Kilmarnock 2 Dunfermline 0

Saturday, 9th Apr 2022

cinch Championship: Ryan Dow starts in place of Liam Polworth. Kyle Lafferty (26) 1-0: Oli Shaw (76) 2-0:

It was a disappointing afternoon for the Pars in Ayrshire as Derek McInnes’ side put on one of their best performances of the season to strengthen their promotion aspirations.

Match 32 of the 36 schedule took Dunfermline to the BBSP Rugby Park Stadium in search of three more precious league points. There was plenty at stake for both sides, the Fifers trying to preserve their league status and Kilmarnock after three more points towards the title and a return to the Premier League after a season’s absence.

On loan Kilmarnock player Liam Polworth dropped out of the Dunfermline side and Ryan Dow came in, the only change from the side that defeated Raith Rovers on Wednesday night.

Killie manager Derek McInnes made two changes, Calum Waters was out through injury, Jack Sanders was on the bench and in came Dean Campbell and Lee Hodson.

The Fifers kicked off through Kevin O’Hara defending the goal immediately in front of the 419 strong, travelling support in the Chadwick Stand. Within two minutes Jakub Stolarczyk was tested by Blair Alston, the on loan Leicester City keeper tipping the fierce 30 yard shot over his crossbar.

Dunfermline’s first threat came from an eighth minute free kick that Dom Thomas lobbed in towards the far post with Coll Donaldson the target. His effort was deflected into the sidenetting and the corner did not make any impact. The visitors relied on their keeper and the crossbar to keep Killie out two minutes later. Kyle Lafferty’s header was palmed away and then Brad Lyons smashed the follow up from an angle on to the woodwork.

The Pars then had two chances, the first when Steven Lawless cut back for O’Hara but the shot went wide and then from a quickly taken free kick Thomas presented with the chance from Dow, found keeper Zach Hemming with his shot.

Killie had seen more of the ball and in 26 minutes when the ball was played in from the right, LAFFERTY was on hand to stick the ball home for the opener. A driving run from Lyons and the lay off to Alston allowed the Killie man to chip the ball for the Northern Ireland striker at the far post. 1-0

Dan Pybus handled the ball 20 yards out on the left side giving Lafferty to try and find the target from the 32nd minute free kick. The striker’s right footed shot came off the back of Pybus on the end of a five man wall, and behind for a corner that changed nothing.

A free kick 8 yards out on the right side then gave Thomas another chance to play the ball into the Killie box but with all eleven home players in their own box it was no surprise that it was a home boot that cleared.

Half time: Kilmarnock 1 Dunfermline 0

Dow forced a corner just four minutes into the second period and when delivered into the Killie box there was a very obvious tug on Efe Ambrose’s jersey but no penalty was given. Instead skipper Lawless collected a yellow card for his protests.

At the other end Oli Shaw got a good connection on a Lafferty pass but Stolarczyk pulled off an excellent diving save to his right. Lafferty then came close from a 56th minute corner, the Irishman’s low drive grazing right upright. The pressure continued on the Dunfermline goal with Lyons teeing up Shaw and his powerful shot broke off Ambrose for a corner on the left.

Next Stephen McGinn set up Shaw for a header at the right post and Stolarczyk made a miraculous save to keep the ball out. Dunfermline made two substitutions before the hour mark Aaron Comrie and Lewis McCann replacing Dan Pybus and Steven Lawless but Stolarczyk was called upon to make yet another superb save this time to prevent McGinn finding the top left corner of his net.

Nikolay Todorov came on for Kevin O’Hara in 65 minutes but still Kilmarnock push up deep into the Pars final third and again Stolarczyk pulled off a fantastic save from Shaw. Two more Dunfermline subs followed with Rhys Breen and Bobby Kamwa taking over from Joe Chalmers and Dom Thomas.

It was Kilmarnock who made the difference however from a Fraser Murray corner. When the ball came over from the right SHAW headed forcefully home giving Stolarczyk little chance this time. The 23 year old former Hibs youth’s fifteenth goal of the season made it 2-0.

There were 14 minutes remaining but that second goal gave the home side a comfortable cushion. No matter what the Fifers did the Ayrshire team snuffed out the danger although Hemming did have to parry away an on target Kamwa shot in the final minute.

