Dunfermline 0 Rangers 4

Saturday, 24th Sep 2011

Jim McIntyre started wih Andy Barrowman meaning Andy Kirk was relegated to the bench. Bocanegra (9) 0-1; Edu (17) 0-2, Naismith (51) 0-3; Naismith (81) 0-4

MATCH PICTURES
Jim McIntyre started wih Andy Barrowman meaning leading goalscorer, Andy Kirk was relegated to the bench - the only change from the selection against Hibs. From their midweek team at Falkirk, Rangers brought in Allan McGregor, Maurice Edu, Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic. Out went Neil Alexander, David Healy, Lee McCulloch and Alejandro Bedoya.

The sun came out to welcome the teams on to a very fine looking East End Park surface. It was Rangers first visit since January 2007 and they had sold out their end of the stadium. Unfortunately with the match live on television the home end was less well populated as Paul Burns and Andy Barrowman got the game underway at 12.45pm.

Dunfermline started really promisingly keeping possession but the visitors tried to get their game going with Kyle Lafferty looking the early threat. The Pars seemed to settle into the match well with some good passing and confident defending but the opposition were beginning to see a bit more of the ball.

A free kick conceded by Alex Keddie in eight  minutes allowed Gregg Wylde a pop at goal from 28 yards out but Paul Gallacher turned the fierce on target shot around his left hand post for a corner on the right.  Steven Davis delivered the corner to the six yard box where Carlos BOCANEGRA met the ball and powered a header into the right side of Gallacher`s net.

Wylde was wide left to cross a dangerous ball into the Pars box but Naismith directed his header into the keeper`s hands.  At the other end it was 13th minute when Joe Cardle swung over a ball that evaded three Pars men in front of goal. There was another chance for Dunfermline in the next minute when Jason Thomson was able to cut the ball back for Ryan Thomson 15 yards out but his attempt to deflect the ball on for Barrowman was thwarted by a Rangers interception.

In 17 minutes Rangers increased their lead when Jelavic jinked his way through the centre and as he looked to go for the shot, slipped the ball right to EDU who finished clinically to give Gallacher no chance. 0-2.

Five minutes later Jason Thomson and Gary Mason clashed as they squeezed out Sasa Papac but the break found Wylde and Keddie had to slide in to concede another corner. The defence survived that but were put under continued pressure with another corner conceded as Lafferty posed the danger on the right of the six yard box.

Corners continued in front of the McCathie Stand and the home side were finding it hard to get out of their own half but there was hope in 28 minutes when a Mason cross was headed on by Barrowman and McGregor tipped the effort over his crossbar for a corner to the Pars down on the right.

Pip Yeates was called on as Dorin Goian required treatment after his challenge on Barrowman and the full back was stretchered off. When Cardle played the ball short for the corner there were 15 players in the Rangers box and most of them in the six yard box. It was Jason Thomson who centred but the ball was low and easily cleared. Pip`s powers were obviously super talented as Goian rose from the touchline to re-join the action.

Ten minutes from the break, David Graham`s misguided pass put his defence under pressure and he dived in to give away another free kick.  Wylde pumped another decent ball into the box but Gallacher was out to collect. The Pars then had two bites at chances on goal. First Dowie fed Burns and his strike was turned away by McGregor and then Thomson returned the ball into the box for Mason to lay the ball off to Burns and again the midfielder`s shot was saved and a corner ensued. This time Keddie got a header in but was high of the bar.

On 40 minutes Wylde robbed possession off Graham to break.  He picked out Jelavic on the far right and his cross was headed outside the near post by Davis. Gallacher then pulled off a good save as Wylde hit on a counterattack and dived on the ball as it skidded under him towards the net. Graham almost capitalised on a Bocanegra mistake but Papac squashed the chance with alert cover. After two added minutes half time arrived with Dunfermline still down and the reflections over the hot refreshments were could Dunfermline come back from two goals down for the second week running?

Half Time: Dunfermline 0 Rangers 2

The Pars were out early for the restart but Rangers forced their sixth corner kick of the game within 25 seconds.  They attacked it seriously but a free kick was given the Pars way as Bocanegra was forced down. First half stats revealed Dunfermline had only 31% possession but there were early indications that the half time team talk had encouraged them to gain more of the ball.

A 49th minute Cardle corner was cleared and the follow up only yielded a bye kick. Just when it looked like Dunfermline might make a game of it the Ibrox side struck again. Sub Ortiz sent Davis away and his speedy break set him up for a fine pass to NAISMITH on the left side of the penalty box and he stuck it past Gallacher to make it 0-3.

