Preview Dumbarton

Ladbrokes Championship: (away) v Dumbarton, Saturday 6th January 2018, kick off 3.00pm at the YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium.

Saturday will see Dunfermline Athletic take on Dumbarton at the YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium. The Pars are unbeaten in 17 visits to Dumbarton, the last home win coming in season 1980-1981.

The Sons have only won once in their last seven games (away to St Mirren) and will be seeking points to increase their currently six point advantage over ninth placed Falkirk. Dunfermline sit in a play off place but a win is imperative if they do not to relinquish that to other challengers. Queen of the South and Morton are only two points behind and Inverness have made up for their poor start and are just three points behind those two.

Pars v Dumbarton: The Full League Record
P 88 | W 47 | D 18 | L 23

Dunfermline have a good record against their opponents winning more games than draws and defeats added together.

Milestones Dumbarton (Away)
Last League Victory | 26/08/17 | 4-0 | Championship
Last League Defeat | 18/04/81 | 1-2 | Sc Div 1
Best League Victory | 13/11/93 | 5-1 | Sc Div 1
Worst League Defeat | 12/03/38 | 1-4 |Sc Div 2
Highest Scoring Match | 26/09/53 | 4-4 | Sc Div 2
Last Goalless Meeting | 08/05/93 | 0-0 | Sc Div 1
First League Meeting | 31/08/1912 | 1-2 | Sc Div 2

Prior to last season, the sides had only met, in season 2012-13, on league business since April 1996 and the Pars have won ten of the last 12 league meetings. The last defeat at Dumbarton was on 18th April 1981.

Last 12 Matches v Dumbarton
Date | H/A | F-A | Res | Competition
25/11/17 | H | 2-2 | D | Championship
26/08/17 | A | 4-0 | W | Championship
15/04/17 | A | 2-0 | W | Championship
04/03/17 | H | 5-1 | W | Championship
29/10/16 | A | 2-2 | D | Championship
06/08/16 | H | 4-3 | W | Championship
23/03/13 | H | 3-4 | L | Division One
05/01/13 | A |1-0 | W | Division One
24/11/12 | H | 4-0 | W| Division One
15/09/12 | A | 2-0 | W | Division One
01/08/09 | A | 5-0 | W | League Cup
20/04/96 | H | 4-1 | W | Division One

Last Meeting at YOUR Radio 103FM Stadium
26th August 2017
Dumbarton 0 Dunfermline 4

Keeper Scott Gallagher made a mistake in coming out to try and reach Kallum Higginbotham`s perfectly weighted through ball into the right side of the Dumbarton box. Declan McManus beat the keeper to the ball and gathering it on the byeline crossed for Callum Smith to head on target but the ball was headed clear by a defender. The Pars pressed the loose ball and Joe CARDLE was able to net the fifth minute opener from six yards out. 1-0

Smith from just inside his own half picked out Cardle on a run down the left. As he approached the Dumbarton box he laid the ball off to HIGGINBOTHAM to his left and he found the net with a fine low finish. 27 minutes on the clock and 0-2.

In 87th minute a third Pars goal killed the game. Hopkirk found himself in space on the left and he delivered a ball to the back post that CLARK had the easiest of tasks to turn the ball home. 0-3

Most would have thought that it was all over but Andy RYAN was able to accept a clever back heeled from Clark and crash the ball past Gallacher in the first minute of added time. 0-4.

The win meant the Fifers went top of the Championship, their highest league placing since 2012.

DUMBARTON: Scott Gallacher: Sam Wardrop, Andy Dowie (c), Craig Barr, Chris McLaughlin: Kyle Hutton, Alistair Roy (Callum Gallagher 74), Stuart Carswell, Daniel Handling (David Smith 17), Tom Walsh (David Wilson 82), Christian Nade.
SUBS NOT USED: Kyle Prior, Dougie Hill, Chris Johnston, Jamie Ewings (GK).

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Ryan Williamson, Callum Morris (c) Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, Nat Wedderburn, Dean Shiels, Joe Cardle (Nicky Clark 79): Declan McManus (Andy Ryan 63), Callum Smith (David Hopkirk 63).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Martin, Michael Paton, Jean M`Voto, Cammy Gill (GK)

Form last six matches

DUNFERMLINE
Falkirk (H) W 2-0
Brechin City (H) W 2-1
St Mirren (A) L 0-1
Queen of the South (H) L 2-5
Dundee United (A) L 1-2
Dumbarton (H) D 2-2

DUMBARTON
Queen of the South (A) D 0-0
Livingston (H) L 1-4
Falkirk (H) D 0-0
Inverness Caley Thistle (A) L 0-1
St Mirren (A) W 1-0
Queen of the South (H) D 2-2

Recent Form

DUNFERMLINE
League Position: 4th
League Points: 29
League Record: P19 W8 D5 L6 GF36 GA24
Goal Difference: +14
Last Six League Match Form: DLLLWW

DUMBARTON
League Position: 8th
League Points: 20
League Record: P19 W4 D8 L7 GF15 GA25
Goal Difference: -10
Last Six League Match Form: DWLDLD

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Falkirk): Lee Robinson: Ryan Williamson, Lee Ashcroft, Jean Yves M`Voto, Jason Talbot: Michael Paton, Nat Wedderburn, Dean Shiels, Joe Cardle (Kallum Higginbotham 84): Nicky Clark (c), Declan McManus (Andy Ryan 86)
SUBS NOT USED: Fraser Aird, Lewis Martin, Callum Smith, Cammy Gill (GK)

DUMBARTON v Queen of the South): Scott Gallacher: David Smith, Andy Dowie, Craig Barr, Liam Dick: Dimitris Froxylias (Daniel Handling 76), Stuart Carswell, Dougie Hill, Ally Roy (Greg Morrison 65), Callum Gallagher (Christian Nade 81), Tom Walsh
SUBS NOT USED: David Wilson, Chris Johnston, Kyle Prior, Jamie Ewings (GK).

Referee will be John Beaton.

Other Championship Fixtures
Brechin City v Morton
Falkirk v Dundee United
Livingston v Queen of the South
St Mirren v Inverness Caley Thistle

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• Dunfermline 2 Brechin City 1
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