Preview East Fife

Saturday 19th October
East Fife return to East End Park for first league game since 1987.

ADMISSION AND HOSPITALITY PRICES

For the second league fixture in succession Dunfermline meet the team lying bottom of the league.  Last time Forfar won 4-0 so there`s no way the home team should take confidence from the bookies short odds of 7-4 on with East Fife at 7-2.  It is a Fife Derby and so everybody knows that can throw the form book out of the proverbial window. 

Ryan Wallace scored winner from a second minute penalty

It is East Fife`s first time there on league duty since New Years Day 1987, so that`s over 26 years ago. In the opening match of the Pars League One season against East Fife, Jim Jefferies` team squeezed out a 1-0 win. The Methil club have a reasonable league record against the Pars so much so before that win in August  it was ten league games back since Dunfermline`s last victory.  That 5-1 win was on 7th October 1978 and primarily due to four goals from Irishman Mike Leonard.

Some would say that history of games played over 25 years ago aren`t really going to give a pointer to what will happen this Saturday but even in the cup ties played in the last decade East Fife have proved to be stubborn opponents. The League Cup tie two years ago was an embarrassing 2-1 defeat and then the last visit on East End was a cup replay in 2005 when the Premier League team eventually won 3-1.

Pars goalscorer in August 2011 was Liam Buchanan who will line up against the Pars this Saturday.  Other possible opponents could be former Pars Greg Paterson, Paul Willis, Pat Clarke and Scott McBride.  Dunfermline will field Ryan Wallace who was signed from East Fife at the start of the 2012-13 season.

Liam Buchanan v East Fife

Dunfermline have won four of their last six while their opponents have won only one of their last six league games. Even after losing 40 last time out, the Pars are the only team in the league apart from Rangers with positive goal difference. 

Dunfermline had a blank weekend due to the postponement of their match against Rangers and that allowed Stenhousemuir to take over in second place. East Fife took on Ayr United but lost 4-1 at home.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Forfar Athletic): Ryan Scully; Ross Millen, Luke Johnston, Callum Morris, Alex Whittle; Josh Falkingham (c), Shaun Byrne (Jordan Moore 80), Stephen Husband (Allan Smith 74), Andy Geggan; Ryan Wallace, Robert Thomson (Ryan Thomson 63).
SUBS NOT USED:  Fayssal El Bakhtaoui, Ryan Ferguson, Kerr Young, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)

EAST FIFE (v Ayr United): Greg Paterson; Scott Durie, Gary Naysmith, Steven Campbell, Gary Thom, Scott McBride (Ryan Stewart 44), Cyrus Moosari (Cedric Tuta 61), Jonathan Stewart (Alexis Dutot 84), Craig Johnstone, Pat Clarke, Liam Buchanan.
SUBS NOT USED: Nathan Austin, Connor Shaw, Joe Mbu, Ross Lennie

Referee will be Don Robertson.