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Alternative Highlights
Fri, 18th Mar 2022
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John Hughes post Morton
Fri, 18th Mar 2022
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Lewis McCann post Morton
Fri, 18th Mar 2022
Dunfermline 1 Morton 1
Friday, 18th Mar 2022cinch Championship: Matty Todd and Dom Thomas start as Aaron Comrie and Ryan Dow drop to the bench. Iain Wilson (42) 0-1: Lewis McCann (88) 1-1:
The home side created loads of opportunities and dominated for most of the match but could only score the one goal. After allowing Morton to take a first half lead Dunfermline took until two minutes from full time to grab back an equaliser.
Dunfermline returned to East End Park for just their second home match since 22nd January. There were great hopes that the Fifers could make the best of home advantage backed by a crowd boosted as a result of admission prices slashed to just £5 for this Friday night encounter under the lights.
Manager John Hughes made two changes from his starting eleven against Hamilton the previous Saturday, Aaron Comrie and Ryan Dow dropped to the bench as Matty Todd stepped up and Dom Thomas started his first match since November. Still no Graham Dorrans so Steven Lawless wore the armband.
Morton boss Dougie Imrie also made two changes to the side that started in their home win over Partick Thistle - Kyle Jacobs and Reece Lyon were placed on the bench as Cameron Blues and Gary Oliver returned.
There was a lively start from the visitors peppering the Pars defence with early shots that thankfully were effectively kept out. Dunfermline began to show signs of a threat of danger with strong runs by Kevin O’Hara and Thomas and serious crosses from Todd and Lawless.
The Pars tried to take a quick 13th minute free kick midway inside the ‘Ton half but we’re pulled back and when Thomas delivered former team mate Iain Wilson headed clear. Morton had the opportunity from a similarly placed free kick three minutes later and when Lewis Strapp sent that deep into the Pars box the ball was headed narrowly wide of the left upright.
A Lawless cross midway through the half was headed over the crossbar by O’Hara and next an Edwards cross was punched away by keeper Jack Hamilton to steal the ball off O’Hara’s head. Dunfermline’s first corner of the match in 28th minute came from a deflected Lawless shot and corners followed both right and left but the defence was not to be breached.
Ten minutes from the interval a ball flighted in by Thomas towards the far side of the six yard box presented O’Hara with a good chance but he failed to make contact. Two minutes later a sweet move across field from Lawless through Polworth to Thomas was laid off for Edwards to shoot but Hamilton dropped to the deck to hold.
A Polworth shot in 40 minutes earned another corner on the right but when Thomas delivered the ball escaped through the six yard box untouched. There had been a sustained period of Pars pressure deep into the Morton half but three minutes from the break WILSON chose to score his first Morton goal. The 23 year old was able to make ground all to easily through the middle and stick the past Jakub Stolarczyk from the edge of the box. 0-1
70% possession for the home side in the first half but Morton with the all important goal.
Half time: Dunfermline 0 Morton 1
Joe Chalmers flashed a 30 yard shot narrowly wide right in the seventh minute of the second half and then two minutes later Thomas centred from the left and O’Hara would complain profusely that he was pushed off the ball as he challenged at the near post.
Polworth blasted a shot high and wide but Dunfermline continued to press. A corner from either side changed nothing as did another in 69 minutes. Then there was a free kick on the left just eight yards out but Polworth’s delivery was blocked by the two man wall and then Donaldson went down in the Morton box as he challenged for the ball.
There was a big cheer as O’Hara netted a Polworth ball in from the right, quickly subdued by the offside flag. Lewis McCann replaced Matty Todd in 82 minutes as John Hughes threw everything into getting a goal back. Some Thomas magic almost did the trick as he worked his way in from the left but his low effort was deflected wide right.
Donaldson had a couple of near things as Dunfermline piled on the pressure and after keeper Hamilton had saved the defender’s shot, they got their long awaited goal from the corner. Lewis McCANN met a Thomas corner in from the right with a glancing header and the Fifers had an 88th minute equaliser. 1-1
The Pars were urged on for every second of the four minutes of added time. O’Hara had a header kept out by the goalpost and that really summed up the team’s lack of luck.
Two points out of the 12 possible in the four matches this season against Greenock Morton. This draw puts Dunfermline level on points with ninth placed Queen of the South but not enough to lift them off the foot of the division.
SUBS NOT USED: Aaron Comrie, Nikolay Todorov, Ryan Dow, Rhys Breen, Paul Allan, Leon Jones, Reece Cole, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
SCORERS: McCann (88)
MORTON: Jack Hamilton: Oisin McEntee, Alan Lithgow (c), Michael Ledger: Cameron Blues (Kyle Jacobs 64), Jamie Brandon, Iain Wilson, Gary Oliver (Reece Lyon 76), Lewis Strapp: Gozie Ugwu (Robbie Muirhead 64), Gavin Reilly.
SUBS NOT USED: Alex Easdale, Darren Hynes, Mark Russell, Alex King, Lewis McGregor, Josh Bysouth (GK).
SCORERS: Wilson (42)
YELLOW CARD: Reilly (87)
REFEREE: Kevin Clancy
WEATHER: Dry 10°C
ATTENDANCE 4593
NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship: (home) v Partick Thistle, Tuesday 22nd March 2022, kick off 7.05pm at East End Park
50/50 winning ticket number was 08760.
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Preview Morton
Friday, 18th Mar 2022cinch Championship (home) v Morton, Friday 18th March 2022, kick off 7.45pm at East End Park
The next match against Morton has been brought forward from Saturday to Friday night for live broadcast on the BBC Scotland channel but the club has reduced every seat to £5 in the hope of having a bumper crown to cheer on John Hughes’ team in this important match.
