Preview Raith Rovers

The Pars have won three of the last eleven league meetings, Raith five and three ended all square.

There were over 7000 fans at East End Park for the 2-2 drawn Fife Derby back in November but this Saturday`s gate is likely to beat that. Tickets have been snapped up as the top two teams in the First Division clash in a game that could go a long way to deciding which club is going to gain promotion to the SPL this season

The return of the Rovers is eagerly awaited and Dunfermline Athletic hope to avenge the Starks Park defeats in August and January.  Given their superior goal difference a win for the Pars would leave them requiring no more than three points from their last two games to secure the title but Jim McIntyre as always be taking it one match at a time.

There have been 89 league meetings between these teams.  Dunfermline have won 35, Raith 32 and 22 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.

The Pars have won three of the last eleven league meetings, Raith five and three ended all square.  The Pars 2-1 league win at East End Park in March last year was their first there since in the SPL in 1997 which completed a complete whitewash over the Rovers that season.

Only three games left in this season`s campaign only one point separates the Fife teams who sit at the top of the table.

The turning point at East End Park in November: Neil McGregor shown red at 2-0

Raith have recent away wins at Stirling, Dumfries and Cowdenbeath, lost out at Dundee and Falkirk and drew at Morton. Dunfermline are unbeaten in their last nine games and have lost just two league games since losing to the Rovers at New Year. Those were the games against Partick Thistle away and the home game to Morton.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Queen of the South): Chris Smith; Neil McGregor, Kevin Rutkiewicz, Alex Keddie, Austin McCann (c); David Graham, Gary Mason, Martin Hardie (Pat Clarke 80),  Joe Cardle (Steven McDougall 80), Liam Buchanan (Chris Higgins HT), Andy Kirk,
SUBS NOT USED: Alex Burke, Greg Paterson (GK).

RAITH ROVERS (v Stirling Albion): Andrew McNeil; Craig Wilson (Graham Weir 78), Grant Murray, Laurence Ellis, Mark Campbell, Kevin McBride, Allan Walker, Stephen Simmons, Scott McBride (Mark Ferry 46), John Baird, Gregory Tade.
SUBS NOT USED:  J McKechnie, Lillie Dyer, David McGurn.

The referee will be George Salmond and Dunfermline will be without the suspended Kevin Rutkiewicz.