Match Preview - Clyde

Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Clyde

We recorded our second consecutive loss last weekend against Forfar Athletic, ending our competitive season in the process, as the Loons came back from behind to beat us 2-1 at Station Park.

All eyes are now turned to this afternoon against Clyde as the Bully Wee continue to fight for survival. They played out an impressive 2-2 draw with newly crowned champions Stenhousemuir last time out. Barry Cuddihy’s late equaliser gave them a much needed and sough after point, as they look to hold on to their League Two status.

A Message from the Management Team

“We know that Clyde are fighting for their lives to survive in the division this year, so we will have to be at the races from the first whistle, if we want a result on Saturday”.

cinch League Two

	Team	Pld	GD	Pts
1	Stenhousemuir (C)	34	21	67
2	Peterhead	34	18	56
3	Dumbarton	34	13	56
4	The Spartans	34	9	54
5	East Fife	34	1	44
6	Forfar Athletic	34	-5	39
7	Elgin City	34	-21	39
8	Bonnyrigg Rose	34	-5	35
9	Stranraer	34	-15	33
10	Clyde	34	-16	32

Bonnyrigg have been dragged right back into the danger zone, as their victory over us a fortnight ago looks all the more crucial for them now. Today they travel to Ochilview to play the champions, while Forfar host Stranraer. The battle for second is also well and truly on, with Peterhead hosting the Spartans today.

Last Week’s Results

Bonnyrigg Rose 0-1 The Spartans

Clyde 2-2 Stenhousemuir

Elgin City 1-1 Peterhead

Forfar Athletic 2-1 East Fife

Stranraer 0-0 Dumbarton.

Today’s Fixtures

Clyde vs East Fife

Dumbarton vs Elgin City

Forfar Athletic vs Stranraer

Stenhousemuir vs Bonnyrigg Rose

Peterhead vs The Spartans

Previous encounter

The last time the two sides met, East Fife and Clyde played out a 1-1 at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium. An action packed first period was paired with a poor second, giving supporters a challenging watch at times.

East Fife opened the scoring in the 4th minute of play, in a team effort, Scott Shepherd flicked in a cross to Brogan Walls, who dinked a shot goalward. The ball cannoned off the crossbar, to Nathan Austin, whose cushioned header bobbled into the back of an empty net, giving the Methil Milan an early lead.

The game saw chances for both teams to get the next goal, but after Healy’s effort went wide, it was Clyde who replied. Martin Rennie, who did much damage to East Fife in their playoff tussle at the end of last season, grabbed the equaliser, tucking the ball into the back of the net after a stramash in the box.

There were very few chances made in the second half, with former Fifer Connor Young coming closest for the visitors, cannoning his free-kick off the post five minutes into the second half.

Fleming was called into action with 20 minutes left on the clock, as he denied Dunnachie, keeping us all square.

We almost limped over the line, with the Clyde on the larger ascendency, in comparison to ourselves. All in all, it is quite disappointing, particularly considering our fast start, although it must be said that this Clyde side has improved greatly since our game at New Douglas Park.

The Form

The Fife

In our last 6 games, the Fifers have recorded 2 wins 2 draws, and 2 losses, scooping up just 8 points in cinch League Two in the process.

Our first loss came against Bonnyrigg and was painful to say the least. The visitors controlled the game from the word go and ran out deserved winners in a 4-1 demolition job. Last week saw our second loss as we fell to a Forfar Athletic comeback, in what was a disappointing affair.

Our two draws have come in varying fashion. The first came when we shared the spoils with Peterhead on the 16th of March. We struggled massively in the first half, and Pawlett sent the Blue Toon in at the break with a deserved lead. We, however, managed to bounce back in the second period, and Alan Trouten did what he does best, and stuck the ball in the onion bag for the Fife. Our most recent draw came a few weeks back against Stenhousemuir, as we played out a goalless affair.

The 23rd of March saw us grab our first of the two wins, coming from behind to overcome Stranraer. Matty Grant scored the opener from a very deep free kick (which looked to have been largely assisted by the wind). James Lyon converted at the start of the second half for the Fifers, pulling us level, before Jack Healy scored a fantastic soaring volley to hand us the lead, and the three points.

Finally, the following week made it two on the trot, as Alan Trouten and James Lyon were both on the scoresheet in a 2-0 win against Elgin City where Jack Healy starred.

