Preview Arbroath

Scottish Championship (home) v Arbroath, Saturday 24th April 2021, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park, behind closed doors

The heat is on for the last home match of the Pars Championship schedule. If Dunfermline can win both this one and the away game at Alloa next Friday night, they will be assured of a play off place. Arbroath sit seventh but only two points ahead of Morton and Ayr United. The Gayfield club is in need of points to make sure they don’t end up in the play offs at the wrong end.

Stevie Crawford has warned:-

“Any team under Dick Campbell is going to compete, whether they were sitting here in a position in the table where they were comfortable- not able to win promotion or get relegated. It is not getting caught up too much in what Arbroath are doing but being respectful knowing that he has good players and he has put a good squad together.”

The sides have already met three times this season, Dunfermline winning two and Arbroath one. These two clubs have met 100 times and the Fifers have the advantage with 48 wins to Arbroath’s 31 with 21 games drawn.

Milestones Arbroath (home)

Last Victory | 26/12/20 | 1-0 | Championship
Last Defeat | 17/08/13 | 2-3 | League One
Best Victory | 02/04/32 | 6-0 | Div Two*
Worst Defeat | 12/12/36 | 1-4 | Div One*
Last Goalless Draw | 22/03/86 | Div Two*
First Meeting | 17/04/22 | 5-1 | Div Two*
*Pre league reconstruction

The sides have met 77 times in the league, Dunfermline have won 34, Arbroath 25 and 18 matches have been drawn.

Last League Meeting at East End Park

Dunfermline 1 Arbroath 0

Championship, Saturday 26th December 2020

It was the first Boxing Day fixture between the teams since 1925 and it was a stormy affair. Storm Bella lashed East End Park with strong wind and swirling rain, conditions that the visitors regularly have to deal with at Gayfield.

Dunfermline would get that long awaited goal in the first minute of added time. A Thomas cross from the right got no takers but when returned by Edwards, Kevin O’HARA headed in at the near post. 1-0

There was little time for Arbroath to come back and the Pars saw it out to secure their second place in the Championship three points behind Hearts and three ahead of Raith Rovers.

DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo (Aaron Comrie 72), Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker (Kerr McInroy 72): Ryan Dow, Iain Wilson (Kevin O’Hara 81), Kyle Turner, Dom Thomas: Declan McManus
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis McCann, Matty Bowman, Lucas Berry, Cammy Gill (GK)

ARBROATH: Derek Gaston: Jason Thomson, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien, Colin Hamilton, Miko Virtanen, David Gold, James Craigen, Dale Hilson (Michael Ruth 87), Luke Donnelly (Kris Doolan 78), Michael McKenna (Scott Stewart 67)
SUBS NOT USED: Gavin Swankie, Bobby Linn, Connor Smith, Scott Gallacher (GK).

Twelve Most Recent Meetings

The Fifers have won nine of the last twelve fixtures, Arbroath two including the last one at Arbroath and one game drawn.

06/02/21 | Arbroath 2-0 Dunfermline | Championship
26/12/20 | Dunfermline 1-0 Arbroath | Championship
28/11/20 | Arbroath 1-3 Dunfermline | Betfred Cup
04/03/20 | Arbroath 0-0 Dunfermline | Championship
29/10/19 | Dunfermline 2-0 Arbroath | Championship
31/08/19 | Arbroath 1-0 Dunfermline | Championship
15/08/17 | Dunfermline 2-0 Arbroath | Challenge Cup
19/07/16 | Dunfermline 3-0 Arbroath | League Cup
25/07/15 | Arbroath 1-4 Dunfermline | Challenge Cup
26/04/14 | Arbroath 1-2 Dunfermline | League One
25/02/14 | Dunfermline 3-0 Arbroath | League One
21/12/13 | Arbroath 0-3 Dunfermline | League One

Recent Form

Dunfermline’s win over Queen of the South was their first in eight matches but they are undefeated in their last four games.

Arbroath have only lost four of their 16 fixtures in 2021 and are undefeated in their last three matches. They have not won away from home in their last three matches on road but these matches were at Dundee, Inverness and Raith.

DUNFERMLINE
Queen of the South (H) W 3-1
Dundee ( H) D 0-0
Ayr United (A) D 1-1
Hearts (H) D 0-0
Raith Rovers (A) L 1-5
Dundee (A) L 2-3

ARBROATH
Ayr United (H) W 4-0
Raith Rovers (A) D 2-2
Alloa Athletic (H) W 2-1
Inverness Caley Thistle (A) L 1-0
Falkirk (H) L 1-2
Hearts (H) D 0-0

Current League Stats

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 4th
League Points: 36
Goal Difference: +4
Home League Record: P13 W8 D3 L2 GF20 GA10
Last Six Match Form: LLDDDW

ARBROATH
League Position: 7th
League Points: 29
Goal Difference: -6
Away League Record: P12 W2 D3 L7 GF9 GA19
Last Six Match Form: DLLWDW

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Vytas Gašpuitis, Lewis Mayo, Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker (c): Dom Thomas, Declan McManus (Fraser Murray 56), Ewan Henderson: Kevin O’Hara, Craig Wighton (Kerr McInroy 80).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis McCann, Paul Allan, Kyle Macdonald, Matthew Todd, Cammy Gill (GK)

ARBROATH (v Ayr United): Derek Gaston: Jason Thomson, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien (c), Colin Hamilton: David Gold (Scott Stewart 67), Ben Williamson, Nicky Low (Michael McKenna 67), Dale Hilson, Kris Doolan (James Craigen 67), Jack Hamilton.
SUBS NOT USED:, Lewis Moore, Luke Donnelly, Mark Whatley 79), Rab Douglas (GK).

Referee will be Steven McLean, his first Dunfermline match since the Challenge Cup tie against Alloa in September 2019.

Other Championship Fixtures

Saturday 24th April
Ayr United v Queen of the South
Dundee v Raith Rovers
Hearts v Inverness Caley Thistle
Morton v Alloa Athletic

Friday 30th April
Alloa Athletic v Dunfermline
Arbroath v Morton
Inverness Caley Thistle v Ayr United
Queen of the South v Dundee
Raith Rovers v Hearts

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