Dunfermline 1 Arbroath 0

Saturday, 26th Dec 2020

Scottish Championship: Iain Wilson in for Kerr McInroy. Kevin O’Hara (90+1) 1-0

It was the first Boxing Day fixture between the teams since 1925 and it was a stormy affair. Storm Bella lashed East End Park with strong wind and swirling rain, conditions that the visitors regularly have to deal with at Gayfield.

Iain Wilson, a half time substitute for Kerr McInroy at Dens Park the previous Saturday retained his place but elsewhere Stevie Crawford went with the same players. Aaron Comrie returned to the match day squad and was on the bench.

Arbroath manager Dick Campbell had a full strength squad to select from and he named the same side and bench that defeated Ayr United last time out.

Kyle Turner kicked off with the home side defending the goal in front of the empty McCathie Stand. It was Luke Donnelly who got in the first attempt of the match in just the second minute but that was blocked by Paul Watson and James Craigen’s follow up suffered the same way.

Five minutes later Colin Hamilton struck an opportunists 30 yard shot that beat Owain Fôn Williams but was kept out by the right upright.

Euan Murray started a great move in 10th minute playing the ball off Wilson and then Thomas to break into the left side of the box and his cross was just behind the goal seeking Declan McManus and defence swept away the problem.

Arbroath keeper Derek Gaston had seen little of the ball but in 14 minutes he was called upon to make two tremendous saves. Turner fed Dow the ball on the right and his cross sat up nicely for McManus but from six yards he found the keeper and Dom Thomas latched on to the rebound only for the 33 year old stopper to save again.

The keeper dropped to his right to hold a 25 yard effort from McManus then when Dow went down in 22 minutes Thomas had an opportunity to create something from a free kick 25 yards out beyond the right edge of the Arbroath box. Steven Whittaker was the one who was picked out but despite getting a couple of touches the ball ended up in Gaston’s hands.

Donnelly then made a break after Watson was left injured inside the Arbroath half. In his absence the defence parted and the Arbroath no.15 was able to release a low shot that Fon Williams turned away for a corner on the right that was duly defended.

In 39th minute there were several Dunfermline chances after McManus burst into the Arbroath box. He appeared to be pushed as he tried to get his shot in, Dow followed up but his effort was blocked and then McManus, Thomas and Edwards all tried to beat the goalie. No success however and the Red Lichties broke and Josh Edwards did really well to prevent Dale Hilson getting in a shot at the other end.

As the rain got heavier Craigen tested Fon Williams from 25 yards in 44 minutes but at the interval it was all square. The half time stats would revealed 53% possession to Arbroath and the visitors five shots to the Pars three.

Half time: Dunfermline 0 Arbroath 0

Just four minutes into the second half Thomas played Edwards through into the box but as he shot his effort was blocked and a corner followed. Thomas delivered but Arbroath headed clear. Turner then picked out Thomas on the left and again he sent Edwards into the Arbroath box but Gaston held his cross.

Thomas earned a 55th minute corner off Ricky Little and this time he picked out Turner on the edge of the box. His well connected shot slipped outside the left goalpost.

Seven minutes later Turner did well to keep the ball in play and got the cut back in but no one could finish. There was a big let off at the mid point of the second half when Hamilton crossed the ball through the Pars six yard box. No one got a touch but Hilson came really close to turning it in.

The Angus side kept up the pressure with two Hamilton corners from the right in 71 minutes before Dunfermline introduced two subs, Aaron Comrie and Kerr McInroy, replacing Lewis Mayo and Steven Whittaker.

McManus just failed to get on the end of a Thomas cut back before, having been teed up by Dow, McInroy released a 86th minute shot that Gaston saved.

Dunfermline would get that long awaited goal in the first minute of added time. A Thomas cross from the right got no takers but when returned by Edwards, Kevin O’HARA headed in at the near post. 1-0

There was little time for Arbroath to come back and the Pars saw it out to secure their second place in the Championship three points behind Hearts and three ahead of Raith Rovers.

DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo (Aaron Comrie 72), Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker (Kerr McInroy 72): Ryan Dow, Iain Wilson (Kevin O’Hara 81), Kyle Turner, Dom Thomas: Declan McManus
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis McCann, Matty Bowman, Lucas Berry, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: O’Hara (90+1)
YELLOW CARD: Dow (24), McManus (76)

ARBROATH: Derek Gaston: Jason Thomson, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien, Colin Hamilton, Miko Virtanen, David Gold, James Craigen, Dale Hilson (Michael Ruth 87), Luke Donnelly (Kris Doolan 78), Michael McKenna (Scott Stewart 67)
SUBS NOT USED: Gavin Swankie, Bobby Linn, Connor Smith, Scott Gallacher (GK).
YELLOW CARD: Little (22), Thomson (90)

REFEREE: Steven Kirkland
WEATHER: Rain 6C
ATTENDANCE

NEXT MATCH: Scottish Championship: (away) v Inverness Caley Thistle, Tuesday 29th December 2020, 6.30pm kick off at the Caledonian Stadium behind closed doors.

50/50 Draw winner - 100011901 won £294


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Preview Arbroath

Saturday, 26th Dec 2020

Scottish Championship Saturday 26th December 2020, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park behind closed doors

This Championship match will be the 99th meeting of these two clubs and the Fifers have the advantage with 47 wins to Arbroath’s 30 with 21 games drawn. They have only met once before on Boxing Day - in 1925 - when the Pars won 3-0 at East End Park. 95 years on, with ten points separating the sides it will be second top Pars versus second bottom Red Lichties.

