Dunfermline 1 Falkirk 1
Saturday, 17th Sep 2022cinch League One: Lewis McCann started in place of Kevin O’Hara. Calumn Morrison (30) 0-1: Kyle Benedictus (55 pen.) 1-1:
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A Kyle Benedictus penalty countered Calumn Morrison’s first half opener and the sides had to settle for a point apiece in this strongly contested derby
Dunfermline and Falkirk met for the first league match between them for over three years and it was a much anticipated confrontation that both sides relished. Rekindling the rivalry there was never any doubt that this was going to be a match not to be missed.
Dunfermline manager James McPake made one change from the side that defeated Queen of the South last time out - Lewis McCann coming in for the absent Kevin O’Hara. Craig Wighton returned to take a place on the Pars bench beside Vice Captain Chris Hamilton and three U18s who were in action on Friday evening.
Falkirk made two changes from the side that lost to Kelty Hearts two weeks ago - Sean Mackie and Juan Alegría dropping out and Gary Oliver and Rumarn Burrell coming in.
The atmosphere was building inside the KDM Group East End Park long before kick off and the teams emerged to a resounding welcome. There was a one minute silence ahead of kick off in respect for Queen Elizabeth II whose funeral would take place on Monday.
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The visitors kicked off attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end and it was a lively start from both sides. The first opportunity came the Bairns way when Kyle Benedictus was deemed to have fouled 30 yards out and Craig McGuffie sent the setpiece into the Pars six box. Rumarn Burrell came close to getting a crucial touch but it was Deniz Mehmet who grabbed the ball.
James McPake was shown the first yellow card of the afternoon for something he must have said, then Benedictus was shown yellow three minutes later as a Falkirk player tumbled out on the right. Fortunately the free kick when delivered as easy headed away.
On 13 minutes Gary Oliver cut in from the right and his cut back found the relatively unmarked McGuffie 15 yards out but he crashed his shot wide right. Falkirk continued to press and an exchange from Aidan Nesbitt to McGuffie created a chance for Burrell but fortunately he was blocked at the right post.
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Dunfermline were being kept well away from Falkirk keeper Nicky Hogarth and he easily held a 27th minute free kick swung over from the right touchline. Two minutes later a corner forced by McCann on the right was similarly taken by Hogarth when Chalmers sent it in.
From that 30th minute corner Hogarth’s throw sent the impressively quick Burrell racing away down the right. He evaded the challenge of Comrie and then Macdonald to set up Nesbitt who switched the ball to Calumn MORRISON who could hardly miss at the far post. 0-1
There was almost an immediate reply but the crossbar kept out Nikolay Todorov’s header and then his follow up cleared the horizontal. Falkirk stuck to their task however and finished the half strongly. Two corners from the right were survived firstly when Lewis McCann headed clear and then when referee Chris Graham blew for an infringement.
Not the Fifers best first half of the season and the visitors deserved their half time lead and John McGlynn would believe that it should have been bigger.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 1
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Lewis McCann’s 50th minute effort from 25 yards out was tipped around his left hand post by Hogarth. From the resultant corner Chalmers ball was met by Breen. The 22 year old centre back’s shot returned to Chalmers who picked out Chris Mochrie but his drive hit McCann and then Todd. Next Chalmers tried a shot from 25 yards that rebounded off the left post.
The following minute a sweeping pass from Todd sent Todorov down the right and on reaching the byeline he squared for McCann who failed to meet the strong cross but the referee awarded a spot kick for a Liam Henderson foul on Todorov. Captain BENEDICTUS stepped up and smashed the ball past Hogarth 1-1.
The equaliser ignited the home support who made themselves extremely vocal as their team increased their endeavour seeking a second. Mochrie sent an effort high, then in 69 minutes the Dundee United loanee beat off the challenge of three Falkirk players to put himself in position to shoot from the edge of the box and he was unlucky to see the ball slip outside the right goalpost.
