Match Preview - Forfar Athletic

Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Forfar Athletic

Apologies all, after a truly manic festive period, I forgot entirely to provide a match report on last Friday night’s match against Bonnyrigg. Thankfully, there was nothing much to comment on, and the (brief) report will feature in this week’s preview.

This weekend, the Fifers head to the home of the Bridie, as they gear up to play Forfar Athletic at Station Park, in an attempt to put last Friday’s poor performance against Bonnyrigg Rose behind us.

Last Week

The Fifers

The contest last Friday was, for lack of a better word, dire (at times), although the majority of the first half was quite closely contested. We held more of the ball, and created a few half chances, although we inevitably sat too deep, perhaps giving the Rosey Posey too much respect, which led to them romping to a 3-0 win, in what was arguably the Methil Milan’s poorest performance of the season.

The opener came right on the stroke of half time, when Bradley Barnett’s long range shot snuck past Allan Fleming. The Black and Gold defence had three opportunities to dispose of the ball, but failed to get close to it, allowing the Bonnyrigg midfielder to capitalise and hand the visitors the lead.

It went from bad to worse 5 minutes after the interval, as defender Kerr Young scored an absolute wonder goal, finding the top corner with his back to goal. It was a misery compiler for the Fife, but Bonnyrigg smelled blood, and put their pedal to the metal at MGM Timber Bayview Stadium.

Their aggression paid dividends just 3 minutes later as Fleming wiped out the Bonnyrigg frontman, leaving referee Chris Fordyce with no choice but to point to the spot. Neil Martynuik stepped up and fired home killing the contest.

The game died out, although the visitors could have pushed for four or five, in a performance where the Fifers looked lost at sea.

The Loons

There was plenty to cheer about for Forfar last week, as they did the unthinkable, and overcame title chasers Peterhead at the Balmoor Stadium. While the result still sees them stuck in 8th place, they will be hoping to kick on, at the expense of the Fifers this weekend.

Seb Ross opened the scoring for Forfar inside 15 minutes, when Finn Robson set him up. Despite the shot coming from a difficult angle, Ross managed to squeeze it past the Blue Toon’s keeper, giving the Loons the lead.

The game was later paused after a nasty collision between two Peterhead players, which resulted in David Wilson being taken away in an ambulance - we wish David Wilson a healthy and speedy recovery.

Shortly after the referee’s whistle blew to restart the game, Forfar doubled their advantage, through Seb Ross yet again, providing the two-punch knockout.

After going 2-0 down, Peterhead replied quickly, and halved the deficit 60 seconds later through Brown, but it wasn’t enough, and the Loons held on, recording a massive win.

The cinch League Two

Position	Team	Played	Pts	GD
1	Stenhousemuir	17	40	20
2	Peterhead	16	32	14
3	Dumbarton	16	30	13
4	The Spartans	16	29	11
5	Bonnyrigg Rose	17	22	0
6	Stranraer	17	19	-14
7	East Fife	16	16	-1
8	Forfar Athletic	17	16	-6
9	Elgin City	16	12	-21
10	Clyde	16	9	-16

This Week’s Fixtures

Bonnyrigg Rose vs The Spartans @ New Dundas Park

Clyde vs Stenhousemuir @ New Douglas Park

Elgin City vs Peterhead @ Borough Briggs

Forfar Athletic vs East Fife FC @ Station Park

Stranraer vs Dumbarton @ Stair Park

Last Week’s Results

East Fife 0-3 Bonnyrigg Rose

Dumbarton 4-4 Clyde

Peterhead 1-2 Forfar Athletic

Stenhousemuir 2-0 Elgin City

The Spartans 3-0 Stranraer

The Form

The Fife

We boast a measly 6 points from our last 6 league games, winning two and losing the other 4 contests, which is certainly far from ideal.

Our 2 wins came against Clyde on the road, and against Elgin, three weeks ago, at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium. There were lots of similarities in the games, which look to be somewhat a mirror of the other. Both games saw fast starts, with us leading 2-0 at the break. On top of this, Nathan Austin and Brogan Walls, both found themselves on the scoresheets in the games, with Walls bagging a brace against Elgin City.

Our four losses have been tough to take, two of which came against last week’s opponents, as Bonnyrigg beat us 4-2 at New Dundas Park, in a midweek game not too long ago. Also, last week’s dreadful showing has added to our misery. Other than the Rosey Posey, our other losses came against those challenging for the League. We lost 2-1 against Stenhousemuir (1st), and 1-0 vs Dumbarton (3rd).