The Bully Wee

Clyde have also recorded 8 points from their last 6, winning 2, drawing two and losing the other two.

Their losses came in a 4-1 thumping from Peterhead, with Robbie Leitch scoring for Clyde. Peter Pawlett grabbed a hattrick for the Blue Toon on the day. Their other loss was a 1-0 outing at the Dumbarton Stadium.

The Bully Wee drew last week away to Stenhousemuir, with Cuddihy and Leitch both on the scoresheet for the hosts. Their earlier loss was a goalless affair against The Spartans.

Clyde’s first win was against Bonnyrigg. Jordan Allan scored two to mark a second half comeback against the Rosey Posey, winning a vital 3 points. The other win came against Stranraer, with Allan once again providing the goods, this time in the 92nd minute.

Lounge Access

Clyde’s fan zone lounge will be open from 1pm on Saturday, for pre-match drinks before kick-off. This can be accessed through the main reception, if you already have a match ticket for the game.

Squad News

We are almost back to a full-strength squad this week, with only long-term absentee Jacob Comerford missing.

Match Tickets

Tickets can be purchased on Clyde’s Ticketco page, with prices below:

Adult-£17

O65- £14

U18-£5

Live Stream

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 streaming option for viewers within the UK and Ireland this weekend.

Officials

The on-pitch official this afternoon will be Iain Snedden while his assistants running the lines are Andy Milne and James McCluskey.

Final Remarks

With the playoff dream sadly over, these last two games have to be used as an assessment period for the new management team, to arrange the squad how they see fit for next season. I’m looking forward to seeing how things pan out.

Mon The Fife!

Match Report - Forfar Athletic

Forfar Athletic 2-1 East Fife, Station Park

Saturday 20^th April 2024, cinch League Two

It was another disappointing day for the Fifers on Saturday, as we fell 2-1 to Forfar Athletic at Station Park. Despite playing some good stuff in the first half, we could not hold on, and Ray McKinnon’s men, particularly Russell McLean, put in a tremendous performance to complete the turnaround, and in turn, guarantee their safety in cinch League Two next season. On a more negative note, it was mathematically confirmed that it would be League Two for us next season after defeat, although even a win would not have been enough due to The Spartans’ victory over Bonnyrigg Rose at the weekend.

The game started slowly, with no side able to create any real chances for the first 20 minutes. The first action sadly saw Ryan Schiavone leave the park injured, being replaced by Sean Docherty whose pace was effective at times on the wing.

The scoring was opening on the 30-minute mark as Liam Newton fired the Fifers ahead. There were some major miscommunications in the Forfar backline, but that cannot detract from the full-back’s sensational finish. Newts lined it up on his supposedly weaker foot and slammed it past McCallum who was left stranded on his line.

It should’ve been two just before half time when Scott Shepherd, who ran himself into the ground, flashed a cross across the goal line. I reckon if Trouten had boots two sizes bigger on, he would’ve got a touch to it, but alas, we went in at the interval just one goal up.

Forfar took the reins in the second half, and as we approached the hour mark, they pulled level. Fleming did well to keep out the original effort, though his parry was right into the path of McLean who easily tucked home his first.

15 minutes later, the turnaround was complete, and Forfar led. The Loons hit a counter, counterattack, breaking through our lines, before McLean answered the dinked cross, nabbing his brace.

After it went 2-1, only one team looked like they would win the game, and all credit goes to Forfar for their strong second half, capitalising on us being off the pace.

The lads will now look to finish the season as strongly as possible, and our penultimate game on Saturday is at New Douglas Park, as we face relegation threatened Clyde.

Forfar Athletic – McCallum, Hutchinson, Munro, Nditi (F Allan 73’), Brindley, Morrison, Robson, Skelly (Mohammed 62’), Scally (Mykyta 61’), McLean. Subs not used: Thomson, Whatley, Inglis, Ross, Paris, Lobban.

East Fife – Fleming, Murdoch, Newton, Slattery (Walls 62’), Blaney, Millar, McManus, Schiavone (Docherty 21’ (Ramsay 69’)), Trouten, Healy, Shepherd. Subs not used: Page, Nicol, Hamilton, Murray, Beveridge.

