Preview Arbroath

cinch Championship (away) v Arbroath, Saturday 30th October 2021, 3.00pm kick off at Gayfield

The next opportunity for the Pars to claim three points comes on Saturday in the away fixture against third placed Arbroath. Dick Campbell’s side face the Fifers on the back of a great result at Inverness. Michael McKenna, the league’s top goalscorer netted the winner from a wind assisted free kick. They will be full of confidence especially on their own Gayfield surface with the potential backing of the seemingly ever present gusty wind.

The Angus side have the upper hand in their home games, 22 wins to the Pars 15 with 11 drawn. They have also won two of their last three matches against Dunfermline and go into this match with the confidence that they sit seven places above the Pars in the Championship table.

Milestones Arbroath (away)
Last Victory | 28/11/20 | 3-1 | Betfred Cup
Last Defeat | 06/02/21 | 2-0 | Championship
Best Victory | 14/09/57 | 5-0 | Division Two
Best Victory | 09/08/52 | 5-0 | League Cup
Worst Defeat | 03/10/25 | 0-5 | Division Two
Worst Defeat | 23/01/54 | 0-5 | Division B
Last Goalless Draw | 04/03/20 | 0-0 | Championship
First Meeting | 04/02/22 | 0-0| Division Two

Last Meeting at Gayfield
Championship Saturday 6th February 2021

Thirteen points separated these sides as second placed Dunfermline travelled to face second bottom Arbroath at a wet and very windy Gayfield Park.

Dunfermline were not as much beaten by a football side but by the stormy February weather. In conditions that Stevie Crawford described as farcical, Arbroath took the experience of home advantage to record the win.

Playing with the wind on their backs the Red Lichties knew just how to deal with the notorious Gayfield conditions. With 27 minutes on the clock Arbroath captain Thomas O’BRIEN launched a long range effort, possibly 30 yards out, that took a wicked deflection in sailing into the net. 1-0

The second goal came from a break up the left that set up Linn for a shot from way out. The ball came back off the right upright and HILSON stepped in to net the rebound. 36 minutes gone and it was 2-0.

Even with the wind advantage in the second half Dunfermline could not adapt to make use of the conditions and succumbed to just their second defeat in Arbroath since 1984.

ARBROATH: Derek Gaston: Scott Stewart, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien (c), Jason Thomson: Dale Hilson (Mark Whatley 79), James Craigen, Michael McKenna, Ben Williamson, Bobby Linn (David Gold HT): Jack Hamilton (Luke Donnelly 71).
SUBS NOT USED: Kris Doolan, Lewis Moore, Scott Gallacher (GK).

DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie (Scott Banks 77), Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Kerr McInroy, Lewis Mayo (Lewis McCann 68), Iain Wilson (Matthew Todd 84), Fraser Murray: Kevin O’Hara, Declan McManus.
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Kyle Turner, Paul Allan, Cammy Gill (GK)

Twelve Most Recent Meetings

The Fifers have won eight of the last twelve fixtures, Arbroath three including the last one at Arbroath and the first match this season at East End Park. One game has been drawn.

28/08/21 | Dunfermline 0 Arbroath 3 | Championship
24/04/21 | Dunfermline 4 Arbroath 3 | Championship
06/02/21 | Arbroath 2 Dunfermline 0 | Championship
26/12/20 | Dunfermline 1 Arbroath 0 | Championship
28/11/20 | Arbroath 1 Dunfermline 3 | 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

Recent Form

Dunfermline have now drawn six of their last seven matches. They are still chasing their first league win of the season having netted only five times in their eleven Championship matches.

Arbroath have lost only once in their last twelve matches, that was a narrow 2-1 reversal at Raith Rovers. Their win on Tuesday night was their first in five but they are unbeaten in the league at home since the 1-0 loss to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on the opening day of the league season.

Last six matches

DUNFERMLINE
Raith Rovers (H) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (A) D 0-0
Kilmarnock (H) D 2-2
Queen of the South (A) L 0-1
Raith Rovers (A) D 1-1
Hamilton Accies (H) D 0-0

ARBROATH
Inverness Caley Thistle (A) W 1-0
Ayr United (H) D 1-1
Raith Rovers (A) L 1-2
Morton (A) D 2-2
Kilmarnock (H) D 0-0
Queen of the South (A) W 2-0

League Record

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 10th
League Points: 7
Goal Difference: -9
League Record: P11 W0 D7 L4 GF6 GA15
Last Six Match Form: DDLDDD

ARBROATH
League Position: 3rd
League Points: 19
Goal Difference: +10
League Record: P11 W5 D4 L2 GF19 GA9
Last Six Match Form: WDDLDW

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Raith Rovers): Owain Fôn Williams (c): Aaron Comrie, Mark Connolly, Vytas Gašpuitis, Josh Edwards: Dom Thomas, Dan Pybus (Iain Wilson 59), Paul Allan, Ryan Dow: Kevin O’Hara (Kai Kennedy 79), Craig Wighton (Nikolay Todorov 79)
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Rhys Breen, Lewis McCann, Deniz Mehmet (GK)

ARBROATH (v Inverness Caledonian Thistle): Derek Gaston: Colin Hamilton, Ricki Little, Thomas O’Brien, Michael McKenna, Scott Stewart (David Gold 82), Luke Donnelly (James Craigen 71), Harrison Clark, Jon Nouble, Chris Hamilton, Anton Dowds (Dale Hilson 71)
SUBS NOT USED: Gavin Swankie, Bobby Linn, Liam Henderson, Calum Antell (GK)

The referee will be Peter Stuart.

Other Championship Fixtures

Kilmarnock v Queen of the South
Morton v Hamilton Academical
Partick Thistle v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Raith Rovers v Ayr United

Related Stories

• Dunfermline 1 Raith Rovers 1
• Partick Thistle 0 Dunfermline 0
• Dunfermline 2 Kilmarnock 2
• 28/08/21 Dunfermline 0 Arbroath 3