Dunfermline 0 Rangers 4

Monday, 30th Dec 2013

Jordan Moore in for Ryan Thomson - the only change. Fraser Aird (22) 0-1; Nicky Clark (51) 0-2; Nicky Law (70) 0-3; Crawford (92) 0-4.

MATCH PICTURES
Rangers returned to East End Park on league business for the first time since February 2012.  After 24 hours of heavy rain the pitch was bearing up reasonably well. Prior to kick off the presence of the Sky tv cameras, a full Press Box and the anticipation of seeing over 10,000 fans inside the stadium again made the occasion.

Jim Jefferies was without Ryan Thomson who was suffering from a virus so Jordan Moore started upfront for the Pars.  That was the only change from the eleven that started at Gayfield a week past Saturday. From the team that drew at home on Boxing Day to Stranraer, Rangers dropped Arnold Peralta and Lewis MacLeod to the bench and brought in Fraser Aird and Steven Smith.

Rangers kicked off through Jon Daly and Nicky Clark attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end. It was Clark who created the first danger in second minute beating off the challenge of Kerr Young only to be blocked by Lewis Martin. Two minutes later Moore burst through the Rangers defence but Sebastien Faure got back to stop the shot.

On five minutes Rangers were presented with a golden chance when Martin`s headed clearance 35 yards out went straight to Daly who then looped his header over the home defence for Smith to home in on Ryan Scully`s goal. Fortunately his attempt from the edge of the box slipped narrowly wide of the right post.

Ryan Williamson was fed a pass on the right edge of the box and his cross into the danger area was cleared by Faure. An injury to Young who needed treatment from physio Kenny Murray but he was fine to continue. The match was maintaining a frantic pace and the reaction of both sets of supporters was creating a cup tie atmosphere.

Shaun Byrne was the next to require Kenny Murray as the match stopped again in 13th minute.  When Ian Black sent in the free kick Bilel Mohsni chased the defended ball like a man possessed. The defence survived and it was Rangers Cammy Bell who got a save to make as Moore ran on to a Falkingham pass but Faure closed him down and his hurried shot was easily held.

A clever ball from Stephen Husband earned the Pars an 18th minute corner and when Alex Whittle sent that over from the right Husband was unlucky to see Bell stop his back header at the near post. Next minute another corner was won by Williamson but this time Whittle`s delivery was poor. Dunfermline did manage to test Bell when Ryan Wallace drilled a shot on target. 

On 21 minutes Falkingham was bundled off the ball by Nicky Law and Husband lobbed in a cross that Andy Geggan met but powered wide right. Things had been going well for the Fifers but in 22 minutes Fraser AIRD was allowed to take a Law pass, embark on a run and when he reached the Pars box he released a low left footed shot that beat Scully to his left. 0-1

Dunfermline came back at their opponents and Mohsni closed out Moore. Bell was then forced into rushing to clear a Lee McCulloch back pass and Moore caused him to find touch 25 yards out. Byrne controlled the ball looking for an opening but it was Husband`s sweeping delivery that got Wallace in on the left, unfortunately he could not net.

Rangers look comfortable with their lead and as half time approached Dunfermline found themselves playing the ball for spells between half way and midway into the Rangers half. A push by Martin gave Rangers a free kick in a central position and when Black pumped that into the box Daly returned the ball across the face of goal. No takers for that chance but then when Lee Wallace made the break on the left side of the box, Daly was able to pick his spot. Fortunately Scully pulled off a tremendous save to keep the score at 0-1.

Just before half time Daly took a tumble in the box as Whittle backed in to him and then Black got another chance to go for goal after Clark went down rather easily in Young`s challenge and won a free kick 30 yards out. The free kick was sent over the bar Right on the half time whistle it looked like the scorer of the first Rangers goal would score again but after Scully had failed to hold Clark`s shot Aird`s follow up was cleared off the line by Martin.

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Rangers 1

Rangers picked up the pace right from the restart with Martin called upon to intercept a good cross into the Pars box from Aird. Mohsni collected an early yellow for a shove on Moore but Husband`s long range free kick was not on target.

Aird forced a corner off Whittle in 51 minutes and Rangers doubled their lead when Daly got his head to the cross from the right and Nicky CLARK, on the goalline turned the ball past Scully. The fight went on however and Geggan and Aird were shown yellow for being over-enthusiastic.

