Dunfermline 0 Ayr United 0
Saturday, 23rd Jan 2021Scottish Championship: Kyle Turner starts in place of Lewis McCann
For the second time this season these two sides played out a goalless draw. Both had chances to win it but in the end a point each was possibly fair.
Dunfermline Athletic hoped to strengthen their position in second place in the Championship with a seventh home win of the season. Their last home game was back on Boxing Day and in this first home match of 2021 the opposition were seventh placed, Ayr United. Stevie Crawford made one change, Kyle Turner being preferred to Lewis McCann. Recent signing Kyle Macdonald was on the bench.
Ayr seeking their first win since the first week in December, made two changes to the eleven that started their last match against Queen of the South. Corrie Ndaba, recently arrived on loan from Ipswich Town, and Aaron Muirhead came in for Sam Roscoe and Patrick Reading.
Cleared snow lined the pitch and the teams changed ends before Turner kicked off for the Pars attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end. It was seven minutes into the game before there was any attempts at goal and Ryan Dow’s effort from the edge of the box was deflected behind for a corner on the right.
The corner was defended but when Ayr’s Finnish keeper Vijami Sinisalo spilled the ball he was fortunate that Declan McManus was just out of reach to capitalise on it. Next Iain Wilson tried a shot from outside the box that was blocked.
Ayr forced a 13th minute corner on the left but when Tom Walsh delivered he curled out beyond the far post. Back on the attack Wilson picked out Dom Thomas and he sent an inviting ball through the Ayr six yard box without getting any takers.
There was a distinct lack of goalmouth action with midfielders seeing most of the ball until a sweeping move on the half hour set up a chance for Dow. Wilson headed the ball down for Thomas and passes through McManus and Turner ultimately found the vice captain on the right wing and he thrashed a low drive on target but the keeper held.
Thomas pumped a 36th minute free kick on the edge of the centre circle into the Ayr box, it was defended but Wilson was able to crack an effort from 25 yards that was deflected away. Wilson collected wide on the left and his cross travelled through the six yard box with Dow closest to breaking the deadlock.
An Aaron Comrie foul on Joe Chalmers gave Walsh the chance to fire over the free kick from wide left. The defended ball dropped for Luke McCowan and his 20 yard effort went just wide right. Ayr’s best chance of the half.
It had been an uneventful first half just one corner a piece, two shots for the home side, one for the visitors.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Ayr United 0
Ayr had a great chance from a 48th minute cross from the right. Walsh almost converted at the far post but Owain Fon Williams did fantastically well to keep the ball out.
Four minutes later a superb move with Turner and Wilson combining to feed Comrie on the overlap presented McManus with a great chance eight yards out. The striker, just in front of the cut back was unable to get a decent shot in and Ayr survived.
Thomas curled a 55th minute corner into the six yard box and another two corners followed but the final one was all too easily cleared away by Dario Zanatta. Next chance came from a free kick in the centre of the Ayr half. Thomas sent the ball towards the far left of the box where Euan Murray headed the ball across the box. The chance fell for Dow but his 62nd minute volley escaped over the crossbar.
Michael Moffat came on for Dario Zanatta and then midway through the half the first Dunfermline substitution brought Lewis McCann into the action. The Pars sub almost had the immediate impact that was required but a corner on the right ended up with McCann scooping his chance over the crossbar.
Ayr pushed up and Steven Whittaker was in the heart of breaking up things before he was subbed for Lewis Mayo in 76 minutes. It was Ayr who almost got the opener next minute when Moffat latched on to a misplaced McCann pass but there was great relief as the former Pars favourite rolled the ball narrowly wide of the far post.
Fraser Murray replaced Dom Thomas for the final 12 minutes and he took responsibility for two 82nd minute corners with Mayo hitting his chance to score over the crossbar.
McManus drove a 30 yard free kick wide of the left Ayr upright and despite both sides having good second half chances it was to remain goalless at the end. 242 minutes of football between these sides without a goal.
Dunfermline remain second but with Raith Rovers winning at Tynecastle it was a missed opportunity to make up more than one point on the league leaders.
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Kevin O’Hara, Kerr McInroy, Cammy Gill (GK)
AYR UNITED: Viljami Sinisalo: Michael Miller, Jack Baird (c), Aaron Muirhead, Corrie Ndaba: Andy Murdoch, Joe Chalmers: Cammy Smith: Tom Walsh, Luke McCowan, Dario Zanatta (Michael Moffat 65).
SUBS NOT USED: Patrick Reading, Mark McKenzie, Jordan Houston, Mark Kerr, Sam Roscoe-Byrne, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK)
REFEREE: Don Robertson
WEATHER: Cold 2°C
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: Scottish Championship (away) v Hearts, Saturday 30th January 2021, kick off 3.00pm at Tynecastle Park behind closed doors
50/50 Draw Winner Number 100012404 won £326
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Preview Ayr United
Saturday, 23rd Jan 2021Scottish Championship: Saturday 23rd January 2021, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park behind closed doors
Ayr United come to East End Park on Saturday seeking their first win since the first week in December. Dunfermline Athletic defeated Arbroath in their last home match back on Boxing Day and having played out a goalless draw in their first meeting, both sides would dearly like to take maximum points from this encounter.
