Preview Buckie Thistle
Saturday, 2nd Sep 2017Irn Bru Cup: Saturday 2nd September 2017, 3.00pm kick off at Victoria Park, Buckie
Having never been drawn away to Buckie Thistle in cup competition Dunfermline Athletic, now face the journey north for the second time within a year.
Allow 3 hours 10 minutes for the fastest road route that takes you the 171 miles from East End Park to Victoria Park via the A90 and A96. In November 2016 the Pars first visit there in the William Hill Scottish Cup, resulted in a 5-3 win for the far travelled Fifers.
Buckie disposed of Brechin City in the first round of this season`s Irn Bru Cup, winning 2-1 at home. They have now played 13 competitive matches this season and seven of those have been in the Highland League where they currently lie second top having won five.
The Jags then get a second attempt at doing what no Highland League club has ever done before - defeat the Pars in a cup tie. Previous Scottish Cup meetings against Highland League opponents have seen the Pars defeat Fraserburgh 7-0 in 1964, Elgin City 5-0 in 1983, Cove Rangers in 1995 and Buckie Thistle twice 2-0 in 1980 and 5-3 in 2016.
First ever meeting
Scottish Cup - Wed 30 Jan 1980
Dunfermline 2 Buckie Thistle 0
Buckie were already in Dunfermline when the tie was postponed on the Saturday and they solved a logistical nightmare to return the following midweek.
The Pars took an early lead when Bobby Robertson deceived the Thistle defence allowing Sandy McNaughton to chest the ball down and net. Mike Leonard smashed home a 30 yard thunderbolt midway through the first half to make in 2-0. Thistle fought back in the second half but their night was summed up when Ally Christie scooped a shot over the bar from 8 yards.
DUNFERMLINE: Hugh Whyte: Kenny Thomson, Bobby Robertson, John Salton, Bonar Mercer: Sandy McNaughton, Walter Borthwick (Jim Bowie), Mike Leonard, Kevin Hegarty, Colin O`Brien.
Last Meeting
William Hill Scottish Cup - Sat 26 Nov 2016
Buckie Thistle 3 Dunfermline 5
Hamish Munro turned a McMullan cross into his own net to put the Pars ahead in 12 minutes. John McLeod hit back within a minute but Michael Paton restored the Fifers lead. The 16th minute penalty after Michael Moffat was taken down by keeper Ross Salmon.
Chris Angus` 33rd minute equaliser meant the side turned around all square. Kallum Higginbotham and Paul McMullan with two goals in two minutes before the hour mark looked to have effectively ended the cup tie. Chris Angus made it 3-4 midway through the half and the home side pushed hard to take the tie to a replay. They had near things before McMullan netted a fifth in the second minute of added time to seal the outcome.
BUCKIE THISTLE: Ross Salmon, Jay Cheyne, Lewis MacKinnon, Hamish Munro: Craig Dorrat, Drew Copeland (Declan Milne 80), Kevin Fraser (c), Cieran McLean (Shaun Wood 44), John McLeod, Chris Angus, Sam Urquhart
SUBS NOT USED: Iain Macrae, Andrew Low, Shaun Carroll, Robert Strong, Darren Strong (GK)
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Lewis Martin, Callum Fordyce (c), Lee Ashcroft, Conner Duthie: Michael Paton (Kallum Higginbotham HT), Nat Wedderburn, Rhys McCabe (John Herron 82), Paul McMullan: Nicky Clark (Farid El Alagui 78), Michael Moffat.
SUBS NOT USED: Jason Talbot, Joe Cardle, Lewis Spence, David Hutton (GK)
Recent Form
Last six matches
Rothes (H) W 3-0
Keith (A) W 5-2
Formartine (H) W 3-0
Brechin City (H) W 2-1
Wick Academy (A) W 5-1
Nairn County (H) L 2-3
Earlier this season when Buckie Thistle came up against SPFL opposition in the Betfred Cup they lost all four ties. At home they lost 6-1 to Raith Rovers and 3-0 to Dundee United and on the road the lost 4-2 to Cowdenbeath and 2-0 to Dundee.
Previously the goalscorer to be looked out for was John McLeod after he had hit five in their cup win over Gretna, but this season with four goals he is level with team mate Steven Ross on four but trails Chris Angus on seven.
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Dumbarton): Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris (c) Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, Nat Wedderburn, Dean Shiels, Joe Cardle (Nicky Clark 79): Declan McManus (Andy Ryan 63), Callum Smith (David Hopkirk 63).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Michael Paton, Jean M`Voto, Cammy Gill (GK)
BUCKIE THISTLE (v Rothes): Daniel Bell: Ross Anderson (Callum Murray), Lewis MacKinnon, Andrew Skinner, Craig Dorrat (Jay Cheyne), Stuart Taylor, Kevin Fraser, John McLeod, Cieran McLean, Sam Urquhart, Steven Ross (Drew Copeland).
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Angus, John Maitland, Hamish Munro, Darren Strong (GK)
Referee will be Mike Roncone, the official who sent off Darren Young as the Pars defeated Albion Rovers in October 2015. In seven matches this season he has shown 25 yellow cards and no red cards.
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