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Spiders Next Up After Stranraer Success

Queen’s Park are the visitors to Bayview Stadium tomorrow afternoon as East Fife look to build on last Saturday’s well-earned 2-0 victory at Stair Park. Manager Darren Young was a happy man following the win, particularly with three midfielders having to call off through injury during the week. New signings Connor McManus and Adam Livingstone were handed their debut, with Robert Jones also being given an early introduction after Chris Duggan’s first-half departure after sustaining a heavy knock.

Despite the Spiders’ lowly league position, Gus MacPherson’s men can always be expected to provide tough opposition, and having won both encounters between the sides this season will be desperate to pull clear of the automatic relegation place they currently occupy. The Methil men’s record against Queen’s Park in recent years has been less than impressive, with the Fifers last victory at Bayview occurring more than nine years ago when goals from Greig McDonald, Chris Templeman and a double from Stevie Crawford secured a 4-1 success.

Once again East Fife physiotherapist George Good’s treatment table has been in high demand, with Kyle Wilkie, Craig Thomson and Mark Docherty all sidelined last week, while Greg Fotheringham misses out for the visitors through suspension after his sending off in the defeat to Raith Rovers at Hampden Stadium .

Supporters of both clubs are reminded that they are welcome to enjoy refreshments at the stadium bars before and after the game.   

Fifers Stranraer Bound After Signing Spree

East Fife make the long journey to Stair Park to face Stranraer tomorrow, keen to get their league campaign back on track following a disappointing defeat at home to Forfar Athletic last week.

Manager Darren Young was left frustrated after losing all three points, particularly at the loss of the avoidable second goal for the visitors. The Bayview boss has brought in no fewer than four new faces to the squad in the last few days with defender Adam Livingstone, midfielder Connor McManus and strikers Matthew Knox and Robert Jones all available for selection tomorrow. Right sided defender Aaron Dunsmore also returns, after serving a one game suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.

Conversely, Stranraer have hit an impressive run of form, winning each of their last three games against Airdrieonians, Raith Rovers and Albion Rovers. One man to watch is forward Angus Beith who has hit the target five times in the last four outings, including a double in the 3-1 success at Cliftonhill on Saturday. The men from Stair Park have also been active in the transfer market during the January window, bringing in Ross Lyon, Dylan Dykes, Cameron Macpherson and Dean Hawkshaw in respective loan deals with Rangers, Ross County, St Mirren and Kilmarnock.

Stranraer have had the better of the two previous meetings between the teams this season, with Jamie Hamill scoring the only goal of the game on the opening day of the league campaign at Stair Park and Ryan Wallace equalising Chris Duggan’s opening goal in the return encounter at Bayview Stadium in December to earn his side a 1-1 draw. 

East Fife Back To Winning-Ways With Victory Over Stranraer

Ladbrokes League 1

Saturday 3^rd February 2018

Stair Park

Stranraer 0

East Fife 2 (Linton 58’ (P), Lamont 61’)

Stranarer XI: Currie, Robertson, Neill, McGowan, Hamill, Woods (Anderson 64’), Agnew (Hawkshaw 64’), Turner, Beith, Dykes (Lyon 64’), Okoh

Subs: McLaren, MacPherson, Barron, Thomson

Booked: McGowan

East Fife XI: Goodfellow, Dunsmore, Kane, Page, Linton, Lamont (Watson 76’), McManus, Millar, Livingstone, Duggan (Jones 41’), Smith (Slattery 86’)

Subs: Wilson, Mutch, Knox, MacKenzie

Booked: Page

Referee: Colin Steven

Attendance: 383

East Fife made the long trip down to Stair Park to face Stranraer and returned to Bayview with all 3 points after picking up their first win on the road since November. Manager Darren Young made 5 changes to the side that lost to Forfar Athletic last time out with new-signing Connor McManaus and Adam Livingston, Kevin Smith, Kieran Millar and Aaron Dunsmore, free again after the last game through suspension, replaced the injured trio of Mark Docherty, Kyle Wilkie and Craig Thomson with Pat Slattery and Craig Watson dropping to the bench.

East Fife should have taken the lead on 11 minutes when a good break by Livingstone picked out Smith in the middle of the park, Smith lifted the ball over the top for Chris Duggan who put the ball past on-rushing ‘keeper Max Currie only for the flag to be raised for offside – replays showing that Duggan was in fact well onside when the ball was played. Stephen Okoh fired over from close range on 14 minutes for the home side before Currie saved comfortably from Jonathan Page’s header on 21 minutes at the other end.

East Fife rode their luck a bit in the first half and a combination of Ryan Goodfellow and Chris Kane were required to keep out a goalmouth scramble on 23 minutes. Duggan should have done better when he broke free from his marker to get on the end of Linton’s free kick on 31 minutes but didn’t get enough on the ball and it flew wide. Livingstone registered the visitor’s first shot on goal on 32 minutes when his left-footed volley was saved by Currie.

Angus Bieth curled a shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post for the home side on 37 minutes after being played in by Scott Robertson. New-signing Robert Jones came on for his debut 5 minutes before the break as a replacement for Duggan who picked up a dead leg after a challenge from Morgyn Neill and almost gave the visitor’s the lead in bizarre circumstances. With a Stranraer player down injured play ground to a halt but without the referee stopping play, McManus was invited to play on and fed Jones down the left who drove into the box and forces Currie to turn his shot behind.

There was little between the sides at the break who both teams struggling to find their passing game on a pitch that was struggling after harsh weather conditions.

Linton sent a right-footed shot wide of the post shortly after the re-start before Stranraer had a penalty shout waved away by referee Colin Steven on 49 minutes when Beith’s shot appeared to hit the arm of Page – replays showing that it was the correct decision as his arms were in front of his chest. Currie spilled a shot from Jones on 53 minutes but was able to recover quickly with Smith waiting to pounce.

East Fife were awarded a highly debatable penalty of 56 minutes when Kieran Millar broke through the Stranraer defence and raced in on goal only to be brought down by Chris McGowan as he was about to shoot. Stranraer argued that McGowan played the ball first but replays have proved to be inconclusive but the fact the challenge came from behind is what probably swayed the decision in East Fife’s favour. With regular penalty taker Mark Docherty missing through injury, Scott Linton stepped up to give East Fife the lead with his 3^rd goal of the season.

It was 2-0 shortly after when Mark Lamont won a footrace against McGowan to latch onto Millar’s through ball and slot past Currie for his 4^th of the season. Jones was next to get in behind the Stranraer defence but dragged his shot just wide of target on 66 minutes. Lamont went close to adding a second with 20 minutes to play but flashed his shot over from the edge of the box.

Beith blasted over from 10-yards for the home side on 72 minutes after Grant Anderson’s cross was only partially cleared before Okoh just failed to get on the end of Anderson’s knock down as the home side looked for a way back into the game.

It wasn’t to be however as East Fife held on for a thoroughly-deserved first League win on the road since a 1-0 victory against Airdrieonians in September and will look to build on that performance when Queen’s Park are the visitors to Bayview on Saturday.