Dunfermline 0 Queen of the South 2
Saturday, 31st Jan 2009Thomson, McCann and Graham in, Woods, Muirhead and Kirk out. Burns put QOS one up. Dobbie made it 2-0
From the side that drew with Airdrie two weeks ago Calum Woods, Andy Kirk and Scott Muirhead dropped out. In came Scott Thomson, Austin McCann and new signing David Graham. Queen of the South replaced the suspended Steven Tosh with former Hearts man Neil MacFarlane.
Pre match entertainment played D Dream`s "Things can only get better." For the Pars that meant three points and a return to "Fortress East End" , for the visitors it meant changing their fortunes that have seen them collect only three points since 25th October.
Dunfermline placed three men in charge of the kick off - Rory Loy, Graham Bayne and Steven Bell. The ball was played back and Paul Gallacher got an early touch but played switched quickly to the other end with Thomson forcing his way into the right side of the Queens box and Nick Phinn claiming for a hand ball as he swept the ball goalwards.
The Dumfries side pushed up winning two corners in the opening five minutes and the greatest danger coming from a Stephen Dobbie pass that put Bob Harris in on the left side of the box.
Rory Loy came really close to opening the scoring in 11th minute but Lee Robinson got down well to save the Dumfries born lad`s low driven shot at the base of his right hand post. Phinn returned the ball back across the six yard box and Bell`s header was blocked and then Bayne`s diving header was dramatically headed clear by Queens` defender, Craig Barr. Quite a let off really.
The Pars forced two corners in 17th minute but their next best effort came in 23 minutes when Thomson looped through a good ball that Bayne ran on to. His lay off set up Loy for a shot from 20 yards but again the on loan keeper defied his Rangers team mate parrying the ball away to his right.
There was a fright for the Fifers three minutes later when Dobbie got a good connection on a shot from the left side 18 yards out and Gallacher could only look back and watch the ball roll inches wide of the far post.
In 29th minute the Dumfries fans who had celebrated the birth of the national bard just last Sunday were on their feet to greet what seemed like another Burns Day. The opening goal was tucked away by Paul BURNS with a volley from 15 yards after Scally and MacFarlane had carved the chance out of the right side of the box.
Queens continued to threaten with Gallacher saving from O`Conner and Harris powering a 25 yard free kick into Pars wall. When MacFarlane took down Graham, Scott Thomson stepped up to take a 30 yard free kick. His first effort provided a yellow card for MacFarlane as he started his charge far too early. Nipper belted the retake into the Queens` wall.
Harris` penetrating pass then put Barry Wilson through on the left side but to the delight of the patrons of the McCathie Stand behind the goal, the ex Raith Rovers man blootered the ball over the bar. Injured in the process he was replaced by Jamie McQuilken.
Unfortunately it was another poor first half performance from the Pars. As the music said at 2.45pm, "Things can only get better."
Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Queen of the South 1
The Pars did not restart the second half with any great urgency indeed the visitors looked more likely in the early exchanges but a long all from Gallacher, nodded on by Bell in 50th minute looked more promising. Phinn collected the ball on the right and his pass inside for Bell was touched back for Burke but his blast was headed behind for a corner.
Graham`s corner from the left was headed back by Thomson but Wilson couldn`t send the ball towards the target and the defence won out. Dobbie fired over the bar at the end before Graham drove an effort into Robinson. Graeme Holmes replaced Alex Burke nine minutes into the half and his 58th minute cross was neatly flicked into space right in front of goal but the defence cleared ahead of the prowling Thomson.
Harris was yellow carded for cutting down Bell but the free kick swung over by Graham was weakly headed down by Thomson at the far post and Robinson saved again.
Andy Kirk was thrown on in 64 minutes taking the place of Graham but fortunes did not change with the next corner ending up with Thomson firing wide from eight yards. Things got even worse as Scott DOBBIE exchanged slick passes with Burns on the right before burying the ball in the Pars net from 25 yards out.
Gallacher pulled off a fine save from a fierce Harris free kick as Queens took a further lift from scoring. Then on 73 minutes MacFarlane picked out Dobbie on the right and he tested Gallacher with a dangerous low shot at an angle from 18 yards.
Robinson did well to stop a 75th minute Kirk effort as the sub broke through on the right but time was beginning to run out for the home side. The Doonhamers should have made it 3-0 in 80 minutes when Ryan McCann sneaked in on the right byeline. His pass was squared by Burns and Dobbie rocketed his effort outside of the right post almost taking out the ballboy in the process.
Calum Woods came on for Wilson who limped off but after that Dunfermline only looked like scoring with the last kick of the ball but Robinson saved from Loy . At the end most seats were empty and the only fans pleased were those in the South East Stand wearing blue and white.
It was just the fourth time QOS had won a league game at East End Park, their first since 1955. Their win was the first in 98 days but was fully merited. As for Dunfermline, this performance was never good enough. They sorely needed to recapture their home form. Any aspirations of returning to the SPL evaporate with results such as this. Unfortunately for Macca`s men after their fifth home defeat in the league this season, announcer Alex Mill will still be playing that number again next time. Things can only get better.
DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher, Scott Thomson, Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c)(Calum Woods 81), Austin McCann; Nick Phinn, Steven Bell, Alex Burke (Graeme Holmes 54), David Graham (Andy Kirk 64); Rory Loy, Graham Bayne.SUBS NOT USED: Iain Williamson, Callum Reidford (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Bayne (82)
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH: Lee Robinson; Ryan McCann, Bob Harris, Craig Barr, Martyn Lancaster, Neil Scally, Barry Wilson (Jamie McQuilken 41), Neil McFarlane, Paul Burns; Sean O`Connor (Stewart Kean 76), Stephen Dobbie (Michael McGowan 90).