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With quarter of an hour left a low ball in from the right from Aaron Comrie was turned on to the near post by Todorov. Then a long throw from Edwards was headed into the sidenetting by Todd.
With Falkirk relying on breakaways, Dunfermline were looking by far the more likely to find the winner. In 81 minutes Todd did well to take the ball down the left and cross for Mochrie. He was denied a shot as four players crowded him out but Kyle Macdonald got in a low drive that was blocked.
Craig Wighton replaced Macdonald with four minutes remaining. Hogarth tipped away a 90th minute free kick and then Edwards long throw evaded everyone. There had been near things at both ends but the match would end all square with the Pars to thank their skipper for his first Dunfermline goal.
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SUBS NOT USED: Chris Hamilton, Sam Young, Andrew Tod, Taylor Sutherland, Max Little (GK)
SCORERS: Benedictus (55 pen.)
YELLOW CARD: James McPake (7), Benedictus (10), Edwards (90+5)
FALKIRK: Nicky Hogarth: Leon McCann, Coll Donaldson, Liam Henderson, Aidan Nesbitt, Stephen McGinn (c), Finn Yeats, Calumn Morrison, Rumarn Burrell (Kai Kennedy 88), Gary Oliver (Steven Hetherington 82), Craig McGuffie (Lawal Oluwasegan 82)
SUBS NOT USED: Seb Ross, Brad McKay, Sean Mackie, Finlay Malcolm, Pearse Carroll, Paddy Martin (GK).
SCORERS: Morrison (30)
YELLOW CARD: McGuffie (72), Donaldson (90+2)
REFEREE: Chris Graham
WEATHER: Fair 14°C
ATTENDANCE 6670
NEXT MATCH: cinch League One (home) v Peterhead, Saturday 1st October 2022, kick off 3.00pm at KDM Group East End Park.
50/50 Half time draw: Winning ticket number 14707 Prize fund £975
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Match Photos To Follow.
Preview Falkirk
Saturday, 17th Sep 2022cinch League One (home) v Falkirk, Saturday 17th September 2022, 3.00pm kick off at the KDM Group East End Park
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Saturday will see Dunfermline host John McGlynn’s Falkirk. This is the meeting that everyone looked for when the fixtures were released and it will be the first league match between the sides since April 2019. That season and for the previous two, the rival clubs had played out 12 league matches with five wins each and two drawn. There was a League Cup meeting in October 2020 that the Pars won 2-0 and although that was broadcast live on Premier Sports there were no fans present because of Covid restrictions.
Supporters of both sides will welcome the opportunity to meet again albeit none would have wished it to be in League One.
Milestones Falkirk (Home)
Last Victory | 09/10/20 | 2-0 | League Cup
Last Defeat | 10/11/18 |0-1 | Championship
Best Victory | 13/04/66 | 6-1 | Division 1
Worst Defeat | 02/01/52 | 0-6 | Division 2
First Meeting | 04/09/26 | 0-1 | Scottish First Division
Last Goalless Draw | 17/11/87 | Scottish Premier League
Dunfermline v Falkirk: The Full League Record
TOTALS | P102 | W35 | D22 | L45 | F123 | A139
Last Meeting at East End Park
Friday 9th October 2020, Betfred Cup
Dunfermline 2 Falkirk 0
![](https://backup.dafc.co.uk/files/CBPB8324_9072.jpg)
Two headed goals from captain Euan Murray gave the Pars a 2-0 win over their rivals.
The deadlock was broken when Thomas won a 58th minute free kick on the left, his delivery from 28 yards out picked out Euan MURRAY six yards out to power his header downwards and into the Falkirk net. 1-0
A second goal came just seven minutes later. Mercer did really well to concede just a corner as he tracked Thomas into the left side of the Bairns box but when Thomas delivered the setpiece E MURRAY was at the far post to send his header past Mercer on the post.
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow (Lewis McCann 84), Steven Whittaker (Iain Wilson 76), Fraser Murray (Kyle Turner 67), Dom Thomas: Declan McManus, Kevin O’Hara.
