Match Preview - Stenhousemuir

We travel to Ochilview this afternoon to face Stenhousemuir in the second round of the Scottish Cup

Squad News

Scott Mercer and Joao Balde miss out today through suspensions picked up during last season’s competition along with long-term absentees Brogan Walls, Connor McManus, Scott Gallacher and Rabin Omar but Alan Trouten returns to the squad after missing last week’s match against Bonnyrigg Rose.

Alex Ferguson, Taylor Steven and Liam Parker are also available for selection after permission was granted by parent club St. Johnstone for them to be part of today’s squad.

Team Colours

East Fife will be in our traditional colours of black/gold strips, black shorts and white stockings with the goalkeeper in all-blue.

Stenhousemuir will also be in their traditional colours of maroon strips, white shorts and maroon stockings with the goalkeeper in all-green.

Match Tickets

Tickets for today’s game can be purchased online here however cash turnstiles are also available

Ticket prices are as follows:

Adults - £14

Concessions - £9

Under 16s (non-season ticket holders) - £6

Under 16s season ticket holders from both sides will be admitted free of charge.

East Fife supporters will be housed in the West Terracing.

Match Officials

Match Referee: George Calder

AR1: Alastair Taylor

AR2: Rhys Struthers

Previous Encounter

The last meeting between the sides took place early this season at Bayview with the visitors claiming all three points with a 2-1 victory. Jack Healy had given East Fife the lead with a spectacular strike in the first half but a double from Ewan O’Reilly, either side of a red card for Kieran Millar, saw the Warrior clinch victory.

East Fife Team: Fleming, Mercer, Denham, Steele, Murdoch, Healy (Balde 66’), Millar, Ferguson, Steven (Schiavone 66’), Trouten (Newton 80’), Shepherd

Stenhousemuir Team: Brennan, Jamieson, Crighton, Higgins (Crobett 31’), Miller, Forbes (Joseph 76’), Wedderburn, Brown, Yeats (O’Reilly 45’), Sewell (Orr 45’), Yates

Date: Tuesday 20^th September 2022

Locality: Locality Hub Bayview Stadium

Live Streaming

No live stream is available to viewers with the UK & Ireland.

Viewers outside the UK & Ireland can watch the match via East Fife TV with a monthly or season pass.

Matchday Catering

The Wee Bar will be open from 12pm with both home and away supporters welcome. Food and drinks will also be available to purchase from the Pie Hut after entering the stadium. Please note, the Pie Hut only accepts cash payments.

Car Parking

There is no dedicated car park for supporters at Ochilview so fans should make use of on-street parking.

New Partnership with Kino Cinema

We're delighted to announce the addition of Kino Cinema as one of our new commercial partners.

Kino Cincema has cinemas in both Commercial Street, in Leven, and Church Street, in Glenrothes. Providing luxurious sofas to watch the films in comfort, the Kino goes beyond your usual cinema experience. Showing not only the latest movies in their cinemas but also show live operas, theatre performances and ballets. They regularly have themed nights showing classing favourites so keep an eye on their social media and website to see what is on.

Kino Owner Graeme Reekie said: “We are absolutely delighted to partner with East Fife FC this season and beyond. At Kino, we believe community engagement is the responsibility for all local businesses and we are proud to support a local team with such a proud history”.

Scott Young of the Commercial Team added: "We are absolutely delighted that Kino Cinema has come on board and have committed to partnering with the club. Based in both Leven and Glenrothes, where many of our supporters are from, it’s brilliant to see another local business that wanted to join up with us. Here's to a long and successful partnership for all involved".

Ticket Info v Stenhousemuir

Admission prices for our Scottish Cup tie Against Stenhousemuir at Ochilview on Saturday have been agreed as follows:

Admission Prices

Adults - £14

Concessions - £9

Under 16s - £6

Additionally, all U16s season ticket holders (both East Fife and Stenhousemuir) can enter for free.

East Fife fans will be housed in the West Terracing enclosure.