The Hosts

Forfar’s form too is far from stellar. In their last 6 outings, they have recorded 1 league win, 1 draw and 3 losses, and a victory in the Scottish Cup (away to Tranent Juniors, at the tail end of last month).

Their win was the result vs Peterhead last week, while at the start of December, they shared the spoils with Stranraer 1-1.

Their three losses came away to Elgin, then away to The Spartans, both 1-0 defeats. Their other loss was a goal fest, as they fell 4-2 to Dumbarton. Despite never leading, they ran the title challengers close. They went 1-0 thanks to James ‘Jinky’ Hilton, before Skelly equalised from the spot. Shiels then re-gave the Sons the lead, before Seb Ross equalised in the 1st minute of 1st half stoppage time. It was all for naught however, as Finlay Gray handed Dumbarton the lead for the third time before the interval, and the 2nd half performance that followed saw Dumbarton cruise to a 4-2 win.

Previous Encounter

The sides had to settle for a draw last time they met at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium earlier this season in what was a hotly contested battle.

The Loons had two great chances in the opening 10 minutes due to unforced errors, and they forced stopper Allan Fleming into two reaction saves, but they could not capitalise on Fife’s nervy start.

After 12 minutes however, the Methil Men took the lead against the run of play. Nathan Austin fantastically nodded the ball down to Alan Trouten, who hit the ball with the outside of his boot on the half volley, nestling the ball in the top corner, leaving the goalie with absolutely no chance.

There were little opportunities in the rest of the first half, though Forfar controlled the contest, particularly in the middle of the park, and it was clear that the half time whistle benefitted the Fifers more than the Loons.

Forfar also had the lion’s share of the attacks in the opening stages of the second period too, with Paterson causing the Fife backline all sorts of bother, cutting inside and beating his men on the outside on numerous occasions.

Despite this, the Fifers should have killed the game in the 65th minute and would have if it weren’t for the world class defending from Morrison. Shepherd broke away and hammered down the right flank with blistering pace, he then cut inside, along the by-line and steadied himself, before a lovely, drilled pass was fired along the ground. Healy looked set to meet it, and bag his first of the season, but Morrison got there first and flicked it behind for a corner.

The equaliser came in the 80th minute, in a scramble from a whipped ball allowing Morrison to head home and ensure they did not return to Forfar empty handed. It was a disappointing way to end the game, as East Fife had shown resilience and patience throughout as they struggled on the park.

Team Colours

The Fifers will don the away pink, Taxi Centre-sponsored kit, paired with matching pink socks and black shorts. Oor goalie will be clad in all yellow for the match.

Our hosts, Forfar Athletic, will wear all navy this afternoon, while the Loons’ keeper will be dressed in green.

Squad News

It will be a head scratcher for McDonald this weekend, as there is a number of injuries and illness within the East Fife camp. Final confirmation of the matchday squad will not be determined until the morning of the game.

In positive news, skipper Stewart Murdoch has managed to bounce back from the knock he received last week and will be available for selection this weekend.

Match Admission

Admission for the match is exclusively by cash in the turnstiles on matchday with prices below:

Standing (Terrace)- Adults- £14

                               Concession- £8

                               U16- £5

Seated (The Stand)- Adults- £15

                                 Concessions- £9

                                 U16s- £5

Live Streaming

Live Streaming of the game will be available on East Fife TV for our international fans. This can be accessed through a monthly or season pass. You can access this HERE!

There is no live stream available this weekend for viewers within the UK or Ireland.

Match Catering

The 1984 Lounge at Station Park is open to all supporters from 12.30pm for pre-match refreshments, and again following the full-time whistle.

The Refreshment Kiosk will also be open after entering the ground via the turnstiles.

Officials

The on-pitch official on Saturday will be Iain Snedden while his assistants running the line are John Stewart and Robert Mackinnon.

Weekly Goldmine Lotto

You have until 12noon to get a ticket online for this week's Goldmine Lotto Draw. The jackpot is £200!

Good luck everybody.

https://play.clubforce.com/play_newa.asp?ll_id=2264#Anchor

Admission Info v Forfar Athletic

Admission prices for our cinch League Two match against Forfar Athletic on Saturday 30th December at Station Park have been confirmed as follows:

Adults - £14

Concessions - £8

Under 16s - £5

Entry is via cash at the turnstiles only.