Milestones Arbroath (home)

Last Victory | 29/10/19 | 2-0 | Championship
Last Defeat | 17/08/13 | 2-3 | League One
Best Victory | 02/04/32 | 6-0 | Div Two*
Worst Defeat | 12/12/36 | 1-4 | Div One*
Last Goalless Draw | 22/03/86 | Div Two*
First Meeting | 17/04/22 | 5-1 | Div Two*
*Pre league reconstruction

The sides have met 75 times in the league, Dunfermline have won 33, Arbroath 24 and 18 matches have been drawn.

Last League Meeting at East End Park
Dunfermline 2 Arbroath 0
Championship, Tuesday 29th October 2019

Stevie Crawford was hoping that his side could follow up their first league home win against Ayr United with a win over the League One champions, Arbroath. With former Pars boss Dick Campbell at the helm the Gayfield club had made a good start to their Championship campaign taking 14 points from the first ten fixtures.

Two goals from Kevin Nisbet were to ensure another home win but it took until 59 minutes before the deadlock was broken. A long pass out of his own half by Paul Paton allowed Andy Ryan to create the opening taking the ball in on the right side of the Arbroath box. His cut back to the top of it presented NISBET with the chance and he bulged the left side of the net having sent keeper Derek Gaston the wrong way. 1-0

In 78 minutes a Paton pass set up NISBET, virtually in the same place from where he scored the first and with plenty time as the defenders claimed for offside, he picked his spot in the bottom right and the lead was doubled. 2-0

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully: Aaron Comrie, Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin, Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow (Harry Cochrane 87), Paul Paton (c), Kyle Turner, Greg Kiltie, Kevin Nisbet (Gabby McGill 90+3) Andy Ryan (Tom Beadling 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Danny Devine, Josh Coley, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)

ARBROATH: Derek Gaston: Jason Thomson (Ben Stirling 76), Ricky Little, Thomas O`Brien, Colin Hamilton: Michael McKenna, James Murphy, Miko Virtanen (Steven Doris 66), Bobby Linn, Josh Campbell: Luke Donnelly (Greig Spence 66).
SUBS NOT USED: Mark Whatley, David Gold, Omar Kader, Darren Jamieson (GK)

Twelve Most Recent Meetings

The Fifers have won nine of the last twelve fixtures, Arbroath two and one has been drawn.

28/11/20 | Arbroath 1-3 Dunfermline | League Cup
04/03/20 | Arbroath 0-0 Dunfermline | Championship
29/10/19 | Dunfermline 2-0 Arbroath | Championship
31/08/19 | Arbroath 1-0 Dunfermline | Championship
15/08/17 | Dunfermline 2-0 Arbroath | Challenge Cup
19/07/16 | Dunfermline 3-0 Arbroath | League Cup
25/07/15 | Arbroath 1-4 Dunfermline | Challenge Cup
26/04/14 | Arbroath 1-2 Dunfermline | League One
25/02/14 | Dunfermline 3-0 Arbroath | League One
21/12/13 | Arbroath 0-3 Dunfermline | League One
17/08/13 | Dunfermline 2-3 Arbroath | League One
31/07/10 | Dunfermline 5-2 Arbroath | League Cup

Recent Form

Dunfermline have now gone three games without a win and it is six games back at Ayr since they achieved a clean sheet but they have lost only one of their last 18 matches.

Form Last Six Matches

Dunfermline have won two of their last six matches, and lost just one of their last ten league games. Arbroath have won only one of their last ten league matches and that was on Saturday against Ayr United.

DUNFERMLINE
Dundee (A) D 3-3
St Johnstone (H) D 1-1
Morton (H) L 1-2
Raith Rovers (H) D 2-2
Arbroath (A) W 3-1
Hearts (H) W 2-1

ARBROATH
Ayr United (H) W 2-1
Alloa Athletic (H) L 0-1
Dundee (A) L 0-1
Dunfermline (H) L 1-3
Morton (A) D 0-0
Elgin City (H) W 3-0

Current League Stats

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 2nd
League Points: 15
Goal Difference: +6
League Record: P8 W4 D3 L1 GF18 GA12
Last Six Match Form: WWDLDD

ARBROATH
League Position: 9th
League Points: 5
Goal Difference: -7
League Record: P8 W1 D2 L5 GF4 GA11
Last Six Match Form: WDLLLW

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Dundee): Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker (Lewis McCann 77): Ryan Dow, Kerr McInroy (Iain Wilson HT), Kyle Turner, Dom Thomas (Kevin O’Hara 54): Declan McManus
SUBS NOT USED: Matty Bowman, Miller Fenton, Lucas Berry, Cammy Gill (GK)

ARBROATH (v Ayr United): Derek Gaston: Jason Thomson, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien, Colin Hamilton, Miko Virtanen, David Gold, James Craigen (Scott Stewart 84), Dale Hilson (Michael Ruth 84), Luke Donnelly (Kris Doolan 83), Michael McKenna.
SUBS NOT USED: Gavin Swankie, Bobby Linn, Connor Smith, Scott Gallacher (GK).

Referee will be Steven Kirkland, his first game in charge of a Pars match since at Partick in March this year.

Other Boxing Day Championship Fixtures

Alloa Athletic v Raith Rovers
Hearts v Ayr United
Morton v Inverness Caley Thistle
Queen of the South v Dundee

⚽️ Fixture amendment

📆 Tuesday December 29
🏆 Scottish Championship
🏟 @ICTFC v @officialdafc
⌚️ Kick-off 6.30pm

▪️Brought forward from 7.45pm at the request of the clubs

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