The first match of the cinch Championship will be at home to Airdrieonians. Despite the Pars being undefeated against them they were a side that proved difficult opponents last season over the four matches in League One.
Milestones v Airdrieonians at home
Last Victory | 23/08/14 | 3-0 | League One Last Defeat | 29/01/16 | 0-1 | League One Best Victory | 11/11/61 | 6-2 | Division One (old) Worst Defeats | 14/09/46 | 0-5 | Division Two (old) 02/09/78 | 0-5 | League Cup Last Goalless Draw | 23/08/08 | Division One First Meeting | 27/11/26 | 0-2 | Division Two
Last Time at KDM Group East End Park Dunfermline 1-1 Airdrieonians Saturday, 18th February 2023, League One
Former Dunfermline keeper David Hutton was the Airdrie hero coming off the bench to save a Kyle Benedictus penalty. Just seven days after serving up a seven goal thriller these two teams met again. The visitors opened the scoring in 38 minutes. Cammy Ballantyne was deep inside the Pars penalty box to receive a pass from Telfer and his cut back found STANWAY in front of goal to stab home. 0-1
The much sought after Dunfermline goal took until 73 minutes and it was the combination of the two subs that did the job. A short taken corner to Chalmers corner on the left was crossed and met by TODOROV at the near post. 1-1
Eight minutes from the end McCann made a break into the opposition box and when he prodded the ball through defenders Wighton’s attempts to finish were halted by keeper Josh Rae’s challenge. A second yellow was shown to the Diamonds keeper and referee Ross Hardie awarded a penalty. Former Pars keeper David Hutton came on as Stanway was sacrificed. Benedictus hit the 84th minute penalty to the left side and Hutton dived the correct way to parry the ball away.
DUNFERMLINE: Deniz Mehmet: Aaron Comrie, Kyle Benedictus (c), Rhys Breen, Josh Edwards: Chris Hamilton (Joe Chalmers 65): Robbie Mahon (Lewis McCann 55), Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Chris Mochrie: Matthew Todd (Nikolay Todorov 65): Craig Wighton. SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Kevin O’Hara, Ewan Otoo, Paul Allan, Miller Fenton, Max Little (GK).
AIRDRIEONIANS: Josh Rae: Cammy Ballantyne, Callum Fordyce (c), Ben Stanway (David Hutton 83), Euan Deveney, Rhys McCabe, Craig Watson, Adam Frizzell, Charlie Telfer, Gabby McGill, Calum Gallagher (Salim Kouider-Aïssa 90) SUBS NOT USED: Justin Devenny, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Lewis McGregor, Lachie Byrd, Joe Dixon, Dean McMaster, Bright Prince
Last twelve meetings
Airdrieonians have won four, Dunfermline three and five have been drawn. The Lanarkshire side are undefeated in their last five visits to Dunfermline.
2022/2023 League One Airdrieonians 1-1 Dunfermline 22/04/23 League One Dunfermline 1-1 Airdrieonians 18/02/23 League One Airdrieonians 3-4 Dunfermline 11/02/23 League One Dunfermline 1-1 Airdrieonians 27/08/22
2015/2016 First Division Airdrieonians 3-0 Dunfermline 23/04/16 First Division Dunfermline 0-1 Airdrieonians 29/01/16 First Division Airdrieonians 0-2 Dunfermline 14/11/15 First Division Dunfermline 1-1 Airdrieonians 26/09/15
2014/2015 First Division Airdrieonians 3-2 Dunfermline 02/05/15 First Division Dunfermline 2-2 Airdrieonians 17/01/15 First Division Airdrieonians 3-1 Dunfermline 13/12/14 First Division Dunfermline 3-0 Airdrieonians 23/08/14
League Record
DUNFERMLINE League One Position: 1st League Points: 81 Goal Difference: +42 League Record: P36 W23 D12 L1 GF63 GA21 Last Six Competitive Match Form: WDWWDL
AIRDRIEONIANS League One Position: 3rd League Points: 60 Goal Difference: +31 League Record: P36 W17 D9 L10 GF82 GA51 Last Six Competitive Match Form: WLWWWW
Rhys McCabe’s side were the highest scorers in the lower leagues last season, finding the net 82 times across their 36 matches. They conceded 51, 30 more than Dunfermline!
