Preview Arbroath

Scottish Championship Saturday 26th December 2020, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park behind closed doors

This Championship match will be the 99th meeting of these two clubs and the Fifers have the advantage with 47 wins to Arbroath’s 30 with 21 games drawn. They have only met once before on Boxing Day - in 1925 - when the Pars won 3-0 at East End Park. 95 years on, with ten points separating the sides it will be second top Pars versus second bottom Red Lichties.

Milestones Arbroath (home)

Last Victory | 29/10/19 | 2-0 | Championship
Last Defeat | 17/08/13 | 2-3 | League One
Best Victory | 02/04/32 | 6-0 | Div Two*
Worst Defeat | 12/12/36 | 1-4 | Div One*
Last Goalless Draw | 22/03/86 | Div Two*
First Meeting | 17/04/22 | 5-1 | Div Two*
*Pre league reconstruction

The sides have met 75 times in the league, Dunfermline have won 33, Arbroath 24 and 18 matches have been drawn.

Last League Meeting at East End Park
Dunfermline 2 Arbroath 0
Championship, Tuesday 29th October 2019

Stevie Crawford was hoping that his side could follow up their first league home win against Ayr United with a win over the League One champions, Arbroath. With former Pars boss Dick Campbell at the helm the Gayfield club had made a good start to their Championship campaign taking 14 points from the first ten fixtures.

Two goals from Kevin Nisbet were to ensure another home win but it took until 59 minutes before the deadlock was broken. A long pass out of his own half by Paul Paton allowed Andy Ryan to create the opening taking the ball in on the right side of the Arbroath box. His cut back to the top of it presented NISBET with the chance and he bulged the left side of the net having sent keeper Derek Gaston the wrong way. 1-0

In 78 minutes a Paton pass set up NISBET, virtually in the same place from where he scored the first and with plenty time as the defenders claimed for offside, he picked his spot in the bottom right and the lead was doubled. 2-0

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully: Aaron Comrie, Lee Ashcroft, Lewis Martin, Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow (Harry Cochrane 87), Paul Paton (c), Kyle Turner, Greg Kiltie, Kevin Nisbet (Gabby McGill 90+3) Andy Ryan (Tom Beadling 75).
SUBS NOT USED: Danny Devine, Josh Coley, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK)

ARBROATH: Derek Gaston: Jason Thomson (Ben Stirling 76), Ricky Little, Thomas O`Brien, Colin Hamilton: Michael McKenna, James Murphy, Miko Virtanen (Steven Doris 66), Bobby Linn, Josh Campbell: Luke Donnelly (Greig Spence 66).
SUBS NOT USED: Mark Whatley, David Gold, Omar Kader, Darren Jamieson (GK)

Twelve Most Recent Meetings

The Fifers have won nine of the last twelve fixtures, Arbroath two and one has been drawn.

28/11/20 | Arbroath 1-3 Dunfermline | League Cup
04/03/20 | Arbroath 0-0 Dunfermline | Championship
29/10/19 | Dunfermline 2-0 Arbroath | Championship
31/08/19 | Arbroath 1-0 Dunfermline | Championship
15/08/17 | Dunfermline 2-0 Arbroath | Challenge Cup
19/07/16 | Dunfermline 3-0 Arbroath | League Cup
25/07/15 | Arbroath 1-4 Dunfermline | Challenge Cup
26/04/14 | Arbroath 1-2 Dunfermline | League One
25/02/14 | Dunfermline 3-0 Arbroath | League One
21/12/13 | Arbroath 0-3 Dunfermline | League One
17/08/13 | Dunfermline 2-3 Arbroath | League One
31/07/10 | Dunfermline 5-2 Arbroath | League Cup

Recent Form

Dunfermline have now gone three games without a win and it is six games back at Ayr since they achieved a clean sheet but they have lost only one of their last 18 matches.

Form Last Six Matches

Dunfermline have won two of their last six matches, and lost just one of their last ten league games. Arbroath have won only one of their last ten league matches and that was on Saturday against Ayr United.

DUNFERMLINE
Dundee (A) D 3-3
St Johnstone (H) D 1-1
Morton (H) L 1-2
Raith Rovers (H) D 2-2
Arbroath (A) W 3-1
Hearts (H) W 2-1

ARBROATH
Ayr United (H) W 2-1
Alloa Athletic (H) L 0-1
Dundee (A) L 0-1
Dunfermline (H) L 1-3
Morton (A) D 0-0
Elgin City (H) W 3-0

Current League Stats

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 2nd
League Points: 15
Goal Difference: +6
League Record: P8 W4 D3 L1 GF18 GA12
Last Six Match Form: WWDLDD

ARBROATH
League Position: 9th
League Points: 5
Goal Difference: -7
League Record: P8 W1 D2 L5 GF4 GA11
Last Six Match Form: WDLLLW

Last time out

DUNFERMLINE (v Dundee): Owain Fôn Williams: Lewis Mayo, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Steven Whittaker (Lewis McCann 77): Ryan Dow, Kerr McInroy (Iain Wilson HT), Kyle Turner, Dom Thomas (Kevin O’Hara 54): Declan McManus
SUBS NOT USED: Matty Bowman, Miller Fenton, Lucas Berry, Cammy Gill (GK)

ARBROATH (v Ayr United): Derek Gaston: Jason Thomson, Ricky Little, Thomas O’Brien, Colin Hamilton, Miko Virtanen, David Gold, James Craigen (Scott Stewart 84), Dale Hilson (Michael Ruth 84), Luke Donnelly (Kris Doolan 83), Michael McKenna.
SUBS NOT USED: Gavin Swankie, Bobby Linn, Connor Smith, Scott Gallacher (GK).

Referee will be Steven Kirkland, his first game in charge of a Pars match since at Partick in March this year.

Other Boxing Day Championship Fixtures

Alloa Athletic v Raith Rovers
Hearts v Ayr United
Morton v Inverness Caley Thistle
Queen of the South v Dundee

⚽️ Fixture amendment

📆 Tuesday December 29
🏆 Scottish Championship
🏟 @ICTFC v @officialdafc
⌚️ Kick-off 6.30pm

▪️Brought forward from 7.45pm at the request of the clubs

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