Preview Rangers

The most recent Pars league success over Rangers at East End Park was on 14th December 2003 when a goal from Stevie Crawford and a Paolo Vanoli own goal gave the Pars a 2-0 win

Rangers are welcomed to East End Park on Monday for an evening fixture to be televised live. Back in November the Glasgow team inflicted a 3-1 defeat on the Pars at Ibrox but it was a match in which Rangers took until the 70th minute to take the lead.  That goal came from the spot after referee Stevie O`Reilly had given what many thought was a soft penalty. Jon Daly increased the Gers lead before Josh Falkingham cut that back on 90 minutes. A 92nd minute goal from Mohsni was a cruel end to a match that Rangers admitted to having been their most physical so far in this League One campaign.

The Pars solitary win from the twenty nine Premier League meetings in Fife was not a great record and in the 102 league games between the two, Rangers have won 78 to the Pars nine.

The last Pars league success over Rangers at East End Park was on 14th December 2003 when a goal from Stevie Crawford and a Paolo Vanoli own goal gave the Pars a 2-0 win. 

In the old First Division the last Dunfermline win over Rangers was on 14th March 1970 - Pars goalscorers were Billy McLaren and George McLean.

The last dozen league meetings between the two teams have seen eleven Dunfermline defeats and one draw eight games back. The Pars have registered wins over Rangers at East End Park but in the Scottish Cup - a 2-0 win in 1988 and a 3-2 win in 2007. That last win came through goals from Jim Hamilton, Stephen Simmons and Phil McGuire who had the Pars 3-0 up before a Kris Boyd double gave the visitors hope of a replay.

Stephen Simmons and Roddy McKenzie

Rangers form this season has been impressive and away from home they have only conceded three league goals - better than their home record. Brechin are the only team to have scored league goals against them on the road and even though they scored three, Rangers scored four. Ally McCoist`s teams only defeat of the season so far has been at the hands of Dick Campbell`s experienced Forfar Athletic side; a 2-1 defeat in the League Cup but on Boxing Day third placed Stranraer managed to take a point away from Ibrox after a match that Rangers dominated with 75% possession and 10 corners to the southerners one! The last time Rangers had dropped points on Boxing Day was in a 3-3 draw with Dunfermline at East End Park in 2005.

Dunfermline have lost two home games at the hands of Arbroath and East Fife. Since Rangers win over Dunfermline in November, Jim Jefferies men have been undefeated.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Arbroath): Ryan Scully; Ryan Williamson, Kerr Young, Lewis Martin, Alex Whittle; Shaun Byrne (Jordan Moore 74), Stephen Husband, Josh Falkingham (c), Andy Geggan; Ryan Wallace (Faissal El Bakhtaoui 81), Ryan Thomson.
SUBS NOT USED: Allan Smith, Craig Dargo, Ryan Ferguson, Chris Kane, Ryan Goodfellow (GK).

RANGERS (v Stranraer): (4-1-3-2): Cammy Bell; Sebastien Faure, Lee McCulloch, Bilel Mohsni, Lee Wallace; Ian Black; Arnold Peralta, Nicky Law, Lewis Macleod; Nicky Clark, Jon Daly:
SUBS: Steve Simonsen, Richard Foster, Emilson Cribari, David Templeton, Fraser Aird, Andrew Little, Andrew Murdoch

Referee will be Craig Charleston

Remember it`s a 7.45pm kick off and the game is all ticket.

Come on ye Pars!