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The games are running out and Dunfermline travel through to face Airdrieonians in the fourth last fixture of the league campaign. Rhys McCabe’s men always provide a tough match for the Pars but with both teams challenging for a play-off place this match is vitally important and likely to be exceptionally competitive. Last season the two matches at the Excelsior were hotly contested with the Pars winning the first in February 4-3 from 3-0 down and then holding on for a 1-1 draw with just nine men in April. In December Dunfermline won 2-1 but only last month the Diamonds went to Fife and recorded a 2-0 win at the KDM Group East End Park.
The two promoted sides have held their own in the league this season with this meeting coming with the teams currently sitting in fourth and fifth places.
Milestones v Airdrieonians
Last Victory: 09/12/23 | 2-1 | Championship
Last Defeat: 23/04/16 | 0-3 | League One
Best Victory:
11/02/23 | 4-3 | League One
17/10/64 | 4-3 | Division One
17/09/49 | 4-3 | League Cup
Worst Defeat:
30/10/54 | 2-6 | Division Two
22/02/36 | 2-6 | Division One
09/04/27 | 2-6 | Division One
Last Goalless Draw: 31/12/94 | Division One
First Meeting: 09/04/27 | 2-6 | Division One
Last Meeting at the Excelsior Stadium
cinch Championship, 9th December 2023
Airdrieonians 1 Dunfermline 2
In 37 minutes the first goal of the game would be scored by former Airdrie player, Josh EDWARDS. McCann’s forceful run up the right beat off his marker and he crossed for his team mate at the far post. 0-1
James McPake’s two substitutes combined to create the second goal of the afternoon. Jakubiak broke down the left, his cutback was behind McCann but TODD executed the shot to beat Rae from 18 yards out. 69 minutes on the clock and 0-2
Jakubiak was thwarted by Rae in the first minute of added time and Dunfermline would have seen the match out with a clean sheet but the home side were awarded an undisputed penalty in 92nd minute. Calum GALLAGHER converted but despite a late push by Airdrie, the Fifers secured three valuable points to create a four points cushion over their opponents.
AIRDRIEONIANS: Josh Rae: Craig Watson, Callum Fordyce, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Mason Hancock: Gavin Gallagher, Dean McMaster, Adam Frizzell (c) (Josh O’Connor 60), Kanayo Megwa: Liam McStravick
, Nikolay Todorov (Calum Gallagher 60)
SUBS NOT USED: Elliot Dunlop, Rhys McCabe, Gabby McGill, Joe Cassidy, Alasdair Spalding, David Hutton (GK), Cade Melrose (GK).
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Chris Hamilton (c), Ewan Otoo: Michael O’Halloran, Paul Allan, Joe Chalmers, Ben Summers (Matty Todd 60), Josh Edwards: Craig Wighton (Alex Jakubiak 60), Lewis McCann (Owen Moffat 78).
SUBS NOT USED: Miller Fenton, Ewan McLeod, Harry Sharp (GK), Max Little (GK)
League Record
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 5th
League Points: 42
Goal Difference: -4
Away League Record: P16 W6 D6 L4 GF19 GA18
Last Six Match Form: LLWWWD
AIRDRIEONIANS
League Position: 4th
League Points: 48
Goal Difference: +5
Home League Record: P16 W8 D4 L4 GF25 GA17
Last Six Match Form: WWLWWW
Last six matches
DUNFERMLINE
Partick Thistle (H) D 1-1
Arbroath (A) W 3-2
Morton (A) W 1-0
Dundee United (H) W 3-1
Raith Rovers (A) L 0-2
Airdrieonians (H) L 0-2
AIRDRIEONIANS
Raith Rovers (A) W 3-1
Morton (H) W 3-1
Arbroath (A) W 2-1
Ayr United (A) L 1-2
The New Saints (N) W 2-1
Arbroath (H) W 5-2
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Partick Thistle): Deniz Mehmet, Miles Welch-Hayes, Kyle Benedictus (c), Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Joe Chalmers (Owen Moffat 57), Ewan Otoo, Josh Edwards, Matty Todd (Brad Holmes 87), Chris Kane, Alex Jakubiak (Lewis McCann 64).
