Oli Anderson previews tonight’s match against Annan Athletic
After Saturday’s heroics, the Fifers are back on the play-off horse, charging towards the first leg of the final. Our opposition, Annan Athletic are now fighting for their third-tier status, as they stare relegation in the face. They had a back-and-forth fight on their hands to get to this stage, as their two-legged semi-final saw nine goals scored between them and Elgin City, with Annan’s big first leg victory up at Borough Briggs proving too much for Allan Hale’s men.
East Fife showed their class at the weekend with a complete performance to eliminate Edinburgh City from the running. They have one last dance at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium this season, and a win would be incredibly for what will surely be a bumper crowd in attendance.
Supporters are reminded that pyrotechnics are strictly prohibited within the stadium. Security searches may be conducted prior to entry, and please be advised that Police Scotland will be in the area to assist. Anyone found to be in possession of prohibited items will be denied entry and face a stadium ban in addition to any action taken by Police Scotland.
Road to the Playoff Final
East Fife 3-0 Edinburgh City
(East Fife progressed 3-1 on aggregate)
Annan Athletic 1-2 Elgin City
(Annan Athletic progressed 5-4 on Aggregate)
The Final
Tuesday 13th May: East Fife vs Annan Athletic
Friday 16th May: Annan Athletic vs East Fife.
The Form
The Fifers
The Fifers have four wins from the last six, keeping four clean sheets in the process. There were three 2-0 victories (vs Elgin City, Stirling Albion and Bonnyrigg Rose). On top of this, Saturday’s thumping of Edinburgh City, renders the first leg defeat futile. Unfortunately, the sour taste of defeat at the hands of Peterhead can’t quite leave the month just yet, though promotion via the play-offs would certainly soften the blow.
Our Opposition
Annan have won just two of their last six games, once on the road, and the other at home. The concern is, when Annan win, they win big. Their two most recent victories are their 4-2 win over Elgin City at Borough Briggs, while their other is a 5-1 thumping of League One Champions Arbroath. They have lost their other four games, including two on the road, a 1-0 defeat to Alloa Athletic, and a 3-1 loss to relegated Dumbarton.
Previous Encounter
East Fife 0-1 Annan Athletic
MGM Timber Bayview Stadium, 1st April 2023
The two sides last met in 2023, the year that Annan Athletic gained promotion to League One via the playoffs, and the last time that we ourselves played these games. Aiden Smith done the damage scoring in the 90th minute to take all three points, but East Fife did have chances in the game, with Alan Trouten finding the side netting and Scott Shepherd skying an effort from close in the first 45.
Squad News
We have no fresh injury concerns ahead of today’s match.
Match Tickets
Ticket Prices for the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium can be found below. Please note that season tickets are not valid for our play-off journey.
Adult: £15
Concessions: £10
U16s: £5
East Fife fans will be housed in section A-D (sea end of the stand) and sections H-J (town end).
Edinburgh City fans will be housed in section K.
There are no cash turnstiles at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium and supporters are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance. There will be a small number of tickets available to buy from the stadium reception this afternoon, however, please arrive in plenty of time to do so as there are likely to be queues.
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.
In the UK, East Fife vs Annan Athletic will be televised on BBC Alba, and available to stream on the BBC iPlayer.
Club Colours
The Fifers are back in the famous Black and Gold today, wearing the MPH Group sponsored home kit, with black socks and shorts. The East Fife goalkeeper will be wearing sky blue for the tie.
Annan Athletic will be in all blue for the contest. The Galabankies’ goalkeeper will wear orange with a yellow trim.
Officials
The referee today will be Ross Hardie, with his assistants Gordon Crawford and Craig Ferguson running the lines. Sean Murdoch will be today’s fourth official.
Match Programme
The Bayview issue 25 will be available pre-kick off for £3, look out for seller around the stadium. If you can’t make it to today’s game, programmes can also be bought online for home delivery.
Catering
The stadium bar will be open from 6.00pm to both home and away supporters.
Pie stalls will be open at both ends of the ground from 6.30pm this afternoon. Both cash and card are accepted.
Mon the Fife!