SUBS NOT USED: Andy Aitken, Bryn Halliwell (GK)
SCORERS: Burns (29), Dobbie (68)
YELLOW CARD: MacFarlane (37), Harris (60)
REFEREE: Chris Boyle
WEATHER: Overcast 6°C
ATTENDANCE 2770
NEXT MATCH: Homecoming Scotland Scottish Cup (away)
v Airdrie United, Saturday 7th February 2009, kick off 3.00pm
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Preview Queen of the South
Wednesday, 28th Jan 2009In the league Queen of the South have only won three times in their visits to Dunfermline and two of these were over 76 years ago in the old Division Two.
For their 12th home league game of the campaign this Saturday, the Pars are hosts to Queen of the South at East End Park. Queens won on their last visit to Dunfermline but that was in the Alba Challenge Cup back in August. Prior to that it is was eighteen years since Queen of the South last won at East End Park and that too was in cup competition. Then on 28th August 1990 the Dumfries side knocked the Pars out of the Scottish League Cup by two goals to one. The Pars goal that night scored by current Morton Manager Davie Irons.
| Pars v Queen of the South: The Full League Record | ||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | |
| At East End Park | 28 | 20 | 5 | 3 | 73 | 28 |
| At Palmerston Park | 31 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 38 | 55 |
| Division One (before 1975) | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 31 | 25 |
| Division Two (before 1975) | 16 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 35 | 31 |
| First Division (since 1975) | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 36 | 22 |
| Second Division (since 1975) | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 5 |
| TOTALS | 59 | 30 | 10 | 19 | 111 | 83 |
In the league Queen of the South have only won three times in their visits to Dunfermline and two of these were over 76 years ago in the old Division Two. The last league defeat at the hands of the Dumfries team was in season 1955-56. Since then Dunfermline have won ten and drawn five.
|
Milestones v Queen of the South (home) | |||
|
Last League Victory |
09/08/08 |
First Division | |
|
Last League Defeat |
24/09/55 |
0-1 |
Div One (old) |
|
Best League Victory |
30/12/72 |
6-1 |
Div One (old) |
|
Worst League Defeat |
08/03/30 |
0-2 |
Div Two (old) |
It`s fourteen league games since a Queen of the South victory and the Pars have won nine of the last twelve league meetings.
Last Twelve League Matches v Queen of the South | ||||
|
Date |
H/A |
F-A |
W D L |
League |
| 13/12/08 | A | 2-1 | W | First Division |
| 09/08/08 | H | 2-1 | W | First Division |
| 26/04/08 | H | 4-0 | W | First Division |
| 15/03/08 | A | 1-1 | D | First Division |
| 22/12/07 | H | 2-0 | W | First Division |
| 06/10/07 | A | 1-0 | W | First Division |
| 21/03/89 | A | 2-0 | W | First Division |
| 12/11/88 | A | 0-0 | D | First Division |
| 10/09/88 | H | 4-2 | W | First Division |
| 25/04/87 | H | 1-0 | W | First Division |
| 24/0187 | A | 2-1 | W | First Division |
| 15/11/86 | H | 2-2 | D | First Division |
After a strong start the Dumfries side have slid down the table principally because they have not won a match since 25th October. Their miserable run of 12 matches since then has seen them picked up just three points from draws against St Johnstone, Morton and Partick Thistle last week.
| Dunfermline | Queen of the South |
| Current League Position | |
| 2 | 9 |
| League form: Last Six Games | |
| WDWLWD | LLLDLD |
| League Points | |
| 32 | 24 |
| Goal Difference | |
| +8 | -3 |
| Home/Away Record | |
| P11, W4, D3, L4 | P11, W2, D3, L6 |
The Pars were hoping the win over Livingston at the end of December had sorted their poor home run but then the performance against Airdrie United was only good enough to earn a draw.
| Recent League Form | ||||||
| Dunfermline Home | Queen of the South Away | |||||
| Airdrie United | D | 1-1 | Ross County | L | 0-1 | |
| Livingston | W | 1-0 | Morton | D | 2-2 | |
| Clyde | D | 4-4 | Livingston | L | 0-2 | |
| Morton | L | 0-1 | St Johnstone | D | 0-0 | |
| Dundee | L | 0-1 | Dundee | L |
0-2 | |
| St Johnstone | L | 1-2 | Partick Thistle | L | 0-2 | |
Last Time Out
DUNFERMLINE (v Airdrie United): Paul Gallacher, Calum Woods (Scott Thomson HT), Greg Shields, Scott Wilson (c), Scott Muirhead, Steven Bell, Nick Phinn, Alex Burke, Rory Loy, Andy Kirk (Paul Willis HT), Graham Bayne (Jamie Mole 80).
SUBS NOT USED: Greg Ross, Greg Paterson.
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH (v Ross County): Lee Robinson; Ryan McCann, Bob Harris, Craig Barr, Martyn Lancaster, Neil Scally, Barry Wilson (Weatherston 84), Steven Tosh, Paul Burns; Sean O`Connor, Stephen Dobbie.
SUBS NOT USED: Bryn Halliwell, Jamie McQuilken, Neil McFarlane, Stewart Kean.
Steven Toss is suspended for this game. Gary Arbuckle is out with a broken leg but Jim Thomson is abvailable to return after an injury to his big toe.
Referee will be Chris Boyle; a man who will be forever remembered by Pars fans for sending off Sol Bamba at Livingston last season. This season he has only officiated a Dunfermline match once - the 3-1 win at home over Ross County. That day he sent off Richie Hart with 20 minutes to go.
C`mon Ye Pars!
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