Last Chance Saloon For Pars at Tynecastle.....

A brief flurry of excitement resulting in the Pars almost catching up with a faltering Livi seems to have all but died away.

Livi getting all three points against Rangers means they need to lose 3 in a row, whilst Dunfermline need to break a couple of bad sequences against 'bogey' teams.

Yes, amongst all the news about TV deals collapsing and leagues splitting up, there is still some good old fashioned football to be played!!

Dunfermline don't have a great record in Edinburgh, we all know that!

One of these years, we are bound to pick up a win at the worst bogey ground of them all, Easter Road.

The record at Tynecastle is none too great either with victories few and far between over the past 30 odd years.

It has been a while since all the points were brought back to Dunfermline though........

10th of February 1990 was the last time it happened. A 2-0 victory gave the Pars the double that season, as they had won 2-1 at Tynecastle in the previous meeting there. You wait years for a victory, then two come along at once........

Since then, there have only been a clutch of draws to rave about, and one or two nasty defeats (thankfully the 7-1 drubbing is fading fast from most Pars fan's minds)

The Dunfermline team that day back in 1990 lined up as:

Ian Westwater, Graeme Robertson, Doug Rougvie, Norrie McCathie, Grant Tierney, Ray Sharp, Paul Smith, Stuart Rafferty, Ross Jack, George O'Boyle and Istvan Kozma. A talented Pars line up indeed! Subs (unused) were Davie Irons & Billy Abercromby

A crowd of 14,204 (those were the days) watched the Pars win, the last at Tynecastle

Ross Jack and George O'Boyle kept their superb partnership going as they grabbed a goal each.

Dunfermline finished safely away from relegation in their first year back in the Premier. Jim Leishman was about the leave his boyhood heroes though and the Ian Munro and Jocky Scott era loomed.........

Back to this Saturday's game and Dunfermline do not have their injury worries to seek.

Pip Yeates' treatment room resembles a hospital wing as players continue to pick up end of season injuries. At the last count, at least half a dozen players were rated as doubtful for the Hearts match. Watch the front page for team news nearer kick off. Andy Tod is a certain starter for the Jambos and will no doubt be looking to put one over his old employers.......

This season's adventure may be about to draw to a close, but it speaks volumes of the progress made at Dunfermline that some will be sad at missing out on a UEFA cup place.

A concerted effort next season, avoiding runs of 7 defeats in a row, will surely put this consistent Dunfermline team right in the thick of the Euro places.

Here's to a good result on Saturday, though it may not be enough to put the icing on the cake of 2001/02 season......