East Fife 0-3 Stranraer, Saturday 15th March, MGM Timber Bayview Stadium, William Hill League 2
Stranraer deservedly claimed all three points against East Fife on Saturday with a stunning second half performance against the Fifers, running away 3-0 winners in Methil.
A gluttony of defensive errors proved costly, as Stranraer, who are they only side to beat East Fife at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium this season, made it two from two, a perfect record in the kingdom.
Dick Campbell’s men have now been caught by second placed Peterhead and hold their lead at the top of the William Hill League 2 solely on goal difference.
An unchanged line-up from last Saturday’s victory over Clyde, East Fife started brightly at Bayview but failed to really threaten goalkeeper Sam Kane. Their best chance came from Alan Trouten, who couldn’t keep his effort down.
Craig Ross almost scored a spectacular own goal after twenty-five minutes, though his diving header was just over the crossbar.
This was the turning point in the game, as after Ross’ kamikaze header, Stranraer grew stronger, and stronger before eventually breaking the deadlock. The centre half had a chance at the other end for the Blues, but he could not divert his free header goalward, after he was unmarked at a corner kick.
Stranraer controlled almost the entirety of the second half, with Liam McFarlane making a superb save early in the second period, getting a big hand to an Elliot Dunlop free kick.
On the hour mark, Stranraer won a penalty, after the referee adjudged that there had been a handball in the box. Dean Hawkshaw lashed it down the middle, firing Stranraer 1-0 up.
Two minutes later, it was 2-0. A defensive blunder let Deryn Lang in, and his ‘trivela’ lob was cushioned into the corner, beating Liam McFarlane.
Adam Laaref had an opportunity to pull one back for East Fife with twenty minutes to go, though he was denied by Kane, who tipped his effort onto the post.
With five minutes to go, Deryn Lang grabbed his second of the contest with a class volley into the top corner, wrapping up a strong individual and team display.
East Fife venture to the capital on Saturday where they will look to make amends against Edinburgh City. A drastic improvement is required should we want to lift the William Hill League Two title on the 3rd of May.
Reporter’s Man of the Match: Stewart Murdoch.
A difficult call to make this week for all the wrong reasons. We struggled to create, and looked defensively shaky at times, though the captain held firm over the contest, winning his individual battles for a large portion of the contest.
East Fife – McFarlane, Murdoch, Newton, Munro, Bah, Millar (Norey 63’), McManus (Shepherd 77’), McKenna, Trouten (Higginbotham 71’), Peggie (Austin 63’), Jones (Laaref 63’). Subs not used: Fleming, Healy, Nicol.
Stranraer – Kane, Robertson (Foster 82’), Ross, Ecrepont (Brindley 77’), Reid, Dunlop (Guthrie 75’), Hawkshaw, Quigg, McKnight, Lang, Edgar (Grant 75’). Subs not used: Docherty, Lane.
Referee – Gary Hanvidge
Attendance – 914
Report by Oli Anderson
Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Stranraer.
A return to winning ways was required last weekend when the Fifers visited Hamilton, and the squad well and truly delivered on that front, as goals from Robert Jones and Alan Trouten toppled Clyde at New Douglas Park. It was a marked improvement in performance from previous weeks too, and was an ideal start to the final quarter, moving to three points clear at the top of the William Hill League 2 Table.
Today, East Fife host Stranraer at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium, where the Fifers will be looking to make it two consecutive victories against the Blues. Stranraer held 10-man Peterhead to a goalless draw last weekend at Stair Park, and are now eyeing up the final playoff spot, sitting six points behind fourth placed Elgin City
Willm Hill League 2 Table
| Team | Pld | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Fife | 28 | 28 | 53 |
| 2 | Peterhead | 28 | 11 | 50 |
| 3 | Edinburgh City | 28 | 8 | 46 |
| Elgin City | 27 | 4 | 40 | |
| 5 | The Spartans | 27 | -3 | 37 |
| 6 | Stirling Albion | 28 | -6 | 37 |
| 7 | Stranraer | 28 | -4 | 34 |
| 8 | Clyde | 28 | -11 | 30 |
| 9 | Forfar Athletic | 28 | -11 | 26 |
| 10 | Bonnyrigg Rose | 28 | -16 | 26 |
Last Week’s League Results
Saturday 8th March
Bonnyrigg Rose 0-1 Edinburgh City
Clyde 1-2 East Fife
Elgin City 0-1 Forfar Athletic
Stranraer 0-0 Peterhead
The Spartans 0-0 Stirling Albion
Tuesday 11th March
Elgin City 0-2 The Spartans
This Weekend’s Fixtures
Bonnyrigg Rose vs Stirling Albion
East Fife vs Stranraer
Elgin City vs Clyde
Forfar Athletic vs The Spartans
Peterhead vs Edinburgh City
The Form
The Fifers
East Fife have recorded eight points from the last 18 available, with two wins, two draws and two losses in the last six, in what has been a challenging period for East Fife, finding only one win since the beginning of February.
