It’s first versus second in the Ladbrokes Championship tomorrow as top of the table St Mirren travel to East End Park to face Dunfermline.
The Buddies leapfrogged Allan Johnston’s side last week after defeating Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4-2 at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. That win was Saints’ fifth in a row and fourth win out of five in the Ladbrokes Championship.
The Pars had sat at the top of the league before Saturday with three wins and a draw from their first four matches. They looked on course to maintain in pole position after taking a 2-0 lead over Morton at Cappielow last weekend. But the Ton struck three times in the second half to take all three points.
Dunfermline had been in red-hot form before that loss, having scored 13 goals in their previous four league games and being the only team in the league to have been unbeaten. Joe Cardle and Kallum Higginbotham had them cruising at half time against our Renfrewshire rivals last Saturday, before three second half goals saw them consign the Pars to a first league defeat of the season and see Allan Johnston’s side fall to second.
Saints failed to beat Dunfermline in four matches last season. The Buddies looked set to pick up a valuable point at East End Park early in the season only for a mistake in the Saints' backline allowing Farid El Alagui to secure a 4-3 win for the home side in the first meeting of the two.
The Pars made their first trip to Paisley of the 2016/17 season in November and once again it was the Fifers who edged it with Nicky Clark scoring the only goal of the game on 26 minutes.
Saints improved in the final two meetings gaining a respectable 1-1 draw at Dunfermline in January with Gary MacKenzie scoring early in the second half to cancel out Kallum Higginbotham’s first half penalty. In March, the Buddies earned a vital point in their bid for Championship survival after the two sides battled out a 0-0 draw at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
The Buddies last win over Dunfermline came in the Challenge Cup back in 2015. Saints had been struggling for form though they easily overcame the high flying Pars by 4-0 at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
With 29 goals between the two sides in the league already this season, goals seem a certainty tomorrow. St Mirren will need to be aware of the attacking threat that the hosts possess with the Pars having an abundance of riches in forward areas with the likes of Declan McManus, Kallum Higginbotham, Joe Cardle, Nicky Clark, Dean Shiels and Andy Ryan all options. But Jack Ross’ side will feel confident in their own abilities with Gavin Reilly, Cammy Smith, Lewis Morgan and Ian McShane all in top form at the moment.
Saturday’s match is sure to attract the biggest crowd in the Championship this weekend with Saints likely to take over 1000 fans to East End Park. A St Mirren win would keep the Buddies top of the pile, while Dunfermline will be hoping that they can return to the summit after slipping up last weekend.
