Oli Anderson previews today’s Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup tie against Banks O’Dee.
East Fife step away from league duty this weekend to face Banks O’Dee in the second round of the Scottish Cup at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium.
Dick Campbell’s men will be looking for a better result than that of last week, as the Fifers dropped points away to Forfar Athletic in a goalless affair. East Fife were the better of the two sides on the day, but we just could not break the deadlock.
Our opposition today, Banks O’Dee sit in second place in the Highland League, having started the season strongly. They are coming off the back of a 3-0 victory over Turriff United, and are set for a challenging two weeks, firstly playing the Methil Milan today, before heading back up to Spain Park to play Brora Rangers in a 2nd vs 3rd clash at the top of the Highland League.
Squad News
Ins
Club captain Stewart Murdoch and central midfielder Pat Slattery both return to the squad ahead of today’s cup tie.
In surprisingly welcome news, Brian Easton has progressed much quicker than anticipated and could make the squad for this afternoon well ahead of schedule.
Neil Blake, Logan Briggs and Masson Winn (current U20s players) also keep their places in the matchday squad.
Outs
Liam Newton and Jess Norey sadly continue to miss out through injury.
Andrew Tod has been made unavailable by his parent club for today, though Liam McFarlane has been given permission to feature in cup matches.
A Message from the Management Team
Before kick-off today, Assistant Manager Ian Campbell spoke with the media team about the contest ahead: ““We are acutely aware of the importance of this cup tie, and we have prepared well this week. Potentially having Easty back well ahead of schedule is a bonus as we enter this important period of games.”
Campbell added: “We are deeply respectful of Banks O’Dee and know that they are second in the Highland League, which clearly shows that they are a good side. It promises to be an exciting game today.”
The Form
The Fifers
Our last six games have resulted 3 wins a draw, and two losses, one of which came against Championship opposition.
Our two losses have come in consecutive weeks, with the first coming against Dunfermline Athletic in the SPFL Trust Trophy. East Fife defended resolutely for the first 45 minutes, which proved frustrating for the Pars. Unfortunately, they came out with a clear intention in the second half, and two quick goals looked to put the contest outwith East Fife’s reach.
The most recent defeat came to Stranraer at Stair Park. A poor start saw us go in 1-0 down at the interval, before a good start to the start of the second half saw us bag the equaliser through Alan Trouten. The lead didn’t last long however, as Stranraer retook the lead just minutes later, which East Fife never recovered from. Calamity in the final moments saw goalkeeper Liam McFarlane sent off and gaffer Dick Campbell also saw red in the aftermath.
Our first win in the last six came when we hosted Peterhead at the Wooden Fortress, and ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to first half strikes from Alan Trouten and captain Stewart Murdoch.
Then we built on the win against then-league leaders Peterhead, when we visited and defeated The Spartans. A second half strike from Nathan Austin proved the difference, with Jack Healy grabbing the assist following a great performance.
Three weeks ago, we came out on top against Bonnyrigg Rose in a game which was not always pleasing on the eye. Goals from Alan Trouten (three to be precise) as well as an Andrew Tod goal, and an own goal too proved the difference in a 5-0 romping.
Our draw came last week, against Forfar Athletic. A 0-0 draw at Station Park saw East Fife fail to score in a league game for the first time this season, which considering that we have played ten games already, is not too shabby.
Our Opposition
Banks O’Dee’s form shows just how strong a side they are. In their last six games, the Dees have recorded five wins, and just a singular loss.
Their only loss came to currently Highland League leaders Brechin City, as Banks O’Dee fell 3-1 on the day. That was back on the 18th of September though.
Since defeat, our opponents have gone on a 5-game winning run, scoring 18 goals in five games, gaining wins against sides such as Gala Fairydean Rovers and Rothes (who they beat 7-1).
Previous Encounter
Banks o’ Dee 2-1 East Fife
27th November 2021, Spain Park
Scottish Cup Third Round
The last time these sides met, it was a day to forget for the Fifers. Despite taking an early lead through Jamie Semple, an own goal saw East Fife pegged back by half time. A horror second half saw Aaron Dunsmore sent off, allowing Mark Gilmour to hand Banks O’Dee the lead with just ten minutes to go. East Fife were down to nine men by the end of the contest, with Scott Mercer also being sent down the tunnel.
Match Tickets
Match tickets can be purchased online before the game. Note that there are no cash turnstiles at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium. Please find match ticket prices below:
Adults- £15
Concessions (Over 65s/Disabled)- £10
Under 16s- £5
Season tickets are not valid for cup matches and we strongly encourage supporters to purchase their tickets online to avoid queues at reception. Out ticketing platform now supports both Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Turnstiles open at 2:00pm this afternoon.
Live Stream
For our International Fans, Live Streaming for today’s game will be available on EFTV, using a Monthly, or Annual Gold Pass. Today’s commentator will be Daniel Hughes. There is no live streaming option for viewers within the UK and Ireland this weekend.
Club Colours
The Fifers will don the traditional home kit, with the MPH Group sponsored black and gold shirt, with black shorts and socks. Our goalkeeper will be in yellow for the tie.
Banks O’Dee will be in their home colours of a sky-blue and navy striped shirt, with white shorts and light blue shorts. The Dee’s goalkeeper will wear all green for the clash.
Officials
The referee today will be Daniel Graves, with his assistants running the line, Jamie Andrews and Calum Foreman.
Miscellaneous
Issue 10 of our programme ‘The Bayview’ will be available for purchase before kick-off, for just £3. This week’s edition features an interview with club physio Jeb Spink as well as a tribute to former player Bobby Gillon.
The stadium bar will be open from 12:15pm today, with the pie-stalls and club shop open this afternoon too!
Mon the Fife!