On the hour Husband made a good break from the right touchline on halfway and fell on the edge of the box raising appeals for a free kick but referee Craig Charleston didn`t agree.  The Pars continued to push up though. Byrne battled to get over a cross and Whittle won a corner on the left. It was defended out to Falkingham but he crashed his effort from 25 yards wide left.

Daly drove the ball through the Pars six yard box and it was fortunate no one was available to convert. Lewis MacLeod had replaced Steven Smith and it was the sub who took advantage of a poor pass from Young to Williamson in 70 minutes that set up LAW for the third. 0-3

Next Black had a shot deflected behind for a corner and Dunfermline had more to defend. Scully held a Foster drive, Martin did really well to deny substitute Crawford and Whittle put in a good tackle to prevent a follow up.

Six minutes from time Whittle whipped over a corner from the right but that was defended as was Moore`s next. Scully then fisted away a fierce MacLeod attempt before at the other end Bell had to show his skills to keep out Moore who had twisted a route through on the left side of the Rangers box.

Williamson had gone down on the Pars 18 yard line in his block on MacLeod`s shot and after the attentions of physio Kenny Murray to the seventeen year old`s left ankle, a stretcher had to be called upon to take him off. Seventeen year old Lewis Spence was the final Pars sub in what was then the 89th minute.

The Gers were to grab a fourth in the second minute of added time. The ball was swung in from the right and when it was not properly cleared Robbie CRAWFORD was on hand to smash the ball past Scully from 15 yards. 0-4

MATCH PICTURES

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully; Ryan Williamson (Lewis Spence 89), Kerr Young, Lewis Martin, Alex Whittle; Shaun Byrne (Allan Smith 77), Stephen Husband, Josh Falkingham (c), Andy Geggan; Ryan Wallace, Jordan Moore,.
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Dargo, Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Chris Kane, Ross Drummond, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Falkingham (29), Young (41), Geggan (58)

RANGERS: Cammy Bell; Sebastien Faure, Lee McCulloch (c), Bilel Mohsni, Lee Wallace; Ian Black (Robbie Crawford 78), Fraser Aird, Nicky Law, Steven Smith (Lewis MacLeod 57); Nicky Clark (Richard Foster 69), Jon Daly.
SUBS NOT USED: Steve Simonsen (GK), Dean Shiels, Arnold Peralta, Emilson Cribari
SCORERS: Aird (22), Clark (51), Law (70), Crawford (92)
YELLOW CARD: Mohsni (49), Aird (58).

REFEREE: Craig Charleston
WEATHER: Fair 7°C
ATTENDANCE 10089

NEXT MATCH: SPFL League One (away) v Stenhousemuir
Thursday 2nd January 2014, kick off 3.00pm


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Preview Rangers

Thursday, 26th Dec 2013

The most recent Pars league success over Rangers at East End Park was on 14th December 2003 when a goal from Stevie Crawford and a Paolo Vanoli own goal gave the Pars a 2-0 win

Ticket Info: Dunfermline v Rangers 30/12/13

Rangers are welcomed to East End Park on Monday for an evening fixture to be televised live. Back in November the Glasgow team inflicted a 3-1 defeat on the Pars at Ibrox but it was a match in which Rangers took until the 70th minute to take the lead.  That goal came from the spot after referee Stevie O`Reilly had given what many thought was a soft penalty. Jon Daly increased the Gers lead before Josh Falkingham cut that back on 90 minutes. A 92nd minute goal from Mohsni was a cruel end to a match that Rangers admitted to having been their most physical so far in this League One campaign.

The Pars solitary win from the twenty nine Premier League meetings in Fife was not a great record and in the 102 league games between the two, Rangers have won 78 to the Pars nine.

The last Pars league success over Rangers at East End Park was on 14th December 2003 when a goal from Stevie Crawford and a Paolo Vanoli own goal gave the Pars a 2-0 win. 

In the old First Division the last Dunfermline win over Rangers was on 14th March 1970 - Pars goalscorers were Billy McLaren and George McLean.