SUBS NOT USED: Rhys Breen, Sam Fisher, Michael O’Halloran, Taylor Sutherland, Xavier Benjamin, Max Little (GK)
AIRDRIEONIANS (v Raith Rovers): Robbie Hemfrey: Cammy Ballantyne, Craig Watson, Callum Fordyce, Mason Hancock: Dean McMaster (Chris Donnell 87), Adam Frizzell (c) (Arron Lyall 87), Charlie Telfer, Kanayo Megwa:
Gabby McGill (Lewis McGregor 67), Nikolay Todorov
SUBS NOT USED: Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Calum Gallagher, Josh O’Connor, Elliot Dunlop, Gavin Gallagher, David Hutton (GK).
The referee will be Grant Irvine, his third Dunfermline match this season. He was the referee in the opening league game in which Dunfermline defeated Airdrieonians 2-1 and in which he red carded Rhys Breen.
Other Championship Fixtures
Morton v Dundee United (Friday)
Ayr United v Arbroath
Queen’s Park v Inverness Caley Thistle
Raith Rovers v Partick Thistle
05/03/24 | Dunfermline | 0 | Airdrieonians | 2 |
09/12/23 | Airdrieonians | 1 | Dunfermline | 2 |
05/08/23 | Dunfermline | 2 | Airdrieonians | 1 |
22/04/23 | Airdrieonians | 1 | Dunfermline | 1 |
18/02/23 | Dunfermline | 1 | Airdrieonians | 1 |
11/02/23 | Airdrieonians | 3 | Dunfermline | 4 |
27/08/22 | Dunfermline | 1 | Airdrieonians | 1 |
23/04/16 | Airdrieonians | 3 | Dunfermline | 0 |
29/01/16 | Dunfermline | 0 | Airdrieonians | 1 |
14/11/15 | Airdrieonians | 0 | Dunfermline | 2 |
26/09/15 | Dunfermline | 1 | Airdrieonians | 1 |
02/05/15 | Airdrieonians | 3 | Dunfermline | 2 |
Airdrieonians | Dunfermline Athletic |
Raith Rovers (Away) 3-1 |
Partick Thistle (Home) 1-1 |
Greenock Morton (Home) 3-1 |
Arbroath (Away) 3-2 |
Arbroath (Away) 2-1 |
Greenock Morton (Away) 1-0 |
Ayr United (Away) 1-2 |
Dundee United (Home) 3-1 |
The New Saints () 2-1 |
Raith Rovers (Away) 0-2 |
Arbroath (Home) 5-2 |
Airdrieonians (Home) 0-2 |
It was a wet and windy afternoon that Dunfermline arrived to at the Excelsior Stadium. James McPake made one change from the previous week’s starting eleven against Partick Thistle with Lewis McCann coming in for Alex Jakubiak. 18 year old Andrew Tod took the place of Lewis on the otherwise unchanged bench.
As expected Rhys McCabe’s Airdrieonians side was the same as that which overcame Raith Rovers the previous Tuesday night. Nikolay Todorov, Gabby McGill and Callum Fordyce lined up against their former club. That win at Stark’s Park gave the Diamonds in fourth place a six point advantage over Dunfermline, their closest rivals, in fifth.
Dunfermline wore black armbands in respect for the club’s Stadium Safety officer, Walter Logie who sadly passed earlier in the day.
Matty Todd kicked off with the Pars attacking the goal in front of their travelling support in the South Stand. It was a tentative start from both sides before the first attempt of the game in sixth minute. Chris Kane smacked a shot over the Airdrie crossbar from 25 yards out.
A long throw in from Josh Edwards in ninth minute created danger in the opposition box and the chance led to McCann heading on to the roof of the net. Then five minutes later a long ball from Kyle Benedictus hung up in the wind and Edwards caught up with the ball at the left byeline but his effort to cross ended up in the sidenetting. It was Airdrie’s Charlie Telfer who came closest to opening the scoring, his 17th minute shot clearing Deniz Mehmet’s crossbar. The home side earned the first corner of the afternoon but referee Grant Irvine blew early for a latent push in the box on Benedictus.
An Edwards run forced a 22nd minute corner where Todd’s delivery was met by a glancing Miles Welch-Hayes header but the defence cleared. At the other end Craig Watson’s cross was missed by Todorov before being turned behind for a corner. The second phase from that was swept away for a throw in on the Pars right and play came to a halt when McGill needed treatment after Joe Chalmers challenge.
