Dunfermline host Motherwell as they aim to keep on winning!

After struggling to win away from home all year, Dunfermline go and do it twice in a row! Great results at both Easter Road and Tannadice have hoisted Dunfermline up to joint third in the league. They now have the same number of points it took 12 games to achieve last season. Next up are Motherwell, who Dunfermline will be confident of beating as another record looms..........

If Dunfermline manage to remain unbeaten on Saturday, they will have gone a full year only losing to the Old Firm at home. An impressive record certainly, one which should be intact if the Pars play as they have done on their travels recently. The whole team is buzzing, especially going forward, and the defence is beginning to look a more solid unit after a fantastic second half display against Dundee United last week.

Scott Wilson has almost buried the nightmares of his debut. Apart from a single slip which led to Lilley`s goal, he is forming a formidable back line alongside Skerla and Thomson. All three will be safe in the knowledge that Marco has now recovered his fantastic form with some top class saves against both Hibs (granted not many!)and Dundee United.

Our record against Motherwell over the years is not too bad. There have been a few victories in the top flight, althought with a few defeats as well! Here we take a look back to a victory in the 1st division just over 20 years ago:

Season 1979/80 was a matter of consolidation for the Pars. After there dramatic race to the line and THAT match against Falkirk the previous season, they simply wanted to stay up and give themselves a chance of re-establishing the club after so many years in the doldrums.

A midweek game on the 5th September 1979 saw Motherwell come to East End with both clubs struggling. Dunfermline were at the bottom of the league with only 1 point after 3 games and they badly needed a win. Nearly 3,000 attended the game which saw Dunfermline line up with:

Hugh Whyte, Andy Rolland, Bonar Mercer, Kenny Thomson, Bobby Robertson, Jim McAloon, Sandy McNaughton, Walter Borthwick, Ricky Sharp, Paul Donnelly and Kevin Hegarty.

McNaughton scored right on the stroke of half-time to give the Pars a crucial half time lead and a penalty successfully converted by Jim McAloon gave Dunfermline their first win of the season!

Decent home form was to be the key for Dunfermline that season as they ended up safely above the relegation zone. Motherwell recovered from their bad start and just missed out on promotion, finally winning their way into the Premier a couple of years later.

It was to be a harder route for Dunfermline though, as they finally dropped back to the second division in 1983 before winning their way out in 1986. Bobby Robertson became the lone survivor of that team to make it all the way to the Premier in 1988 before leaving the club......

There have been quite a few victories since then, perhaps the most exciting being the 5-2 win on the opening day of last season. Jack De Gier had a fantastic debut, scoring a couple. Further 3-1 wins in both the cup and the SPL make Motherwell`s task a tricky one this week.

They showed their danger against Hearts before eventually falling away, Dunfermline cannot afford to do the same this week.

Dunfermline look more than capable of scoring in every game just now, they also look capable of letting one in every week so goals should be the order of the day!

A clean sheet would not go amiss, but any form of a victory would do to keep our home run going. Personally, I will go for 2-0 Dunfermline, with the in-form strikers getting one apiece.

`MON THE PARS!

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