Stranraer 2-1 East Fife, Saturday 14th September 2024
William Hill League 2, Stair Park
A disappointing day at the office for the Fifers saw them fall to a 2-1 defeat to Stranraer at Stair Park.
A slow start meant that the Blues gained control as East Fife were slack, and second to each ball, allowing Stranraer to cause bother on numerous occasions.
East Fife struggled to play their effective ball over the top of the back line due to the adverse weather conditions, which gifted opportunities for Stranraer to build from their midfield.
The game changed in the 23rd minute, after new signing Gordon Walker was bundled down inside the 18-yard box for what looked to be a stonewall penalty. Alas, referee Andy Gamble did not share the same opinion and waved play-on.
From there, Stranraer bombed down the pitch, and following some muddled defending from the Fifers, Mark Russell unleashed a fantastic, curled effort which cannoned in off the cross bar to give the hosts the lead.
The remainder of the first half was then controlled by the Blues, who pushed on in an attempt to double their advantage prior to the half time whistle. They were unsuccessful and the scoreline remained 1-0 at the interval.
East Fife clearly received the proverbial rocket at half time and came out of the changing room with fire in their bellies and a spring in their step, attacking the second period with vigour.
Two good opportunities were squandered by the Fifers, before Max Guthrie hit the corner flag from his drilled effort, which really should have burst the net.
From there, the Black and Gold men chipped away and dug deep, finally grabbing the equaliser with twenty minutes on the clock. Gordon Walker should have scored from his header, after some great work from Adam Laaref on the left, before Trouten buried the rebound.
Devastatingly, our equaliser didn’t count for much, as three minutes later Russell bagged his second following some poor defending from East Fife.
It went from bad to worse for East Fife in the dying embers as goalkeeper Liam McFarlane saw red for possibly handling the ball outside of the penalty box (with replays showing he was still inside the area), or denying a goalscoring opportunity for double handling, , leading to a minor altercation of words between manager Dick Campbell and the refereeing team, resulting in the gaffer also seeing red.
It was a poor end, to a poor game of football for the Fifers who were well below the standards we’ve seen so far this season, with the hosts coming out with all three points.
Reporters Man of The Match: Kieran Millar
It was a difficult day for the Fifers but Millar still put in another solid performance in the middle of the park.
Stranraer – Pizikas, Brinddley, Cummins, Ross, Ecrepont, Grant (Woods 69’), Gallagher, Dunlop, Russell, Hawkshaw (McKnight 87’), Guthrie (Edgar 90+3’). Subs not used: Adam, Broun, Lang.
East Fife – McFarlane, Newton (Laaref 64’), Easton, Munri, Walker (Docherty 73’), Millar, McManus, Healy (Shepherd 64’), Peggie, Trouten, Austin (Slattery 83’). Subs not used: Fleming.
Referee – Andy Gamble
Attendance – 413
Report by Oli Anderson
Photograph by East Fife Media
Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Stranraer
Following a challenging test last week, against championship outfit Dunfermline Athletic, the Fifers must dust themselves down and prepare for a tough game against our next opponents, Stranraer at Stair Park. We held the Pars for the first 45 minutes, though a fast start from Dunfermline saw two goals in quick succession, leading to the Fifers coming up just short. Our opponents today are Stranraer, who are coming off the back of a thumping 5-1 defeat at the hands of Annan Athletic.
A Message from the Management Team
Prior to kick off, Assistant Manager Ian ‘Pink’ Campbell explained how the team were looking forward to another stiff test this week, though East Fife will look to go out and play their own game.
The William Hill League Two Table
| Team | Pld | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peterhead | 5 | 7 | 13 |
| 2 | East Fife | 5 | 9 | 12 |
| 3 | Stirling Albion | 5 | -1 | 9 |
| 4 | Elgin City | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | Bonnyrigg Rose | 5 | 0 | 7 |
| 6 | The Spartans | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Edinburgh City | 5 | -4 | 4 |
| 8 | Clyde | 5 | -6 | 4 |
| 9 | Stranraer | 5 | -4 | 2 |
| 10 | Forfar Athletic | 5 | -5 | 2 |
This Week’s League Fixtures
Clyde vs Edinburgh City
Elgin City vs Bonnyrigg Rose
Peterhead vs Stirling Albion
Stranraer vs East Fife
The Spartans vs Forfar Athletic
The Form
The Fifers
East Fife’s last six games have resulted in five wins and just one defeat.
The defeat came last week, as we were knocked out of the SPFL Trust Trophy by Fife rivals Dunfermline Athletic.
Other than that blip, our form has been stellar. A victory over St Johnstone B in an earlier round of the SPFL Trust Trophy, along with remarkable wins over Clyde, Stirling Albion, Edinburgh City and Forfar Athletic have all contributed in us being current top scoring club in the entire SPFL.
