Dunfermline 3 Stenhousemuir 2
Saturday, 9th Nov 2013SPFL League One: Geggan and Moore out, Husband and Smith in; McKinlay (23) 0-1; Byrne (37) 1-1; Darren Smith (49) 1-2; Wallace (67 pen.); Smith (92) 3-2.
Stenhousemuir returned to East End Park on league business for the first time since September 1985. In the visitors` team was former Pars keeper Chris Smith.
From the eleven that started against Rangers on Wednesday night, Jim Jefferies made two enforced changes. Allan Smith made his first start of the season replacing the suspended Jordan Moore while Stephen Husband came in for Andy Geggan who had reported in with a bug and was duly sent back home. Ryan Thomson and Faissal El Bakhtaoui were both out through injury so apart from Craig Dargo it was a very young Pars bench.
Martyn Corrigan made one change to his Stenhousemuir team David Rowson replacing Errol Douglas.
The Pars kicked off attacking the goal at the Cowdenbeath end. It was a confident start from the home side but Stenhousemuir faired just as well in the early exchanges as the teams sized each other up. The first cornerr in eighth minute went Dunfermline`s way but when Ross Millen crossed that from the left Kerr Young headed over Smith`s crossbar.
The first good chance came a minute later but Smith fired wide left when a left footed shot might have had a better outcome. Millen was caught with a nasty one when Brown Ferguson felled him but he recovered to send the free kick high to the edge of the six yard box. Callum Morris ran straight into Chris Smith causing the ref eree John McKendrick and players immediately calling for physio and medical assistance.
Fortunately three minutes later Smudger was fit to continue. Stenny striker John Gemmell; then collected a yellow card when he dumped Young off the park in front of the dugouts. Morris had the ball in the visitors` net from a corner but was blown up for climbing on his marker Ross McMillan. Dunfermline were in the ascendancy and Ryan Wallace tested Smith with a shot from 20 yards that the orange kitted keeper dived to his left to hold.
Midway through the half the visitors opened the scoring very much against the run of play. Ferguson pumped a free kick from the left touchline into the crowded Pars box and no one took a touch meaning it travelled towards the far post where Kevin McKINLAY knocked it over the line. 0-1
On the half hour Ferguson sent another free kick into the Pars box and McMillan got through on Scully but the Pars keeper was out fast enough. With 33 minutes on the clock Wallace collected the ball on the right and after gaining ground released an effort that Smith did well to stop.
Smith then held a Millen inswinger from a corner on the right as Dunfermline took full command with Stenny pushed back to defend deep. Husband fed a ball to BYRNE in the right channel and the midfielder who has acknowledged of late that he should be shooting more often, drove the ball into the bottom right to square the scoreline. 1-1
Three minures later Smith`s cross from the right edge of the penalty spot was touched by Wallace but the striker failed to get enough of a connection to net. A Millen free kick then found Morris on the far side but again not enough on his header to trouble Smith.
More exciting stuff in front of the opposition goal as the half went into added time with Robert Thomson failing to take a good chance but then Byrne latching on to the chance to make Smith save another good effort.
Half time: Dunfermline 1 Stenhousemuir 1
Dunfermline looked bright right from the restart and on 48 minutes Byrne feeding a good ball for Smith to run on to on the left side of the box but his well struck shot escaped just outside the right post. Then Stenhousemuir went back in front when Darren SMITH broke and from an angle from the right found the net at the far post with the advancing Scully given little chance.
In 54 minutes a Whittle cross could not be controlled by Allan Smith but Thomson was offside when he tried to polish off the pieces. The former Dundee United youth was then replaced by on loan United player Ryan Ferguson in Jim Jefferies first change of the afternoon.
Dunfermline continued to press and were awarded a penalty as the game entered its final third. It was Sean Dickson who took down WALLACE as he headed away from goal and there was no argument this week as the striker took the spot kick and successfully made it 2-2.
Smith held a good effort from Millen at a free kick 28 yards out. Then in 76 minutes Wallace curled a shot from a similar distance that was going to hit the net until Smith flung himself to his left to touch the attempt around his left hand post. Allan Smith then fired a shot that the Stenny keeper held.
Egged on by the East End faithful Dunfermline continued to look the more likely to score a winner but found it hard to penetrate the visitors defences. On 88 minutes Wallace struck a low effort from a free kick that was deflected wide. Still Dunfermline pushed and in the second minute of added time it looked like they might have to settle for the draw. But SMITH gathered an overstruck cross, exchanged a pass with Young before drilling the ball in for a dramatic match winner.
DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully, Ross Millen, Alex Whittle, Kerr Young, Callum Morris, Stephen Husband (Craig Dargo 69), Shaun Byrne, Josh Falkingham, Ryan Wallace, Allan Smith, Robert Thomson (Ryan Ferguson 58).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Ryan Williamson, Chris Kane, Luke Johnston, Ryan Goodfellow (GK).
SCORERS: Byrne (37), Wallace (67 pen.), Smith (92)
STENHOUSEMUIR: Chris Smith; Kevin McKinlay, Ross McMillan, Nicky Devlin, Eddie Malone, Brown Ferguson (Ross Brash 60), Sean Dickson, David Rowson, Sean Lynch, Darren Smith, John Gemmell (Errol Douglas 91)
SUBS NOT USED: Ross McNeil, Ross Smith, Josh Watt, Dean Shaw (GK).
SCORERS: McKinlay (23), D Smith (49),
YELLOW CARD: Gemmell (18), Lynch (45), Malone (61), Devlin (69)
REFEREE: John McKendrick
WEATHER: Sunny 12°C
ATTENDANCE 2517
NEXT MATCH: SPFL League One v Airdrieonians (away)
Saturday 16th November 2013, kick off 3.00pm
50/50 DRAW: Winning number 56655 won £576.
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Preview Stenhousemuir
Thursday, 7th Nov 2013First league match between Dunfermline and Stenhousemuir at East End Park since September 1985.
This Saturday it is the first league match between Dunfermline and Stenhousemuir at East End Park since September 1985. There have been 79 meetings between these teams. The Fifers have won 37, Stenhousemuir 22 and 20 matches have been drawn.
Everyone will recall the thrilling first fixtures between the teams back in August at Ochilview. The Fifers came back from three goals down to win 5-4 with three goals in the last six minutes of the match. Another thrilling game would be really good as long as the outcome is the same.
Milestones v Stenhousemuir (home) | |||
Last Victory |
09/01/10 |
Scottish Cup | |
Last Defeat |
13/02/60 |
0-1 |
Scottish Cup |
Best Victory |
27/09/30 |
11-2 |
Div Two |
Worst Defeat |
25/02/50 |
1-4 |
Scottish Cup |
Fixtures between the clubs have yielded several high scoring games. The best Pars result was an 11-2 win in 1930 but there have been two 7-1 games at East End Park and other scorelines at home against Stenny have been 5-1, 5-2 and 4-3. The Warriors have themselves won 5-3, 4-3 and 4-1 at Dunfermline.
Dunfermline | Stenhousemuir |
Current League Position | |
3 | 4 |
League form: Last Six Games | |
WWLLWL | WLDWLD |
League Points | |
19 | 18 |
Goal Difference | |
+2 | -5 |
League Record home / away | |
P5, W3, D0, L2 | P5, W3, D0, L2 |
Stenny won their first three away league games and their defeat to Dunfermline was their only defeat in their first six league fixtures. Since their heavy 8-0 defeat to Rangers they have won only once in seven outings.
Dunfermline`s home form has not been what they would have like with East Fife and Arbroath taking all three points away and Raith Rovers also winning in the Ramsden Cup.
Form last six matches home / away | ||||||
Dunfermline (home) | Stenhousemuir (away) | |||||
East Fife |
L |
Stranraer | L | 0-1 | ||
Ayr United |
W |
Rangers | L | 0-8 | ||
Airdrieonians | W | 2-1 | Arbroath | W |
4-3 | |
Stranraer | W | 3-1 | Dundee | D |
1-1 | |
Raith Rovers | L | 0-2 | Forfar Athletic | W | 2-1 | |
Arbroath | L | Peterhead | W | 3-1 |
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Rangers): Ryan Scully, Ross Millen, Alex Whittle, Kerr Young, Callum Morris, Andy Geggan, Shaun Byrne, Ryan Wallace (Allan Smith 64), Josh Falkingham, Robert Thomson (Stephen Husband 71), Jordan Moore
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Ryan Ferguson, Craig Dargo, Luke Johnston, Ryan Goodfellow.
STENHOUSEMUIR (v Annan Athletic): Chris Smith; Kevin McKinlay, Ross McMillan, Nicky Devlin, Eddie Malone, Brown Ferguson, Sean Dickson, Sean Lynch, Darren Smith, Errol Douglas (Josh Watt 72), John Gemmell
SUBS NOT USED: Ross McNeil, Dean Shaw, Ross Smith, Ross Brash
Referee will be John McKendrick
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