Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 0
Saturday, 30th Jul 2022cinch League One: Joe Chalmers, Kyle Macdonald start in place of Craig Wighton and Chris Hamilton. Matty Todd (73) 1-0:
Dunfermline got off to a winning start in this league season opener and it took a goal from an intended cross to hit the net to collect the points.
Kyle Benedictus was the only new signing to start the opening match of the League One season but there were just three survivors - Matthew Todd, Joe Chalmers and Kevin O’Hara - from the final match of the previous season included in James McPake’s first team.
Alloa Athletic were the visitors for the second Saturday running but they were without their suspended captain, Andy Graham. Dunfermline were also affected by suspension with Chris Hamilton having to sit out this and the next league game. Mark Durnan and Adam King took the starting places of Bradley Rodden and Graham.
The visitors kick off in bright summer sunshine attacking the goal in front of the McCathie Stand and the early play was predominantly in the Fifers half. After a Macdonald cross picked out O’Hara his header at goal was blocked by a defender Alloa forced three corners on eight minutes with the final one delivered from the right by Stefan Scougall headed off the Pars goalline by Macdonald.
Lewis McCann held the ball up on halfway before a neat back heel sent Macdonald away down the right but his 15th minute effort was a blast that was high and wide. The same Pars player quickly got another opportunity but although closer the ball went wide left again.
Then in 21 minutes came the best move so far with Macdonald playing in Matty Todd on the right side of the Alloa penalty box but his low shot was always destined to slip out on the wrong side of the left goalpost.
When Comrie tried to drive forward in 31 minutes he was caught by Scougall and the Pars were awarded a free kick on the right midway into the opposition half. Chalmers pumped the ball into the Alloa box but a defensive header led to the home side’s first corner of the game. Chalmers took the setplay and Rhys Breen met it with a powerful header that landed wide left.
A good chance dropped to O’Hara ten minutes from the interval as McCann’s knock down header sat up for the former Alloa man and keeper Jay Hogarth made his first significant save of the match.
In 41 minutes Conor Sammon went down in the Pars box under pressure from last man Comrie but referee Greg Aitken waved away the penalty claims. Deniz Mehmet held a good Scougall strike in 44 minutes and another Macdonald effort was deflected for an added time corner but Hogarth came out to hold that.
The teams would go in all square at the break with the possession at 50/50. Dunfermline had made more shots but Alloa had more on target.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Alloa Athletic 0
Within 40 seconds of the restart Todd forced Hogarth to save from an acute angle on the right and at the other end a Durnan header was cleared by Breen and then O’Hara.
Todd seemed to be more involved in the play and it was smart skills from him that allowed McCann into the box but it was Macdonald who got in the powerful shot that Hogarth had to beat away. The crowd rallied when a 54th minute corner was forced but Paul Allan’s delivery into a packed six yard box just couldn’t be controlled by Breen.
Three minutes later another Allan corner from the left was attacked by Breen and the inrunning McCann but Hogarth pulled off a great save to turn it over his crossbar. It wasn’t all towards the Alloa goalkeeper though and the Wasps gave a stark warning when Adam King crashed a 59th minute shot on to the crossbar from 30 yards out.
James McPake made a double substitution 63 minutes into the game, Joe Chalmers and Kevin O’Hara being replaced by Nikolay Todorov and Craig Wighton. It took a further ten minutes before the much sought after first league goal was scored. Receiving a pass back to him from Wighton, Matty TODD went scurrying down the left and as he began to run out of room slung the ball across field with the effect of finding the far side of the net. 1-0
Todd then created a fine 80th minute opportunity sending a long ball up to McCann who then laid the ball off to Todorov on his right but unfortunately he failed to make a decent connection. The Dunfermline keeper was then required to pull off a good save when Scougall launched a stinging shot from 25 yards out. The former Sheffield United midfielder could only earn a corner and then with six minutes remaining King fired a free kick from just 19 yards out into the six man Dunfermline wall.
Despite a big Alloa final assault, the match was seen out for Dunfermline to pick up the first three points of the league season.
SUBS NOT USED: Miller Fenton, Jake Rennie, Michael Beagley, Sam Young, Andrew Tod, Max Little (GK)
SCORERS: Todd (73)
YELLOW CARD: Allan (89)
ALLOA ATHLETIC: Jay Hogarth: George Stanger, Mark Durnan (c) (Paul McLaren 72), Scott Taggart, Daniel Church: Kevin Cawley, Murray Miller, Adam King: Stefan Scougall: Ross MacIver, Conor Sammon (Bradley Rodden 72)
SUBS NOT USED: Seff Khyyam, Jamie Comrie, Steven Buchanan, Majid Suleyman, Keir Burt (GK).
