Preview Stranraer
Saturday, 28th Feb 2015Pars trek down the A77 to face the League One leaders
This Saturday Dunfermline travel to Stranraer for the third time this season and in some ways they will be hoping that it is not the last. Now ten points behind the Galloway team who currently top League One, most Pars fans would settle for a play off place now and a shot at Stevie Aitken's side in May. Right now, however, that doesn't look likely but a win at Stair Park on Saturday would certainly help pave the way for a distinct turn of fortune.
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Milestones v Stranraer (away) |
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Last Victory |
30/08/14 |
2-1 |
League One |
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Best Victory |
30/01/54 |
4-1 |
Scottish Cup |
| Last Defeat |
07/05/14 |
1-2 |
Champ Play Off |
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Worst Result |
11/09/76 |
0-3 |
Div Two |
Stranraer have just four wins ever in the 32 league games between the sides but two of these were at Stair Park last season and Stranraer's Scottish Cup win in December was their first ever over 90 minutes at East End Park.
| Last ten matches v Stranraer | ||||
| Date | H/A | WDL | F-A | Scorers |
| 20/12/14 | H | L | 0-1 | [0-1] McKeown |
| 09/12/14 | H | L | 1-3 | [0-1] Winter, [0-2] Stephen Stirling, [1-2] Millen pen. [1-3] Longworth |
| 29/11/14 | A | D | 2-2 | [1-0] Geggan, [2-0] Buchanan, [2-1] Gibson, [2-2] Geggan o.g. |
| 30/08/14 | A | W | 2-1 | [1-0] Ugwu, [1-1] [2-1] Moffat |
| 10/05/14 | H | W | 3-0 | [1-0] Geggan; [2-0] Geggan; [3-0] El Bakhtaoui |
| 07/05/14 | A | L | 1-2 | [0-1] Grehan; [1-1] El Bakhtaoui; [1-2] Bell. |
| 01/03/14 | A | L | 1-3 | [0-1] Grehan pen, [0-2] McKenna, [0-3] McKenna, [1-3] Grainger pen. |
| 11/01/14 | H | W | 3-2 | [0-1] Bell, [1-1] Thomson, [1-2] McKeown, [2-2] Byrne, [3-2] Shankland |
| 26/10/13 | A | W | 2-1 | [0-1] Longworth, [1-1] Husband, [2-1] Falkingham |
| 31/08/13 | H | W | 3-1 | [0-1] Grehan, [1-1] Geggan, [2-1] Johnston, [3-1] Smith. |
This season the win at Stranraer in August left the Pars second in the table but after been paired together in the William Hill Scottish Cup, Dunfermline threw away a two goal advantage to let their opponents back into the tie at Stair Park. Andy Geggan's 14th minute opener had been followed by a Gregor Buchanan goal in 61 minutes. Former Par Willie Gibson scored from a cross with ten minutes left and Geggan had the misfortune of scoring for both sides when the equaliser went in off him in 95th minute.
The replay at East End Park in early December was a major disappointment when goals from Sean Winter, Stephen Stirling and Jamie Longworth knocked out the Pars who could only score from the penalty spot through Ross Millen. The league match on the Saturday before Christmas repeated the pain with another defeat.
Statistics
| Stranraer | Dunfermline |
| Current League Position | |
| 1 | 5 |
| Recent League Results | |
| WLDWWL | DLWWLL |
| League Points | |
| 46 | 36 |
| Goal Difference | |
| +15 | +9 |
| League Record | |
| P13, W8, D2, L3 | P12, W4, D2, L6 |
Stranraer's success was based on an unbeaten run that lasted from 6th September through until 27th December. They have now lost two of their last five games but the Pars have only won two of their last eleven. They have won only four league games on the road at Ayr (2), Stirling and hopefully significantly, at Stranraer.
| Form last six matches | ||||||
| Stranraer (home) |
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Dunfermline (away) | ||||
| Peterhead |
W |
2-0 | Forfar Athletic | L |
0-1 |
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| Dundee United | L | 0-3 | Ayr United | W |
2-1 |
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| Stirling Albion | W | 1-0 | Morton | L |
0-2 |
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| Brechin City | L | 0-2 | Stirling Albion | D |
2-2 |
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| Forfar Athletic | W | 4-2 | Airdrieonians | L | 0-3 | |
| Stenhousemuir |
L |
0-2 | Stranraer | D |
2-2 |
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Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Brechin City): Ryan Scully: Ryan Williamson (Andy Geggan 71), Gregor Buchanan (c), Stuart Urquhart, Jim Paterson; Shaun Byrne (Josh Falkingham 58), Kyle McAusland, Ryan Thomson, David Hopkirk; Lewis Allan, Michael Moffat (Andy Barrowman 80).
SUBS NOT USED: Paul George, Lewis Martin, Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)
STRANRAER (v Morton): David Mitchell, Frank McKeown, Craig Pettigrew, Scott Robertson, Jackson Longridge, Chris Aitken, Steven Bell, Willie Gibson (Stephen Stirling 79), Grant Gallagher, Jamie Longworth, McShane (Craig Malcolm 63)
SUBS NOT USED: Barry Russell, Sean Winter, Daniel Tobin (GK)
Referee will be Kevin Graham.
Admission: Away Stands: Adults £15, Concessions £10, U12s £5
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