Last Six Results
DUNFERMLINE Albion Rovers (A) W 3-0 Kilmarnock (H) L 0-2 Annan Athletic (H) W 4-0 Raith Rovers (A) D 1p-1 Alloa Athletic (A) W 1-0 Hearts (H) D 1-1
AIRDRIEONIANS Bonnyrigg Rose (A) 1-0 Inverness Caley Thistle (A) W 3-2 Dundee (H) W 1-0 Dumbarton (H) 2-0 Hamilton (A) L 1-2 Hamilton (H) W 1-0
Last time out
DUNFERMLINE (v Albion Rovers): Deniz Mehmet: Sam Fisher (Kyle Benedictus 49), Rhys Breen, Ewan Otoo: Aaron Comrie, Paul Allan, Chris Hamilton (c) (Joe Chalmers 53), Josh Edwards: Andrew Tod, Craig Wighton, Lewis McCann (Taylor Sutherland 74). SUBS NOT USED: Miller Fenton, Liam Hoggan, Max Little (GK)
AIRDRIEONIANS (v Bonnyrigg Rose): Josh Rae: Cammy Ballantyne, Callum Fordyce (c), Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Rhys McCabe, Craig Watson, Murray Aitken, Charlie Telfer, Josh O’Connor, Calum Gallagher (Lewis McGregor 80), Nikolay Todorov (Dean McMaster 16) SUBS NOT USED: Justin Devenny, Elliot Dunlop, Dom Kavanagh, Alasdair Spalding, Corrie Fellows, Kyan Gunn, David Hutton (GK).
Other cinch Championship fixtures
Arbroath v Dundee United (Friday) Morton v Ayr United Inverness Caley Thistle v Queen’s Park Partick Thistle v Raith Rovers
Last 12 Meetings
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
17/01/15
Dunfermline
2
Airdrieonians
2
13/12/14
Airdrieonians
3
Dunfermline
1
23/08/14
Dunfermline
3
Airdrieonians
0
Last 6 Matches
Dunfermline Athletic
Airdrieonians
W
Albion Rovers
(Away)
3-0
W
Bonnyrigg Rose
(Away)
1-0
L
Kilmarnock
(Home)
0-2
W
Inverness Caley Thistle
(Away)
3-2
W
Annan Athletic
(Home)
4-0
W
Dundee
(Home)
1-0
D
Raith Rovers
(Away)
1-1
W
Dumbarton
(Home)
2-0
D
Alloa Athletic
(Away)
1-1
L
Hamilton Academical
(Away)
1-2
D
Heart of Midlothian
(Home)
1-1
W
Hamilton Academical
(Home)
1-0
The two sides promoted from League One met in the first match of their return to the cinch Champioship. Rhys McCabe’s Airdrieonians side finished 21 points behind the Pars last season but arrived on the back of four wins in their Viaplay Cup group games. Dunfermline were hoping for a win and to resume where they left off the previous season with an undefeated home record.
James McPake was missing Deniz Mehmet who sustained an ankle injury in training so Harrison Sharp came in on loan from Dundee. In a change from the team that faced Albion Rovers, Joe Chalmers and Kyle Benedictus started in place of Paul Allan and Chris Hamilton.
Airdrieonians also brought in a new keeper – Josh Clarke from Celtic – on emergency loan in the absence of the suspended Josh Rae. Lewis McGregor and Adam Frizzell started while former Par, Nikolay Todorov was out injured and Murray Aitken was on the bench.
Before kick off the League One champions flag was unfurled on a podium on the half way line and it was the home side who kicked off attacking the goal at the east end of the ground. Early play was towards the Airdrie goal and Clarke was made to block a good third minute effort from Ewan Otoo.
Three minutes later an Otoo challenge on Calum Gallagher earned the Diamonds a free kick deep inside the Dunfermline half and from that Frizzell got it their first shot but thankfully that whizzed by wide right.
Dunfermline were quickly back on the offensive with Andrew Tod’s ball in from the right picking out Lewis McCann and his shot was touched on by Josh Edwards but the keeper parried the effort away. Otoo and Edwards then exchanged passes on the top of the D and Tod got in the shot that was blocked. McCann then headed an attempt from the edge of the box that the keeper held and Chalmers popped a shot narrowly wide.
Rhys Breen collected a yellow card for a push on O’Connor as he raced up the right and from the free kick Charlie Telfer was picked out on the 18 yard line. His shot was packed with power but Sharp pulled off a really good stop and from eight yards out O’Connor blasted his follow up off target.
