In League and cup Dunfermline have now gone ten games against Falkirk without a win. The last win was in the championship winning season 2010-2011 - a season when the Pars took ten points off Falkirk - but if you were to ignore that season then it would be 19 matches without a Pars victory.

Last Meeting: Ladbrokes Championship
Saturday 22nd April 2017: Dunfermline 1 Falkirk 2

Dunfermline were comfortably ahead before a hotly disputed decision to award Falkirk a penalty changed the whole momentum and ultimate outcome of this game. 

It was the third last league fixture of the season when Dunfermline`s long time rivals, Falkirk were the visitors to East End Park. The visitors` objective was to maintain second spot but the Pars slimmest chance of making the play offs themselves meant that they had to win this Derby match.Ten minutes before half time Dunfermline took the lead when Nicky CLARK from inside the box on the right, swept the ball across and in at the far post.

The second half commenced fairly quietly but within eight minutes East End Park was a cauldron of controversy. Murdoch dived forward to palm behind a fairly tame low and bouncing shot from outside the box on the right side. As the keeper successfully pushed away the ball sub Myles Hippolyte went over the keeper and was awarded a penalty. That brought an extremely strong reaction from the Pars players who clearly felt the decision an injustice.

Murdoch and Higginbotham were yellow carded for their protests before Aaron MUIRHEAD stepped up to send his 55th minute penalty low to the keeper`s left. 1-1

Lewis Martin was shown a red card within three minutes of coming in as a sub. The 21 year old`s challenge on Baird on the edge of the box was deemed enough for the increasingly unpopular referee, Gavin Duncan to produce red.

Falkirk scored what turned out to be the winner in 70th minute when a Leahy cross from the left picked out AUSTIN who rose to head the ball into the Fifers net. 1-2

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch (David Hutton 55): Andy Geggan (c), Callum Morris (Lewis Martin 55), Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, Nat Wedderburn, Rhys McCabe, Paul McMullan: Nicky Clark, David Hopkirk  SUBS NOT USED: Michael Paton, Michael Moffat, Gavin Reilly, Ryan Williamson, Joe Cardle.

FALKIRK: Robbie Thomson: Aaron Muirhead, Luca Gasparetto, Peter Grant, Luke Leahy: Tom Taiwo (Joseph McKee 83), James Craigen, Craig Sibbald, Mark Kerr (c) (Myles Hippolyte 51): John Baird, Lee Miller (Nathan Austin 67) SUBS NOT USED: Fraser Aird, Bob McHugh, Lewis Kidd, Daniel Rogers (GK)

Having won their first three competitive fixtures, scoring thirteen goals and conceding just one, the Bairns have now gone three matches without a win. Dunfermline have been free scoring at home as well and are unbeaten at East End Park since Falkirk`s last visit in April. Only Falkirk and Ayr United have won in Dunfermline in 2017.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Arbroath):  Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris (c) Jason Talbot (Nat Wedderburn 75), Conner Duthie: Fraser Aird, Aaron Splaine, Michael Paton, Scott Lochhead: David Hopkirk (Declan McManus 53), Andy Ryan (Callum Smith 64).
SUBS NOT USED: Kallum Higginbotham, Dean Shiels, Joe Cardle, Cammy Gill (GK)

FALKIRK (v St Mirren): Robbie Thomson: Peter Grant, Tony Gallagher, Luca Gasparetto, Paul Watson: Joe McKee, Tom Taiwo, Mark Kerr (Alex Harris 70), Nathan Austin (Lee Miller 82), Rory Loy (Kevin O`Hara 87), Myles Hippolyte, 
SUBS NOT USED: Jonathan Mitchell, Scott Shepherd, Cameron Blues, David Mitchell(GK).

Referee for this match will be John Beaton.

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