Match Preview - Bonnyrigg Rose

Oli Anderson previews today’s match against Bonnyrigg Rose

**Today’s match is subject to an 11am pitch inspection**

It will certainly be an uphill battle for the Black and Gold this afternoon, as the Fifers visit the outskirts of the Capital, to play strong starters Bonnyrigg Rose at New Dundas Park. Last week, East Fife conceded late, after Alan Trouten gave us the lead at MGM Timber Bayview Stadium, against Forfar Athletic. While the performance was slightly under par, the result was still welcomed, as our unbeaten run has stretched to 4 games now, with our last defeat coming on the 2nd of September against Dumbarton in a game we deserved to draw, if not win.

Our opponents have failed to win in their last 3, two of which were away from home. In their most recent affair, they squandered a 2-0 lead against The Spartans, in a fightback that was extremely similar to our own against the newly promoted side. Gray fired Bonnyrigg ahead after 20, and Currie doubled their advantage after the break, though they never got maximum points in the two sides’ first derby of the season, as goals from Armstrong and Russell cancelled out the lead.

Standings

Position	Team	Played	Pts	GD
1	Peterhead	8	16	10
2	Stenhousemuir	8	15	7
3	Dumbarton	8	14	4
4	Bonnyrigg Rose	8	12	5
5	The Spartans	8	11	1
6	Stranraer	8	11	-6
7	Forfar Athletic	8	8	-1
8	East Fife	8	7	-4
9	Clyde	8	6	-5
10	Elgin City	8	5	-11

Across the League Last Week

Dumbarton 3-1 Stranraer @ Dumbarton Football Stadium

East Fife FC 1-1 Forfar Athletic @ MGM Timber Bayview Stadium

Peterhead 6-0 Elgin City @ Balmoor Stadium

Stenhousemuir 2-2 Clyde @ Ochilview Park

The Spartans 2-2 Bonnyrigg Rose @ Ainslie Park

This Weekend’s Action

Bonnyrigg Rose (4) vs East Fife FC (8) @ New Dundas Park

Clyde FC (9) vs Dumbarton (3) @ New Douglas Park

Elgin City (10) vs Stenhousemuir (2) @ Borough Briggs

Forfar Athletic (7) vs Peterhead (1) @ Station Park

Stranraer (6) vs The Spartans (5) @ Stair Park

The Form

The Hosts

In their last 6 games Bonnyrigg Rose have recorded 8 points from 6 games in the cinch League Two. Their games have been split between home and away equally showing a level of consistency, as they have produced similar results, although a recent dip has seen them slowly slide down the league table.

At Home:

Their three most recent games played at New Dundas Park have seen 4 points come their way. However, their most recent game ended in defeat as they fell to Stenhousemuir 1-0 thanks to a 66th minute winner from Edin Lynch.

The draw came back in August against former Fifer Scott Agnew’s Stranraer. The Rosey Posey took the lead through Neil Martynuik from the spot before a late equaliser from Deryn Lang forced the side to share the spoils.

The win came in emphatic fashion, as Bonnyrigg metaphorically blew the roof from New Dundas Park, as they romped over Elgin City 5-1. Martynuik bagged two from the spot, including the opener, before Grigor doubled Bonnyrigg’s lead before the break. After half time they went up another gear, with both Peggie and Osadolor scoring within the first 5 minutes of the second half. A Russel Dingwall penalty after 75 minutes was merely a consolation, as Martynuik’s second in injury time was Elgin’s misery compiler.

On the Road:

Similar results for Bonnyrigg on the road have seen another 4 points come their way. Ths loss came at Balmoor, where another Martynuik penalty was matched by Hamish Ritchie before Kieran Shanks did the damage with a spot kick of his own in the 89th minute.

The draw came at Ainslie Park, as the Rosey Posey squandered a 2-goal lead, to share the results in the maiden derby of the 23/24 season.

Their victory was against our opposition last week, Forfar, at Station Park. Bonnyrigg had to work for it though, though Martynuik found himself on the scoresheet for a 5th time in the last 6, all from the spot, giving Trouten’s record a run for its money. Stuart Morrison (the scorer against us) equalised after 64 minutes, though Alieu Faye had a swift reply as Bonnyrigg ran out victorious.

The Fife

East Fife have recorded 2 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in their last 6, accumulating 6 points from 5 games in League action, as well as progression in the SPFL Trust Trophy. The Fifers have played 3 at The Fortress- MGM Timber Bayview Stadium and remain undefeated in that time frame. On the other hand, our away form is rather disappointing, as we have played three and are yet to win on the road this season (inside 90 minutes).

The Wooden Fortress:

Our sole draw at home came last week, as East Fife dug deep, in what was a poor day at the office, but could not hold on to the lead that Trouten gave us in the first half.

