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Fifers Beaten at Cliftonhill
Ladbrokes League 1
Saturday 23rd December 2017
Cliftonhill Stadium
Albion Rovers 3 (Shields 23’, Trouten 25’, McLaughlin 72’)
East Fife 2 (Dunsmore 6’, G Hurst 27’))
Albion Rovers XI: Potts, Lightbody, McLaughlin, Reid, Perry, Holmes, Fisher, Davidson, Shields, Trouten (Higgins 31’), Victoria (Watters 85’)
Subs: McMullin, McLeish, Guthrie, Trialist, Hopkins
Booked: Fisher
East Fife XI: M Hurst, Dusnmore (Kane 38’), Docherty, Page, Piggott, Lamont (Reilly 65’), G Hurst, Millar, Linton, Duggan, Wilkie (Mutch 80’)
Subs: Wilson, Flanagan, Goodfellow
Booked: Kane
Referee: Barry Cook
Attendance: 248
Inconsistency again proved to be East Fife’s downfall as they slipped to their second successive defeat after a promising opening 45 minutes against Albion Rovers at Cliftonhill Stadium. Manager Darren Young made one change to the side that lost to Ayr United last time out with Greg Hurst replacing injured captain Kevin Smith in the starting line-up.
It was the visitors who started brightest with Kyle Wilkie having a sight of goal on 4 minutes after good play by Mark Lamont down the right but he dragged his shot wide of the left-hand post before East Fife took the lead a couple of minutes later. Jonathan Page picked out Aaron Dunsmore wide of the right who cut inside before sending a left-footed shot past Rovers’ ‘keeper Daniel Potts for his first senior goal.
The home side began to grow into the game and had their first chance on 18 minutes when Alan Trouten had an attempt on goal but his strike was never going to trouble Mark Hurst in the East Fife goal. Graeme Holmes was next to have a go but couldn’t find the target with a shot from 25-yards. Rovers levelled the game on 22 minutes when Hurst misjudged a shot from Conor Shields before Alan Touten put the home side in front a couple of minutes later when he finished off a quick break from Scott McLaughlin down the left.
They weren’t in front for long, however, when Greg Hurst capitalised on a poor clearance from Potts to pass the ball into an empty net on 27 minutes. Joao Victoria flashed a shot across goal for the home side on 31 minutes before Potts saved comfortable held a free kick from Lamont at the other end as half time approached.
Albion Rovers should have been back in front shortly after the re-start when Shield’s shot was well blocked by Hurst only for Victoria to head the rebound wide of target. By now the home side were in the ascendency and had another chance on 57 minutes when former Fifer Gary Fisher was unlucky to see his 25-yard drive rebound off the post. The visitors almost grabbed an equaliser in bizarre fashion when Holmes attempted clearance rebounded off Chris Duggan and looked headed for the bottom corner but Potts was alert to scramble the ball clear.
Lamont sent a shot over the bar on 62 minutes before the home side scored what proved to be the winner when McLaughlin found the bottom corner with a free kick from the edge of the box on 72 minutes.
East Fife faded badly in the second half after a promising opening 45 with the home side running out deserved winners in the end.
East Fife FC v Raith Rovers FC - 2nd January 2018
Home Support tickets for our match on Tuesday 2nd January (3pm kick off) are on sale now.
You can purchase over the phone, via our internet shop or in person at Bayview (office open on Friday 29th December 9am to 3pm & Tuesday 2nd January from 10am).
Adults - £15
Concessions (over 60) - £12
Under 16s - £5
Cliftonhill Challenge for Darren's Boys
Tomorrow East Fife bring the curtain down on the first half of the campaign with a visit to Cliftonhill Stadium to take on Albion Rovers. The Coatbridge men were back in action in midweek after two consecutive Saturday postponements, coming away with a creditable 2-2 draw against Stranraer at Stair Park. It came as no surprise that the man on target for Rovers was Alan Trouten, his double taking his tally for the season so far to a remarkable 21 goals.
Bayview boss Darren Young was left frustrated following last week’s defeat at Bayview Stadium to Ayr United. Despite finishing on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline, the Fifers dominated the first-half and were on top for periods after the break only to be punished by a combination of clinical finishing by the league leaders, aided by some poor defending from the home side.
It will be the first meeting of the sides since that astonishing encounter in October when the men from Methil overturned a 4-2 deficit to win 5-4 with three goals in the last ten minutes, including two in injury time. Last season, with the current East Fife management team of Darren Young and Tony McMinn in the home dugout at Cliftonhill saw a 1-0 win apiece in two games within four weeks. Former Fifer Ryan Wallace and Jason Kerr were the match winners for their respective clubs.
Albion Rovers will be hosting a special collection for the Coatbridge food bank and we would urge everyone to contribute what they can for this very worthy cause.