Our Opposition
A difficult run of games for Stranraer sees the Blues sit joint bottom of the league, with just one win in the last six games. Their victory came over Bonnyrigg Rose in the SPFL Trust Trophy second round, before they fell to Annan in the third round last week.
Their league form has not been much better, with three losses and a draw. They picked up points at home to Elgin City, before losing all three of their away days, Bonnyrigg Rose, Peterhead and Clyde.
Previous Encounter
East Fife 2-1 Stranraer, 23rd March 2024
The last time the two sides met, it was a hard-fought victory for the Fifers. A slow start saw Stranraer take the lead, before a rampant second half saw James Lyon grab the equaliser. With just five minutes to play, Jack Healy stepped up and grabbed the winner, with a fantastic effort, to secure victory.
Squad News
Sean Docherty is back at the management team’s disposal today, though captain Stewart Murdoch continues to miss the game through injury.
Match Ticket
Please find prices below for Stair Park today:
Adults- £15
Concessions (Over 65s)- £10
Under 16s- £5
Under 5s- Free!
Admission is via pay-at-the-gate.
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 Oli Anderson.
There’s no live streaming option for viewers within the UK/Ireland this weekend.
Club Colours
The Fifers will don the new, MPH Group sponsored home kit. They will wear the famous black and gold striped shirt, with black shorts and socks. The Fife goalkeeper will wear yellow for the tie.
Stranraer will wear their home kit too, with the white and blue shirt, with white socks and blue shorts.
Officials
The referee today will be Andy Gamble, with Ian Hart and Michael Bonner running the lines.
Mon the Fife!
Admission for our William Hill League 2 match against Stranraer at Stair Park on Saturday 14th September is via pay-at-the-gate – cash turnstiles only.
Admission Prices
Adults - £15
Concessions* - £10
Under 16s - £5
Under 5s - Free
A live stream is available to viewers outside the UK and Ireland this via East Fife TV with a monthly or annual subscription.
East Fife 0-2 Dunfermline Athletic, Saturday 7th September 2024
SPFL trust Trophy R3, MGM timber Bayview Stadium
East Fife fell 2-0 to Championship opposition in the third round of SPFL Trust Trophy at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium on Saturday.
A fast start from the Fifers saw Nathan Austin and Alan Trouten both test Oluwayemi in the opening stages.
From there on out however, the Pars creeped into the tie, and East Fife were forced to defend well, in order to keep themselves in the tie. Jess Norey produced a fantastic last-ditch block on the halfway line to deny Dunfermline’s Cooper.
Just before half time, Alan Trouten had a golden opportunity to hand the Fifers the lead. Jack Healy floated a lovely ball in following a set piece, which landed right on the head of the Trouts, though his header was down the throat of the Dunfermline stopper.
In the second half, the Championship side came alive. Comrie fired Dunfermline ahead first, after a tidy team move five minutes into the second period, before McCann slotted home a fantastic curled free kick just minutes later.
From then on, the Fifers were always up against it, and despite a couple of half chances, they failed to really threaten Oluwayemi. There was a shout for a Fife penalty after a collision between the Pars goalkeeper and Scott Shepherd, though the referee seen nothing in it, and waved play on. Dunfermline finished the tie strong forcing Fleming into another handful of saves before the full-time whistle was blown, calling an end to a difficult afternoon in Methil.
Reporter’s Man of the Match: Nathan Austin
A more challenging one this week, with everyone trying their best, despite the result. Torn between Kieran Millar and Fash, we opted for the latter, due to his all-round threat. Whether it be in the air, or on the ground, our number 14 was a nuisance through the game.
East Fife – Fleming, Newton, Easton, McManus, Munro, Millar, Norey (Peggie 64’), Health (Shepherd 63’), Laaref (Walker 64’), Trouten, Austin (Slattery 83’). Subs not used: McFarlane, Docherty.
Dunfermline Athletic – Oluwayemi, Otoo, Fisher, Young, Comrie, Hamilton, Ricthie-Hosler (A Tod 83’), Chalmers, Cooper (Wighton 64’), McCann (Sutherland 77’), Kane (Wotherspoon 64’). Subs not used: Mehmet, Breen, J Tod.
Referee – Iain Sneddon
Attendance – 1,264
Report by Oli Anderson
Photograph by East Fife Media
Congratulations to Nathan Austin who’s picked up the William Hill League 2 Player of the Month award for August.
Fash scored 6 times in 5 league matches last month include a hattrick in a 4-0 win away to Stirling Albion and a double against Clyde taking his goal tally to 9 so far this season in all competitions.
