Alloa Athletic 1 Dunfermline 0
Friday, 30th Apr 2021Scottish Championship: Seven changes in Pars starting eleven. Liam Dick (48) 1-0:
Match day 27, the final match of the 2020-2021 Championship season saw Dunfermline travel to Alloa. The home side had already been relegated but this match along with results from Dundee’s match in Dumfries would determine whether Dunfermline finished third or fourth.
Alloa with only two wins in their last nineteen matches faced opponents who had not won an away league match since they last visited the Indodrill Stadium in October.
Stevie Crawford made seven changes to his starting eleven. Cammy Gill took the place of Owain Fôn Williams in goal. Aaron Comrie, Vytas Gašpuitis, Lewis Mayo, Dom Thomas, Steven Whittaker and Craig Wighton were left out and in their places came Kyle Macdonald, Paul Watson, Euan Murray, Paul Allan, Kerr McInroy and Lewis McCann. A welcome sight was Scott Banks making a return to the squad with a place on the bench.
Alloa manager Peter Grant in his last match in charge, brought in Innes Murray, Stefan Scougall and Liam Dick with Jon Robertson, Steven Hetherington and Alan Trouten absent.
Alloa were out first before Dunfermline were led out by Euan Murray from the opposite end of the stadium. It was Kevin O’Hara got the match underway with a pass back to Paul Allan in his first league start for the Pars. The 21 year old headed away the early threat from a fifth minute Alloa free kick midway inside the Dunfermline half.
Four minutes later Gill was out sharpish to beat Innes Cameron to a pass towards the edge of the visitors box. Alloa created a great chance in 12th minute after Scott Taggart’s cross was headed on by Kyle Macdonald only for Cameron to get a crack at goal but his angled shot from 12 yards out was blasted high off target.
Ray Grant played the ball against Allan and the home side had a free kick 35 yards out that Innes Murray fired at the target but Gill held with ease. Referee Pater Stuart upset the Pars bench and layers in awarding a 17th minute free kick just 22 yards out but fortunately Taggart pinged the ball over the crossbar.
The first corner of the evening went Dunfermline’s way but Murray headed wide right when Henderson delivered from the left. Two more Dunfermline corners followed and when another Murray effort was cleared Henderson returned a great shot that Neil Parry turned over his bar.
Alloa were stringing together passes and creating opportunities that belied their lowly place and Grant was next to send an effort over the Fifers bar. Murray was then penalised for climbing at a 24th minute Pars corner before in the next minute Kerr McInroy set off on a direct run that he ended with a fierce low effort that was narrowly wide right.
A Henderson shot was then turned around the same post and from the corner Allan was picked out deep in the centre and Parry was made to save his well connected effort. In 29 minutes Declan McManus sent O’Hara scurrying down the right, he cut the ball back for McCann who tried a lay off to Henderson but it landed for Edwards and his effort was stopped by a desperate block.
Dunfermline were moving the ball about with pace and looked very comfortable on the surface that they train on. A superb run by Henderson created more danger but when he picked out O’Hara he switched play wide to the right but his cross cum shot was skied wide.
The best chance of the half came in 38 minutes when Allan sent Henderson with a great pass. The next ball looked an inviting one for O’Hara on the right but his shot was stopped by Parry and went behind for a corner off Dick.
McCann earned another corner in 41 minutes where McManus’ shot was deflected wide for another and when Henderson sent over the next Allan was able to get a shot in that Murray edged on but Parry held.
Dunfermline had eight first half corners to Alloa’s none and nine Pars shots to the Wasps four. 55% Dunfermline first half possession but no goals at the interval.
Half time: Alloa Athletic 0 Dunfermline 0
A neat pass from McCann inside for McManus allowed Dec a shot that slipped just wide left in 63 seconds but the opening goal was to come at the other end after 48 minutes. Cameron had hit the Dunfermline upright with a stinging shot and the home side would earn their first corner of the match. When the cross came over from the left DICK connected at the near post to direct the ball home. Confusion was created by the stadium announcer wrongly crediting the goal to Innes Murray but it was definitely the left back and just his second ever goal in 99 appearances for Alloa. 1-0
Dunfermline responded with some slick passing moves but were kept well away from Parry’s goal. In fact it was Cameron who had the next opportunity when he got his head to a Taggart cross but was high.
Ray Grant collected a yellow card on the hour when he crunched into Watson and from the free kick McManus and Murray tried to sneak the ball in at the left post but only a corner resulted. Henderson ‘s corner let O’Hara loose outside the left post and when he picked out McCann his header was cleared off the line.
