Preview Ayr United

Ladbrokes Championship: Friday 29th March v Ayr United, kick off 7.05pm at East End Park.

Dunfermline’s next match will be at home against Ian McCall’s Ayr United. The last time the League One champions visited East End Park they came as leaders of the Championship table. This time they sit fourth and the Pars fifth just three points behind. The Ayrshire side have to matches in hand however.

Milestones v Ayr United (home)

Last League Victory | 13/02/16 | 3-2 | League One
Last League Defeat | 18/03/17 | 0-1 | League One
Best League Victory | 10/12/94 | 6-0 | First Division
Worst League Defeat | 13/10/73 | 0-4 | Div One (old)
Last Goalless League match | 22/12/18 | Championship
First League meeting | 30/11/1912 | Div Two (old)

Last Meeting at East End Park
Saturday 22nd December 2018
Dunfermline 0 Ayr United 0

This was to be the first goalless draw between the sides at East End Park for over 36 years. The first half was fairly even, Ayr’s chances looked more dangerous than Dunfermline’s but the sides went in all square.

Aidan Keena and Joe Thomson kept Ayr keeper Doohan alert in the second half. McGuffie created a few chances but Lee Robinson was out commandingly to fist away the danger. Late on he got the break off James Vincent to cut the ball back from the right and remarkably for their top goal scorer, Lawrence Shankland from 12 yards sent the ball wide left.

There was still time for an added time corner that Higgy sent in from the right but Ayr thwarted Devine’s challenge at the near post. A good determined showing from the Fifers and a particularly attacking second half. No goals, one point each, Ayr United were toppled off the top and the Pars stayed in seventh with 20 points.

DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: James Craigen, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: James Vincent: Kallum Higginbotham, Tom Beadling, Joe Thomson: Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Myles Hippolyte 73), Aidan Keena.
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis McCann, Mark Durnan, Malaury Martin, Lewis McCann, Robbie Muirhead, Cammy Gill (GK)

AYR UNITED: Ross Doohan: Liam Smith, Michael Rose, Steven Bell (c), Daniel Harvie: Andy Geggan (Ross Docherty 78), Robbie Crawford, Andy Murdoch, Declan McDaid (Craig McGuffie 71): Michael Moffat (Craig Moore 67), Lawrence Shankland.
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Higgins, David Ferguson, Luke McCowan, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK)

The Pars have won 46 league meetings to Ayr’s 29, 25 have been drawn. Ayr United have only won 9 of the last 60 games between the sides in all competitions stretching back to 1983. But they won convincingly in the first fixture of this season 4-1 at Somerset Park in August although the Pars won in February when the teams met at Somerset Park.

Of the last twelve league meetings against Ayr United, Dunfermline have won six, lost three and drawn three.

Last Twelve League Meetings v Ayr United
Date | H/A | F-A | W D L | League
23/02/19 | A | 1-0 | W | Championship
22/12/18 | H | 0-0 | D | Championship
25/08/18 | A | 1-4 | L | Championship
18/03/17 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
07/01/17 | A | 2-0 | W | Championship
03/12/16 | H | 1-1 | D | Championship
01/10/16 | A | 0-0 | D | Championship
12/03/16 | A | 2-0 | W | League One
13/02/16 | H | 3-2 | W | League One
12/12/15 | A | 2-1 | W | League One
12/09/15 | H | 0-2 | L | League One
07/03/15 | H | 2-1 | W | League One

Form Last Six Matches

Dunfermline have only won on one of the last five occasions when Ayr United have been their guests.

DUNFERMLINE
Dundee United (H) L 0-1
Alloa Athletic (A) W 1-0
Queen of the South (H) W 1-0
Partick Thistle (H) W 3-0
Ayr United (A) W 1-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) W 1-0

AYR UNITED
Falkirk (A) L 0-2
Ross County (A) L 2-3
Dunfermline (H) L 0-1
Morton (A) D 0-0
Alloa Athletic (A) W 3-1
Inverness Caley Th (H) L 2-3

Recent Form

Dunfermline’s proud run of five winning games came to an end on Tuesday night with the 1-0 defeat to Dundee United.

Ayr United have only won twice in their last thirteen matches, 3-1 at Alloa in February and 1-0 at home to Dundee United in January. Prior to that their previous win was their famous 5-1 win at Tannadice on the last day of November.

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 5th
League Points: 40
Goal Difference: -1
Home League Record: P14 W5 D3 L7 GF13 GA15
Last Six League Match Form: WWWWWL

AYR UNITED
League Position: 4th
League Points: 43
Goal Difference: +14
Away League Record: P14 W6 D4 L5 GF21 GA16
Last Six League Match Form: LWDLLL

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Dundee United): Ryan Scully: James Craigen, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: Tom Beadling, Ryan Blair (Matthew Todd 78): Joe Thomson, Louis Longridge (Myles Hippolyte 84), Kallum Higginbotham (Faissal El Bakhtaoui 70): Bruce Anderson.
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Williamson, Mark Durnan, Cammy Gill (GK)

AYR UNITED (v Falkirk): Ross Doohan: Liam Smith, Michael Rose, Aaron Muirhead, Daniel Harvie: Robbie Crawford, Calvin Miller (Declan McDaid 45), Andy Murdoch (Nicky Cadden 76), Mark Kerr, Michael Moffat (Luke McGowan 62), Lawrence Shankland.
SUBS NOT USED: Ross Docherty, Jamie Adams, James Hilton, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK)

Referee will be Gavin Duncan, a quick return for him since he officiated at the 2nd March match against Queen of the South.

Other Championship Fixtures
Alloa Athletic v Ross County
Dundee United v Queen of the South
Inverness Caley Thistle v Falkirk
Morton v Partick Thistle

Related Stories

• Dunfermline 0 Dundee United 1
• Soccer FM Hospitality v Ayr United - Sold Out!
• Supporters` Information v Ayr United
• Dunfermline 0 Ayr United 0: 22 December 2018