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Allan, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK), Ben Swinton (GK)
FALKIRK: Robbie Mutch: Scott Mercer, Ben Hall, Mark Durnan, Paul Dixon: Callum Morrison, Gary Miller (c), Morgaro Gomis, Robbie Leitch (Josh Todd 61), Aidan Keena (Akeel Francis 70), Anton Dowds (Conor Sammon 84).
SUBS NOT USED: Blair Sneddon, Lee Miller, Matthew Connolly (GK).
![](https://backup.dafc.co.uk/files/CBPB8458_4235.jpg)
Last 12 Matches v Falkirk
Dunfermline have won six of the last twelve meetings, Falkirk five and one has been drawn.
09/10/00 | (H) | 2-0 | W | League Cup
13/04/19 | (H) | 0-1 | L | Championship
29/12/18 | (A) | 4-2 | W | Championship
10/11/18 | (H) | 0-2 | L | Championship
06/04/18 | (A) | 2-0 | W | Championship
07/04/18 | (A) | 2-1 | W | Championship
02/01/18 | (H) | 2-0 | W | Championship
04/11/17 | (A) | 1-1 | D | Championship
05/10/17 | (A) | 0-2 | L | Irn Bru Cup
19/08/17 | (H) | 3-1 | W | Championship
22/04/17 | H) | 1-2 | L | Championship
04/02/17 | (A) | 0-2 | L | Championship
Recent Form
After taking just one point from their first two league games Falkirk won three matches in a row but suffered defeat away to Kelty Hearts in their last match. They have achieved five shut outs in their 11 matches this season.
With four wins and two draws Dunfermline are undefeated in the league this season. They are top of the league and have conceded only once in their six league matches.
![](https://backup.dafc.co.uk/files/CBPB8352_3030.jpg)
Last six matches
DUNFERMLINE
Queen of the South (A) W 2-0
Airdrieonians (H) D 1-1
Kelty Hearts (A) D 0-0
Montrose (H) W 1-0
FC Edinburgh (A) W 3-0
Alloa Athletic (H) W 1-0
FALKIRK
Kelty Hearts (A) L 0-2
Dundee (A) L 0-3
Queen of the South (H) W 3-1
FC Edinburgh (A) W 3-0
Peterhead (H) W 3-1
Airdrieonians (A) L 0-4
League Record
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 1st
League Points: 14
Goal Difference: +7
League Record: P6 W4 D2 L0 GF8 GA1
Last Six Match Form: WWWDDW
FALKIRK
League Position: 5th
League Points: 10
Goal Difference: +1
League Record: P6 W3 D1 L2 GF9 GA8
Last Six Match Form: LWWWLL
![](https://backup.dafc.co.uk/files/CBPB8469_1336.jpg)
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South): Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Joe Chalmers: Kyle Macdonald (Sam Fisher 83), Matthew Todd, Chris Mochrie (Chris Hamilton 73): Kevin O’Hara (Lewis McCann 58), Nikolay Todorov
SUBS NOT USED: Andrew Tod, Taylor Sutherland, Max Little (GK)
FALKIRK (v Kelty Hearts): Nicky Hogarth: Leon McCann (Gary Oliver 73), Coll Donaldson, Liam Henderson, Sean Mackie, Aidan Nesbitt, Stephen McGinn, Finn Yeats (Steven Hetherington 56), Calumn Morrison, Juan Alegría (Rumarn Burrell 45), Craig McGuffie (Lawal Oluwasegan 45).
SUBS NOT USED: Sebastian Ross, Blair Sneddon, Pearse Carroll, Paddy Martin (GK).
Referee will be Chris Graham, his first time in charge of a match at East End Park.
![](https://backup.dafc.co.uk/files/CBPA4991_8660.jpg)
Above: Aaron Comrie and Anton Dowds
Other League One Fixtures
Airdrieonians v Clyde
Alloa Athletic v Montrose
Peterhead v Kelty Hearts
Queen of the South v FC Edinburgh
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