Two substitutions in quick succession saw Lewis Mayo replace Euan Murray and then Scott Banks come on for Ewan Henderson. That saw a shuffle up of the Fifers formation with McManus moving upfront, McCann going to left midfield, Banks on the right and Allan and McInroy in the centre of the park.
Cameron headed over the bar from a corner on the right before McCann sent Banks into the centre of the Alloa box but he lost his footing before he could shoot. Minutes later the on loan Palace player did pop a shot from 25 yards out that was close but off target.
Craig Wighton had been introduced in place of Declan McManus in 72 minutes and it was the striker who laid a chance off for Banks but he was closed out before he could shoot. Gill made a good save from Alloa sub Lee Connelly but time was running away from Dunfermline.
A Wighton ball across the Alloa box looked dangerous but it could not be controlled by Banks. Next Banks burst down the right but his cross was blocked and the Alloa defence continued to frustrate Dunfermline. In 90th minute a Macdonald break up the right ended up with a long pass for Banks on the left side of the Alloa box but his stinging net bound shot came off the back of Taggart.
The Pars could not add to on their total of one away league win and would enter the play offs on the back of a defeat.
With Dundee registering a 2-0 win at Palmerston and Raith Rovers losing 4-0 at home to Hearts, it was the Dark Blues from Tayside who ended up in second place. Third placed Raith Rovers therefore would meet Dunfermline in the first Premiership play off on Tuesday night at East End Park.
SUBS NOT USED: Liam Buchanan, Adam Brown, Robert Thomson, Edin Lynch, Cameron O’Donnell, Reece Willison (GK).
SCORERS: Dick (48)
YELLOW CARD: Grant (60), Cameron (74)
DUNFERMLINE: Cammy Gill: Kyle Macdonald, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c) (Lewis Mayo 62), Josh Edwards: Paul Allan: Kerr McInroy, Declan McManus (Craig Wighton 72), Ewan Henderson (Scott Banks 64): Lewis McCann, Kevin O’Hara.
SUBS NOT USED: Aaron Comrie, Vytas Gašpuitis, Matthew Todd, Owain Fôn Williams (GK)
REFEREE: Peter Stuart
WEATHER: Cold Dry 8°C
ATTENDANCE
NEXT MATCH: Premiership Play Off, First Leg v Raith Rovers, Tuesday 4th May 2021, kick off 7.00pm at East End Park.
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Preview Alloa Athletic
Friday, 30th Apr 2021Scottish Championship (away) Friday 30th April 2021, 7.45pm kick off at the Indodrill Stadium behind closed doors
The final match of the Championship season sees Dunfermline Athletic travelling to face the already relegated Alloa Athletic.
Dunfermline will definitely be playing in the first leg of the Premiership Quarter Final play off which will be held on Tuesday 4th May (as amended by SPFL after this story went live) and the only thing remaining to be settled is against whom and where. The team in fourth place will host the third placed team in the first leg.
For the Pars a win could see them reach third place but that would depend on the already safe Queen of the South defeating Dundee. The Dens Park club will be going all out for a win though in the hope that they can leapfrog second placed, Raith Rovers if John McGlynn`s side do not manage to win at home to champions Hearts.
Milestones v Alloa Athletic (away)
Last Victory | 24/10/20 | 4-1 | Championship
Last Defeat | 09/11/19| 1-2 | Championship
Best Victory | 11/02/48 | 6-0 | Division B (two)
Worst Defeat | 26/04/52 | 4-5 | Division B (two)
First League meeting | 18/02/22 | 0-2 | Division Two
This is the 67th league match between the clubs and Alloa with 24 wins marginally hold the advantage. 20 have been drawn and 23 won by Dunfermline.
Although there had been cup knock outs and play off reversals, the Pars defeat at the Indodrill Stadium in November 2019 is their only away loss in a league match to Alloa Athletic since May 1979.
Last Time at Indrodrill Stadium
Alloa Athletic 1 Dunfermline 4
Saturday 24th October 2021, Championship
This was the Pars first away match of the delayed 2020-2021 league season and it got off to a very good start when a superb hooked ball from Fraser Murray sent Ryan DOW through to round the keeper for the seventh minute opener. 0-1
Alloa fought back and got their reward in added time at the end of the first half. Kevin CAWLEY met an Innes Murray ball in from the right and his header from the edge of the box looped over everyone into the net. 1-1
In 66th minute Kevin O’Hara came on for the injured Ryan Dow and the former Wasp really came back to sting his old club. Within 30 seconds O’HARA had his name on the scoresheet. A free kick taken by Fôn Williams created problems for Robertson whose header towards his keeper was intercepted by the sub who lifted the ball into the goal. 1-2
O’HARA certainly proved that he knew where the goals were at Alloa. Latching on to a neat interchange from sub Kyle Turner, through McManus for him to take into the box on the left side and hit the net just inside the right goalpost. 1-3
The possibility of a hattrick came with a 90th minute penalty kick awarded after Lynch had taken down Turner and referee Robertson pointed to the spot. Kevin O`HARA was handed the ball by McManus to step up and hammer the ball low to the keeper’s right. 1-4.