Supporters are advised that the stadium bar will be open from 12.45pm.
Office opening times over Christmas
Will supporters please note that the Club Office and Shop will be open daily to 4.45pm this week till Thursday but will open from 9.30am on Friday 22nd December 2017 to 2pm only . Thereafter, we will be closed until Wednesday 27th December at 9am.
Matchball sponsors of Saturday 16th December 2017
G McQueen Alex Donaldson
In spite of the result, all sponsors thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality and received their signed balls from Ken Henderson, Commercial Director, on Saturday past.
Thank you for supporting The Fife, gentlemen! Haste ye back!
Fifers Left To Rue Missed Chances Against League Leaders
Ladbrokes League 1
Saturday 16th December 2017
Bayview Stadium
East Fife 1 (Duggan 36’)
Ayr United 4 (Rose 57’, 72’, Moore 75’, Shankland 88’)
East Fife XI: M Hurst, Dunsmore, Piggott, Page, Linton, Millar, Docherty, Lamont, Wilkie, Smith (G Hurst 76’), Duggan
Subs: Goodfellow, Kane, Reilly, Wilson, Mutch, Willis
Booked: Page, G Hurst
Ayr United XI: Hart, Higgins, Boyle, Rose, Ferguson, Geggan. Forrest (McGuffie 80’), McDaid (Gilmour 45’), Adams (Moore 45’), Moffat, Shankland
Subs: Faulds, Avci, Murphy, Reid
Booked: Moore
Referee: John McKendrick
East Fife welcomed League 1 leaders Ayr United to Bayview for the last home game of 2017 but it was the visitors who left with all three points following a second half fight-back. Manager Darren Young was able to name an unchanged team from the side that drew with Stranraer last time out with the only changes being Ben Reilly and Chris Kane replacing the injured duo of Craig Watson and Nathan Flanagan on the bench.
Ayr had completely overrun East Fife the last time the sides met down at Somerset Park in September but the home side showed early on there was to be no such repeat this time with Kyle Wilkie unlucky not to open the scoring inside 2 minutes when he got on the end of Chris Duggan’s cut back 2-yards from goal but unable to make a clean connection under pressure from Declan McDaid and the Ayr defence was able to clear. At the other end, Alan Forrest latched onto a cross field pass and cut inside but his right-footed strike flew past the right-hand post.
East Fife should have taken the lead on 8 minutes when a long-throw from Scott Linton made its way to Kevin Smith 10-yards from goal only to see his strike come back off the crossbar before Jonathan Page headed the rebound over the bar. Smith had another opportunity minutes later when he got on the end of Mark Lamont’s cross from the right but was unable to direct his header on target. Chris Higgins sent a header wide for the visitors on 20 minutes before East Fife were unable to take advantage of another good opportunity; this time Lamont sending his shot wide from the edge of the box on 34 minutes.
A goal was coming for the home side and it duly arrived on 36 minutes when Duggan got on the end of a nice reverse pass from Aaron Dunsmore to slot past Ayr ‘keeper Jordan Hart for his 10th goal of the season. McDaid and Higgins both cleared the bar as the visitors looked for a way back into the match before the break but neither effort was going to trouble Mark Hurst in the East Fife goal.
An excellent first half from East Fife who more than deserved their half-time lead but they were to rue their missed chances as Ayr took control after the re-start.
Lawrence Shankland had two opportunities for the visitors with free kicks from 25-yards; the first, on 52 minutes, took a deflection on its way over the bar before the second one was headed behind for a corner 3 minutes later. An equaliser looked certain for the visitors and it arrived on 57 minutes when Michael Rose found the back of the net with a header from 5-yards. Good play by Dunsmore and Wilkie down the right saw the latter send in a cross that made its way to Scott Linton at the back post; his shot was blocked and cleared as far as Mark Docherty who forced Hart into a good save with a volley from 20-yards.
Ayr took the lead on 72 minutes when Rose grabbed his second of the match when he tapped in at the back post following a corner by Forrest before substitute Craig Moore doubled their lead a couple of minutes later when he found himself in space inside the box to slot past Hurst. Linton was agonisingly close to pulling one back for East Fife on 80 minutes with a free kick from 25-yards which looked set for the bottom corner only to see it rebound off the post with Hart well beaten.
Duggan looked like he had scored his second of the game on 86 minutes with a spectacular overhead kick from 12-yards which took a deflection off an Ayr defender but Hart somehow managed to claw the ball clear on the line before Shankland sealed the points for the visitors 3 minutes from time with a shot from 25-yards.
Ayr United were worthy of their win however East Fife were left, once again, to rue missed chances as the 4-1 score line was harsh on a side which deserved so much more for their performance.