Preview Brechin City

Ladbrokes Championship: Saturday 23rd September 2017, 3.00pm kick off at Glebe Park.

Like the last visit to Glebe Park on 20th February 2016, it`s top v bottom on Saturday as Dunfermline travel to meet Darren Dods Brechin City. The Angus club are without a win since their 1-0 play off victory over Alloa Athletic in May.

This meeting will be the 50th league matches between the clubs and Dunfermline have won 33, drawn 8 and lost 8 so far. Prior to those in season 2015-2016 season, the last victory there on league business had been on 4th January 1994 but that gap only included four matches.

The August 2015 result also matched the best Pars result in Brechin, a 6-1 win in 1979 courtesy of a Mike Leonard hat trick and goals from Jimmy Mullin, Kevin Hegarty, and Walter Borthwick.

Undefeated against the Fifers in season 2014-15 Brechin lost 2-1 the last time the Pars visited Glebe Park

Last Meeting
SPFL League One
Brechin City 1 Dunfermline 2
Saturday 20th February 2016

The visitors opened the scoring on six minutes. Faissal El Bakhtaoui was fed the ball out on the left wing and he cut into the Brechin box to square for Michael Paton in front of goal, he prodded the ball right for Josh FALKINGHAM to sidefooted the ball into the net.

Brechin were to equalise in 17 minutes after pressure on Ben Richards-Everton had made the Pars centre half concede a corner. When that was sent over by Willie Dyer from the left, former Pars striker Robert THOMSON rose above everybody else to head home.

Just before half time a tackle on El Bakhtaoui earned the visitors a free kick on the right edge of the box. Paton sent that into the six yard box where RICHARDS-EVERTON shot in what turned out to be the winner..

BRECHIN CITY: Graeme Smith. Gary Fusco, Paul McLean, Lukas Culjak, Willie Dyer. Jonathan Tiffoney (David Weatherston 57 (Scott Shepherd 71)), Craig Molloy (Euan Smith 85), James Dale, Jamie Montgomery. Andy Jackson, Robert Thomson.
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Johnston, Darren Dods, Darren McCormack, Patrick O`Neil (GK).

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch. Craig Reid, Brad McKay, Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot. Michael Paton (Ryan Wallace 81), Andy Geggan (c), Josh Falkingham, Joe Cardle (David Hopkirk 77). Michael Moffat, Faissal El Bakhtaoui.
SUBS NOT USED: Rhys McCabe, Shaun Byrne, Shaun Rooney, Paul Joseph Crossan, David Hutton (GK).

League Stats

Recent Form

Last week against fellow part timers Dumbarton, Jordan Sinclair netted for Brechin City within 90 seconds. However after Aron Lynas was shown a straight red by referee Nick Walsh, the Angus side had to try and see out the final 20 minutes with only ten men. They almost managed but lost goals in 82 and 86 minutes and went back up the road pointless.

Dunfermline`s only league defeat was in their last away match at Morton. Their home form has been impressive and although they won comfortably at Dumbarton, the trip to Livingston only earned a point thanks to a late penalty save by Sean Murdoch.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v St Mirren):  Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris (c), Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham (Aaron Splaine 82), Nat Wedderburn, Dean Shiels, Joe Cardle (David Hopkirk 18): Declan McManus, Nicky Clark.
SUBS NOT USED: Callum Smith, Lewis Martin, Fraser Aird, Andy Ryan, Cammy Gill (GK).

BRECHIN CITY (v Dumbarton): Graeme Smith: Paul McLean, Ryan McGeever, Sean Crighton, Willie Dyer:  James Dale, Finn Graham, Aron Lynas, Jordan Sinclair (Liam Watt 72), Connor McLennan (Euan Spark 77), Kalvin Orsi (Isaac Layne 87)
SUBS NOT USED: Gary Fusco, Ally Love, Chris O`Neill, Patrick O`Neil (GK).

Brechin fielded two players who have played at Dunfermline in recent years - Finn Graham and Euan Spark.

Referee will be John McKendrick

The other Championship Fixtures
Dumbarton v Inverness Caley Thistle
Dundee United v Morton
Falkirk v Livingston
St Mirren v Queen of the South (Sun)

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