Preview Raith Rovers

Dunfermline v

After nine and a half years of no meetings between Raith Rovers and Dunfermline Athletic meet for the fourth time this season on Tuesday night. They would have come around much faster had the the New Year fixture on 2nd January not been postponed. Now they face two league meetings in five days since the return at Starks Park will follow on Saturday 20th March.

In August a very impressive showing by Jim McIntyre`s team inflicted a 3-1 defeat over the Kirkcaldy club in the Co-operative Insurance Cup but on the following Saturday the Rovers won the league match 2-0.  When the sides met at Starks Park the Pars won 2-1 with a dramatic last gasp own goal from former Pars player, Craig Wilson.

There have been 84 league meetings between these teams.  Dunfermline have won 33, Raith 22 and 29 matches have been drawn. The best result was a 6-0 win in September 1962 when George Peebles hit a hat trick, Charlie Dickson a double and Alex Edwards scored.

In the last ten league fixtures the Pars have won half of them, Raith three and two ended all square. The most recent game on 7th November 2009 was a 2-1 away win for the Pars.  The Pars last league win at East End Park was in the SPL in 1997 which completed a complete whitewash over the Rovers that season.

When the teams met in August, Dunfermline sat on top of the table with 6 points from three games, the Rovers sat a point behind in third place. Now the Pars are still above the Rovers but Dunfermline are in 4th to Rovers 7th and the clubs are separated by eleven points but the Rovers have four games in hand.

Raith have won just two league matches since they lost at home to Dunfermline at the start of November.  Their away form started strongly with seven points from their first three matches on the road but now their last away win in the league was at Partick Thistle on Halloween. But when you consider their cup form on the road that`s a different story with wins at Peterhead, Airdrie, Aberdeen and Dundee.

The Pars have won their last two league games at home and would dearly like to make that three.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South): Greg Fleming; Calum Woods, Chris Higgins, Andy Dowie, Austin McCann (c); Graeme Holmes (Nick Phinn 78), Steven Bell, Alex Burke (Gary Mason 73), Willie Gibson (Ross Campbell 50); Steven McDougall, David Graham.
SUBS NOT USED: Greg Ross, Greg Paterson (GK).

RAITH ROVERS (v Dundee): David McGurn; Grant Murray, Laurence Ellis, Thierry Gathuessi, Dougie Hill (Ferry 85), Allan Walker, Iain Williamson, Stephen Simmons, Johnny Russell (Darren Smith 67),Graham Weir (Shields 87), Gregory Tade.
SUBS NOT USED: Gary O`Connor (GK), Robert Sloan.

In the last Fife Derby at East End Park referee David Somers red carded Willie Gibson.  This time the referee will be the same David Somers.