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Comfortable Victory For East Fife
Ladbrokes League 1
Saturday 23rdSeptember 2017
Bayview Stadium
East Fife 3 (Duggan 4’, Docherty 21’(P), 62’(P))
Forfar Athletic 0
East Fife XI: M Hurst, Dunsmore, Page, Watson, Linton (Mutch 76’), Docherty (Kane 72’), Slattery, G Hurst (Wilson 63’), Millar, Flanagan, Duggan
Subs: Goodfellow, Reilly
Forfar Athletic XI: McCallum, Bain, Kennedy, Whyte, Mensing (Travis 32’), Millar, Cregg (Lister 45’), Malone, Scott, Cox, Peters (Quigley 66’)
Subs: See, Easton, Aitken, King
Booked: Kennedy, Millar, Malone
Dismissed: Kennedy
Referee: David Lowe
Attendance: 519
East Fife welcomed Forfar Athletic to Bayview yesterday with the home side running out comfortable 3-0 winners. Manager Darren Young made one change to the side that overcame Airdrieonians last time out with Pat Slattery replacing Kyle Wilkie who missed out through illness.
Newly-promoted Forfar have found life difficult following their promotion last season with the side sitting bottom of League 1 with only 3 points, picked up in an opening day defeat of Airdrieonians, and lost Manager Gary Bollan earlier in the week after a run of six straight defeats.
The game was only 4 minutes old when Chris Duggan latched onto a long ball from Aaron Dunsmore to slot past Loon’s ‘keeper Marc McCallum for his third goal of the season. Forfar then had two great opportunities to draw level and were unlucky not to score when first David Cox rattled the crossbar from 12-yards before Josh Peters saw his drive saved by Mark Hurst and his follow-up blocked by Mark Docherty on 11 minutes. Docherty almost extended the home side’s lead at the other end with a volley from 30-yards that McCallum was forced to tip over the bar.
East Fife did double their lead from the penalty spot with 20 minutes on the clock when a quick break saw Dunsmore bundled over inside the area by Darren Whyte. Docherty stepped up and sent McCallum the wrong way for his second in as many games. In the build up to the penalty being awarded, Mark Hurst pulled off a terrific save to deny Eddie Malone who had been afforded a free header at the back post.
The rest of the opening 45 minutes was all East Fife with Nathan Flanagan in particular causing all sorts of problems on the right-hand side. Good play by the winger saw the ball eventually fall for Docherty at the back post forcing McCallum into a save from a tight angle. Kieran Millar was next to go close for the home side only to see his drive from 20-yards come back off the post with McCallum beaten. Duggan got in behind the Forfar defence again just before the half hour mark but was unable to get the ball out of his feet allowing McCallum to collect.
Michael Kennedy then picked up the first booking of the game for a pull of Flanagan. East Fife had a couple of opportunities to add to their lead before the break when first Greg Hurst hit the side-netting from close range before a long-throw by Scott Linton saw Duggan head narrowly over.
A difficult task got even harder for the visitor shortly after the re-start when Kennedy picked up his second yellow for a foul on Flanagan. In a rare venture into the East Fife half, Jim Lister sent a header wide of the target for the visitors on 56 minutes. East Fife added a deserved third goal on 61 minutes from the penalty sport after a hand-ball by Cox; Docherty giving McCallum no change a he converted his second of the game.
A terrific run by Flanagan with 20 minutes to go saw his leave at least 3 Forfar players in his wake but was unable to find the target when he got his shot away. Substitute Ross Mutch was unlucky not to get his name on the score sheet with 5 minutes to go when he got on the end of a cross from Craig Watson but McCallum – easily the visitors man of the match – managed to turn his strike behind for a corner. McCallum was on hand again a couple of minutes later, this time denying Flanagan from close range.
A well-deserved victory for the home side with impressive performances across the park.
East Fife Welcome Loons to Bayview
Forfar Athletic are the visitors to Bayview Stadium tomorrow as East Fife look to build on last week’s win against Airdrieonians.
The Fifers were buoyed last week by the return of talisman Jonathan Page who made his first start in six months following an injury picked up during a 1-0 win over Livingston back in March and Manager Darren Young should have the same squad to pick from this weekend with only Captain Kevin Smith missing as he continues his recovery.
The visitors have not had the best start to their league campaign following promotion via the play-offs last season with their only points coming from a 2-1 win against Airdrieonians on the opening day of the season. However, they will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s painful 5-0 defeat at the hands of local rivals Arbroath – a result that spelled the end for Manager Gary Bollan.
The last league meeting between the sides was back in March 2014 when goals from Liam Buchanan and Nathan Austin fired East Fife to a 2-1 win at Station Park, current Fifer Chris Duggan netting for the home side. The game will be remembered, however, for an impressive solo run from Kevin Smith when he picked up the ball on the edge of his own box and left three Loon’s defenders in his wake on route to setting up Austin for the winner.
The Fifers triumphed by the same scoring in the last meeting at Bayview in January 2014 when Marc McKenzie (with more than a little deflection off Forfar defender Darren Dodds) and Stephen O’Neill both scored on their debut.
Supporters of both clubs are reminded that they are welcome to enjoy refreshments in the stadium bars before and after the game.
All to Play for in Kingdom Derby
It’s derby day at Bayview Stadium tomorrow afternoon as Raith Rovers make the short journey along the Standing Stane Road for the first league meeting between the sides since 2009.
Both clubs have made a satisfactory start to the campaign with the visitors’ one place above the men from Methil in the table after three league games.
East Fife boss Darren Young was a happy man following last week’s 3-2 defeat of Arbroath at Gayfield and is hopeful that his charges can keep up their good form, while acknowledging the task ahead against a Raith Rovers side that saw off Forfar Athletic at Stark’s Park. The Kirkcaldy club have made several new signings following their relegation from the Championship via the play-offs last season, notably two strikers who impressed last year, Greig Spence and ex-Fifer Liam Buchanan.
The man in charge at Raith is also no stranger to Bayview of course, with Barry Smith taking over in the summer following a six month spell as East Fife gaffer.
Meetings between the old rivals have been few and far between in recent years with the clubs only finding themselves in the same league twice in the last 40 years before this season, the last being 2008-09 when Raith held the upper hand with three wins and a draw.
Supporters are reminded that tomorrow’s clash is all-ticket and will be on sale at the stadium tomorrow depending on availability. The club would also like to advise fans that the upstairs lounge is fully booked for hospitality packages, meaning only the downstairs bar will be open before and after the match for refreshments. It is anticipated that the bar will be busy because of the larger than usual crowd and we would advise supporters to arrive in good time.
Mark Hurst returns to Bayview
Goalkeeper Mark Hurst has returned to Bayview on loan from St Johnstone FC until January.