Preview Cowdenbeath

IRN BRU First Division: Saturday 20th April 2013, 3.00pm kick off at East End Park

Fife derbies are always important but this one is now the most important since the championship decider against Raith Rovers back in April 2011. Dunfermline welcome Cowdenbeath as visitors to East End Park and having had several matches where the size of the crowd seemed the most important factor, now picking up league points has become equally as important. Following the 15 point penalty for going into administration, the Pars sit ninth in the play off position with their eyeing upwards to Cowdenbeath three points above them in eighth.

While Cowdenbeath meet seventh placed Dumbarton the following Saturday, the Blue Brazil finish the season with an away match at Hamilton and Dumbarton will host league champions Partick Thistle the same day. With the Pars to play Partick away and Airdrie United on the final day, it is vital that league points are won to avoid the season being extended by play offs against strong finishing Second Division outfits.

Dunfermline`s league record against Cowdenbeath reveals 32 wins and 27 defeats with 14 draws. Of the last twelve league meetings Dunfermline have won ten but this is a local derby and everybody knows history and the form book can go out the window.

Cowdenbeath are in eighth place while their West Fife neighbours are three points behind in ninth.

League Form

Cowdenbeath`s win at Starks Park on Saturday was just their third away wins in 16 league trips and their first on the road since beating East Stirling 2-1 in September in the Scottish Communities Cup. Dunfermline have lost their last eight home games and failed to win at home since beating Raith Rovers on 2nd January.

The Jefferies Babes returned from Greenock last Saturday with a remarkable result. That team had an average age of 21 years and 202 days even with `faither` John Potter`s 33+years counting! Pars fans have grown familiar with the continual feed of the Under 20s squad coming through but it is unlikely Cowdenbeath have seen many of these players since they met at Under 19 level. Certainly Tom O`Brien and Kyle Miller played against Kerr Young, Grant Munro and Shaun Byrne at Beath High School in the SFL U19 league back in November 2010.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Morton): Michal Hrivnak, Ross Millen, Kerr Young, John Potter, Grant Munro, Alex Whittle (Ross Drummond 81); Chris Kane, Shaun Byrne, Josh Falkingham (c), Allan Smith (Lewis Martin 91), Ryan Thomson.
SUBS NOT USED: Fayssal El Bakhtaoui, Blair Henderson, Ryan Goodfellow (GK).

COWDENBEATH (v Raith Rovers): Thomas Flynn; David Cowan , John Armstrong, Kenny Adamson , Sean McAllister, Colin Cameron (Mark Ramsay, 46), Jamie Stevenson (Dean Brett 61), Tom O`Brien, Marc McKenzie, Kyle Miller (Jason Naismith, 89), Greg Stewart
SUBS NOT USED: Subs not used: Lewis Coult, Colin Stewart (GK).

Referee will be Mike Tumilty.