Our first win in the last 6 came against Albion Rovers in the 3rd round of the SPFL Trust Trophy. As has been the story of our season, the Fifers sauntered in at the interval a goal down, after a goal from Niyah Joseph after 30 minutes gave the Rovers the lead. This did not deter the Fifers however, who with fire in their bellies, dominated the second period, grabbing two goals, completing the turnaround thanks to goals from Jonathan Page and Connor McManus. Our other victory came against Clyde, in a game the Fifers controlled from the 1st to the 91st. Scott Shepherd scored early on, breaking East Fife’s hoodoo of conceding the first goal, and Trouten was able to add to the lead after 70 minutes, killing the game as a result.

On the Road:

Our only loss in the last 6 was “through the west”, as we fell short against Dumbarton at the Rock, despite looking the better outfit for the majority of the contest. It was another late goal which stung us, as Crighton’s bullet header soared in in the 88th minute.

Our first draw was the aforementioned game against The Spartans two weeks ago, where the Fifers stood up, and were all counted putting in a shift in the second half to rescue the point. Our other draw was not quite as positive a result, as we slumped in the first half against Elgin City in August, going into the half time interval a goal down. The Fifers showed signs of promise, but could not find the clear-cut opportunity, relying on an Alan Trouten penalty to ensure that we did not leave the Highlands empty handed.

Previous Encounter

The last time the two sides met was a disappointing affair, where we shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw at New Dundas Park. The game was an uphill battle, both sides scrapping from anything and East Fife did manage to take the lead, through Trouten after 57 minutes of action following a disappointing first half. The turning point in the game was the introduction of Kieran McGachie, who led the Bonnyrigg attack with prowess and brought the goal that would hand the hosts a point, which proved to be crucial in their survival.

Squad News

Outs- Slattery, Murdoch and Murray still miss out due to previous injuries, though there are no new injuries to report.

Ins- Millar is back fit, and available for selection this week, giving McDonald a boost in the middle of the park to either start, or make an impact off the bench.

Team Colours

East Fife will don the Macon Resources-sponsored third kit this weekend, with the green and white top, matched with white socks and shorts, while the goalkeeper will be clad in all turquoise kit for the game.

Bonnyrigg will be in their traditional red and white hoops for the match, with red socks and shorts, while the Rosey Posey goalkeeper with wear all neon green.

Match Tickets

Admission for tomorrow’s game in the heights of the Andes is exclusively pay-at-the gate, though both cash and card are accepted.

Please find match prices below:

Adult- £14

Concessions (+65/Disabled/Carer)- £9

Under 16s- £5

Under 12s go FREE (With a paying adult)

Programmes

Programmes will be available for sale at the summit of New Dundas Park for £2, and half time 50/50 draw tickets are available for £1 a pop.

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!

Officials

The on-pitch official on Saturday will be Greg Soutar while his assistants running the line are Calum Doyle and Frazer Bushell.

MON THE FIFE!

Admission Info v Bonnyrigg Rose

Admission prices for our cinch League Two match against Bonnyrigg Rose on Saturday 7^th October at New Dundas Park have been confirmed as follows:

Adults - £14

Concessions - £9

U16s - £5

U12s – Free with a paying adult

Pay-at-the-gate is in operation for this game, both cash and card are accepted.

There is no live stream available this weekend for supporters within the UK & Ireland however overseas supporters can watch the match via East Fife TV with a monthly or annual subscription.

Weekly Goldmine Lotto

You have an hour left to get a ticket online for this week's Goldmine Lotto draw.

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Match Report - Forfar Athletic

East Fife 1-1 Forfar Athletic, Saturday 30^th September 2023

MGM Timber Bayview Stadium, cinch League Two

East Fife’s performance took a slight dip at the weekend, as they had to settle for their second consecutive league draw, conceding late against Ray Mackinnon’s Forfar Athletic side and sharing the spoils at MGM Timber Bayview Stadium.

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 corner, allowing the Morrison to head home, and ensure the visitors 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.

All eyes turn to the road now, as East Fife head back to the capital this weekend, to face highflyers Bonnyrigg Rose. The Rosey Posey have failed to win in their last 3, however they still occupy the final playoff spot. East Fife hold onto 8th place, 5 points behind that crucial playoff place.

Report by Oli Anderson

East Fife – Fleming, Page, Docherty (Philp 78’), Easton, McManus, Trouten, Healy, Walls (Comerford 85’), Shepherd (Schiavone 85’), Austin (Mitchell 85’). Subs not used: Ramsay, Black, Nicol. Hambrook, Beveridge

Forfar Athletic – McCallum, Nditi, Allan, Morrison, Moore, Whatley (Ross 64’), Robson, Paterson, Munro, Macleod (Watson 73’), Skelly. Subs not used: Brindley, Hutchinson, Paris

Referee – Alex Shepherd

Attendance - 575

Hospitality v Stranraer - 21st October 2023

We’re delighted to bring you details of a hospitality special we’re offering for our next home match against Stranraer on Saturday 21^st October at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium.

• Arrive at 1.00pm
• 1 course carvery meal
• Match ticket
• Half-time tea/coffee and snacks
• Pay bar available

This package is available from just £30/person (£20 for season ticket holders).

To book, contact the club office on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 01333 426323