Tickets can be bought online here but pay-at-the-gate will also be available.

Match Report - Bonnyrigg Rose

East Fife made the journey south to take on Midlothian club Bonnyrigg Rose. The two sides previously met in early August at Bayview when the visitors won the match 3-0. The team were hoping to make amends against a Bonnyrigg team who had lost 4 out of their last 5 matches. The Fifers previously played Forfar Athletic at Station Park and won convincingly 3-1. 

No changes were made to the starting eleven that beat Forfar the weekend before, with interim Manager Greig McDonald showing faith in the team to, once again, bring home the three points.

The home side took the lead after only 2 minutes when Currie whipped in a corner for the leaping Callum Connolly who’s bullet header rippled the back of the net, giving the Rose a very early lead. 

After going 1-0 up, Bonnyrigg showed no signs of slowing down as only a minute later, Connolly found himself in space on the right side, to play an enticing cross into the box which was met by the head of Scott Gray a couple of yards out, however his header is high and over the bar. 

As things began to calm down from the Bonnyrigg side, the Fifers began to ramp up the pressure. In the 30^th minute, Scott Mercer had his free kick well saved by Mark Weir in the Bonnyrigg goal. After two minutes of injury time, the referee concluded the first half after a fairly uneventful final 15 minutes with a few wayward efforts not amounting to much. 

HALF TIME: Bonnyrigg Rose 1-0 East Fife

As Bonnyrigg kicked off the second half, the intent was clear from East Fife with a couple of early chances falling their way. The first being from a long throw from Steele that no one manged to get on the end of. The second, fell the way of second Shepherd when he was played in by Millar, but his deflected effort was comfortably held by Weir.

On the hour mark, the Methil men levelled the game up. Following a corner to the visitors, Steele picked up the ball on the edge of the area and fed the ball back out to Ferguson on the right-hand side, who’s cross found the head of Ryan Schiavone who heads home from close range. 

A second goal followed in quick succession when a quick throw in found Alex Ferguson who skipped away from his man and on the edge of the box strikes the ball into the far bottom corner of the net giving East Fife a much-deserved lead.

Two shortly became three with a 3^rd goal in 5 minutes. This time a corner from Ferguson was found Schiavone who connects with the ball to head it home for his fourth goal in two games.

Bonnyrigg Rose’s best chance of the half came in the 78^th minute when Hunter played in Gray, but Fleming did well to close the angle to block Gray’s effort. 

Another chance fell the way of East Fife when Ferguson took the ball around the Rose defender and cut the ball back across the face of goal for Shepherd who got to the ball ahead of Weir however his flick wasn’t enough to seriously challenge the goalkeeper. 

East Fife wrap up the game in the 90^th minute after a poor goal kick from Weir was picked up in the middle of the park with the ball fed out to Shepherd who, in turn, laid the ball off for Ferguson the slot the ball in at the near post, sealing the game for the Fifers.

The win puts East Fife up to third in the table, five points adrift of Dumbarton and Stirling Albion at the top. Next up, the Methil men take a trip to Ochilview Park to face Stenhousemuir in the second round of the Scottish Cup.

FULL-TIME: Bonnyrigg Rose 1-4 East Fife

Bonnyrigg Rose Team: Weir, Young (Wilson 47’), Horne, Doan, Grigor (Gray 74’), Stewart, Currie (Barrett 74’), Connolly, Gray, Hunter, Mitchell (McGachie 66’)

East Fife Team: Fleming, Murdoch (Healy 80’), Steele, Denham, Millar, Balde, Newton, Ferguson, Mercer, Schiavone (Steven 77’), Shepherd (Trouten 90+2’)

Referee: Graham Beaton

Attendance: 933

Andrew Laing

Match Highlights v Bonnyrigg Rose

Highlights from yesterday's match against Bonnyrigg Rose at New Dundas Park along with post-match reaction from Greig McDoanld, Alex Ferguson and Joao Balde