YELLOW CARD: Sammon (11)
REFEREE: Greg Aitken
WEATHER: Sunny 22°C
ATTENDANCE 3639
NEXT MATCH: cinch League One (away) v FC Edinburgh, Saturday 6th August 2022, 3.00pm kick off at Meadowbank Stadium
Winning 50/50 ticket number – 07033 Prize Amount - £670
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Preview Alloa Athletic
Saturday, 30th Jul 2022cinch League One (home) v Alloa Athletic, Saturday 30th July 2022 kick 3.00pm at East End Park
Confusing perhaps but it’s Alloa Athletic again this week! Back in July 2011 Arbroath were the last side to visit East End Park on consecutive Saturdays, now Alloa Athletic find themselves in the same situation following up their Premier Sports Cup tie with the opening fixture of the League One season.
You only need to go back to last season to find back to back matches against the same opponents - Kilmarnock and Queens Park - and on both occasions the matches had different outcomes. After the 1-1 draw last Saturday James McPake and his team will be hoping for a win this weekend.
Milestones v Alloa Athletic (home)
Last home win | 20/02/21 | 2-1 | Championship
Last home defeat | 28/12/19 | 1-3 | Championship
Best home win: | 30/01/58 | 8-1 | Second Division
Worst home defeat: | 11/09/1886 | 4-8 | Scottish Cup
Last home goalless draw | 15/09/18 | 0-0 | Championship
First home league meeting: | 10/09/21 | 0-1 | Division Two
Last Time at East End Park
Saturday 23rd July 2022, Premier Sports Cup
Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 1
Dunfermline 1-1 Alloa Athletic (pens 4-5)
Sat, 23rd Jul 2022
After being held to a draw in this, the final group match, Dunfermline lost out on penalties and as a result went out of this season’s League Cup.
The home side looked in control and had the bulk of the possession but it took until 20th minute before they got the breakthrough. Josh Edwards swung in a left footed cross from the right touchline and Chris HAMILTON met that 12 yards out with a header that looped in at the right goalpost. Chris’ first goal for the club, 1-0.
Dunfermline would only convert that one chance despite creating multiple opportunities in both halves of the match. They duly paid the price when Conor SAMMON scored an equaliser 14 minutes into the second half.
With the match ending 1-1 the additional point on offer would be settled by a penalty shoot out. The point that would have seen Dunfermline qualify for the knock out stages of the Premier Sports Cup slipped away as Alloa won 5-4 on penalties. Instead Queen of the South made the last sixteen.
Line ups see below
Last 12 meetings against Alloa Athletic
Four Alloa wins, four Dunfermline wins with four drawn in the last twelve meetings.
23/07/22 | Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 1 | Premier Sports Cup
30/04/21 | Alloa Athletic 1 Dunfermline 0 | Championship
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
Last Six Matches
DUNFERMLINE
Alloa Athletic (H) D 1-1
Ross County (A) L 0-1
Buckie Thistle (H) W 5-0
East Fife (A) W 2-0
Kilmarnock (H) L 0-1
Stenhousemuir (A) W 2-0
ALLOA ATHLETIC
Dunfermline (A) D 1-1
Ross County (H) L 0-2
Buckie Thistle (A) W 4-1
East Fife (H) D 1-1
Raith Rovers (A) L 0-4
Queen’s Park H) D 0-0
League Record
DUNFERMLINE
Championship League Position: 9th
Championship League Points: 35
Goal Difference: -17
Home League Record: P18 W5 D8 L5 GF22 GA24
Last Six Match Form: WLWWLD
ALLOA ATHLETIC
League One Position: 5th
League One Points: 45
Goal Difference: -8
Away League Record: P18 W6 D5 L7 GF23 GA27
Last Six Match Form: DLDWLD
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Alloa Athletic): Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Chris Hamilton (Joe Chalmers 73): Matthew Todd, Paul Allan, Kevin O’Hara, Lewis McCann, Craig Wighton (Nikolay Todorov 60)
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Miller Fenton, Jake Rennie, Michael Beagley, Sam Young, Andrew Tod, Max Little (GK).
ALLOA ATHLETIC (v Dunfermline): Jay Hogarth: Scott Taggart, George Stanger, Andy Graham, Daniel Church, Murray Miller (Adam King 68) Stefan Scougall, Ross MacIver, Kevin Cawley (Paul McLaren 76), Bradley Rodden (Jon Robertson HT), Conor Sammon.
SUBS NOT USED: Seff Khyyam, Steven Buchanan, Keir Burt, Majid Suleyman.
Referee will be Greg Aitken.
Other League One Fixtures
Falkirk v Montrose
Kelty Hearts v FC Edinburgh
Peterhead v Airdrieonians
Queen of the South v Clyde
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