Milestones Rangers (Home)
Last League Victory	14/12/03	2-0	SPL
Last League Defeat	11/02/12	1-4	SPL
Best League Victory	14/04/65	3-1	Div One*
Worst League Defeat	04/10/58 11/08/34	1-7	Div One*
*Pre league reconstruction

The last dozen league meetings between the two teams have seen eleven Dunfermline defeats and one draw eight games back. The Pars have registered wins over Rangers at East End Park but in the Scottish Cup - a 2-0 win in 1988 and a 3-2 win in 2007. That last win came through goals from Jim Hamilton, Stephen Simmons and Phil McGuire who had the Pars 3-0 up before a Kris Boyd double gave the visitors hope of a replay.

Last Twelve League Matches v Rangers
Date	H/A	F-A	Scorers
06/11/13	A	1-3	[0-1] McCulloch pen., [0-2]  Daly, [1-2] Falkingham. [1-3] Mohsni
11/02/12	H	1-4	[1-0] Kirk, [1-1] Heal, [1-2] McCulloch, [1-3] Aluko, [1-4] Kerkar.
03/12/11	A	1-2	[0-1] Keddie og, [0-2] Jelavic, [1-2] Cardle
24/09/11	H	0-4	[0-1] Bocanegra. [[0-2] Edu, [0-3] Naismith, [0-4] Naismith
21/01/07	H	0-1	[0-1] Adam
11/11/06	A	0-2	[0-1] Boyd, [0-2] Smith
13/08/06	H	1-1	[0-1] Buffel, [1-1] O Morrison
25/03/06	A	0-1	[0-1] Kyrgiakos
26/12/05	H	3-3	[1-0] Tod, [1-1] Lovenkrands, [2-1] Burchill, [2-2] Lovenkrands, [2-3] Burke, [3-3] Darren Young
01/10/05	A	1-5	[0-1] Buffel, [0-2] Prso, [1-2] Hunt, [1-3] Nieto, [1-4] Lovenkrands, [1-5] McCormack
17/04/05	H	0-1	[0-1] Prso
15/01/05	A	0-3	[0-1] Thompson, [0-2] Andrews, [0-3] Rae

Stephen Simmons and Roddy McKenzie

Rangers form this season has been impressive and away from home they have only conceded three league goals - better than their home record. Brechin are the only team to have scored league goals against them on the road and even though they scored three, Rangers scored four. Ally McCoist`s teams only defeat of the season so far has been at the hands of Dick Campbell`s experienced Forfar Athletic side; a 2-1 defeat in the League Cup but on Boxing Day third placed Stranraer managed to take a point away from Ibrox after a match that Rangers dominated with 75% possession and 10 corners to the southerners one! The last time Rangers had dropped points on Boxing Day was in a 3-3 draw with Dunfermline at East End Park in 2005.

Dunfermline	Rangers
Current League Position
2	1
League Points
35	46
Goal Difference
+13	+52
Last 6-Match Form
WDWDWW	WWWWWD
League Record Home / Away
P8, W5 D1 L2	P7, W7 D0 L0

Dunfermline have lost two home games at the hands of Arbroath and East Fife. Since Rangers win over Dunfermline in November, Jim Jefferies men have been undefeated.

Form last six home / away
Dunfermline  (home)				Rangers  (away)
Forfar Athletic	D	1-1		Falkirk	W	2-0
Brechin City	W	2-1		Arbroath	W	3-0
Stenhousemuir	W	3-2		Stenhousemuir	W	1-0
East Fife	L	1-2		East Fife	W	4-0
Ayr United	W	5-1		Brechin City	W	4-3
Airdrieonians	W	2-1		Ayr United	W	2-0

 

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Arbroath): Ryan Scully; Ryan Williamson, Kerr Young, Lewis Martin, Alex Whittle; Shaun Byrne (Jordan Moore 74), Stephen Husband, Josh Falkingham (c), Andy Geggan; Ryan Wallace (Faissal El Bakhtaoui 81), Ryan Thomson.
SUBS NOT USED: Allan Smith, Craig Dargo, Ryan Ferguson, Chris Kane, Ryan Goodfellow (GK).

RANGERS (v Stranraer): (4-1-3-2): Cammy Bell; Sebastien Faure, Lee McCulloch, Bilel Mohsni, Lee Wallace; Ian Black; Arnold Peralta, Nicky Law, Lewis Macleod; Nicky Clark, Jon Daly:
SUBS: Steve Simonsen, Richard Foster, Emilson Cribari, David Templeton, Fraser Aird, Andrew Little, Andrew Murdoch

Referee will be Craig Charleston

Remember it`s a 7.45pm kick off and the game is all ticket.

Come on ye Pars!

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