Preview Peterhead

It is only the Fifers second visit to the Balmoor Stadium on league business and they badly need to improve on the 1-1 scoreline there back in November.

Last time Dunfermline Athletic travelled north to Peterhead the home side lay seventh as they do now. The Pars lay second but now they sit level on points with the Blue Toon and above them only on goal difference.

Both sides are only five points behind Brechin City who occupy the third play off place and with the Glebe Park side away to second top Morton there will be an eye all around Balmoor on Saturday on the updates from Cappielow.

Peterhead and fellow Highland League side Elgin City were admitted into the Scottish League for season 2000-2001 as a consequence of the SPL expanding. The first taste of playing at Balmoor was a League Cup match was on 5th August 2008 when Jim McIntyre's Pars won 2-0 thanks to goals early in the second half from Nick Phinn and Andy Kirk.

This season v Peterhead

Dunfermline secured a comfortable Scottish League One win over Peterhead, greatly assisted by the opposition's indiscipline. The visitors finished the match with eight men. James Redman saw red after 16 minutes when he scythed down Dunfermline's Josh Falkingham and Steven Noble and Jordon Brown were both dismissed after a mass brawl shortly before the break. Falkingham fired the opener, Gozie Ugwu poked home the second before James Thomas smashed in a late third on his the Pars debut.

Dunfermline Athletic drew first ever league game at the Balmoor Stadium. Pars team arrived confident and fielded an unchanged starting eleven.. Faissal El Bakhtaoui sent the Fifers into the lead after 19 minutes and should have been further ahead before the interval. A late Peterhead revival eventually earned them a point when Jamie Stevenson netted two minutes from time.The return at East End Park ended up with the same scoreline. Ross Forbes had made it 1-0 in 20th minute but Rory McAllister squared it from the spot in 63rd minute.

League Stats

It feels like Dunfermline have found it hard to pick up points of late but in the last six league matches they have actually picked up more than their opponents. The Pars are hoping to add to their league wins on the road which have been at Stranraer, Ayr (twice), Stirling and Stenhousemuir.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Morton): Ryan Scully; Gregor Buchanan, Kyle McAusland (Declan O'Kane 80), Stuart Urquhart (Michael Moffat 53); Ross Millen, Josh Falkingham (c), Andy Geggan, David Hopkirk, Alex Whittle; Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Andy Barrowman (Lewis Allan 68).
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis Spence, Shaun Byrne, Ryan Thomson, Ryan Goodfellow (GK)

PETERHEAD (v Stranraer): Graeme Smith; Cameron Kerr, Scott Ross (Micky Riley 74), Ross Smith, Steven Noble; Kevin Dzierzawski, James Redman (Jordan Brown 79), Ryan Strachan, David Cox (Callum McDonald 60), Andy Rodgers, Jamie Stevenson.
SUBS NOT USED; Paul Jarvie (GK), Reece Donaldson, Dean Cowie

Peterhead's top goalscorer with eight league goals this season is Rory McAllister.

Referee will be Nick Walsh who the Pars last saw in their home against Ayr United but also took charge of away games at Morton and Stenhousemuir first time around.