Preview Peterhead
Saturday, 22nd Jul 2017AJ:- "We know Peterhead well from our time in League One. We found them hard to beat, physical with good players too
After Elgin City`s visit on the opening day of the 2017-2018 season, next visitors to East End Park in this season`s Betfred Cup are another League Two side, Peterhead.
The Blue Toon have visited Dunfermline only four times and have won two and drawn two. The sides have met once before in this competition in August 2008 when Dunfermline won 2-0 thanks to goals early on the second half from Nick Phinn and Andy Kirk.
They come together both on the back of matches against East Fife. Peterhead won at Balmoor on Saturday and the Pars were held to a goalless draw in Methil on Tuesday night.
Allan Johnston has said:-
"We know Peterhead well from our time in League One. We found them hard to beat, physical with good players too. We know what to expect and for it not to be easy. Jim McInally`s teams are always fired up and when you are up against a striker like Rory McAllister upfront who can score goals then you are always in a game."
Peterhead manager Jim McInally was pleased to see his team achieve a clean sheet against East Fife last Saturday. After that match he was quoted as saying:-
"It was really pleasing to get a win and clean sheet, especially as we started six new players. They looked as though they had been playing with each other for a while but they are all decent level players.
"We have got good options now with the shapes we can play and the bodies we can bring on although in the next two games we will be chasing the ball for big parts so that will be a different test. But we have just beaten a team from the league we have just come from so that was pleasing."
As predicted by Allan Johnston, Rory McAllister duly delivered the winner, the striker`s early goal separating the sides. McAllister nipped in to intercept a stray Mark Docherty pass and strode forward to slip the ball past Ryan Goodfellow from the edge of the penalty area.
The 30 year old was off and running for the season after just 11 minutes and although the Blue Toon had further opportunities to build on their lead, the one goal was enough to confirm the win.
Last time at East End Park
SPFL League One
Saturday 30th April 2016
Dunfermline 1 Peterhead 0
The only team in League One that Dunfermline had still to win against were the opposition for the final match of the season. Third placed Peterhead made one enforced change, Leighton McIntosh started in place of the suspended Rory McAllister.
The winning goal came from a really sweet move 17 minutes into the match. From the middle of the park Michael Moffat fed the ball left for Cardle. Joe sent a right footed cross to the far side of the six yard box and although that found a Peterhead head the danger was not properly cleared and CARDLE found himself threaded a pass from Wallace that set him up to slip the ball into the left side of the goal.
At the final whistle the party started and the Ladbrokes representatives presented Andy Geggan and Callum Fordyce with the League One trophy, silver streamers were fired in the air and there was joy all around East End Park.
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch. Craig Reid (Ryan Williamson 82), Brad McKay, Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot. David Hopkirk, Andy Geggan (c), Josh Falkingham (Shaun Byrne 79), Joe Cardle. Ryan Wallace (Faissal El Bakhtaoui 77), Michael Moffat.
SUBS NOT USED: Shaun Rooney, Rhys McCabe, Paul Joseph Crossan, David Hutton GK).
SCORER: Cardle (17
PETERHEAD: Graeme Smith. Jamie Stevenson (Marc Lawrence 67), James Redman, Ryan Strachan, Steven Noble. Jordan Brown, Kevin Dzierzawski (Nathan Blockley 20), Simon Ferry, Nicky Riley (Andy Rodgers 75). Shane Sutherland, Leighton McIntosh.
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Jarvie (GK).
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v East Fife): Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris (c), Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin: Kallum Higginbotham (Scott Lochhead 68), Michael Paton, Nat Wedderburn (Dean Shiels 68), Joe Cardle: Declan McManus (Callum Smith 82), Nicky Clark.
SUBS NOT USED: Jean-Yves M`Voto, Conner Duthie, Aaron Splaine, Cammy Gill (GK)
PETERHEAD (v East Fife): Greg Fleming: Jason Brown, Mason Robertson, David McCracken, Jamie Stevenson: Scott Brown, Simon Ferry: Jordon Brown (Samson Gabriel 83), Paul Cairney (Russell McLean 70), Willie Gibson (Allan Smith 87): Rory McAllister
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Ross, Scott Adams, Mark Lawrence, Fraser Hobday (GK).
Referee will be
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