Preview Hibernian

Ladbrokes Championship: 3.00pm kick off at Easter Road.
Tickets are priced at £22 for Adults and £12 for concessions

Saturday is Dunfermline`s first trip to Easter Road since May 2012. The Pars win there on 5th November 2011 was their first win in the league at Easter Road since December 2003. 

Both sides won their opening day fixtures, the Pars had a much more comfortable victory over Dumbarton than the 4-3 scoreline would suggest and Hibs won 2-1 at Falkirk Jason Cummings had the Hibees one up within 90 seconds after he finished a James Keatings drive that the Falkirk keeper could only block. Falkirk got an equaliser through Craig Sibbald but Cummings scored what turned out to be the winner early in the second half.

In what should be an extremely competitive Championship this season, Neil Lennon`s Hibs are going to be the team every other club will be out to beat. . Queen of the South were the first to achieve that feat coming from behind with three second half goals to knock Hibs out of the Betfred Cup on Tuesday night.

This is the 103rd league meeting between the clubs with the Edinburgh club having 46 victories to the Pars 22. . In the last twelve meetings Hibs have won nine, Dunfermline only one and two matches have been drawn. It has not always been like that, Dunfermline went undefeated in the twelve matches played between December 2001 and December 2004.

Last Meeting - 7th May 2012

This was the last big chance that Dunfermline had to win or their relegation fate was settled. . Two matches left for both these teams but Hibs in 11th place started the game five points ahead of the Pars in 12th who also had the inferior goal difference. Jim Jefferies .and his players were .keen get the win that would put pressure on Hibs for their final game at Inverness.

Despite recent changes in fortune, the great Pars escape was not be. In fact it looked impossible right from the fifth minute of this game.

Matt Docherty sent the first in off the post from a free kick, then Eoin Doyle headed in a second goal just six minutes later. Then after just quarter of an hour it was 3-0 when Gary O`Connor scored from the spot.

Hanlon was awarded a debatable goal nine minutes from the end after crashing his shot against the bar but by then it didn`t really matter. The Pars duly returned to the First Division after one season in the top flight.

HIBS: Mark Brown. Matt Doherty, Paul Hanlon, James McPake, Pa Saikou Kujabi (George Francomb HT). Tom Soares, Jorge Claros, Lewis Stevenson, Isaiah Osbourne. Eoin Doyle (Ivan Sproule 83), Garry O`Connor (Roy O`Donovan 69).
SUBS NOT USED: Ian Murray, Sean O`Hanlon, Richie Towell, Paul Grant (GK).
SCORERS: Doherty (5), Doyle (11), O`Connor (15), Hanlon (81)

DUNFERMLINE: Chris Smith. Jordan McMillan, Andy Dowie, Austin McCann (c) (Joe Cardle HT), Paddy Boyle. David Graham, Gary Mason, Mark Kerr, Kyle Hutton (Liam Buchanan 69), Martin Hardie. Andy Kirk (Andy Barrowman 61).
SUBS NOT USED: Paul Willis, Steven McDougall, Kerr Young, Bernardo Fernandez (GK)

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Dumbarton): David Hutton: Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft, Ben Richards-Everton, Lewis Martin: Rhys McCabe, Andy Geggan (c), Kallum Higginbotham (Michael Paton 74), Joe Cardle: Michael Moffat (David Hopkirk 80), Gavin Reilly (Paul McMullan 70)
SUBS NOT USED:Nat Wedderburn, Lewis Spence, Callum Fordyce, Cammy Gill (GK)

HIBS (v Queen of the South): Ross Laidlaw: David Gray, Paul Hanlon, Liam Fontaine, Darren McGregor (Alex Harris 86): John McGinn, Lewis Stevenson, Marvyn Bartley, James Keatings, Grant Holt (Martin Boyle 81), Jason Cummings (J Forster 90)
SUBS NOT USED: Sam Stanton, Scott Martin, Danny Carmichael, Otso Virtanen (GK)

Referee will be Willie Collum, his first time whistling the Pars since the 3-3 draw at Firhill on 27th April 2013.

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