Dunfermline 0 Inverness CT 0
Saturday, 23rd Dec 2006Crawford sees red as Pars can only earn one point.
Souleymane Bamba returned from suspension to fit back into the midfield role that he undertook for all too short a time at Kilmarnock. Stephen Simmons and Mark Burchill were out through injury so that made room for the return of Jim Hamilton too.
Sammy the Tammy enjoyed the pre match waving his black and white chequered flag with glee possibly celebrating the absence from the Inverness starting line up of their top goalscoer Craig Dargo.
After the first home pre match huddle it was the visitors who got the match underway attacking the goal at the McCathie Stand end. Inverness settled faster but there was an early appeal from the home support when Dods towered over Hamilton inside the penalty area. Anywhere else on the park it would have been a foul.
The Pars tested Mark Brown after seven minutes when Bamba was gifted the ball in midfield and the break ended up with Stevie Crawford drilling a loose defensive ball low to the keeper`s left but he held with reasonable ease. The home support were further encouraged when Greg Ross made ground through the right channel to set up Gary Mason but a defender came across to concede a corner. Scott Muirhead`s ball in from the right was headed wide left by Phil McGuire.
de Vries was not seeing much of the action but had to be alert to head the ball over his crossbar as a spectulative shot looped high into his goalmouth. Then in 16 minutes the Dutchman dived to his left to hold an Ian Black shot on target from distance.
The match went through a period of stalemate with the midfields cancelling each other out. Dunfermline conceded the greater number of free kicks and both teams were forced into a series of misplaced passes. On the half hour a Hamilton flick on enabled Stevie Crawford to advance on goal but having beaten one defender Ross Tokely slid in to send the ball behind for a corner.
The Highlanders finished the half pressing for the opener. Black swung the ball right for Wilson and Darren Young was forced to concede a corner on the right. That was quickly taken and John Rankin shot into the sidenetting from the edge of the box.
Muirhead broke and Tokely was lucky that the referee decided his challenge on the edge of the area was legal. Both Muirhead and the protesting home support did not see it that way such that when Willie Collum blew for half time his Christmas greeting was very hostile.
The play was definitely missing some festive glitter and if the home support were to receive some Christmas cheer things would have to improve in the second half.
Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Inverness Caley Thistle 0
Five minutes into the second period, Greg Ross was the first to try and alter things with a shot from outside the box that landed in the stand. Tempers flared in the next minute earning Barry Wilson a yellow card, Scott Muirhead got involved and Young required treatment. All this upped the fervour and when Barry Wilson escaped the challenge of Young he raced in on goal forcing de Vries to make a good double block from both Wilson and Wyness.
On the hour Freddie Daquin replaced Greg Ross and immediately had the crowd chanting his name. He won a throw in on the right and from it the ball was flicked on as far as Mason on the top of the area but his shot was blocked. Four minutes later the Pars midfielder was in the thick of it when a scrum developed in the centre circle.
Ian Black reacted as he tackled Gary and then Phil McGuire dived in to separate the pair as they rolled about on the park. A melee then followed as more than a dozen players got involved. The referee flashed his yellow card at Black and Mason and to Dorus de Vries for what we all assumed was too well a command of English as a foreign language. Apparently not, the referee yellow carded the keeper for rushing up from his goalmouth to separate his team mates.
Further cards followed for Munro and Hamilton as the whistler tried to get to grips with the torrid action. Black was substituted and ripped off his jersey as he left the field of play. Crawford was yellow carded for mouthing at the referee and the next minute shown red for his tackle on the right side of the Caley penalty box.
Down to ten men the Pars were put under pressure with two inswinging Caley corners but then it was back to a forceful attack on the Caley defences but there appeared no way through. Andy Tod came on for the closing minutes but found himself chasing the ball around as Thistle hung on to possession.
This was a hard fought match in which few prisoners were taken. Possibly as big a blow as dropping two points was the red card for top scorer Stevie Crawford who will miss the next match against Motherwell.
DUNFERMLINE: Dorus de Vries; Greg Shields (c), Phil McGuire, Scott Wilson, Darren Young; Greg Ross (Freddie Daquin 60), Souleymane Bamba, Gary Mason, Scott Muirhead (Owen Morrison 67); Jim Hamilton (Andy Tod 90), Stevie CrawfordSUBS NOT USED: Scott Morrison, Calum Woods, Iain Williamson, Roddy McKenzie (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Mason (64), de Vries (64), Wilson (68), Hamilton (72), Crawford (76)
RED CARD: Crawford (77)
INVERNESS CT: Mark Brown; Ross Tokely, Darren Dods, Grant Munro, Richard Hastings; Barry Wilson, Ian Black (Russell Duncan 75), John Rankin, Roy McBain, Rory McAllister (Gary McSwegan 83), Dennis Wyness (Graham Bayne 69).
SUBS NOT USED: Mark Brown, Alan Morgan, Zander Sutherland, Stuart McCaffrey
YELLOW CARD: Wilson (51), Black (64), Munro (72)
REFEREE: William Collum
WEATHER: Dry, fine 7°C
ATTENDANCE 4216
NEXT MATCH: (home) SPL v Motherwell, Monday 26th December 2006, kick off 3.00pm
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Preview Inverness CT
Wednesday, 20th Dec 2006Caley Thistle are only seven points above Dunfermline so this is a really important match if the Highlanders are not to extend the gap between them and the bottom of the table.