The wins came over The Spartans (1-0), in February, as well as Clyde (2-1) last week. Both came away from home, with Trouten on the scoresheet in both games.
Our draws came against Peterhead (0-0), and Bonnyrigg Rose (1-1), both at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium. Alan Trouten was the man on the scoresheet against the Rose once again, with a late equaliser from the spot.
Both of our defeats were away from home, and were both 1-0, as Kyle Girvan handed Elgin City three points, while Dale Hilson claimed victory for Stirling Albion at Forthbank a fortnight ago.
Our Opposition
Stranraer have won three, lost two and drawn one of their last six games, accumulating ten points from the available eighteen.
Their victories came on three consecutive weeks, as they beat Elgin City (1-0), then Stirling Albion (3-0), followed by Edinburgh City (1-0) in a particularly impressive run. The games saw five different goalscorers, showing Stranraer’s attacking threat can come from anywhere.
Their draw was last week’s goalless affair against Peterhead, while their losses have come against two sides below them in the league, Clyde (2-0) and Forfar Athletic (2-1). They lost to Clyde in Hamilton, although Forfar took all three points on Stranraer’s patch.
Previous Encounter
Stranraer 0-2 East Fife
Eco Gen Stadium @ Stair Park
Saturday 18th January 2025
A rampant first half saw East Fife claim all three points the last time we met Stranraer, in January. Jack Healy’s deflected effort found the top right corner after a quarter of an hour, and ten minutes later, Alan Trouten doubled our advantage from the edge of the box.
Squad News
Outs: Pat Slattery confirmed absence today as he remains out of the squad due to injury.
Ins: We are hopeful that this weekend will see the return of both Brian Easton and Nathan Austin.
Match Tickets
Season Tickets are valid for our league campaign, with prices below:
Adults- £18
Concessions (Over 65s/Disabled)- £14
Under 16s- £5
Parent and 1 child- £21
Parent and 2 children- £24
Like last season, EFCFC players Under 16 years of age will be admitted for free!
There are no cash turnstiles at Bayview, so supporters are encouraged to buy their ticket online in advance where possible. However, ticket can also be purchased (cash and card) from the matchday reception for those unable to do so.
Please note, parent & child ticket must be purchased in person from the matchday reception.
Stranraer supporters will be housed in Section K this afternoon.
Turnstiles will be open from 2pm 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 commentators will be Daniel Hughes and Oli Anderson.
Club Colours
The Fifers will don the MPH Group sponsored home kit, wearing the black and gold striped top, with black shorts and socks. The East Fife goalkeeper will be wearing yellow for the match.
Stranraer will be in their traditional home colours, wearing a blue shirt with white socks and blue shorts. The Stranraer goalie will be clad in all red for the game.
Officials
The referee today will be Gary Hanvidge, with Scott Bunting and Kenny Brown running the lines as his assistants.
Misc
The Bayview issue 20 will be available pre-kick off for £3, it can also be purchased in the club shop which will be open from 1.45pm. For those unable to make the game, programmes can also be purchased online for home delivery.
The downstairs stadium bar will be open from 12.15pm this afternoon for pre-match refreshments. Both home and away supporters are welcome. The Jeek Fleming Suite is closed this afternoon due to a sold out hospitality.
Pie stalls at both ends of the stadium will be open from 2pm today. Both cash and card are accepted.
At half-time this afternoon we will have our inaugural crossbar challenge. There are still a couple of places remaining for anyone who would like to take part.
Mon the Fife!
Tickets for our William Hill League 2 match against Stranraer at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium on Saturday 15th March are now on sale and can be purchased here.
Admission Prices
Adults - £18
Concessions* - £14
Under 16s* - £5
Parent & Child - £21
Parent & 2 Children - £24
*Proof of age may be requested
Full- and half-season tickets are valid for this match.
Please note, Section A Rows H-N Seats 75-84 are designated for our young supporters who make up our singing sections, complete with a drum. Please keep this in mind when purchasing tickets for this area.
Stranarer supporters will be housed in Section K.
All members of East Fife Community Football Club & East Fife Girls & Womens’ Football Club who are under 16 go free with a paying adult or as part of an organised group for all William Hill League 2 matches at Bayview this season.
There are no cash turnstiles at Bayview and supporters are strongly encouraged to purchase their tickets online. Online sales are available right up until kick-off. Tickets can also be purchased over the phone by calling 01333 426323 or directly from the club office for those unable to buy online.
Please note, that parent and child tickets must be purchased directly from the club office.
There is no live streaming option this weekend for viewers with the UK and Ireland however overseas supporters can watch the game live via East Fife TV with an annual or monthly subscription.
Ahead of the final event to mark Pat Slattery’s Testimonial Year, the Testimonial Committee have issued the following update:
On Sunday, please arrive at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium for approx. 12.15pm - this will allow service of the food from 12.30pm.
