Preview Ross County
Saturday, 2nd Feb 2019Ladbrokes Championship: Saturday 2nd February 2019
Ross County are the guests at East End Park for just the second time in the league in more than seven years. The two clubs have had contrasting fortunes since they met in March 2011 and County come south as strong contenders to win automatic promotion this season as champions.
It is likely that former Pars Declan McManus, Lewis Spence and Dan Armstrong will be in the Stagiies squad to turn out at East End Park. Other former Par Callum Morris has not played since 4th January against Morton.
Milestones (home) v Ross County
Last victory | 16/10/10 | 3-2 | Division One
Last defeat | 11/08/18 | 1-3 | Championship
Best victory | 25/01/97 | 4-0 | Scottish Cup
Worst defeat | 11/08/18 | 1-3 | Championship
Last goalless draw | none
First meeting | 25/01/97 | 4-0 | Scottish Cup
All Competitive Matches v Ross County
Six defeats, six draws and five wins.
24/11/18 A 1-2 L Championship
11/08/18 H 1-3 L Championship
16/01/16 A 0-1 L Scottish Cup
09/01/16 H 2-2 D Scottish Cup
29/03/11 A 1-0 W First Division
08/03/11 H 1-1 D First Division
22/02/11 A 0-0 D First Division
16/10/10 H 3-2 W First Division
03/04/10 H 1-2 L First Division
13/02/10 A 2-2 D First Division
12/12/09 H 3-3 D First Division
13/10/09 A 0-0 D First Division
18/04/09 A 3-1 W First Division
24/03/09 A 1-2 L First Division
21/02/09 H 1-2 L First Division
20/09/08 H 3-1 W First Division
25/01/97 H 4-0 W Scottish Cup
Last Time at East End Park
Saturday 11th August 2018
Dunfermline 1 Ross County 3
Josh MULLIN opened the scoring in 25 minutes. The goal was made by Ross Draper who played the ball off Jamie Lindsay before setting up his team mate who thrashed the ball past Lee Robinson from a 45 degree angle 15 yards out. 0-1
County’s lead was to last just four minutes as the Pars equalised after a long throw in from Hippolyte on the left was latched on to by Louis LONGRIDGE who crashed the ball home from 12 yards. 1-1
Three minutes from the interval, Michael GARDYNE ripped through the home defence beating off the challenges of three defefenders to stick the ball past Robinson. 1-2
At the midpoint of the second half Ross County increased their lead. It came when a corner from the right was headed on by Draper for WATSON to volley in at the far post. 1-3
DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: Lee Ashcroft (c), Mark Durnan, Jackson Longridge: Ryan Williamson (Kallum Higginbotham 66), Joe Thomson (Aidan Connolly 79), James Vincent, Louis Longridge, James Craigen: Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Myles Hippolyte (Andy Ryan 79)
SUBS NOT USED: Matthew Todd, Callum Smith, Lewis McCann, Cammy Gill (GK)
ROSS COUNTY: Scott Fox: Marcus Fraser, Sean Kelly, Callum Morris, Keith Watson, Ross Draper, Jamie Lindsay, Iain Vigurs, Josh Mullin (Ryan Dow 89), Michael Gardyne (Davis Keillor-Dunn 85), Declan McManus (Brian Graham 71)
SUBS NOT USED: Stelios Demetriou, Ross Stewart, Billy McKay, Ross Munro (GK)
Form Last Six Matches
DUNFERMLINE
Morton (A) D 0-0
Raith Rovers (A) L 0-3
Dundee United (A) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (H) D 2-2
Falkirk (A) W 4-2
Ayr United (H) D 0-0
ROSS COUNTY
Alloa Athletic (H) W 2-0
Motherwell (A) W 2-1
Queen of the South (A) L 0-4
Morton (A) L 0-1
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) W 2-1
Partick Thistle (H) W 2-0
League Form
Since defeating Morton 3-0 at East End Park on 1st December, the Pars have drawn four, won one and lost two. This season the only other home win in the league was against Partick Thistle in September.
Ross County have only won four of their away league games this season, those at Tannadice, Firhill, Alloa and of course at East End Park. They have lost their last two league games on the road at Greenock and Dumfries when they also failed to score. Dunfermline have scored six in their last four league matches but they have failed to score in five of the last seven.
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 7th
League Points: 25
Goal Difference: -6
Home League Record: P10 W2 D3 L5 GF7 GA12
Last Six League Match Form: DDWDLD
ROSS COUNTY
League Position: 1st
League Points: 42
Goal Difference: +12
Away League Record: P11 W4 D4 L3 GF15 GA17
Last Six League Match Form: DWWLLD
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Morton): Ryan Scully: James Craigen, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: Tom Beadling: Joe Thomson, James Vincent, Kallum Higginbotham: Callum Smith (Robbie Muirhead 88), Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Myles Hippolyte 65).
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Matthew Todd, Aidan Connolly, Stuart Morrison, Cammy Gill (GK)
ROSS COUNTY (v Alloa Athletic): Scott Fox: Marcus Fraser, Sean Kelly (C Semple 45), Kenny van der Wag, Keith Watson, Ross Draper, Jamie Lindsay, Lewis Spence (Don Cowie 75), Billy McKay (Michael Gardyne 78), Declan McManus, Brian Graham.
SUBS NOT USED: Ross Stewart, Tom Grivosti, Daniel Armstrong, Ross Munro (GK)
County have made several signings during the January transfer window. Left-back, Kenny Van Der Weg (27) returned to Dingwall after leaving in January 2018, he has since been at Hamilton Academical FC and more recently KSV Roeselare, Belgium.
Pictured below midfielder, Lewis Spence (22) joined after spending the last 18 months with Dundee FC and played a total of 37 times for them. He was previously at Dunfermline Athletic, who twice loaned him to Brechin City in 2016.
Another Staggies signing was defender, Callum Semple (20). He has spent the first half of this season on loan with Queen of the South FC from Sheffield United - playing 27 games and scoring 1 goal.
Daniel Armstrong (21) was on loan at Dunfermline last season and played against his old team in the Scottish Cup tie at Raith two weeks ago. The highly-rated winger scored 5 goals in 11 appearances for Raith Rovers FC after joining them on a short-term deal in November 2018. Prior to his breakthrough in Kirkcaldy, Armstrong spent time with Wolves and Hamilton Academical FC.
Preston North End FC defender, Andrew Boyle (27) has joined Ross County. on loan until the end of the season. Boyle spent the first half of this season on loan with Dundee FC from Preston North End - playing 13 games and scoring 1 goal. Andrew has spent most of his career in the Irish league with the likes of Dundalk and Shelbourne before heading to the English Championship in 2017. He has one full cap for the Republic of Ireland.
Referee for this match will be Barry Cook, his first match in charge at East End Park since season 2016-2017 when in two visits he showed red cards to Lee Ashcroft and Lewis Martin.
Other Ladbrokes Championship Fixtures
Saturday 2 February 2019
Alloa Athletic v Ayr United
Dundee United v Morton
Falkirk v Queen of the South
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Partick Thistle
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