These sides have played 52 league matches at East End Park with the home side winning 27 times to the away team’s 13. 12 have been drawn.
Dunfermline 0-1 Ayr United
Sat, 4th Jan 2020
Milestones v Ayr United (home)
Last League Victory | 19/10/19 | 3-2 | Championship
Last League Defeat | 04/01/20 | 0-1 | Championship
Best League Victory | 10/12/94 | 6-0 | First Division
Worst League Defeat | 13/10/73 | 0-4 | Div One (old)
Last Goalless League match | 22/12/18 | Championship
First League meeting | 30/11/1912 | 0-0 | Div Two (old)
Last time at East End Park
Dunfermline 0 Ayr United 1
Championship, Saturday 4th January 2020
The opening league match of 2020 saw Mark Kerr’s Ayr United as the first foots. It was fifth against fourth and a great incentive for Dunfermline was that three points would see them leapfrog their opponents.
The only goal of the match was scored 38th minute. Forrest burst through on the left and his shot towards goal was touched past Ryan Scully by Craig MOORE. 0-1
Despite all attempts there was to be no way through the Ayr defence and after five successive home wins Dunfermline had now lost the two over the Festive period.
DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully: Aaron Comrie, Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin, Josh Edwards: Paul Paton (c), Kyle Turner (Matt Todd 82), Ethan Ross (Lewis McCann 65): Ryan Dow (Joe Thomson 56), Kevin Nisbet, Greg Kiltie.
SUBS NOT USED: Gabby McGill, Euan Murray, Josh Edwards, Cammy Gill (GK)
AYR UNITED: Ross Doohan: Andy Geggan (Jordan Houston 54), Aaron Muirhead, Steven Bell, Daniel Harvie: Alan Forrest, Ross Docherty, Mark Kerr, Luke McCowan (Craig McGuffie 62), Stephen Kelly, Craig Moore (Michael Moffat 77).
SUBS NOT USED: Mark McKenzie, Sam Roscoe, Kris Doolan, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK).
Last Twelve League Meetings v Ayr United
Dunfermline have won four of the last twelve league matches, Ayr United four and four have been drawn. The Pars have won only once in the six six games at East End Park.
Date | H/A | F-A | W D L | League
7/11/20 | A | 0-0 | D | Championship
04/01/20 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
03/12/19 | A | 1-0 | W | Championship
19/10/19 | H | 3-2 | W | Championship
29/03/19 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
23/02/19 | A | 1-0 | W | Championship
22/12/18 | H | 0-0 | D | Championship
25/08/18 | A | 1-4 | L | Championship
18/03/17 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
07/01/17 | A | 2-0 | W | Championship
03/12/16 | H | 1-1 | D | Championship
01/10/16 | A | 0-0 | D | Championship
Recent Form
Dunfermline only lost four matches in 2020 but one of them was against Ayr United. The Fifers are undefeated in their last five matches since the home defeat to Morton on 12th December. Apart from that they have won every home league match this season.
Ayr United have managed just one win in their last seven games. Their three league wins this season have been against Queen of the South, Dundee and at Alloa.
Mark Kerr’s side were denied the opportunity to get back to winning ways with the postponement of their Scottish Cup tie at Elgin and their league fixtures at home to Alloa and away to Dundee.
DUNFERMLINE
Morton (A) D 0-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (A) D 1-1
Arbroath (H) W 1-0
Dundee (A) D 3-3
St Johnstone (H) D 1-1
Morton (H) L 1-2
AYR UNITED
Queen of the South (A) L 2-3
Morton (H) D 0-0
Hearts (A) L 3-5
Arbroath (A) L 1-2
Raith Rovers (H) D 0-0
Alloa Athletic (A) W 2-0
Current League Stats
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 2nd
League Points: 19
Goal Difference: +7
League Record: P11 W5 D5 L1 GF20 GA13
Last Six Match Form: LDDWDD
AYR UNITED
League Position: 6th
League Points: 13
Goal Difference: 0
League Record: P11 W3 D4 L4 GF16 GA16
Last Six Match Form: WDLLDL
Last time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Morton): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker: Ryan Dow, Iain Wilson (Kyle Turner 67), Dom Thomas (Fraser Murray 76): Lewis McCann (Kevin O’Hara 82), Declan McManus.
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Mayo, Kerr McInroy, Matthew Todd, Cammy Gill (GK)
AYR UNITED (v Queen of the South): Viljami Sinisalo: Andy Murdoch (Michael Hewitt 79), Jack Baird (c), Sam Roscoe-Byrne, Patrick Reading: Joe Chalmers: Cammy Smith, Michael Miller, Tom Walsh (Michael Moffat 50), Luke McCowan: Dario Zanatta (Mark McKenzie 68).
SUBS NOT USED: Jordan Houston, Mark Kerr, Paul Smith, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK)
Other Championship Fixtures
Arbroath v Dundee (Friday)
Hearts v Raith Rovers
Inverness Caley Thistle v Alloa Athletic
Queen of the South v Morton
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