Preview Brechin City

Pitch failed inspection at 10:30: Match Postponed

Match Postponed at 10:30
On Saturday morning Kenny Arnott received the call from Brechin and the postponement means that now the Pars could play their Angus opponents twice in a week. Ray McKinnon's side are still in the William Hill Scottish Cup so with the match on Saturday 7th February was already postponed and the club's expect midweek dates to be arranged for both outstanding fixtures later in February. This is of course subject to SPFL approval.

The league match between Dunfermline and Brechin City is just the sixth between the clubs in the last twenty years.

All six meetings of course have been in the last two seasons.  It was January when the Pars last travelled to Glebe Park and that 3-2 defeat was just Brechin's sixth win in what has now been 42 league matches between them. The last victory there on league business remains on 4th January 1994. 

The Fifers have won 29, Brechin City 6 and 7 matches have been drawn. The best Pars result in Brechin was a 6-1 win in 1979 courtesy of a Mike Leonard hat trick and goals from Jimmy Mullin, Kevin Hegarty, and Walter Borthwick. 

The first meeting of this season at East End Park was a disappointing goalless draw for the League One odds on favourites. Brechin did what a lot of clubs do when they visit East End Park - conceded midfield but defend in depth. The opposition and their supporters really celebrated that draw.

The defeat at Brechin in January came as a result of a great fight back by Ray McKinnon's team. On loan Lawrence Shankland put the Pars one up on the half hour, then Wallace doubled the lead nine minutes into the second half. Brechin hit back just three minutes later through Derek Carcary. Andy Jackson then rocked the visitors with an equaliser just four minutes later and Darren Petrie got the winner just a minute from full time.

Brechin City are now undefeated since 18th October and that has seen then climb the league until they are only two points behind the Pars in fifth place. They will have their eyes on leapfrogging the Pars with a home win.

John Potter has his work cut out in boosting the Pars confidence after a record of two wins in the last eight league matches. The team's last away win in the league was in the Friday night match at Ayr on 10th October.

Robert Thomson (above) now plays for the opposition.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Stranraer): Ryan Scully; Andy Geggan, Gregor Buchanan, Lewis Martin, Ross Millen; Shaun Byrne, Lewis Spence (Allan Smith 66); Josh Falkingham (c), Ryan Thomson (Ryan Wallace 80), Alex Whittle; Michael Moffat.
SUBS NOT USED: Stuart Urquhart, Ross Forbes, Chigozie Ugwu, Sorel Chemin, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)

BRECHIN CITY (v Stenhousemuir): Graeme Smith, Paul McLean, Darren McCormack, Gerry McLauchlan, Colin Hamilton; Alan Trouten (Robert Thomson 84), Kyle McAusland, Gary Fusco (Craig Molloy 77), Jamie Masson (Craig Wighton 64), Bobby Barr, Andy Jackson.
SUBS NOT USED: Ewan McNeil, Ryan Ferguson, Greg Cameron, Patrick O'Neil (GK).

Referee will be Greg Aitken who was also in charge at the January match between the sides. In the last Pars match he refereed, he red carded three Peterhead players before half time!