Dunfermline Athletic

Preview Ayr United

Saturday, 18th Mar 2017

Ladbrokes Championship: (home) v Ayr United, Saturday 18th March, kick off 3.00pm at East End Park

Dunfermline`s next match will be at home against Ian McCall`s Ayr United. . With St Mirren steadily narrowing the gap on them, Ayr are fighting for their Championship lives. Following the Paisley side`s 3-2 win over Dundee United on Wednesday night Ayr are now just one point ahead of the bottom club with a poorer goal difference and although Dunfermline have a great record against Ayr (who have won only one of the last 20 matches between the two), the seriousness of the situation means that this will be another tough fixture for Allan Johnston`s team.
The records reveal that in the league the Pars have won 45 to Ayr`s 27, 24 have been drawn.

Milestones v Ayr United (home)

Last League Victory

13/02/16

3-2

League One

Last League Defeat

12/09/15

0-2

League One

Best League Victory

10/12/94

6-0

First Division

Worst League Defeat

13/10/73

0-4

Div One (old)

The Pars have lost only three of the last 33 league meetings. . Ayr United have only won 6 of the last 54 games between the sides in all competitions stretching back to 1983. .In the four matches between the teams last season Dunfermline won three and lost one when Ayr United were the first team of only two to inflict a league defeat at East End Park.

Last Twelve League Matches v Ayr United .

Date

H/A

F-A

W D L

League

07/01/17 A 2-0 W Championship
03/12/16 H 1-1 D Championship
01/10/16 A 0-0 D Championship
12/03/16 A 2-0 W League One
13/02/16 H 3-2 W League One
12/12/15 A 2-1 W League One
12/09/15 H 0-2 L League One
07/03/15 H 2-1 W League One
31/01/15 A 2-0 W League One
06/12/14 H 4-2 W League One
10/10/14 A 1-0 W League One
19/04/14 A 1-1 D League One

Last Meeting at East End Park
Saturday 3rd December 2016
Dunfermline 1 Ayr United 1


This was a match remember most for its crazy finish. The Pars took the lead after half an hour. Kallum Higginbotham was in possession in a central position midway into the opposition half, he looked up for an option on the right where Lewis Martin made a run, gathering the pass and centring a great ball that Nicky CLARK met ten yards out to bulge the net. 1-0

The second half started with Talbot driving an effort wide left but things totally changed in the third minute of the half, when Martin was shown a yellow card for holding down McKenna in the box. Having awarded a penalty, referee Barry Cook then realised that it was the player`s second yellow so, for the second home game running, Lewis had an early bath after just 49 minutes.

After much protestation FORREST was able to step up and find the net to Murdoch`s right. 1-1 It was the next penalty decision that kick off a remarkable finale. After Barry Cook pointed to the spot, Kallum Higginbotham took the 84th minute penalty and Greg Fleming went to his left to save it.

Ten seconds later Higginbotham burst in on the right side of the box and Dunfermline were awarded another penalty when Paddy Boyle brought down the Pars man. There was a battle for the duty of penalty taker involving McCabe, Herron and Higginbotham that the latter won. He hit that penalty stronger but Fleming stuck out his left hand to remarkably save again!

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch: Lewis Martin, Callum Fordyce (c), Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Kallum Higginbotham, John Herron, Rhys McCabe, Paul McMullan: Nicky Clark (Michael Moffat 71), Farid El Alagui (Conner Duthie 51)
SUBS NOT USED: Nat Wedderburn, Michael Paton, Joe Cardle, Lewis Spence, David Hutton (GK)

AYR UNITED: Greg Fleming. Nicky Devlin (c), Scott McKenna, Conrad Balatoni, Paddy Boyle: Alan Forrest, Robbie Crawford, Jamie Adams, Ross Docherty, Gary Harkins, Kevin Nisbet (Andy O`Connell 73).
SUBS NOT USED: Jordan Hart, Mike Rose, Daryll Meggatt, Brian Gilmour, Michael Wardrope, Mike Donald.

Dunfermline Ayr United
Current League Position
6 9
Form: Last Six Games
DDDWDD DDLWLL
League Points
32 25
Goal Difference
-1 -19
League Home / Away Record .
P13, W4, D6, L3 P13, W2, D7, L4

Ayr United have recorded two wins on the road during this Championship campaign - at Hibs and Dumbarton but the most recent of these was in October. their 1-0 win over goalkeeper-less Raith Rovers was their first league win since a 1-0 home win over Queen of the South on 22nd October.

 . . Form in last six matches - . .
 . . . Dunfermline  .

 .

 .

 .

 . Ayr United .
 . .St Mirren (A) D 0-0  . .Falkirk (H) L 1-4
 . Queen of South (H) D 1-1  . Hibs (A) L 1-3
 . Dumbarton (H) W  .5-1  . Raith Rovers (H) W 1-0
 . Hibernian (A) D 2-2  . .St Mirren (H) L 0-2
 . Hamilton (A) D  .1-1  . .Dumbarton (A) D 2-2
 . Hamilton (H) D 1-1  . Clyde (A) . aet W 2-1

Ayr United manager Ian McCall described his team`s defeat at home to Falkirk last Saturday as very frustrating. He claimed they got caught twice at the end to put a different look to the game. ".The scoreline was incredibly false.".

Farid El Alagui (above) will return as an Ayr United player

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v St Mirren): Sean Murdoch: Andy Geggan (c), Callum Morris, Lee Ashcroft, Jason Talbot: Nat Wedderburn: Kallum Higginbotham (Michael Paton 74) John Herron, Paul McMullan: Nicky Clark, Michael Moffat.
SUBS NOT USED: Joe Cardle, Gavin Reilly, Rhys McCabe, Callum Fordyce, Lewis Spence, Cammy Gill (GK)

AYR UNITED (v Falkirk): Greg Fleming. Nicky Devlin, Daryll Meggat, Conrad Balatoni, Paddy Boyle. Robbie Crawford, Brian Gilmour (Michael Rose 45), Craig McGuffie (Declan McDaid 67), Gary Harkins, Craig Moore (Alan Forrest 48), Farid El Alagui
SUBS NOT USED:  Michael Wardrope, Peter Murphy, Scott McKenzie, Jordan Hart (GK)

Referee will be 

C`mon Ye Pars!



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