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Christmas might well have been cancelled for the Pars players but three points on Saturday would give us all something to celebrate even before Santa`s filled his sleigh. Being the North Pole`s nearest SPL club let`s hope Caley are not to be favoured because the plump old bearded gent who diligently prepares those fantastic reindeers for their big day, might well have three points that are destined for the Pars to bag.
They certainly would be very welcome three points since the Pars have yet to slay Inverness Caley Thistle in the SPL. After a 100% record at East End against the Northerners in the First Division three draws and two defeats have been the outcome of matches in the SPL. Last time Caley came to East End Park the 1-0 defeat in the last game of the 2005-06 season, cost Dunfermline three places in the league and a fair whack of income.
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League Record v Inverness CT (Home) | |||||
|
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
|
7 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
5 |
Dunfermline last defeated Inverness Caley at East End Park back in December 1999 and that includes a CIS Insurance Cup tie played there on 9th October 2001. That night Jimmy Calderwood`s Pars side went out on penalties despite a 63rd minute Steven Hampshire equaliser getting the Pars back on track at 1-1.
|
Milestones | |||
|
Last League Victory |
|
1-0 |
Sc Div 1 |
|
Last League Defeat |
|
| |
|
Best League Victory |
|
4-0 |
Sc Div 1 |
|
Worst League Defeat |
None |
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|
|
*Pre league reconstruction | |||
Scott Thomson scored in the first league match and Andy Tod in the second league match between the sides back in 1999. These clubs have now shared thirteen league games and they have definitely been luckier for Caley Thistle. Dunfermline have won three of them, with five drawn and five lost.
The Thirteen League Matches v Inverness CT | |||
|
Date |
H/A |
F-A |
Scorers |
| A | 0-1 | [0-1] Tokely | |
| 06/05/06 | H | 0-1 | [0-1] Morgan |
| 08/02/06 | H | 2-2 | [1-0] Hunt, [2-0] Burchill, [2-1] Dargo (p), [2-2] Wyness |
| 05/11/06 | A | 1-2 | [0-1] Black, [0-2] Proctor, [1-2] Makel |
| 13/08/05 | H | 0-1 | [0-1] Fox |
| 23/04/05 | H | 0-0 | [0-0] |
| 29/01/05 | A | 0-2 | [0-1] Wilson, [0-2] Brewster |
| 06/11/04 | H | 1-1 | [1-0] Darren Young, [1-1] Fox |
| 15/08/04 | A | 0-2 | [0-1] Golabek, [0-2] Juanjo |
|
|
A |
2 -1 |
[1-0] Moss, [2-0] Bullen, [2-1] Xausa |
|
|
H |
1-0 |
[1-0] Tod |
|
|
A |
1-1 |
[1-0] Hampshire, [1-1] Bavidge |
|
|
H |
4-0 |
[1-0] Smith (p), [2-0] Reid, [3-0] Thomson, [4-0] Petrie |
Inverness have failed to win in their eight games since defeating Falkirk at home on 21st October. Their last away win was at Ibrox though!
| Dunfermline | Inverness Caley Th |
| Current League Position | |
| 12 | 9 |
| Last 6-Match Form | |
| LLWLLD | DLDLLL |
| Home/Away Record | |
| P9, W3, D1, L5 | P9, W2, D3, L4 |
| Leading Scorers | |
| S Crawford (4) | C Dargo (6) |
Caley Thistle are only seven points above Dunfermline so this is a really important match if the Highlanders are not to extend the gap between them and the bottom of the table. Steve Kenny points out that there are still 19 matches to play in this SPL season but lose this one it makes life difficult.
| Recent Form |
|
Dunfermline |
L |
L |
W |
L |
L |
| Inverness Caley Thistle Away |
L Dundee United 1-3 |
L Celtic 0-3 |
L Hibernian 0-2 |
D St Mirren 1-1 |
W Rangers 1-o |
DUNFERMLINE Last time out v St Mirren: Dorus de Vries; Greg Shields (c), Phil McGuire, Scott Wilson, Darren Young; Greg Ross, Stephen Simmons, Gary Mason, Scott Muirhead; Mark Burchill (Jim Hamilton 45+2), Stevie Crawford
SUBS NOT USED: Roddy McKenzie (GK), Owen Morrison, Calum Woods, Iain Williamson, Aaron Labonte, Freddie Daquin
INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE Last time out v Kilmarnock: Mark Brown; Ross Tokely (Graham Bayne 74), Darren Dods, Grant Munro, Richard Hastings (Stuart McCaffrey 46); Barry Wilson (Zander Sutherland 66), Ian Black, John Rankin, Roy McBain, Craig Dargo, Dennis Wyness.
SUBS NOT USED: Mark Brown, Alan Morgan, Russell Duncan, Rory McAllister
Referee will be William Collum for his fifth SPL match. The whistler`s first taste of the top flight was the Pars 0-0 at the Falkirk Stadium at the end of last season. He officiated over ICT`s 4-1 win over Motherwell at Fir Park on 9th September. The 27-year-old Secondary School teacher also was in charge of the UEFA Cup tie between Domzale and Hapoel Tel Aviv in Slovenia.
Come on ye Pars!
| Ticket Info:- Hibs v Dunfermline 30/12/06 |
| Ticket Info:- Dunfermline v Rangers 07/01/07 |
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