This was not the start Dunfermline wanted and it looked bleak when Wylde sped down the left to flash the ball across the face of goal.  Ortiz gathered and cut the ball back but the defence cleared.  With 12 minutes of the second half gone Andy Kirk replaced Ryan Thomson but still the SPL champions drove at Dunfermline.

Whittaker made a strong run from halfway and was allowed a shot that travelled narrowly wide left. At the other end sub Paul Willis fed Burns and the ball was switched by Barrowman for Graham to test McGregor. Rangers swept back up the field and Alex Keddie collected his second yellow card of the season as he handed Rangers a free kick 30 yards out. Jelavic`s shot was heading for the top corner but Gallacher pulled off a fine save.

Naismith almost got the fourth on 70 minutes but 16 yards out Keddie and McCann did enough to stop a release at goal. A Rangers corner three minutes later saw Davis` cross headed beyond the left post. Alejandro Bedoya then replaced Wylde, as a result Goian was pushed forward on the left side and nearly struck gold with his first real attack but his shot was blocked by Jelavic in an offside position.

A 79th minute free kick was disputed by Papac and before it was taken Liam Buchanan replaced Andy Barrowman. Willis crossed but Goian got the all important touch and then after Graham was fouled on the left, Willis followed that up with another free kick from the other side. Rangers then broke and scored their fourth. Papac played the ball out of defence to Davis and again showed fantastic pace gaining great ground to pick out Jelavic who unselfishly cut back for NAISMITH to stroke the ball home. 0-4

The away support went into party mode with chants of "Super Ally" and a rendition of Happy Birthday to you for the birthday boy`s 49th anniversary. Gallacher pulled off a fantastic save from a 28 yard Davis free kick in 89th minute to ensure the scoreline would not alter.

The birthday blues were all for Dunfermline who failed to compete and were pleased in the end to hear Referee Iain Brines final whistle.

DUNFERMLINE: Paul Gallacher, Jason Thomson, Andy Dowie, Alex Keddie, Austin McCann (c); David Graham, Paul Burns, Ryan Thomson (Andy Kirk 57), Gary Mason, Joe Cardle (Paul Willis 65); Andy Barrowman (Liam Buchanan 80).
SUBS NOT USED: John Potter, Shaun Byrne, Paddy Boyle, Chris Smith (GK)
YELLOW CARD: Keddie (67)

RANGERS: Allan McGregor; Steven Whittaker, Dorin Goian, Carlos Bocanegra, Sas Papac, Steven Naismith, Maurice Edu, Steven Davis, Gregg Wylde (Alejandro Bedoya 74); Kyle Lafferty (Palazon Juanma Ortiz, HT), Nikica Jelavic (David Healy 84)
SUBS NOT USED: Kirk Broadfoot, Ross Perry, Rhys McCabe, Neil Alexander (GK)
SCORERS: Bocanegra (9), Edu (17), Naismith (51, 81)

REFEREE: Iain Brines
WEATHER: Dry 18°C
ATTENDANCE 7577

NEXT MATCH: (away) SPL v Aberdeen
Friday 30th September 2011, kick off 7.45pm

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Preview v Rangers

Thursday, 22nd Sep 2011

Rangers return for the first time since January 2007. The last dozen league meetings between the two teams have seen ten Dunfermline defeats, one win and one draw.

Ticket Info: Dunfermline v Rangers 24/09/11

Rangers return to East End Park on Saturday for the first time since January 2007. Back in 2006-07 the Ibrox club came to Dunfermline four times - once in the League Cup, twice in the league and once in the Scottish Cup. The record was played four, won one, drawn one and lost two but the Pars solitary win from the twenty seven Premier League meetings in Fife is not a great record.

Premier League v Rangers (Home)
Pld	W	D	L	F	A
27	1	6	20	20	64

Following the Fifers 3-2 Cup win over Rangers at the start of January 2007, it has been said by many at East End Park that they would rather have had three SPL points than a place in the Fourth Round of the Tennent`s Scottish Cup. The league meeting later that month saw the Pars go down 1-0 to an early Charlie Adam goal. The Pars last league win over Rangers was in December 2003. 

