Fife Derby: Pars vs Rovers - Sat 26th August

[DAFC.]

After doing pretty much nothing, Rovers get a lucky break from a clearance and take advantage. Poor from us after looking the most likely to score. 

[SirJimmyofNic]

Stanton, what a boy with our first shot on goal

[Salvo Montalbano]

Superb header by Stanton, I'm not sure how he got the angle on that. Fair play. Poor from Otoo though, don't know what he was trying to do there. We need to calm down and stop trying too hard, we're not going to get anywhere trying to force it and giving the ball away.

[DAFC.]

Otoo done the hard bit. It was quite a lucky break. Should probably just have put it out for a corner at that angle. 

[Hank Scorpio]

The boy Chalmers running about the middle of the park like a raffle winner. 

[DAFC.]

Awk well. Not in to that “better team” patter, but we did look most likely to score, and a silly mistake has cost us. Rovers pretty much nullifying McCann’s threat and I’m not sure what O’Halloran’s role is today  

As much as we were great last season, we still gave away cheap goals similar to that. 

[CALDERON]

Think we've been a wee bit poor to be honest, not a great game by any means, but Pars have looked most likely to score.

[Salvo Montalbano]

Suits Raith now, I was surprised how deep they were sitting even at 0-0, and they seemed happy to try and got on the break. Now it's just going to be 2 banks of 5 and they look well drilled. 

Chalmers having a stinker. I'm not his biggest fan and some folk think I'm maybe overly critical of him but he is just not very good, especially in games like this. Made ten times worse by the fact he's meant to be about controlling possession and keeping things ticking over, but when we need to calm down he's doing all sorts of daft things. I'd stick Paul Allan in there, that's how bad he's been.

[TxRover]

Quite a good match by McLean so far, I’m hesitant to say. Kept the game moving, talked to a few and finally used a yellow to calm it a bit. Not a fan of that yellow, but I understand it, and it wasn’t “wrong” per se.

[Hank Scorpio]

Would be looking to get Byrne off shortly. Been bad and will get another booking. Not sure what the move would be right enough, don’t want to move Stanton back but he’s the only other one who can do that role. 

[TxRover]

Just now, Hank Scorpio said:

Would be looking to get Byrne off shortly. Been bad and will get another booking. Not sure what the move would be right enough, don’t want to move Stanton back but he’s the only other one who can do that role. 

Easton on and Stanton deep?

[Scary Bear]

Good to see us winning. Hopefully we can keep going and cement the win.

[DAFC.]

Ross Millen also should have been booked for putting a ball on the pitch when we were about to take a throw. No idea how that one is just a “talking to”. 

Edited August 26, 2023 by DAFC.

[Raith Against The Machine]

33 minutes ago, Raith Against The Machine said:

We don't know who's going where when the wingbacks come forward. It was the same in the first game, we're totally unaccustomed to dealing with opposition back three. 

We've looked alright pretty much everywhere else, but we're all at sea if Comrie or Edwards push on. 

This has been exacerbated since the goal, with the wider centre half on either side pushing on too. It should mean there are gaps for us to exploit, but it looks incredibly dangerous (without actually coming to anything so far). 

I agree with the earlier description of the game as harem scarem. The first half hour was just pinball across the park, which better suits the Pars with the runners they've got, versus our supposed more compact midfield. Ultimately it's to Brown and Byrne's credit that the Pars have had to go wide so often, but I'm worried about how much space they're now getting. You can't just have McGill/Smith and Millen/Mullen covering three men for another 45 minutes and not expect to, at the very least, concede some dangerous crosses. 

Being clinical isn't out strong suit, so it's delightful to see us score from the only half chance we really created. 

I fully expect the second half to start as the first half ended, with the Pars trying to dial up the pressure. We don't really have any options on the bench to shore things up further, so it's probably just a question of what happens first; the Pars getting an equaliser by hook or by crook, or us breaking away and getting a second. We have, at least, certainly got the players for that. 

[CountryBumpkin]

Totally against the run of play we score due to poor play from the pars lad at the back. Watching Chalmers stand and watch a ball spinning in front of him instead of just controlling it the highlight of his piss poor ability in the middle of the park for Dunfermline. Though he was unlucky with a decent hit from outside the box.

Byrne and Brown too deep for Rovers at times and neither of them pushing forward to be an extra body in and around the box, not that we've created anything of note. Long balls up to or over the top to Hamilton is a choice...not a great one either. 

 

[Broken Algorithms]

We've not been great, but we're still looking decent in possession and we're a goal to the good. There's definitely been a few chances for the Pars where on another day they'd be in the net. We've got a lot of talent on that bench but pretty much all of the experience in forwards areas rather than those who can break up a game.

I feel like Sam Stanton has been our best player without even factoring our goal. Smith did brilliant with the assist even if it was a huge error on Otoo's part to fanny around.

The Norrie chants got shouted down today which is excellent. Most of our fan base is tired of it, particularly given it's mostly from fans who won't have watched him play.

[TxRover]

Both sides are playing nice passing/possession ball in the middle and having trouble breaking down the defences. It’s quite fun, but could be very much a roller coaster ride.

[CountryBumpkin]

Also the Rovers "fans" singing about Norrie can do one, feed the wee arses into a wood chipper 

[Brashy's Boots]

Just now, CountryBumpkin said:

Also the Rovers "fans" singing about Norrie can do one, feed the wee arses into a wood chipper 

See above

[TxRover]

Big Kev seems more off his line today too…should make some people happy.