Preview Hamilton Accies

13 of the players who were stripped for the Scottish Cup Final are still at East End Park and many could feature on Saturday. One minute`s applause for Accies kitman prior to kick off.

Dunfermline`s First Division campaign starts off at New Douglas Park.  This will be the club`s first ever visit to the artificial surface in Lanarkshire and the first away game against Hamilton since January 1996.  Fortunes have fluctuated between the two camps but overall the Fifers have a better record in the 60 previous league matches.

Last league away win over Hamilton was in 1995 but a repeat of the November 1965 match would be just the kind of beginning that would boost the campaign hopes. 33 years back it was Alex Ferguson who put the Pars into a two minute lead and then after goals from Pat Wilson, Hugh Robertson, Jim Fleming and Bert Paton, Fergie polished off the Accies with the sixth 8 minutes from time.

Over the past twelve matches between Dunfermline and Hamilton, the Pars have won eight, lost two with two games ending all square.

The Dunfermline team that kicks off the quest to escape back out of the First Division looks a bit different from the team that ended season 2006-07 in the Scottish Cup Final.  Dorus de Vries is now at Swansea City, Jamie McCunnie gone to Hartlepool United and on loan Adam Hammill will be a Southampton player this season but it is a credit to the management that 13 of the players who were stripped for the Final are still at East End Park and many could feature on Saturday.

DUNFERMLINE (v Celtic 26/05/07): Dorus de Vries; Greg Shields (c), Souleymane Bamba, Scott Wilson, Scott Morrison (Stevie Crawford 72); Adam Hammill, Darren Young, Jamie McCunnie, Scott Muirhead; Mark Burchill (Iain Williamson 89), Jim McIntyre (Jim Hamilton 80).
SUBS NOT USED: Roddy McKenzie (GK), Phil McGuire.

Add to that the return of Club Captain Scott Thomson looking extremely fit and keen to demonstrate to Stephen Kenny that he is worthy of a start.

Hamilton lost 2-1 to Falkirk on Tuesday night.  The players who featured were:-
HAMILTON (1st Half) : Bryn Halliwell; Tom Parratt, Brian Easton, Marc McJimpsey, David Elebert, Mark McLaughlin, Stuart Taylor, James McArthur, Richard Offiong, Neil Teggart, Mark Gilhaney. Subs: Kevin Davison, Tony Stevenson, Webster, Trialist (GK).
HAMILTON (2nd Half) : Bryn Halliwell, Webster, James Gibson, Marc McJimpsey, David Elebert, Evans, James McArthur, Tony Stevenson, Paul McLeod, Brian Wake, Kevin Davison. Subs : Alistair Crawford, Collins, McQueen, Trialist (GK).

Kevin Davison will serve a one match suspension on Saturday because of cautions received in last season`s Youth Cup with Gretna but no stranger to Pars fans will be keeper Bryn Halliwell.

Come on ye Pars!