The result left Dunfermline in ninth place, three points behind Ayr United whose came back from two down to hold Inverness Caley Thistle to a draw at Somerset Park.

KILMARNOCK: Zach Hemming: Lee Hodson (Jack Sanders 72), Ash Taylor, Chris Stokes (c), Brad Lyons: Fraser Murray (Dylan McGowan 87), Dean Campbell (Daniel Armstrong 89), Blair Alston, Stephen McGinn (Chris Burke 87), Oli Shaw, Kyle Lafferty (Rumarn Burrell 89).
SUBS NOT USED: Daniel MacKay, Euan Murray, Jason Naismith, Sam Walker (GK).
SCORERS: Lafferty (26), Shaw (76)
YELLOW CARD: Lyons (48), Alston (73)

DUNFERMLINE: Jakub Stolarczyk: Matthew Todd, Coll Donaldson, Efe Ambrose, Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow, Dan Pybus (Aaron Comrie 59), Joe Chalmers (Rhys Breen 69), Dom Thomas (Bobby Kamwa 69): Steven Lawless (c) (Lewis McCann 59), Kevin O’Hara (Nikolay Todorov 65).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Leon Jones, Reece Cole, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Lawless (50)

REFEREE: Steven Kirkland
WEATHER: Sunny 9°C
ATTENDANCE 5013

NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship (home) v Ayr United, Saturday 16th April 2022, kick off 3.00pm.

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Preview Kilmarnock

Saturday, 9th Apr 2022

cinch Championship (away) v Kilmarnock, Saturday 9th April 2022, kick off 3.00pm at the BBSP Rugby Park Stadium.

The Pars return to Kilmarnock just eight weeks after a narrow defeat in a match that the Fifers felt they should have taken something from. Kilmarnock since then have picked up 17 points out of a possible 21 while Dunfermline have taken nine points from their seven matches. The Ayrshire side have consequently consolidated their place at the top of the table while Dunfermline are still trying desperately hard to win sufficient points to avoid the play offs.

In total the clubs have met 144 times, Dunfermline winning 49 and Killie 43. At Rugby Park Dunfermline have won 17 of their 72 matches there against Kilmarnock, the home side winning 32 and 24 drawn.


Milestones Kilmarnock (Away)


Last Victory | 21/01/12 | 3-0 | SPL

Last Defeat | 12/02/22 | 1-2 | Championship

Best Victory | 16/11/74 | 4-2 | Division One

Worst Defeat | 02/12/06 | 1-5 | SPL

Last Goalless Draw | 26/12/01 | SPL

First Meeting | 28/08/26 | 3-2 | Division One

*Pre league reconstruction



Last Meeting at Rugby Park
cinch Championship

Steven Lawless made up for a first half miss by firing the Pars into the lead. Unfortunately that flipped Killie into a determined comeback with two goals from Kyle Lafferty earning the points.

The match was goalless until the Pars hit on the break in 59th minute. Edwards was able to make the move down the left channel, he released the ball to McCann to his left and his cross was perfect for LAWLESS at the far post to send the net bulging. 0-1

An equaliser came midway through the half from LAFFERTY. Alston got the better of Ambrose on the right edge of the penalty area and he had plenty time to tee up his team mate for the goal. 1-1

Kilmarnock had been piling on the pressure seeking a winner and they duly got their second goal in 83 minutes. Donaldson’s efforts to stop a cross from the right sat up sweetly for LAFFERTY to score with an overhead kick. 2-1

KILMARNOCK: Zach Hemming: Lee Hodson, Chris Stokes (c), Euan Murray (Jack Sanders 85), Calum Waters: Blair Alston (Dylan Tait 88), Stephen McGinn, Rory McKenzie, Dean Campbell (Chris Burke HT), Kyle Lafferty, Fraser Murray (Daniel MacKay 73).
SUBS NOT USED: Jason Naismith, Liam Polworth, Daniel Armstrong, Oli Shaw, Sam Walker (GK)

DUNFERMLINE: Jakub Stolarczyk: Aaron Comrie, Coll Donaldson, Efe Ambrose, Josh Edwards: Reece Cole (Matthew Todd 73), Graham Dorrans (c), Joe Chalmers: Steven Lawless, Lewis McCann (Kevin O’Hara 79), Ryan Dow.
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Nikolay Todorov, Rhys Breen, Paul Allan, Dom Thomas, Leon Jones, Owain Fôn Williams (GK)

Over the last twelve league meetings, Kilmarnock have had the upper hand winning six of the contests. DA have managed to win only two with four games ended up all square.