Referee – Peter Stuart

Attendance – 561

Report by Oli Anderson

Office Hours

Due to staff holidays the office will be open reduced hours this week;

Tuesday 23rd April - 9.00am to 1.00pm

Wednesday 24th April - 9.00am to 3.00pm

Thursday 25th April 0 9.00am to 1.00pm

Friday as normal

Match Highlights - Forfar Athletic

Highlights from yesterday's match against Forfar Athletic along with post-match reaction from Dick Campbell and Liam Newton.

Match Preview - Forfar Athletic

Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Forfar Athletic

Our fairytale start to life under Dick Campbell and co. has finally come to an end, and it was an abrupt one at that, as we were on the receiving end of a 4-1 gubbing at the hands of Bonnyrigg Rose. We struggled to create chances, and while we struggled to adapt to the adverse winds, the weather was the same for both teams and Bonnyrigg capitalised. We now have to brush ourselves off and prepare to go again, as we gear up to play Forfar Athletic, in a must win game for us, if we are to keep alive our playoff chances. Our hosts today lost last week too, in a close affair with Peterhead. Jack Brown scored in the 80th minute for the Blue Toon, handing the Loons their defeat.

A message from the management team

Assistant manager Pink kept it nice and simple this week, and when asked about today’s game said: ‘Everyone is hurting from last week, and we will be demanding much better from everyone this weekend.’

The cinch League Two

	Team	Pld	GD	Pts
1	Stenhousemuir (C)	33	21	66
2	Peterhead	33	18	55
3	Dumbarton	33	13	55
4	The Spartans	33	8	51
5	East Fife	33	2	44
6	Elgin City	33	-21	38
7	Forfar Athletic	33	-6	36
8	Bonnyrigg Rose	33	-4	35
9	Stranraer	33	-15	32
10	Clyde	33	-16	31

After Bonnyrigg dented our hopes of the playoffs last week, we must hope for them to do us a favour today, and take something from their game with the Spartans, who need just three points from their last three games to confirm a playoff place in their first Professional Campaign.

Last Week’s Action

Dumbarton 1-0 Clyde

East Fife 1-4 Bonnyrigg Rose

Peterhead 2-1 Forfar Athletic

Stenhousemuir 1-1 Elgin City

The Spartans 0-0 Stranraer

Today’s Fixtures

Bonnyrigg Rose vs The Spartans

Clyde vs Stenhousemuir

Elgin City vs Peterhead

Forfar Athletic vs East Fife

Stranraer vs Dumbarton

Previous Encounter

The last time the two sides met, saw us play out a 1-1 draw with the Loons back in February at the MGM Tiimber Bayview Stadium. It was a game of two halves, with the first half seeing us perform drastically under par, with the Loons leading at half time. The second was much more enjoyable, and it cannot be argued that the Fifers took control of the second period, and deserved at least their one point, potentially more.

The game had a painfully slow start, with neither team having a chance until the 17th minute, when we won our first corner of the 90. We never made anything of it however, as Kieran Millar’s effort soared well over the crossbar.

Allan Fleming was put under pressure 10 minutes later, as he was forced into an excellent save with his feet. He just nicked it and no more, keeping us level.

We slowly grew into the game, with Jack Healy creating a chance, before the linesman’s flag intervened, as well as Trouten forcing the Forfar goalie off his line with an intelligent pass.

Sadly, it counted for nothing in the first period, as Forfar took the lead through Allen from a set play and his header looked to cross the line in slow motion.

The goal really took the sting out the game, seeing us go in at half time a goal down.

Dick Campbell then “took the paint off the walls”, as he put, at half time, and what we saw in the second period was much easier on the eyes from a Fife perspective. There was hunger, grit, and aggression in the squad, which saw some tantalising football be played.

Just 5 minutes into the half, Marc McCallum was forced into a wonder save by Nathan Austin, as Fash looked destined to score from an Alan Trouten cross.

The roles were reversed just moments later, as Austin whipped a cross into Trouts, although East Fife’s number 10 could not keep the ball down.

Liam Newton then tried his luck from the edge of the area, but his volley was on the wrong side of the crossbar.

The all-important turning point came in the 66th minute, when the Campbell’s made a fantastic triple substation. Brogan Walls, Robbie Hamilton and Scott Shepherd all entered the fray and added a much-needed pace injection to the 11 on the park.

Just two minutes later, we saw the immediate impact, as East Fife’s sharp link up won a penalty after the faultless McCallum finally made a mistake. Who else but Alan Trouten to step up, and do what he does best, that of course being scoring a penalty. Finally, the Fife were on level terms.

