Preview Hibernian

Dunfe

Dunfermline v Hibernian
Saturday 14th January 2012
Kick Off 3.00pm

Saturday`s visitors to East End Park arrive just one point ahead of the Pars. The Easter Road side`s cup success over Cowdenbeath last weekend was the first win since defeating St Mirren at the end of October but Dunfermline are without a win since they beat Hibs on Guy Fawkes night.  Given their lowly league positions both sides will be hoping to lift full points but the history of this fixture has seen more draws than anything else.

Hibernian Home Milestones

The win in April 2007 ended a run of over five years since Dunfermline recorded an SPL win over Hibs at East End Park. After the Edinburgh side smashed their thirteen year gap without a win with their 4-1 victory back in March 2005, they continued that winning habit. The meeting of the clubs at East End Park was Jim Leishman`s final match in charge, Jim threw in the towel after the 4-0 Monday night defeat on 23rd October 2006.

The Pars have won only two of the last 12 meetings, Hibs have won six and there have been four draws. The most recent match ended with a 1-0 Fifers win in Edinburgh courtesy of an early and rare Austin McCann goal

Who will be bottom after Saturday?

Hibs lie eleventh with 15 points, the Pars 12th with 14 points. Pat Fenlon was appointed Hibs manager on 25th November and since then his new team have picked up just one point against Inverness Caley Thistle in his reign of six SPL games. Since Jim McIntyre`s side`s win over Hibs, the Pars have picked up just one point from a draw against Aberdeen.

Hibs have already registered away wins in Inverness and Paisley but their league form is not good.

After losing only one home match last season in the First Division, the Pars are still in search of their first home win of this season.  In seasons 1971/72, 1973/74 and 2005/06 Dunfermline had just four home points up to 1st January, which is the same as this season.  But a new record has been set for the latest date at which a home league game has been won.  It was previously held by season 1991/92 when the 1-0 win against Falkirk on 11th January 1992 was the first home league win of the season.  Let`s hope that record can be ended with a win over Hibs.. 

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Inverness Caley Thistle): Chris Smith, Andy Dowie, John Potter, Alex Keddie, Paddy Boyle; David Graham,, Paul Burns, Martin Hardie (c) (Ryan Thomson 84),Joe Cardle (Gary Mason 84); Andy Kirk (Liam Buchanan 70), Andy Barrowman
SUBS NOT USED: Ryan Goodfellow (GK), Kerr Young

HIBERNIAN (v Cowdenbeath): Mark Brown; Callum Booth, Paul Hanlon, Sean O`Hanlon, Michael Hart; Lewis Stevenson, Daniel Galbraith,  Ivan Sproule, David Wotherspoon, Leigh Griffiths, Eoin Doyle
SUBS: Martin Scott, David Stephens, Richard Towell, Akpo Sodje

Referee will be Alan Muir. Come on ye Pars!