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Match Preview - Peterhead

Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Peterhead

At long last, we have finally arrived at the start of East Fife’s cinch League Two campaign. Opening Day sees us face newly relegated side, Peterhead at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium, after an insightful and promising Viaplay Cup campaign. Our only defeat came last weekend when we fell 3-0 to Premiership outfit Motherwell. The Steelmen showed their experience and quality in the game last week, seeing them break down the Methil Men’s defences after half an hour of play. The floodgates then opened, as the opening goal was scored and then the scoreline doubled within three minutes of each other. A red card for Jonathan Page then followed to make matters worse before the break. A routine second half followed, leading Motherwell to a 3-0 victory, and advancing to the next round with it.

Peterhead’s cup campaign started brightly, narrowly missing out to Partick Thistle on penalties, before defeats to Dundee United and Falkirk contributed to them finishing at the foot of their group.

Their other game came against fellow League Two competitors and newly promoted Spartans. The Edinburgh based team, came out on top winning two-one in a back-and-forth battle, showing they are ready to compete at this level.

Previous Encounter

The last time the two sides met, was in 2022 when both clubs played in the third tier. Peterhead ran out victors at the Balmoor Stadium, thanks to an early Jack Brown goal after just after 10 minutes. Despite it being a rather even contest back and forth, East Fife could not give a reply to the early opener and the result was unfortunately one which did not help enroute to relegation.

Squad News

Outs: Scott Shepherd misses out today after his red card against Clyde in the final match of last season. Also, after the aforementioned red card last for Jonathan Page also sees him miss today’s match. Both will be available for selection again next week.

It gets even worse too, as Pat Slattery’s injury keeps him out of the playing squad this afternoon as well.

Team Colours

East Fife will don the traditional tartan top, matched with black socks and shorts on Saturday, while the goalkeeper will be clad in all yellow for the match.

Peterhead will also be in their classic kit. Wearing all blue for the affair. The Blues’ goalie will be in all orange for the clash.

Match Tickets

Admission prices for this game are as below:

Adults - £18

Concessions (Over 65s/Disabled) - £15

Under 16s - £5

Parent and 1 child - £21

Parent and 2 children - £24

There are no cash turnstiles at Bayview and fans are strongly encouraged to buy online where possible. Online sales are available right up until kick off however tickets can be bought from the matchday reception for those who are unable to purchase online. Please note, parent and child tickets cannot be purchased online and should be bought directly from the matchday reception.

Season tickets are valid for this match and anyone still to collect their card can do so right up until kick off from the matchday reception.

Like last season, East Fife Community Football Club members under 16 years of age will be admitted for free of charge for all home league matches this season.

Live streaming

Live Streaming of the game will be available on East Fife TV for our international fans (outside the UK and Ireland). This can be accessed through a monthly or season pass.

Your commentators for this afternoon, both making their commentary debut on East Fife TV, are the handsome duo of Oli Anderson and Pat Slattery.

Officials

The on-pitch official on Saturday will be Chris Fordyce, while his assistants running the line are Brian Christie and Keiran O’Reilly

Refreshments

The stadium bar will be open from 12.15pm pre-kick off on Saturday! We welcome you to join us for a drink before the match. The bar will be open again for post-match refreshments.

Programme

Issue Number 2 for the 23/24 edition of the Bayview will be available from vendors outside the ground pre-match for £2.50.

If you can’t make today’s match, programmes can also be bought online for home delivery.

MON THE FIFE!

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Match Report - Motherwell

Motherwell 3-0 East Fife, Viaplay Cup Group G MD5

Saturday 29^th July 2023, Fir Park

It was not to be for the Fifers in the Viaplay cup this year, as they succumbed to a 3-0 loss to Premiership opposition Motherwell at Fir Park at the weekend. The Fifers, who finished the game with 10 men after Johnny Page was sent packing late in the first half, struggled to get going in the contest.

The game started in a similar vein to that of East Fife’s other league cup games against higher tier opposition, holding off and looking for a goal that never looked like arriving.

We did have the first clear cut chance early doors when Shepherd sprayed a great square ball into the box, which Blaney beat Healy to by a matter of millimetres. That was the best chance the Fifers had in the opening half an hour, with Fleming having to make a number of great saves from close range, keeping Soare out on two occasions.

The best Fife chance came just after the 30 minute mark, when Gregor Nicol’s free kick was met with a stramash in the box, which no Fifer could get on the end of, and after a stramash in the box, the Steelmen had managed to clear it and the counter was on, the ball was cleared to Slattery on the halfway line, who then fed through Lennon Miller. Miller sent Fleming the wrong way, and 10 seconds after it looked destined that Fife would take the lead, the Premiership side were in front.

It went from bad, to awful in a matter of minutes for the Black and Gold as 3 minutes later, Conor Wilkinson had a low driven dig from 25 yards out, which beat an outstretched Fleming, essentially killing the contest in the first half.

Somehow, it went from awful to horrendous for the Fifers, when Page was sent off just before the interval, when he was caught in an entanglement just outside the East Fife box. Limbs were flailing, and the referee adjudged that there was a stamp involved, leaving the Fifers one man and two goals down before we could even get to half time.

Half Time: Motherwell 2-0 East Fife.

The second half was a much more dominant display from Motherwell, who knocked on the door for the entire 45 minutes, strangling the game with relative ease. Fife noticeably struggled, though they only shipped one other goal.

That came in the 66th minute through Callum Slattery. The midfielder jinked inside and around three Fife defenders before firing into the far bottom corner.

The ball was in the net five minutes later, after a passage of play started by a slack back pass, though the linesman’s flag was raised for offside.

That marked the last action for Fife in the league cup campaign, who narrowly miss out, despite not losing any of their other 3 games. All attention has been turned to Saturday when the Fifers start their second season back in the 4th tier of Scottish football, at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium against newly relegated side, Peterhead.

Report by Oli Anderson

Motherwell – Oxborough, Casey, Blaney, Paton (Zdravkovski 50’), McGinn (O’Donnell 45’), Miller, Souare (Wilson 68’), Spittal, Slattery (Ferrie 68’), Wilkinson (Maguire 77’). Subs not used: Kelly, Lamie, McGinley, Ross

East Fife – Fleming, Newton, Page, Docherty, Easton (Murdoch 73’), McManus, Trouten, Healy (Philp 88’), Nicol (Comerford 45’), Shepherd (Millar 74’), Walls (Schiavone 68’). Subs not used: Cunningham, Hambrook, Beveridge

Attendance: 3,076

Referee: Kevin Clancy