Preview Morton

Ladbrokes Championship (home), Saturday 27th April 2019, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park.

Morton are the visitors for the Pars’ final home league match of the 2018-2019 season. Although Stevie Crawford’s side’s 41 points are deemed by many as enough to keep them out of the relegation play offs, a result in this game would certainly dismiss any suggestion that they are still candidates for the play offs at the wrong end.

Having beaten Ayr United on Tuesday night, Partick Thistle are now just one point behind the Pars and a Morton win would see them leapfrog Dunfermline. Queen of the South lost 4-0 in Dingwall on Friday night so they are now three points behind the Pars with one home match against Partick still to play.

Milestones v Morton (Home)

Last League Victory: 26/01/19 | 3-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat: 28/03/15 | 0-4 | League One
Best League Victory: 29/01/66 | 6-0 | Division One*
Worst League Defeat: 28/03/15 | 0-4 | League One
Last Goalless Draw: 17/03/18 | 0-0 | Championship
First League Meeting: 25/12/26: | 1-1 | Division One*
*Pre league reconstruction

This is the 101st league meeting between these teams and Dunfermline hold the better record 45 wins to Morton’s 30. 25 have been drawn.

Then earlier this season at Cappielow, Dunfermline could not hold on to the lead established by Andy Ryan and lost a goal with nine minutes remaining. On their return there in January the teams drew again this time without any goals.

Of the last twelve league meetings Morton have won four and four have been won by Dunfermline and four drawn. The Fifers have only won one of the last eight meetings but are undefeated in the last four.

Last Twelve Matches v Morton

26-01-19: (A) D 0-0 Championship
01-12-18: (H) W 3-0 Championship
22-09-18: (A) D 1-1 Championship
17-03-18: (H) D 0-0 Championship
03-02-18: (A) L 1-2 Championship
20-01-18: (H) L 1-2 Scottish Cup
21-11-17: (H) D 1-1 Championship
09-09-17: (A) L 2-3 Championship
29-04-17: (H) W 3-1 Championship
25-03-17: (A) W 1-0 Championship
10-12-16: (H) W 2-1 Championship
17-09-16: (A) L 1-2 Championship

Last meeting as East End Park
Saturday 1st December 2018
Dunfermline 3 Morton 0

The Fifers were to get off to a great start when their first real attacking play saw the ball worked across the top of the Morton box. Robbie Muirhead received the bail and hammered his shot on to the right post and KEENA netted from six yards. Just over three minutes on the clock and 1-0 Pars.

Three minutes before half time Gregor Buchanan whipped the feet off Faissal El Bakhtaoui and referee John Beaton pointed to the penalty spot. EL BAKHTAOUI took the ball off Craigen and buried the ball in the bottom right for 2-0.

The third Dunfermline goal was scored in 85th minute. El Bakhtaoui flicked the ball into the path of Muirhead and he raced away towards goal from just inside the opposition half. A powerful shot was stopped but not held by Gaston and CRAIGEN followed up to smash the ball into the roof of the net. 3-0

This was to be Dunfermline’s second home league win of the season.

DUNFERMLINE: Lee Robinson: Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft (c), Danny Devine, Jackson Longridge: James Vincent: James Craigen, Joe Thomson, Robbie Muirhead (Myles Hippolyte 89): Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Lewis McCann 89), Aidan Keena (Tom Beadling 84).
SUBS NOT USED: Malaury Martin, Lewis Martin, Stuart Morrison, Cammy Gill (GK)
SCORERS: Keena (4), El Bakhtaoui (42 pen.), Craigen (85)
YELLOW CARD: El Bakhtaoui (30)

MORTON: Derek Gaston: Lee Kilday, Gregor Buchanan, Kerr Waddell (Charles Telfer 56), Jack Iredale: Reghan Tumility, Chris Millar, Jim McAlister (c), Michael Tidser (Scott Tiffoney 73), Robert Thomson, Bob McHugh.
SUBS NOT USED: Ben Armour, Rory McKeown, Reece Lyon, Ross Maclean, Ryan Scully (GK).

Form Last Six Matches

Dunfermline have taken one point from their last six league games, Morton six.

DUNFERMLINE
Queen of the South (A) L 1-2
Falkirk (H) L 0-1
Ross County (A) L 0-1
Partick Thistle (A) D 2-2
Ayr United (H) L 0-1
Dundee United (H) L 0-1

MORTON
Falkirk (A) W 2-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (H) D 2-2
Alloa Athletic (H) L 1-2
Queen of the South (A) D 1-1
Ayr United (A) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (H) L 0-3

Recent Form

Since Dunfermline’s run of five winning games, they have lost five of their next six games by 1-0. The draw was at Firhill where they went two up against Partick Thistle, only for the battling Jags to claw it back to a draw.

Morton have won only two of their last fifteen games. Their win at Falkirk on Saturday was their first away win of 2019.

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 5th
League Points: 41
Goal Difference: -5
Home League Record: P17 W6 D5 L6 GF13 GA17
Last Six League Match Form: LLDLLL

MORTON
League Position: 7th
League Points: 40
Goal Difference: -11
Away League Record: P17 W4 D6 L7 GF14 GA22
Last Six League Match Form: LDDLDW

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South): Ryan Scully: Ryan Williamson, Mark Durnan, Lee Ashcroft (c), Jackson Longridge: Matthew Todd (Kallum Higginbotham 62), Louis Longridge (Lewis McCann 77) James Craigen, Ryan Blair: Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Myles Hippolyte 54), Bruce Anderson.
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Allan, Aidan Connolly, Stuart Morrison, Cammy Gill (GK)

MORTON (v Falkirk): Robby McCrorie: Lee Kilday, Gregor Buchanan, Reghan Tumility, Jack Iredale: Charlie Telfer (Chris Millar 71), Jim McAlister, Michael Tidser, Greg Kiltie, Reece Lyon, Gary Oliver (Andrew Dallas 30 (Bob McHugh 89))
SUBS NOT USED: Rory McKeown, Keelan O`Connell, Lewis McGrattan, Derek Gaston (GK).

Other Championship Fixtures

Ross County v Queen of the South (Friday)
Alloa Athletic v Inverness Caley Thistle
Dundee United v Falkirk
Partick Thistle v Ayr United

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