Preview Ayr United

cinch Championship: (home) v Ayr United, Saturday 20th November 2021, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park

The home match against Ayr United on Saturday will be the first officially of what everyone hopes will be a successful John Hughes era at East End Park.

The Honest Men arrive sitting in sixth place but a home win could take the hosts above the visitors. From having held a good record against Ayr United, Dunfermline have now only won three of the last twelve matches between the sides.

Milestones v Ayr United (home)

Last League Victory | 19/10/19 | 3-2 | Championship
Last League Defeat | 04/01/20 | 0-1 | Championship
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 | 23/01/21 | Championship
First League meeting | 30/11/1912 | 0-0 | Div Two (old)

Last time at East End Park

For the second time running these two sides played out a goalless draw. Both had chances to win it but in the end a point each was possibly fair.

Dunfermline Athletic hoped to strengthen their position in second place in the Championship with a seventh home win of the season. Their last home game was back on Boxing Day and in this first home match of 2021 the opposition were seventh placed, Ayr United.

The first half was uneventful with just one corner a piece, two shots for the home side, one for the visitors.

Fôn Williams was in early action after the break to deny Walsh. McManus had chances for the home side but the best opportunity came from a free kick in the centre of the Ayr half. Thomas sent the ball towards the far left of the box where Euan Murray headed the ball across the box. The chance fell for Dow but his 62nd minute volley escaped over the crossbar.

Then it was Ayr who almost got the opener when Moffat latched on to a misplaced McCann pass but there was great relief as the former Pars favourite rolled the ball narrowly wide of the far post.

DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker (Lewis Mayo 76): Ryan Dow, Iain Wilson, Dom Thomas (Fraser Murray 78): Kyle Turner (Lewis McCann 67), Declan McManus.
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Kevin O’Hara, Kerr McInroy, Cammy Gill (GK)

AYR UNITED: Viljami Sinisalo: Michael Miller, Jack Baird (c), Aaron Muirhead, Corrie Ndaba: Andy Murdoch, Joe Chalmers: Cammy Smith: Tom Walsh, Luke McCowan, Dario Zanatta (Michael Moffat 65).
SUBS NOT USED: Patrick Reading, Mark McKenzie, Jordan Houston, Mark Kerr, Sam Roscoe-Byrne, Ellis Hare-Reid (GK)

Last Twelve Meetings v Ayr United

Dunfermline have won three of the last twelve league matches, Ayr United five and four have been drawn. The Pars have failed to win in the last five matches between the teams.

Date | H/A | F-A | W D L | League
11/09/21 | A | 1-3 | L | Championship
10/04/21 | A | 1-1 | D | Championship
23/01/21 | H | 0-0 | D | Championship
7/11/20 | A | 0-0 | D | Championship
04/01/20 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
03/12/19 | A | 1-0 | W | Championship
19/10/19 | H | 3-2 | W | Championship
29/03/19 | H | 0-1 | L | Championship
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

Recent Form

Dunfermline ended their run of 14 matches without a win with their 2-1 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday. They have drawn three, lost two and won one of their last six matches.

Ayr United have won just once in their last eight games. Away from home their 2-0 win over Hamilton is their only away win of the league season so far.

Last six matches

DUNFERMLINE
Inverness Caledonian Thistle (A) W 2-1
Morton (H) L 1-3
Arbroath (A) L 2-4
Raith Rovers (H) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (A) D 0-0
Kilmarnock (H) D 2-2

AYR UNITED
Partick Thistle (H) L 0-4
Inverness Caledonian Thistle (H) D 2-2
Raith Rovers (A) D 1-1
Kilmarnock (H) L 0-1
Arbroath (A) D 1-1
Queen of the South (H) W 2-1

League Record

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 10th
League Points: 10
Goal Difference: -12
League Record: P14 W1 D7 L6 GF12 GA24
Last Six Match Form: DDDLLW

AYR UNITED
League Position: 6th
League Points: 13
Goal Difference: -10
League Record: P14 W3 D4 L7 GF13 GA23
Last Six Match Form: WDLLDL

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Inverness Caley Thistle): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Mark Connolly, Rhys Breen (Ross Graham 74), Josh Edwards: Kyle Macdonald, Matthew Todd (Dan Pybus 62), Graham Dorrans (c), Dom Thomas: Lewis McCann (Ryan Dow 84), Kevin O’Hara.
SUBS NOT USED: Craig Wighton, Nikolay Todorov, Paul Allan, Deniz Mehmet (GK)

AYR UNITED (v Partick Thistle): Aidan McAdams: Nick McAllister, Markus Fjørtoft, Jack Baird, Patrick Reading: Mark McKenzie (Daire O`Connor 58), Andy Murdoch, Joe Chalmers, James Maxwell (Steven Bradley 71), Jonathan Afolabi, Tomi Adeloye (Michael Moffat 79).
SUBS NOT USED: Jordan Houston, Sean McGinty, Cameron Salkeld, Charlie Albinson (GK).

Referee will be Alan Newlands.

Other Championship Fixtures

Queen of the South v Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Friday night)
Kilmarnock v Arbroath
Partick Thistle v Hamilton Academical
Raith Rovers v Morton

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