Edwards made a good block on Kanayo Megwa’s on target shot and Mehmet pulled off a fine save to deny McGill in 36 minutes. Handball against Telfer led to a 38th minute free kick that Chalmers delivered from the right. Airdrie’s initial clearance was returned and controlled by McCann and Todd for Ritchie-Hosler to pump into the left side of the Airdrie box. Malachi Fagan-Walcott then headed the ball back across goal for Chris Kane but his header cleared the crossbar.
Mehmet then fisted a Fordyce shot away for a 41st minute corner on the right that Benedictus cleared. A Telfer free kick hit the Fifers defensive wall and went behind for a 45th minute corner on the left. There was a delay while Cammy Ballantyne had to be subbed by Arron Lyall and when play resumed the corner was played short to Dean McMASTER who drilled the ball into the Dunfermline net from the edge of the box.
The home side had got to grips with the game better than their visitors and allowed them little time on the ball. They had threatened down the left side and Dunfermline switched off to concede a goal.
Half time: Airdrieonians 1 Dunfermline 0
There were two substitutions made by Dunfermline before play resumed. Off went Miles Welch-Hayes and Joe Chalmers to be replaced by Owen Moffat and Michael O’Halloran. Still it was the home side who threatened again with Mehmet tipping a 48th minute snapshot from Adam Frizzell around his right hand post before clutching the ball from Telfer’s corner.
The Pars keeper next had to make another good save to deny Todorov who was on the end of a Frizzell cross. In 52 minutes a Fagan-Walcott free kick was swept narrowly wide of the left upright by McCann. The big striker next broke away from his marker in the centre circle but Fordyce tracked him back to deny the pass to Kane that might have been a great opportunity for the on-loan St Johnstone player.
There was an equaliser to celebrate in 61 minutes when Todd’s corner from the left was met by the foot of FAGAN- WALCOTT at the far post 1-1.
Airdrie made two subs before the restart with Todorov and Frizzell going on with Lewis McGregor and Gavin Gallagher taking their places. The home side restored their lead within two minutes and it was GALLAGHER who found the net from a quickly taken free kick. 2-1
Andrew Tod and then Brad Holmes were introduced and Matty Todd and Lewis McCann went off. Benedictus made a great tackle to dispossess Gallagher as he raced into the Fifers box. The Pars captain complained bitterly about the contact on him and in 77 minutes was subbed by Sam Fisher.
Edwards now wearing the captain’s armband picked out O’Halloran on the right side of the Diamonds box but his shot flew over the crossbar. With Airdrie continuing to be a threat the Pars just could not get back into the match. Tod fired a 30 yard free kick at the keeper in time added on and when Kane did hit the net the offside flag had already been raised. In the fourth minute of added time Tod had the last attempt of the day but that too was saved by Robbie Hemfrey.
AIRDRIEONIANS: Robbie Hemfrey, Cammy Ballantyne (Arron Lyall 45), Craig Watson, Callum Fordyce, Mason Hancock, Dean McMaster, Adam Frizzell (c) (Lewis McGregor 61), Charlie Telfer (Chris Donnell 86), Kanayo Megwa,
Gabby McGill (Calum Gallagher 86), Nikolay Todorov (Gavin Gallagher 61)
SUBS NOT USED: Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Josh O’Connor, Elliot Dunlop, David Hutton (GK).
SCORERS: McMaster (45), G Gallagher (63)
YELLOW CARD: Todorov (57)
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet, Miles Welch-Hayes (Michael O’Halloran HT), Kyle Benedictus (c) (Sam Fisher 77), Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Joe Chalmers (Owen Moffat HT), Ewan Otoo, Josh Edwards, Matty Todd (Andrew Tod 66), Chris Kane, Lewis McCann (Brad Holmes 72).
SUBS NOT USED: Rhys Breen, Taylor Sutherland, Xavier Benjamin, Max Little (GK)
SCORERS: Fagan-Walcott (61)
REFEREE: Grant Irvine
ATTENDANCE: 2393
WEATHER: Wet and windy 10°C
NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship (home) v Queen’s Park, Saturday 20th April 2024, kick off 3.00pm at KDM Group East End Park
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