There is no live streaming option for viewers within the UK or Ireland this weekend however overseas fans can watch the match on East Fife TV with a monthly or annual subscription.

Match Highlights - Bonnyrigg Rose

Highlights from yesterday's match against Bonnyrigg Rose along with post-match reaction from Greig McDonald and Connor McManus.

Match Preview - Bonnyrigg Rose

Oli Anderson previews tonight’s match against Bonnyrigg Rose.

**There will be a minute’s applause prior to kick off this evening as we pay tribute to Vice-Chairman John Barclay who passed away last week**

This evening, East Fife will play out their festive fixture in another rendition of Friday Night Football, as we ho-ho-host Bonnyrigg Rose at MGM Timber Bayview Stadium. A spirited second half performance against Stenhousemuir last week saw us score late against the leaders but, unfortunately, one wasn’t enough, and we fell 2-1 to the league leaders. Last Saturday, Bonnyrigg were completely outclassed by an ex-Fifer, as Scott Agnew’s Stranraer ran out 3-0 winners against the Rosey Posey. The Fife Faithful are certainly hoping for “A Miracle on Harbour View” as we definitely don’t want a “Nightmare Before Christmas”.

The cinch League Two (Turtle Doves):

Position	Team	Played	Pts	GD
1	Stenhousemuir	16	37	18
2	Peterhead	15	32	15
3	Dumbarton	15	29	13
4	The Spartans	15	26	8
5	Bonnyrigg Rose	16	19	-3
6	Stranraer	16	19	-11
7	East Fife	15	16	2
8	Forfar Athletic	16	13	-7
9	Elgin City	15	12	-19
10	Clyde	15	8	-16

The only change in the table from last week is us slightly sliding down, slipping back into 7th, although our objective remains the same, win our game in hand against The Spartans, and clear both Bonnyrigg and Stranraer. This could be started tonight, as a win would see us overtake the Rosey Posey.

Last Week’s Results

Elgin City 0-4 The Spartans

Forfar Athletic 2-4 Dumbarton

Peterhead 2-1 Clyde

Stenhousemuir 2-1 East Fife

Stranraer 3-1 Bonnyrigg Rose

This Week’s Fixtures

Fri 22/12

East Fife vs Bonnyrigg Rose

Sat 23/12

Dumbarton vs Clyde

Peterhead vs Forfar Athletic

Stenhousemuir vs Elgin City

The Spartans vs Stranraer

The Form

The Fife

We boast a measly 6 points from our last 6 league games, winning two and losing the other 4 contests, which is certainly far from ideal.

Our 2 wins came against Clyde on the road, and against Elgin City, two weeks ago, at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium. There were lots of similarities in the games, which look to be somewhat a mirror of the other. Both games saw fast starts, with us leading 2-0 at the break. On top of this, Nathan “Santa Cl”Austin and Brogan “Deck the” Walls, both found themselves on the scoresheets in the games, with Walls bagging a brace against Elgin City. On top of that, Captain Stuart Myrrhdoch started in both of those games.

Our four losses have been tough to take, one of which coming against this week’s opponents, as Bonnyrigg beat us 4-2 at New Dundas Park, in a midweek game not too long ago. Other than the Rosey Posey, our other three losses came against the top 3 in the League. We lost 2-1 against Stenhousemuir (1st), 2-0 vs Peterhead (2nd) and 1-0 vs Dumbarton (3rd).

The Visitors

Bonnyrigg too only have two wins in their last 6, though they also grabbed a draw against Peterhead, as well as their three losses.

The wins were the aforementioned victory over us, and a 1-0 win against Lowland League opposition Albion Rovers in the third round of the Scottish Cup.

They nicked a 1-1 against high flying Peterhead too, a result which could have massive implications on the league this season.

Their 3 losses came at the hands of Stenhousemuir, Forfar Athletic, and Stranraer last week. They kept it close against the top side, though fell 2-0 and 3-1 to Forfar and Stranraer respectively.

Previous encounter

Set pieces proved to be our downfall on that Tuesday night, as we conceded 3 of them, though Allan Fleming’s saves in open play kept the score respectable for the most part.

We started the Bonnyrigg game in the same manner as we finished the Clyde game, as we adopted a 3-5-2 shape, to try and go man to man with the Rosey Posey. There were two changes to the line-up which sealed an emphatic win at New Douglas Park the weekend before, as Scott Shepherd and Connor McManus made way for Gregor Nicol and Kieran Millar, allowing McDonald to more effectively apply the desired tactics, with Nicol as a makeshift wing back position, putting in a shift during his time on the park.