We will be serving a full cooked breakfast with tea and coffee - anyone with any specific dietary requirements please advise, if possible, in advance so our caterers can make arrangements.
We anticipate the event will wrap up approx. 3.00pm.
Please note that this event is fully sold out.
On behalf of Pat, we would like to thank you once again for your support and hope that you enjoy your Sunday afternoon with us.
Clyde 1-2 East Fife, Saturday 8th March 2025, William Hill League 2, New Douglas Park
East Fife returned to winning ways on Saturday following a 2-1 victory over Clyde at New Douglas Park.
Dick Campbell made four changes to the side which fell 1-0 to Stirling Albion a week prior, some of which were forced due to injury, while others were tactical. Reis Peggie and Stewart Murdoch returned to the first eleven, while Robert Jones made his first official start in his second tenure, and Mamadou Bah was granted his full first team debut.
Jones, who was yet to find the back of the net in either of his two spells with the Methil Milan, took only 117 seconds to break the deadlock. Andy Munro played a slick through pass to Alan Trouten, whose dummy let the ball run through for Jones. On the angle, Rob Jones put his laces through the ball, leaving Robbie Hemfrey stranded. It was a dream start for the Fifers, with the goal being the first time East Fife have scored in the first half since we visited Stranraer back in January.
As they have in recent weeks, East Fife continued to play high up the pitch causing many a problem to the Clyde defence, although after the opening goal, East Fife struggled to test the Bully Wee goalkeeper.
Jones had a chance for a brace, although McKenna’s cross was too high for the striker to muster anything of note, before McKenna once again looked to create for East Fife, this time for Trouten, but he was beaten to the ball before he could fully control it.
Jones had another crack at a brace with five minutes left in the first half, with McKenna once more setting up the striker. This time however, Hemfrey was alert, managing to deny Jones at the near post.
Moments before the half time break, East Fife came inches away from doubling the advantage. McKenna’s free-kick was destined for the bottom right corner, but a strong hand from Hemfrey punched the ball onto the bar and out of danger.
East Fife were the stronger team in the first step, so naturally, we expected a response from Clyde. That was exactly what East Fife got, as Clyde came out at the start of the second half well and truly on the front foot.
As we have seen often in recent meetings between the two sides, Martin Rennie was the main danger in Darren Young’s side, and that was the case once more on Saturday.
A flurry of attacks spearheaded by Rennie saw Clyde grow into the game, with Liam McFarlane being forced into a couple of very good saves.
A long throw looked to be East Fife’s undoing after just ten minutes into the second half. A defensive miscommunication saw Reis Peggie allow the ball to bounce before attempting to clear it. Ray Grant snuck in between the ball and Peggie, and it was Grant who he connected with instead. This left the referee no choice but to point to the spot.
Martin Rennie stood over the ball, and sent McFarlane the wrong way, grabbing the equaliser for Clyde, which considering how they started the second half, was probably deserved.
East Fife were not prepared to settle for a draw however, and ninety seconds later, we were back in front in Hamilton! Rob Jones did fantastically well to bring the ball down in a deep position, breaking the defensive line with a killer pass which found Alan Trouten. Trouten made no mistakes with his finish and rolled the ball into the side netting for his 20th league goal of the season.
East Fife looked comfortable, although failed to really challenge the Clyde goalkeeper again, and with five minutes to go, it looked like calamity would see Clyde steal a point. Mamadou Bah, who had played out an impressive debut on the whole with a commanding performance, misjudged the pace of his header back to McFarlane and Taylor Sutherland latched onto the ball. Fortunately for East Fife, Sutherland snatched at the effort sending it well over McFarlane’s head, and the crossbar too.
That brought an end to the real action of the game, as East Fife picked up their first win in four games.
Reporter’s Man of the Match: Robert Jones
There were three real shouts on Saturday for man of the match for me, with a strong debut from Bah, and the best performance that we have seen yet from Michael McKenna, whose engine and creativity were catalysts in our early control of the game. However, Robert Jones was exceptional on Saturday, scoring the first, and setting up our second are a testament to that. His confidence grew with every minute that passed, making him more than look the part last weekend.
Clyde - Hemfrey, Robson, Hamilton (Dunachie 45’), Howie, Hynes (Sutherland 69’), Grant, Rennie (Connell 80’), Leitch (Bradley 69’), Lyon, Murdoch, Williamson (Nevans 69’). Subs not used: Kennedy, Hannah, Docherty, Scullion.
East Fife - McFarlane, Murdoch, Newton, Munro, Bah, Millar, McManus (Norey 80’), McKenna, Trouten, Peggie (Healy 90’), Jones (Shepherd 80’). Subs not used: Fleming, Nicol. Laaref, Higginbotham.
Referee – Peter Stuart
Attendance – 765
Report by Oli Andrson