Dunfermline 2 Alloa Athletic 0

Saturday, 4th Mar 2023

cinch League One: Ewan Otoo and Chris Hamilton start in place of Josh Edwards and Nikolay Todorov. Chris Hamilton (39) 1-0: Kevin O’Hara (67) 2-0:

Dunfermline hosted fourth placed Alloa Athletic as the season completed its second third but James McPake was without Josh Edwards and Nikolay Todorov meaning a first start for Celtic loanee, Ewan Otoo and the vice captain Chris Hamilton.

The visitors’ manager Brian Rice also made two changes with captain Mark Durnan and Jon Robertson taking the places of Murray Miller and the absent Luke Strachan. Former Pars youth Stefan Scougall kicked off for the Wasps attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end.

Right on two minutes it was Dunfermline who got the first opportunity when Otoo found himself in possession on the left side of the Alloa penalty box and his cut back set up Matty Todd but his great connection was matched by keeper Jay Hogarth’s save. Next in the fourth minute Kane Ritchie-Hosler got himself into the box with a neat one two but again Alloa kept that effort out and Craig Wighton melted the rebound narrowly wide left. It had been an explosive start from the Fifers with Joe Chalmers keeping up the pressure in making Hogarth save his low driven effort from 25 yards out.

Alloa forced the first corner in 11 minutes and Connor Sammon got his head to Scougall’s delivery but Todd cleared. A Pars corner followed next minute with Chalmers receiving the short taken setplay to cross but Hogarth held.

Aaron Comrie sustained an injury as he cleared the ball off the right byeline and had to be subbed by Kyle Macdonald in 20th minute. The referee’s whistle had gone before George Stanger sent an overhead kick over the Pars crossbar. Next though Ross MacIver was able to pop a shot that Deniz Mehmet kept out low to his left.

Comrie was wheeled up the tunnel on a stretcher as the visitors were beginning to enjoy more of the play. MacIver shot wildly wide left but Alloa retained possession in the Dunfermline half. When Chris Mochrie tried a break he was tugged down by Michael Doyle who was duly shown at he first yellow card of the game.

Mochrie was able to break forward again in 34 minutes and set up Wighton with a pass into the left side of the box but the strike’s effort was deflected on to the left post and out for a corner. Hamilton met the cross but his header cleared the Alloa bar.

Mochrie tried a shot from 25 yards but that was deflected for a corner on the right which would lead to the opening goal. Chalmers corner was met by a posse of players on the six yard line and the ball ended up in the net with the significant touch credited to Chris HAMILTON. 1-0

For the second week running there was confusion over the goalscorer with Hamilton, Breen and Wighton all looking like they were making claims on it.

Half time: Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 0

Adam King replaced Stefan Scougall before Wighton got the second half underway and Hogarth was made to hold on his line, a fierce cross from Macdonald in just the fourth minute of the half. Then two minutes later Todd went deep up the left to fire across the face of goal but just beyond Wighton.

Wighton was cut down by Durnan in 58 minutes but escaped a yellow card and from the free kick Chalmers swept the ball deep into the opposition box where Hamilton met it only for Hogarth to save again.

There were appeals for a penalty when Stanger tackled Todd but nothing was given and that was Matty’s last involvement as he and Wighton were withdrawn to introduce Kevin O’Hara and Lewis McCann in 61st minute.

Within three minutes it looked as though the subs would make an immediate impact. O’Hara broke up the left but his final ball was just too much in front of McCann for him to reach. Then at the midpoint of the half Kane Ritchie-Hosler swung over a great ball from the right and O’HARA rose to head home at the far post. Kevin’s goal against his former club was his second of the season and it was 2-0.

Alloa defended another Ritchie-Hosler as O’Hara searched for the return before Paul McGowan came on for Chris Mochrie for the final 16 minutes. A couple more Ritchie-Hosler passes sought out O’Hara but both were cut out and it was no surprise that the on loan Rangers player went down with cramp in 82 minutes since he had been everywhere.

He was up and at the opposition again within a minute sending it yet another ball from the right that set up O’Hara but he dispatched that over the bar. At the other end MacIver’s 87th minute effort was headed behind by Breen and next it took a last ditch block from Kyle Benedictus to keep Alloa out.

A Ritchie-Hosler inspired break then sent O’Hara on to a McGowan flick up the left but McCann was unlucky not to get the crucial connection in front of goal. The two goals however were enough to secure the three points and maintain the five point lead over Falkirk who put five goals past Peterhead.

DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie (Kyle Macdonald 20), Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Ewan Otoo: Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Chris Hamilton, Joe Chalmers, Matthew Todd (Kevin O ‘Hara 61), Chris Mochrie (Paul McGowan 74): Craig Wighton (Lewis McCann 61).
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Allan, Miller Fenton, Robbie Mahon, Max Little (GK).
SCORERS: Hamilton (39), O’Hara (67)

ALLOA ATHLETIC: Jay Hogarth: George Stanger, Mark Durnan (c), Scott Taggart, Daniel Church: Michael Doyle (Kevin Cawley56), Jon Robertson, Quinn Coulson (Luke Donnelly 56): Stefan Scougall (Adam King HT): Ross MacIver, Connor Sammon.
SUBS NOT USED: Murray Miller, Andy Graham, Cameron O’Donnell, Luke Rankin, Rayan Mohammad, Willie Muir (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Doyle (32)

REFEREE: Colin Steven
WEATHER: Dry 7°C
ATTENDANCE 4196

NEXT MATCH: cinch League One (home) v Falkirk, Tuesday 7th March 2023, kick off 7.45pm

50/50 half time draw: Winning number – 63263, Prize Amount - £910


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Match Photos To Follow.

Preview Alloa Athletic

Saturday, 4th Mar 2023

cinch League One (home) v Alloa Athletic, Saturday 4th March 2023, kick off 3.00pm at The KDM Group East End Park

At the start of the season it seemed like Dunfermline were playing Alloa Athletic every week but these sides have not met since October. The two League One matches have been won by the Pars but Alloa won the Premier Sports Cup tie on penalties.

Milestones v Alloa Athletic (home)

Last home win | 30/07/22 | 1-0 | League One
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 KDM Group East End Park
Saturday 30th July 2022, League One

Dunfermline 1-0 Alloa Athletic
Sat, 30th Jul 2022

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.

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

DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Paul Allan: Kyle Macdonald, Matthew Todd, Joe Chalmers (Nikolay Todorov 63): Kevin O’Hara (Craig Wighton 63), Lewis McCann
SUBS NOT USED: Miller Fenton, Jake Rennie, Michael Beagley, Sam Young, Andrew Tod, Max Little (GK)

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).

Last 12 meetings against Alloa Athletic

Four Alloa wins, five Dunfermline wins with three drawn in the last twelve meetings.


08/10/22 | Alloa Athletic 0 Dunfermline 3 | League One
30/07/22 | Dunfermline 1 Alloa Athletic 0 | League One
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

Recent Form

Alloa have won four of their last seven league games but lost three of their last six, twice against Falkirk and once at Airdrie. No one in the league has a better home record than Alloa but they have won only three league games away from home all season.

Dunfermline have lost only once in their last eighteen matches and that was away against Championship side, Dundee. Since then they have won three and drawn two.

Last six matches

DUNFERMLINE
Queen of the South (A) W 2-0
Airdrieonians (H) D 1-1
Airdrieonians (A) W 4-3
Montrose (H) W 2-0
Clyde (A) D 1-1
Dundee (A) L 2-4

ALLOA ATHLETIC
Montrose (H) L 0-1
Falkirk (A) L 0-1
Falkirk (H) D 1-1
Peterhead (H) W 1-0
Airdrieonians (A) L 0-4
Falkirk (H) L 1-2

League Record

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 1st
League Points: 56
Goal Difference: +26
Home League Record: P12 W6 D6 L0 GF19 GA9
Last Six Match Form: LDWWDW

ALLOA ATHLETIC
League Position: 4th
League Points: 42
Goal Difference: +7
Away League Record: P13 W3 D4 L6 GF16 GA22
Last Six Match Form: LLWDLW

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen: Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Joe Chalmers, Matthew Todd (Chris Hamilton 78), Josh Edwards: Chris Mochrie (Paul McGowan 55): Craig Wighton (Kevin O’Hara 62), Nikolay Todorov (Lewis McCann 78)
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Ewan Otoo, Paul Allan, Robbie Mahon, Max Little (GK).

ALLOA ATHLETIC (v Montrose): Jay Hogarth: Scott Taggart, George Stanger, Daniel Church: Michael Doyle, Quinn Coulson, Murray Miller (Jon Robertson HT), : Stefan Scougall (Mark Durnan 82), Luke Strachan (Adam King HT): Ross MacIver, Connor Sammon (Luke Donnelly HT).
SUBS NOT USED: Andy Graham, Cameron O’Donnell, Luke Rankin, Rayan Mohammad.

Other League One fixtures

Falkirk v Peterhead
Kelty Hearts v FC Edinburgh
Montrose v Clyde
Queen of the South v Airdrieonians

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