Milestones Rangers (Home)
Last League Victory	14/12/03	2-0	SPL
Last League Defeat	21/01/07	0-1	SPL
Best League Victory	14/04/65	3-1	Div One*
Worst League Defeat	04/10/58 11/08/34	1-7	Div One*
*Pre league reconstruction

The sides last met in the Co-operative Insurance Cup last season when Rangers won 7-2 at Ibrox but the score was not a fair reflection of the contest.  The cup tie was still in the balance at the start of the second half and late goals painted a gloomier picture that those there that September night remember.  The last dozen league meetings between the two teams have seen ten Dunfermline defeats, one win and one draw.

Last Twelve League Matches v Rangers
Date	H/A	F-A	Scorers
21/01/07	H	0-1	[0-1] Adam
11/11/06	A	0-2	[0-1] Boyd, [0-2] Smith
13/08/06	H	1-1	[0-1] Buffel, [1-1] O Morrison
25/03/06	A	0-1	[0-1] Kyrgiakos
26/12/05	H	3-3	[1-0] Tod, [1-1] Lovenkrands, [2-1] Burchill, [2-2] Lovenkrands, [2-3] Burke, [3-3] Darren Young
01/10/05	A	1-5	[0-1] Buffel, [0-2] Prso, [1-2] Hunt, [1-3] Nieto, [1-4] Lovenkrands, [1-5] McCormack
17/04/05	H	0-1	[0-1] Prso
15/01/05	A	0-3	[0-1] Thompson, [0-2] Andrews, [0-3] Rae
27/10/04	H	1-2	[1-0] Brewster, [1-1] Boumsong, [1-2] Novo
16/05/04	H	2-3	[1-0] Dempsey; [1-1] Ricksen; [1-2] Burke; [1-3]  McCormack; [2-3] Dempsey
23/03/04	A	1-4	[0-1] Hutton, [0-2] Lovenkrands, [1-2] Tod, [1-3] R de Boer, [1-4] Mols
14/12/03	H	2-0	[1-0] Crawford, [2-0] Vanoli (og)

Rangers have recorded six straight wins in the SPL since their opening day fright at home to Hearts. Dunfermline have put in some great performances but with three points from three draws in their four home games, home form has been just a shade disappointing.

Dunfermline	Rangers
League Points
9	19
Current League Position
7	1
Last 6-Match League Form
DWWLLD	WWWWWW
League Record
P7, W2, D3, L2	P7, W6, D1, L0
Goal Difference
-1	+12

Rangers have not lost an away game in the SPL since 21st January at Tynecastle - their only away defeat of last season`s campaign. The Gers won 16 of their 19 away SPL matches last season.  After losing just one league game last season, Dunfermline lost their impressive home record when Motherwell`s 4-2 win gave them an SPL lesson at the end of August.

Form last six home / away
Dunfermline  (home)				Rangers  (away)
Hibernian	D	2-2		Falkirk	L	2-3
Motherwell	L	2-4		Dundee United	W	1-0
Inverness Caley Th	D	3-3		Motherwell	W	3-0
St Mirren	D	0-0		Maribor	L	1-2
Falkirk	W	3-0		Inverness Caley Th	W	2-0
Raith Rovers	W	2-1		Malmo	D	1-1

Rangers have yet to lose a goal away from home in this season`s SPL.  They have played four, won four and scored eight goals. The Pars came back from 2-0 down against Hibs last Saturday and Ally McCoist`s team who will be smarting from their Scottish Communities Cup defeat at Falkirk on Wednesday night are sure not to underestimate the First Division champions.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Hibernian): Paul Gallacher, Jason Thomson, Andy Dowie, Alex Keddie, Austin McCann (c); David Graham, Paul Burns, Ryan Thomson, Gary Mason, Joe Cardle; Andy Kirk. (Andy Barrowman 58)
SUBS NOT USED: Chris Smith (GK), John Potter, Shaun Byrne, Paul Willis, Paddy Boyle, Liam Buchanan.

RANGERS (v Fakirk):- Neil Alexander, Steven Whittaker, Dorin Goian, Bocanegra, Sasa Papac, Alejandro Bedoya (Steven Naismith 59), Steven Davis, Lee McCulloch, Gregg Wylde, Kyle Lafferty, David Healy (Nikica Jelavic 55)
SUBS NOT USED: Allan McGregor, Kirk Broadfoot, Palazon Juanma Ortiz.

For the 99th league meeting between these sides the referee will be Iain Brines, the man responsible for reporting Macc`as indiscretion at Rugby Park.

Remember it`s a 12.45pm kick off and the game is all ticket.  Jim McIntyre has put out an appeal for Pars fans to turn out in their numbers to make sure the team can take full advantage of playing at home.  Come along and join the cry "Come on ye Pars!"

 

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