Preview Falkirk

There are enough players on both sides to know how much this Friday night’s fixture means to their supporters.

When the draw for the groups of the Betfred Cup was made, there were cheers on both sides of the Forth when Falkirk were added to the Pars group. Possibly those cheers died out fast when everyone remembered that there would be no fans present to stir up the usual superb derby day atmosphere. Nevertheless this is a match where both fans and players will be desperate to come out on top.

With Falkirk awarded a 3-0 win for Kilmarnock being unable to fulfil their opening group match fixture due to players testing positive for Covid-19 and the entire first team squad being forced to quarantine, the result of this derby could have a big say in who progresses out of the group.

Falkirk and Dunfermline have only ever played four ties in the League Cup and it is seven years since the teams last met in it.

Dunfermline v Falkirk: The Full League Record
TOTALS | P102 | W35 | D22 | L45 | F123 | A139
Dunfermline v Falkirk: The Full League Cup Record
TOTALS | P4 | W2 | D1| L1 | F9 | A5

League Cup Matches v Falkirk
27/08/2013 | A | L | 1-2
22/10/2002 | H | W | 2-0
03/09/1966 | A | W | 2-1
20/08/1966 | H | D | 2-2

Milestones Falkirk (Home)
Last Victory | 13/04/19 | 0-1 | Championship
Last Defeat | 10/11/18 |0-1 | Championship
Best Victory | 13/04/66 | 6-1 | Division 1
Worst Defeat | 02/01/52 | 0-6 | Division 2
First Meeting | 04/09/26 | 0-1 | Scottish First Division
Last Goalless Draw | 17/11/87 | Scottish Premier League

Dunfermline have won five of the last twelve meetings, Falkirk five and two have been drawn.

Last 12 Matches v Falkirk
13/04/19 | (H) | 0-1 | L | Championship
29/12/18 | (A) | 4-2 | W | Championship
10/11/18 | (H) | 0-2 | L | Championship
06/04/18 | (A) | 2-0 | W | Championship
07/04/18 | (A) | 2-1 | W | Championship
02/01/18 | (H) | 2-0 | W | Championship
04/11/17 | (A) | 1-1 | D | Championship
05/10/17 | (A) | 0-2 | L | Irn Bru Cup
19/08/17 | (H) | 3-1 | W | Championship
22/04/17 | H) | 1-2 | L | Championship
04/02/17 | (A) | 0-2 | L | Championship
26/12/16 | (H) | 1-1 | D | Championship

Last Meeting at East End Park
Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 1
13th April 2019, Scottish Championship

Dunfermline were awarded a 17th minute penalty kick when a pass from the right seeking out Bruce Anderson caused defender Ciaran McKenna to tumble the on loan striker and referee Willie Collum pointed to the spot.

Anderson stepped up but the Falkirk keeper Harry Burgoyne turned the penalty kick around his left hand post. There was much celebration from the travelling support behind the goal.

Fifteen minutes from the end Matty Todd picked out Anderson but his shot crashed down off the crossbar. Next the travelling support were celebrating a goal that would win them the game. Davis KEILLOR-DUNN got the break of the ball off Devine on the edge of the box to round him and stick the ball low into the left side of the Pars net.

DUNFERMLINE: Ryan Scully: James Craigen, Danny Devine, Lee Ashcroft (c), Jackson Longridge: Tom Beadling (Kallum Higginbotham 38): Matthew Todd (Robbie Muirhead 87), James Vincent, Ryan Blair: Faissal El Bakhtaoui (Myles Hippolyte 76), Bruce Anderson.
SUBS NOT USED: Aidan Connolly, Stuart Morrison, Mark Durnan, Cammy Gill (GK)

FALKIRK: Harry Burgoyne: Jordan McGhee (c), Ciaran McKenna, William Edjenguele, Paul Dixon: Paul Paton, Deimantas Petravicius (Davis Keillor-Dunn 51), Ross MacLean, Abdul Osman, Aaron Jarvis (Nikolai Todorov 59), Zak Rudden (Mark Waddington 90).
SUBS NOT USED: Ian McShane, Tommy Robson, Shayne Lavery, David Mitchell (GK).
SCORERS: Keillor-Dunn (76)

Last Season’s Form

DUNFERMLINE
Final League Position: 6th
League Points: 37
League Record: P28 W10 D7 L11 GF41 GA36
Goal Difference: +5
Last Six League & Cup Match Form: LWDDDW

FALKIRK
Final League Position: 2nd
League Points: 52
League Record: P28 W14 D10 L4 GF54 GA18
Goal Difference: +36
Last Six League & Cup Match Form: LWWLDW

Recent Matches

DUNFERMLINE
Dumbarton (A) W 1-0
Stirling Albion (N) D 0-0
Rangers B (A) L 1-3
East Fife (A) W 1-0
Spartans (A) W 3-0
Stenhousemuir (A) D 1-1

FALKIRK
Kilmarnock (H) C-C
Ayr United (H) W 3-2
Hearts (A) L 0-3
Raith Rovers (A) L 2-6
East Stirlingshire (H) L 0-1

Above: Aidan Keena in a Pars shirt

Last Time Out



DUNFERMLINE (v Dumbarton): Owain Fôn Williams: Aaron Comrie, Paul Watson, Euan Murray (c), Josh Edwards: Ryan Dow (Fraser Murray 63), Steven Whittaker, Kerr McInroy, Dom Thomas: Kyle Turner (Iain Wilson 73), Kevin O’Hara (Declan McManus 73)
SUBS NOT USED: Lewis McCann, Paul Allan, Miller Fenton, Cammy Gill (GK), Ben Swinton (GK)

FALKIRK (v Ayr United): Robbie Mutch: Scott Mercer, Paul Dixon, Ben Hall, Trialist, Gary Miller (c), Robbie Leitch, Conor Sammon, Aidan Connolly, Akeel Francis, Calumn Morrison
SUBS: Aidan Keena, Morgaro Gomis, Charlie Telfer, Blair Sneddon

It will be a return to East End Park for five players who played for the Pars - Scott Mercer, Mark Durnan, Aidan Connolly, Josh Todd and on loanee Aidan Keena.

Falkirk will know that their top goalscorer Declan McManus, scorer of 24 goals in 34 outings for the Bairns last season, will have to be watched now he is back in the black and white. They will have also noted their former player Kevin O’Hara open his Pars account at Dumbarton on Tuesday night. Enough players on both sides to know how much this fixture means to their supporters.

Referee at East End Park will be Kevin Clancy and the other Betfred game in Group E, Clyde v Dumbarton will played on Saturday.

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