Both sides had chances in the early exchanges, with Trouten firing a volley over the bar, and Osolador heading wide inside the opening 15 minutes. However, it was the hosts who struck first, as the aforementioned Osolador made no mistakes with his second chance of the game. Lee Currie whipped a nice ball into the feet of the Bonnyrigg striker, who was somehow given enough time in the area to take a touch and compose himself, before lashing the ball past Fleming, putting Bonnyrigg 1-0 up after 19 minutes.

We bounced back quickly though, and just 5 minutes later, had a chance to pull level. Schiavone was the first to Gregor Nicol’s wicked delivery and he nodded it across goal. Unfortunately, there were no takers, as the ball trickled right along the 6-yard line.

We then failed to capitalise on another great chance, as Schiavone was so close to converting another Nicol free kick on the half an hour mark, but it slipped past the post.

Thankfully for us, all good things come in threes, and we bagged our much-needed goal. Nathan Austin capitalised on a mistake from the Bonnyrigg centre half, heading past an onrushing ‘keeper to bring the sides level.

We made it into half time arguably the better of the two sides, even though Fleming made a handful of fantastic saves. However, in the second period there was no debates as to who the better team were, as Bonnyrigg responded fantastically to their half-time team talk.

They started quick, and from the start of the second period it became evident that a goal was inevitable. Sadly, it came after 51 minutes, when Lee Currie, already boasting an assist, restored the Rosey Posey’s lead when he hit a deep free kick, from over 35 yards out, and with what was undeniably supposed to be a pass, managed to restore Bonnyrigg’s lead. The ball bounced into the area and no defender could get anywhere near it, Fleming anticipated contact one the ball, and therefore was wrongfooted by the deep set piece.

On the hour mark, it went from bad to worse too, after a stramash in the box led to a very soft penalty given against the Fifers. Neil Martynuik stepped up, and doubled the Bonnyrigg lead, putting us under some real pressure.

We responded quickly though, and after being substituted on just 5 minutes before, Connor McManus made it 3-2 with a lovely left footed strike.

Despite our looks at rejuvenation, our fightback was short-lived, as on the 80-minute mark, the Fifers gave away a second penalty, which was equally as soft as the first. Like the first, Martynuik sent Fleming the wrong way, restoring a two-goal lead for Bonnyrigg, killing the game.

While the score line was separated by Martynuik’s penalties, it must be stated that even if the decisions were given in the Fife’s favour, and the penalties were not given, Bonnyrigg would have still more than likely ran out winners in the match. Their attacking threat in the second half was simply too much for us, and Allan Fleming had a fantastic game, despite conceding 4, and without him, it could have been nearer 7 or 8. Bonnyrigg’s forward men ran rampant at New Dundas sadly.

Squad News

Unfortunately, Sean Docherty, Jacob Comerford and Charlie Murray all join Pat Slattery on the sidelines this evening.

Team Colours

East Fife will don the 120th anniversary black and gold top, matched with white socks and shorts while the goalkeeper will be clad in the blue kit.

Bonnyrigg will wear their away kit at the Wooden Fortress, dressing in all red for the tie. The Rosey Posey goalie will wear navy blue tomorrow.

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 turnstile at Bayview so supporters are encouraged to purchase their tickets online in advance where possible. Those unable to buy online can purchase tickets from the matchday reception.

Live Streaming

As this match falls outwith blocked hour, PPV is available for fans worldwide tonight via East Fife TV for £15.

Regular subscribers can watch as normal with their monthly or annual subscription.

Note: Due to a change in SPFL rules from covid-impacted seasons, season ticket holders no longer have access to live matches through their virtual element add-on.

Officials

The on-pitch official on Friday will be Chris Fordyce while his assistants running the line are Elliot Husband Powton and Frazer Bushell.

Refreshments

The stadium bar will be open from 5:30pm this evening! We welcome you to join us for a drink before the match. The bar will be open again after the full-time whistle for post-match refreshments.

Pie stalls will be open at both ends of the ground from 6:30pm.

Programme

Issue Number 11 for the 23/24 edition of the Bayview will be available from vendors outside the ground pre-match. This week’s edition includes a tribute to Vice-Chairman John Barclay and an interview with Jack Healy.

Those unable to make the match tonight can purchase their programmes online for home delivery.

I’m hoping for the “Fairytale of Methil” this Festive Season, MON THE FIFE!