Dunfermline had dominated the first 20 minutes but it took a last ditch block by Benedictus to deny the visitors an opener before Airdrie were able to take the lead in 22 minutes. Gallagher set up Telfer for a thunderous shot that rattled the crossbar but Craig WATSON swiftly reacted to head into the Pars net. 0-1
Airdrie’s lead lasted only eight minutes with Edwards on the left receiving a pass from Chalmers to provide an excellent cross that OTOO rose to head home from six yards out. 1-1
A McCann break up the left soon created a chance for Edwards but his 20 yard shot cleared the crossbar. Back on level terms Dunfermline again looked more comfortable and the Diamonds created their own problems trying to play the ball out from the back.
Right on 45 minutes referee Grant Irvine awarded a free kick 19 yards out on the left when Benedictus tackled Gallagher. McCabe’s on target effort was blocked by the four man Pars wall and in added time Chalmers collected a yellow card. An Edwards shot earned a late corner on the left but that ended with an Otoo shot that went wide.
It had been a first half where Airdrie had edged the possession but Dunfermline executed nine shots to opponents seven.
Half Time: Dunfermline 1 Airdrieonians 1
The second half started with Dunfermline again fired up and Tod rifled a shot narrowly over the crossbar. Keeper Clarke went down as he saved at the feet of Tod and required the physio’s attention for a cut. Paul Allan replaced Andrew Tod ten minutes into the half probably because he was on a yellow card.
Edwards made a speedy run up the left but his shot went just outside the right post. There was confusion as the linesman flagged for offside but the referee awarded a free kick. Next Aaron Taylor-Sinclair tugged Wighton as he broke through the opposition defence but the officials saw nothing wrong.
Dunfermline threatened again with Wighton in possession in the Diamonds box but opting to try and find Allan rather than shooting. Then on 65 minutes a neat ball from Allan on the left to put Edwards in possession on the left byeline led to the second Dunfermline goal. Watson booted away the ball but ALLAN crashed the ball high into the Diamonds net to make it 2-1. A dry welcome first senior goal for Dunfermline for the 23 year old who has not had the best of experiences over recent seasons through injury.
The Lanarkshire side did everything but score in 74th minute. Telfer’s initial shot was blocked on the edge of the six yard box. Then there was a suspicion of a hand involved in keeping Airdrie out as both Gallagher and McGregor had their efforts blocked by the defence leaving both Benedictus and Fisher on the deck as the ball slipped wide right.
The opposition had upped their pressure and in 77 minutes a second yellow card for Breen reduced Dunfermline to ten men. Craig Wighton was withdrawn as Chris Hamilton came on with Ewan Otoo dropping back into defence. Immediately Airdrie had another attempt, this time McGregor’s shot kept out by a Fisher header.
As had happened last season against Airdrie, towards the end the Fifers had to do some dogged defending with Fisher, Benedictus and Man of the Match Otoo all playing major roles.
The first home win over Airdrieonians in six attempts and three important points from a really entertaining match.
DUNFERMLINE:Harrison Sharp: Sam Fisher, Kyle Benedictus, Rhys Breen: Aaron Comrie, Ewan Otoo, Joe Chalmers, Josh Edwards: Andrew Tod (Paul Allan 55), Craig Wighton (Chris Hamilton 78), Lewis McCann. SUBS NOT USED: Miller Fenton, Taylor Sutherland, Liam Hoggan, Max Little (GK) SCORERS: Otoo (30), Allan (65) YELLOW CARD: Breen (14), Tod (45+2) RED CARD: Breen (77)
AIRDRIEONIANS:Josh Clarke: Craig Watson, Cammy Ballantyne, Callum Fordyce, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Rhys McCabe (Dean McMaster 64): Adam Frizzell (c), Charlie Telfer (Murray Aitken 74), Josh O’Connor, Calum Gallagher, Lewis McGregor. SUBS NOT USED: Justin Devenny, Mason Hancock, Elliot Dunlop, Alasdair Spalding, Corrie Fellows, Kyan Gunn, David Hutton (GK). SCORERS: Watson (22) YELLOW CARD: Frizzell (90)
REFEREE: Grant Irvine WEATHER: Damp 14°C ATTENDANCE 4977
50/50 Half time draw prize draw winning ticket number 49487 won £550
NEXT MATCH: cinch Championship (away) v Dundee United, Saturday 12th August 2023, kick off 3.00pm at Tannadice Park
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