Last Twelve League Matches v Kilmarnock


Date . .H/A F-A . . Scorers

26/02/22: H 0-0
12/02/22 A 1-2 [1-0] Lawless, [1-1] Lafferty, [1-2] Lafferty

16/10/21 H 2-2 [0-1] Hendry, [1-1] Thomas, [1-2] Shaw, [2-2] Comrie

12/05/12 H 1-2 [1-0] Willis, [1-1] Kelly, [1-2] Winchester

07/02/12 H 1-1 [0-1] Fowler, [1-1] Kirk

21/01/12 A 3-0 [1-0] Barrowman, [2-0] Cardle, [3-0] Buchanan

10/09/11 A 2-3 [1-0] J Thomson, [1-1] Heffernan, [1-2] Heffernan, [2-2] R Thomson, [2-3] Kroca

17/02/07 H 1-1 [0-1] Naismith, [1-1] Crawford

02/12/06 A 1-5 [0-1] Hay, [1-1] Crawford, [1-2] Di Giacomo, [1-3] Di Giacomo, [1-4] Nish, [1-5] Nish

09/09/06 H 3-2 [0-1] Invincible, [1-1] Young, [1-2] Wales, [2-2] Mason, [3-2] Crawford

04/03/06 A 0-1 [0-1] Invincible

03/12/05 H 0-1 [0-1] Boyd



Recent Form



Dunfermline have won two of their last three matches. They have lost their last two away matches at Arbroath and Inverness but these are their only losses in their last seven matches. 

Kilmarnock have won their last five home league games and are undefeated in their last eight league matches since their 2-1 home defeat to Ayr United on 9th February.

Last six matches



DUNFERMLINE

Raith Rovers (H) W 2-0

Inverness Caley Thistle (A) L 0-2

Partick Thistle (H) W 4-1

Morton (H) D 1-1

Hamilton Academical (A) D 2-2

Arbroath (A) L 0-1



KILMARNOCK 

Morton (A) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (H) W 2-1

Queen of the South (H) W 2-1

Ayr United (A) W 3-1

Hamilton Academical (H) W 2-0
Raith Rovers (H) L 1-2



League Record


DUNFERMLINE

League Position: 9th

League Points: 32

Goal Difference: -14

Away League Record: P16 W2 D6 L8 GF14 GA26

Last Six Match Form: LDDWLW


KILMARNOCK

League Position: 1st

League Points: 60

Goal Difference: +21

Home League Record: P16 W10 D1 L5 GF24 GA13

Last Six Match Form: LWWWWD

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Raith Rovers): Jakub Stolarczyk: Matthew Todd, Coll Donaldson, Efe Ambrose, Josh Edwards: Liam Polworth, Dan Pybus, Joe Chalmers, Dom Thomas: Steven Lawless (c), Kevin O’Hara (Bobby Kamwa 83)
SUBS NOT USED: Aaron Comrie, Lewis Martin, Nikolay Todorov, Ryan Dow, Lewis McCann, Leon Jones, Reece Cole, Deniz Mehmet (GK)

KILMARNOCK (v Morton): Zach Hemming: Jack Sanders, Ash Taylor, Chris Stokes, Brad Lyons: Fraser Murray (Declan Glass 86), Calum Waters, Blair Alston, Stephen McGinn (Chris Burke 83), Oli Shaw, Kyle Lafferty.
SUBS NOT USED: Dylan McGowan, Rumarn Burrell, Euan Murray, Lee Hodson, Dean Campbell, Daniel Armstrong, Sam Walker (GK).

Other Championship Fixtures
Queen of the South v Partick Thistle (Friday)
Ayr United v Inverness Caley Thistle
Hamilton Academical v Arbroath
Raith Rovers v Morton

Dunfermline Athletic remaining fixtures


Sat 9th April: Kilmarnock (A)

Sat 16th April: Ayr United (H)

Sat 23rd April: Partick Thistle (A)

Fri 29th April: Queen of the South (H)

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