Preview Queens Park Second Leg
Saturday, 7th May 2022cinch Championship play-off semi-final, 2nd leg (home) v Queen`s Park, Saturday 7th May, kick-off 3.00pm at East End Park
Having played out a goalless draw on Wednesday night in the first leg at Firhill, Queen’s Park and Dunfermline go again on Saturday afternoon. The League One side will fancy their chances and no doubt will try and hold on and frustrate the home side for as long as possible in the hope that they can turn their fans against them.
John Hughes is confident however that on the better playing surface his players will come out on top and progress to the following week’s play off finals. The Dunfermline manager conceded that, given the Firhill pitch that he felt did not merit holding a play off match on, 0-0 was a decent result.
“It was never going to be a high scoring game, the pitch is not slick enough. I’m not blaming the pitch, it is what it is. You have to adjust and have to adapt - it is the same for both sides and you get on with it.
“I think we adapted very well. We went to Firhill two weeks ago to play Partick Thistle and went with a whole different style. It was terrible, horrible, horrible game. At least on Wednesday night I felt that we got on the ball and tried to pass it.
“I think we dominated most of the game, so on Saturday I’m hoping that we can get the job done. It is never easy, you always have to look at the opposition and give them credit. Football is a funny old game, when you put your guard down it has a great habit of catching you out.
“We are going to be concentrating and ready to go for Saturday. It will be a right tough football match but the fans will be out in their numbers. If they get right behind us, we play with a high intensity and get at it I think we will be a better team for it.”
Milestones Queens Park (Home)
Last Victory: 08/10/16 2-1 Challenge Cup Cup
Last Defeat: 12/08/78 0-3 Division Two*
Best Victory: 20/09/72 5-1 Division Two*
Worst Defeat: 22/12/49 1-6 Division Two*
Last Goalless Draw: 08/03/86 Second Division
First Ever Meeting: 17/03/23: 0-0 Division Two*
* Pre Reconstruction
Last Time at East End Park
Irn Bru Challenge Cup, Saturday 8th October 2016
Dunfermline 2 Queen`s Park 1
Half time sub Farid El Alagui scored all three goals with the deadlock broken within three minutes of his appearance. Muir turned the ball around his left hand post for a corner anmd when Paton swung the ball over from the right, Martin headed down for El ALAGUI to stick it away from six yards out. 1-0
Then in 62 minutes Cardle and Talbot out wide left managed to create the opening for a cross that EL ALAGUI raced in to meet at the near post. 2-0
Seven minutes later a Queens Park corner, their first from the right was sent in by Darren Miller and the unfortunate EL ALAGUI headed into his own net to revive the Spiders hopes. But it ended 2-1.
DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Lewis Martin, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot, Michael Paton, Andy Geggan (c), Rhys McCabe (Kallum Higginbotham 64), Joe Cardle: Gavin Reilly (Farid El Alagui HT), Nicky Clark (David Hopkirk 81)
SUBS NOT USED: Michael Moffat, Ben Richards-Everton, Paul McMullan, David Hutton (GK)
QUEENS PARK: Willie Muir: Ross Millen, Ryan McGeever (c), Adam Cummins, Craig McLeish: Darren Miller, Gregor Fotheringham (Ewan MacPherson 86), Paul Woods, Anton Brady (Liam Brown 70) Sean Burns: John Carter (Aiden Malone 58)
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Gibson, Bryan Wharton, Conor McVey, Andrew Murphy (GK)
Recent Form
Prior to the first leg play off, Dunfermline had won two and lost four of their last six matches. Queen’s Park have won two of their last six fixtures and have not won in their last three. The Glasgow side had lost only two home games in this league season, Dunfermline had won only two away games this league season. Queen’s Park scored 51 goals in their League One season while Dunfermline scored 36 in the Championship.
Last six matches
DUNFERMLINE
Queen`s Park (A) D 0-0
Queen of the South (H) L 1-2
Partick Thistle (A) L 0-1
Ayr United (H) W 2-1
Kilmarnock (A) L 0-2
Raith Rovers (H) W 2-0
QUEEN’S PARK
Dunfermline (H) D 0-0
Falkirk (H) D 1-1
Montrose (A) L 1-2
Peterhead (A) L 1-2
East Fife (H) W 1-0
Cove Rangers (H) D 1-1
League Record
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 9th
League Points: 35
Goal Difference: -17
Home League Record: P18 W5 D8 L5 GF22 GA24
Last Six Match Form: WLWLLD
QUEEN’S PARK
League Position: 4th
League Points: 51
Goal Difference: +15
Away League Record: P18 W3 D10 L5 GF22 GA 21
Last Six Match Form: DWLLDD
First Leg Line Ups
DUNFERMLINE (v Queen`s Park): Jakub Stolarczyk: Matthew Todd, Efe Ambrose, Coll Donaldson, Josh Edwards: Steven Lawless, Liam Polworth, Joe Chalmers, Ryan Dow: Graham Dorrans (c)(Aaron Comrie 90): Kevin O’Hara (Lewis McCann 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Nikolay Todorov, Rhys Breen, Leon Jones, Dom Thomas, Bobby Kamwa, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
QUEEN’S PARK (v Dunfermline): Calum Ferrie: Michael Doyle (c), Peter Grant, Charlie Fox, Tommy Robson: Louis Longridge (Jai Quitongo 70), Jake Davidson, Liam Brown (Jack Thomson 70), Connor Smith: Bob McHugh (Simon Murray 80), Darren Lyon.
SUBS NOT USED: Connor McBride, Stuart Morrison, Lewis Moore, Luis Longstaff, Ronan Darcy, Jacques Heraghty (GK).
Referee will be Craig Napier.
cinch Championship play-off final fixtures
Thursday May 12
cinch Championship play-off final, 1st leg
Lowest-ranked team at home in 1st leg
Live on BBC ALBA, kick-off 7.30pm
Sunday May 15
cinch Championship play-off final, 2nd leg
Highest-ranked team at home in 2nd leg
Live on BBC ALBA, kick-off 1.10pm
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