ALLOA ATHLETIC: Reece Willison: Jon Robertson, Scott Taggart, Edin Lynch, Liam Dick: Kevin Cawley, Ray Grant, Innes Murray (Liam Buchanan 74), Lee Connelly (Stefan Scougall 63): Alan Trouten, Robert Thomson.
SUBS NOT USED: Cameron O’Donnel, Andy Graham, Adam Brown, Blair Malcolm, Andy Wilson (GK).
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson (Lewis Mayo 51), Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker: Fraser Murray, Iain Wilson (Kyle Turner 71), Dom Thomas: Ryan Dow (Kevin O’Hara 66), Declan McManus.
SUBS NOT USED: Kerr McInroy, Lewis McCann, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)
Last 12 meetings against Alloa Athletic
Three Alloa wins, five Dunfermline wins with four drawn in the last twelve meetings.
20/02/21 | Dunfermline 2 Alloa Athletic 1 | Championship
24/10/20 | Alloa Athletic 1 Dunfermline 4 | Championship
28/12/19 | Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 3 | Championship
09/11/19 | Alloa Athletic 2 Dunfermline 1 | Championship
28/09/19 | Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 1 | Championship
07/09/19 | Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 2 | Tunnock’s CW Cup
09/03/19 | Alloa Athletic 0 Dunfermline 1 | Championship
05/01/19 | Dunfermline 2 Alloa Athletic 2 | Championship
03/11/18 | Alloa Athletic 0 Dunfermline 1 | Championship
13/10/18 | Dunfermline 2 Alloa Athletic 2 | Irn Bru Cup
15/09/18 | Dunfermline 0 Alloa Athletic 0 | Championship
21/01/17 | Alloa Athletic 2 Dunfermline 3 | Scottish Cup
Recent Form
Dunfermline’s win over Arbroath was their first back to back wins since November but they are now undefeated in their last five games. Away from home only Alloa has a worse record, Dunfermline`s only league success on the road was at Alloa earlier this season.
Alloa Athletic have won only one of their last twelve matches but at home only Dundee and Raith Rovers have defeated them in the six games since Hearts visit in January.
DUNFERMLINE
Arbroath (H) W 4-3
Queen of the South (H) W 3-1
Dundee ( H) D 0-0
Ayr United (A) D 1-1
Hearts (H) D 0-0
Raith Rovers (A) L 1-5
ALLOA ATHLETIC
Morton (A) D 1-1
Raith Rovers (H) L 1-2
Hearts (A) L 0-6
Arbroath (A) L 1-2
Ayr United (H) D 2-2
Dundee (H) L 0-3
Current League Stats
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 4th
League Points: 39
Goal Difference: +5
Away League Record: P12 W1 D6 L5 GF14 GA20
Last Six Match Form: LDDDWW
ALLOA ATHLETIC
League Position: 10th
League Points: 19
Goal Difference: -31
Home League Record: P13 W2 D5 L6 GF17 GA29
Last Six Match Form: LDLLLD
Last Six Home Match Form: WDDLDL
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Arbroath): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Vytas Gašpuitis (Paul Watson 65), Lewis Mayo, Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker (c): Dom Thomas, Declan McManus (Kerr McInroy 62), Ewan Henderson (Fraser Murray 79): Kevin O’Hara, Craig Wighton.
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis McCann, Paul Allan, Kyle Macdonald, Cammy Gill (GK)
ALLOA ATHLETIC (v Morton):Neil Parry: Scott Taggart, Andy Graham, Nicky Jamieson, Lucas Williamson, Steven Hetherington, Jon Robertson (Adam Brown 89), Ray Grant, Kevin Cawley, Alan Trouten (Liam Buchanan 66), Innes Cameron
SUBS NOT USED: Stefan Scougall, Lee Connelly, Innes Murray, Robert Thomson, Andy Wilson (GK), Reece Willison (GK).
Other Championship Fixtures
Arbroath v Morton
Inverness Caley Thistle v Ayr United
Queen of the South v Dundee
Raith Rovers v Hearts
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