After the equaliser, there was only one team that was going to win, that being the Methil Milan. The chance came for us too, just 5 minutes after, but another world class save from Marc van der McCallum kept out Austin, ensuring that the score line stayed level, and both teams shared the spoils.

The Form

The Fife

In our last 6 games, the Fifers have recorded 3 wins 2 draws, and a solitary loss, scooping up 11 points in cinch League Two in the process.

Our loss came last week against Bonnyrigg and was painful to say the least. The visitors controlled the game from the word go and ran out deserved winners in a 4-1 demolition job.

Our two draws have come in varying fashion. The first came when we shared the spoils with Peterhead on the 16th of March. We struggled massively in the first half, and Pawlett sent the Blue Toon in at the break with a deserved lead. We, however, managed to bounce back in the second period, and Alan Trouten done what he does best, and stuck the ball in the onion bag for the Fife. Our most recent draw came two weeks ago against Stenhousemuir, as we played out a goalless affair.

The first of many wins came in dramatic fashion recovering a 2-1 deficit to defeat Dumbarton at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium. ‘Stone Cold’ Nathan Austin (PFA TOTY member) was at hand to gift us the opener inside 3 minutes, in what was definitely a ‘glass shattering start’. We were pegged back in the second period by the Sons though, as goals from Finlay Gray and James Hilton flipped the game on its head. We would not go down without a fight though, and centre half Brian Easton made it two in two for himself, nabbing an equaliser. The game was not finished, and we made sure to take all three points, with Fash bagging a second for the day, sending the Fifers into a frenzy of celebration. It was a great performance, with a fantastic moment, and result to match.

The 23rd of March saw us grab our 2nd win in 6, coming from behind to overcome Stranraer. Matty Grant scored the opener from a very deep free kick (which looked to have been largely assisted by the wind.) James Lyon converted at the start of the second half for the Fifers, pulling us level, before Jack Healy scored a fantastic soaring volley to hand us the lead, and the three points.

Finally, the following week made it two on the trot, as Alan Trouten and James Lyon were both on the scoresheet in a 2-0 win against Elgin City where Jack Healy starred.

The Loons

Forfar have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 3 of their last 6 games, only amassing 5 league points in the process. They are also without a win since the 9th of March.

Said win came over bottom of the league Clyde, with Rayan Mohammed and Matty Allen completing the turnaround to win 2-1 for the Loons.

The following two results were both draws, ensuring the Forfar gained some much-needed points at crunch time in the league. They firstly drew with Champions Stenhousemuir 1-1. It was Adam Hutchison who grabbed a late Forfar equaliser in that game, before the next week they matched the scoreline when they played Elgin City in the Highlands. A first half equaliser from Craig Thomson was enough to ensure that the spoils were shared.

Their 3 losses have also come consecutively in the last 3 weeks, opening the doors for the Fifers to potentially return to winning ways this afternoon. All three losses have also come against our playoff opposition, handing them a great opportunity in securing their chances of promotion. It was firstly The Spartans who beat Forfar, winning 1-0 at Ainslie Park, before they then lost to Dumbarton 2-0 at Station Park. As previously mentioned, last week they succumbed to a late Peterhead winner from Jack Brown, which cancelled out Daniel Scally’s earlier equaliser meaning that Forfar lost for the third consecutive week at the Balmoor.

Squad News

Skipper Stewart Murdoch is once again available for selection, and Nathan Austin returned to training this week, though it may be too soon to see Fash back in action this afternoon. We will also have to assess the fitness of a couple of players pre-kick off today.

Team Colours

East Fife will don the away, Taxi-Centre kit this afternoon, with a Pink Shirt and Socks being paired with Black shorts. The Fife goalie will be clad in all yellow.

Forfar will be in their traditional colours of all navy, with the Loons goalie wearing green today.

Match Tickets

Please find prices below for today’s match. Cash gate available.

(Terraced Price/Standing Price)

Adult- £14/15

65+- £8/9

U17s- £5

Live Stream

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 streaming option for viewers within the UK or Ireland this weekend.

Officials

The on-pitch official this afternoon will be Peter Stuart while his assistants running the lines are Paul McAvinue and Owen Lawrence.

Final Remarks

Last week was obviously a major setback, although the playoff dream is still achievable. Let’s get behind the lads for one last push this season.

Mon The Fife!