Preview Morton

cinch Championship: (home) Saturday 6th November 2021, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park

After twelve Championship matches of the 2021-2022 season Dunfermline have still to win a league match but having drawn seven of those matches the Fifers are just two points behind Morton, their opponents this Saturday. A home win would lift the Pars off the foot of the table for the first time since August.

The Pars record of three wins in the last seventeen meetings against Morton suggests the Greenock side have become a bit of a bogey team. In all meetings the Pars have the upper hand with 49 wins to Morton’s 38 and 33 have been drawn.

Dunfermline are undefeated in the last four matches against Morton but there is a growing tendency for the clubs to draw games between them.

Milestones v Morton (Home)

Last Victory: 13/03/21 | 1-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat: 12/12/20 | 1-2 | 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

A headed goal from Craig Wighton was enough to lift the three points and move the Pars back into second place in the Championship.

Dunfermline, back in action after 14 days without a match, faced a Morton side under the new management of former Par, Gus Macpherson.

A Murray pass took Banks into the left side of the Morton box and as the Crystal Palace loanee tried to round keeper Aidan McAdams he was taken down and referee Steven Kirkland pointed to the penalty spot.

Wighton took responsibility for the 21st minute spot kick but McAdams went to his right to block the shot. Wighton followed up and looped a shot on to the crossbar before McLean headed off the goal line. The Pars second penalty miss in consecutive matches.

The only goal of the game came just before half time. Banks surged in field and laid off for Thomas on the left to pick out WIGHTON. As he drifted in between Fjørtoft and McGinty, his glancing header found the ‘Ton net, 1-0

DUNFERMLINE: Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Kyle Macdonald: Steven Whittaker, Iain Wilson: Dom Thomas (Kyle Turner 80), Scott Banks (Vytas Gašpuitis 89), Fraser Murray: Craig Wighton (Declan McManus 81).
SUBS NOT USED: Kevin O’Hara, Lewis McCann, Matthew Todd, Cammy Gill (GK)

MORTON: Aidan McAdams: Michael Ledger, Brian McLean, Sean McGinty (c), Markus Fjørtoft: Stephen McGinn: Aidan Nesbitt, Reece Lyon (Gary Oliver 69), Luca Colville, Craig McGuffie (Cameron Salkeld 80), Kazaiah Sterling (Kalvin Orsi 80).
SUBS NOT USED: Robin Omar, Cameron Blues, Robbie Muirhead

Twelve Matches v Morton

Half of the last twelve matches between the sides have been drawn, three of them with no goals. Three of the twelve were lost and three were Dunfermline wins. The first meeting this season, the opening fixture, ended a 2-2 draw.

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
01-12-18: (H) W 3-0 Championship
22-09-18: (A) D 1-1 Championship

Recent Form

Dunfermline have now drawn six of their last eight matches, including their last four at home. Improved performances in the draws against Raith Rovers and Kilmarnock at East End Park were encouraging and give hope that a home win is near.

Morton have gone nine games without a win and have won just one of their twelve league games. That was at Hamilton in week 2 of the schedule and their match winning goal that day is the only goal they have scored away from home in the league so far. Gus Macpherson’s team have drawn six of their last seven matches including their last three away games.

Last six matches

DUNFERMLINE
Arbroath (A) L 2-4
Raith Rovers (H) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (A) D 0-0
Kilmarnock (H) D 2-2
Queen of the South (A) L 0-1
Raith Rovers (A) D 1-1

MORTON
Hamilton Academical (H) D 1-1
Partick Thistle (H) D 0-0
Queen of the South (A) D 0-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (A) L 0-2
Montrose (A) D 0-0
Arbroath (H ) D 2-2

League Record

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 10th
League Points: 7
Goal Difference: -11
League Record: P12 W0 D7 L5 GF9 GA20
Last Six Match Form: DLDDDL

MORTON
League Position: 9th
League Points: 9
Goal Difference: -7
League Record: P12 W1 D6 L5 GF8 GA15
Last Six Match Form: DDLDDD

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Arbroath): Owain Fôn Williams (c): Aaron Comrie, Rhys Breen, Vytas Gašpuitis, Josh Edwards: Dom Thomas, Dan Pybus (Iain Wilson 66), Paul Allan (Lewis McCann 83), Ryan Dow: Kevin O’Hara, Nikolay Todorov
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Macdonald, Kai Kennedy, Craig Wighton, Leon Jones, Deniz Mehmet (GK)

MORTON (v Hamilton Academical): Jack Hamilton: Oisin McEntee, Alan Lithgow, Brian McLean, Mark Russell: Cameron Blues (Robbie Muirhead 76), Reece Lyon, Jaakko Oksanen, Tom Allan (Jimmy Knowles 66), Gavin Reilly (Gozie Ugwu 55), Gary Oliver.
SUBS NOT USED: Michael Ledger, Lewis Strapp, Darren Hynes, Lewis McGrattan.

Referee will be Bobby Madden. Since officiating in Dunfermline’s season opener, the 4-2 win over Partick Thistle, six of his following 15 matches have been outside the country. After trips to Czech Republic, Greece, Sweden, Kosovo, Cyprus and Serbia it is a case of welcome to Fife Bobby.

Other Championship Fixtures

Fixture announcement

Scottish Cup tie away to Partick Thistle has been scheduled for Friday 26th November with a 7.45pm kick off.

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