lost on their last visit to Kirkcaldy.
Last twelve meetings
2018/2019
Scottish Cup | Raith Rovers 3 Dunfermline 0 | 19/01/19
2016/2017
Championship | Dunfermline 1-0 Raith Rovers | 08/04/17
Championship | Raith Rovers 0-2 Dunfermline | 02/01/17
Championship | Dunfermline 0-0 Raith Rovers | 05/11/16
Championship | Raith Rovers 2-0 Dunfermline | 20/08/16
2014/2015
League Cup | Dunfermline 1-0 Raith Rovers | 05/08/14
2013/2014
League Cup | Dunfermline 0-2 Raith Rovers | 20/08/13
2012/2013
First Division | Raith Rovers 1-1 Dunfermline | 17/11/12
First Division | Dunfermline 1-0 Raith Rovers | 02/01/13
First Division | Raith Rovers 1-3 Dunfermline | 17/11/12
First Division | Dunfermline 3-1 Raith Rovers | 01/09/12
2010/2011
First Division | Dunfermline 2-1 Raith Rovers | 23/04/11
Last Meeting at Starks Park
Scottish Cup 19th January 2019
Raith Rovers 3 Dunfermline 0
The first Scottish Cup tie between these rivals for over 33 years attracted a crowd of over 6000, filling parts of Starks Park that many had forgotten about. The home manager, John McGlynn said in his programme notes that he hoped that all connected with Dunfermline would enjoy a traditional San Starko welcome!
Ten minutes into the second half and still at 0-0 the cup tie changed as a result of a red card shown to Pars captain Lee Ashcroft, deemed to be for a last man foul 20 yards out on Chris Duggan.
Raith went ahead from a 70th minute penalty. Mark Durnan tussled with Duggan in the box, referee Madden pointed to the penalty spot. Lewis VAUGHAN stepped up and found the left side of the net. 1-0
Raith Rovers struck again in 79th minute after a strong run up the right by Duggan to latch on to a through ball from Euan Murray. His cross was met with a stylist diving header from VAUGHAN 2-0.
To make matters worse a defensive mistake two minutes later let VAUGHAN in to complete his first ever hat trick at professional level as he crashed the ball home from the edge of the box for 3-0. For the 2794 travelling Pars fans the cup knock out was a bitter defeat.
RAITH ROVERS: Robbie Thomson: Euan Murray, Iain Davidson, Kyle Benedictus, Calum Crane: Dan Armstrong (Liam Buchanan 88), Grant Gillespie, Nat Wedderburn, Nathan Flanagan, Lewis Vaughan: Chris Duggan.
SUBS NOT USED: Tony Dingwall, Jamie Watson, David McKay, Ross Matthews, Jack Smith, Dean Lyness (GK).
DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: James Craigen, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: Tom Beadling: Myles Hippolyte (Mark Durnan 57), Joe Thomson, James Vincent, Kallum Higginbotham (Matthew Todd 90): Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Robbie Muirhead 71).
SUBS NOT USED: Aidan Connolly, Callum Smith, Paul Allan, Cammy Gill (GK)
Recent Form
Dunfermline are undefeated in their ten matches this season are unbeaten away from home since 11th January. Raith Rovers are undefeated in their four home games this season and have yet to concede in the league at Starks Park.
DUNFERMLINE
Arbroath (A) W 3-1
Hearts (H) W 2-1
Clyde (H) W 3-2
Ayr United (A) D 0-0
Queen of the South (H) W 3-2
Alloa Athletic (A) W 4-1
RAITH ROVERS
Inverness Caley Thistle (A) L 0-2
Cowdenbeath (A) W 1-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) D 3-3
Morton (H) W 5-0
Dundee (A) D 1-1
Queen of the South (A) W 5-2
Current League Stats
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 1st
League Points: 13
Goal Difference: +7
League Record: P5 W4 D1 L0 GF12 GA5
Last Six Match Form: WWDWWW
RAITH ROVERS
League Position: 3rd
League Points: 10
Goal Difference: +9
League Record: P5 W3 D1 L1 GF14 GA5
Last Six Match Form: WDWDWL
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Arbroath): Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Ian Wilson: Ryan Dow, Kerr McInroy, Dom Thomas (Fraser Murray 90): Kyle Turner (Aaron Comrie 84): Declan McManus (Kevin O’Hara 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Steven Whittaker, Matty Bowman, Lewis McCann, Miller Fenton, Lucas Berry, Cammy Gill (GK)
As a consequence of being out of the Betfred Cup, Raith Rovers did not have a match last Saturday.
RAITH ROVERS (v Inverness Caley Thistle): Jamie Macdonald: Reghan Tumilty, Kieran Macdonald, Kyle Benedictus, Frankie Musonda, Daniel Armstrong, Regan Hendry, Ross Matthews, Dylan Tait (Brad Spencer 75), Ethan Ross (Lars Lokotsch 55), Manny Duku
SUBS NOT USED: Fernandy Meney, Gozie Ugwu, Quinn Coulson, Robbie Thomson (GK).
Referee will be Euan Anderson.
Other Championship Fixtures
Queen of the South v Inverness Caley Thistle (Friday)
Alloa Athletic v Ayr United
Dundee v Arbroath
Morton v Hearts
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