It is just the second home game since 22nd January and with five of the remaining eight league matches being at East End Park, the Pars will be hoping to make the best of home advantage.
Milestones v Morton (Home)
Last Victory: 13/03/21 | 1-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat: 06/11/21 | 1-3 | Championship
Best Victory: 29/01/66 | 6-0 | Division One*
Worst Defeat: 28/03/15 | 0-4 | League One
Last Goalless Draw: 17/03/18 | 0-0 | Championship
First League Meeting: 25/12/26: | 1-1 | Division One*
*Pre league reconstruction
Last time at East End Park
Dunfermline 1-3 Morton
Sat, 6th Nov 2021
Morton enjoyed the early possession and took a 13th minute lead when Gary OLIVER drove the ball into the left side of the Pars goal. 0-1
The Pars got the equaliser just ten minutes before half time. Kennedy made a cross field run and managed to slip the ball left as he was challenged. O’Hara’s return was blocked but he was given a second chance and this time his cross was met by the inrunning Matty TODD who headed home from close range. The 20 year olds’ first Dunfermline goal made it 1-1.
Morton won a corner on the hour and when Jaakko Oksanen delivered from the right Oisin McEntee’s header back across goal was touched on by Alan Lithgow for Gozie UGWU to poke home. 1-2
In 86th minute Morton sub Lewis McGrattan was able to power a shot on target that Connolly kept out with a hand. A yellow card for the on loan defender and a penalty for the ‘Ton. OLIVER stepped up and drove the ball into the bottom right. 1-3
DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams (c): Aaron Comrie, Mark Connolly, Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Matthew Todd (Kyle Macdonald 78), Paul Allan: Kai Kennedy, Ryan Dow, Dom Thomas (Craig Wighton 66): Kevin O’Hara (Nikolay Todorov 78)
SUBS NOT USED: Vytas Gašpuitis, Lewis McCann, Dan Pybus, Deniz Mehmet (GK)
MORTON: Jack Hamilton: Oisin McEntee, Alan Lithgow (c), Brian McLean (Michael Ledger 39), Mark Russell: Robbie Muirhead (Lewis McGrattan 59), Reece Lyon, Jaakko Oksanen, Gary Oliver: Jimmy Knowles (Gavin Reilly 84), Gozie Ugwu.
SUBS NOT USED: Tom Allan, Cameron Blues, Lewis Strapp, Kyle Jacobs.
Last Twelve Matches v Morton
Five of the last twelve matches between the sides have been drawn, three of them with no goals. Five of the twelve were lost and two were Dunfermline wins.
08-01-22 (A) L 0-5 Championship
06-11-21 (H) L 1-3 Championship
31-07-21 (A) D 2-2 Championship
23-03-21 (A) D 0-0 Scottish Cup
13-03-21 (H) W 1-0 Championship
15-01-21 (A) D 0-0 Championship
12-12-20 (H) L 1-2 Championship
11-01-20 (A) L 2-3 Championship
07-12-19 (H) W 3-1 Championship
05-10-19 (A) D 1-1 Championship
05-04-19 (H) L 0-1 Championship
26-01-19 (A) D 0-0 Championship
Recent Form
Since Dougie Imrie came in the Greenock side have only lost two of the twelve games under the 38 year old manager, both away from home against Hamilton and Queen of the South. They have won four of their last seven matches.
Dunfermline have won only once in their last six games and have only twice in fourteen. After meeting Hamilton, Inverness and Kilmarnock, the Pars are unbeaten at home in 2022 and would hope to continue that.
Last six matches
DUNFERMLINE
Hamilton Academical (A) D 2-2
Arbroath (A) L 0-1
Kilmarnock (H) D 0-0
Kilmarnock (A) L 1-2
Ayr United (A) D 1-1
Queen of the South (A) W 2-0
MORTON
Partick Thistle (H) W 2-1
Queen of the South (A) L 0-3
Arbroath (H) D 0-0
Partick Thistle (A) W 1-0
Hamilton Academical (A) L 0-1
Queen of the South (H) W 2-1
League Record
DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 10th
League Points: 25
Goal Difference: -17
Home League Record: P13 W2 D7 L4 GF12 GA19
Last Six Match Form: WDLDLD
MORTON
League Position: 6th
League Points: 34
Goal Difference: -7
Away League Record: P15 W5 D3 L7 GF11 GA16
Last Six Match Form: WLWDLW
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Hamilton Academical): Jakub Stolarczyk: Aaron Comrie, Coll Donaldson, Efe Ambrose, Josh Edwards: Liam Polworth, Dan Pybus (Lewis McCann 84), Joe Chalmers, Ryan Dow (Dom Thomas 84): Steven Lawless (c), Kevin O’Hara
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Nikolay Todorov, Rhys Breen, Paul Allan, Matthew Todd, Reece Cole, Neil Alexander (GK)
MORTON (v Partick Thistle): Jack Hamilton: Oisin McEntee, Alan Lithgow (c), Michael Ledger (Robbie Muirhead 62): Jamie Brandon, Kyle Jacobs (Lewis McGrattan 74), Iain Wilson, Reece Lyon (Mark Russell 74), Lewis Strapp: Gozie Ugwu, Gavin Reilly.
SUBS NOT USED: Alex Easdale, Darren Hynes, Alex King, Lewis McGregor, Josh Bysouth (GK).
Only four of the Dunfermline team that started last Saturday played Morton in the November match but Morton are a changed side as well with just five of their side from the that match starting against Partick on Saturday.
Other Championship Fixtures
Arbroath v Ayr United
Kilmarnock v Queen of the South
Partick Thistle v Hamilton Academical
Raith Rovers v Inverness Caley Thistle
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