Quarter-One Review
Date: Sunday, 24th Oct 2021It has been a disappointing opening quarter to the SPFL Cinch Championship league season for Dunfermline Athletic. Peter Grant took over in the summer and had high hopes for a promotion-pushing challenge this term, but so far, it is relegation that will be on the minds of all Pars fans.
The season started off with a respectable draw away to Greenock Morton at Cappielow. Despite being tipped for a difficult season, Gus MacPherson`s men made it hard for the Fifers, who fought their way back from a goal down, to lead 2-1 thanks to Nikolay Todorov and Kevin O`Hara. Unfortunately, an equaliser came within the last 10 minutes, to deny Grant`s men an opening day victory.
However, results and performances took a downward curve hereafter. Partick Thistle at home on Match-Day 2 saw a 3-0 loss for the East End Park side, before Match-Day 3 against Arbroath (following the abandonment of the Raith Rovers match which was originally scheduled in as Match-Day 3) saw a second consecutive 3-0 loss, this time to the Part-Time Angus side.
A third consecutive loss would follow, after a spell of Covid-19 saw the forfeit of the Elgin City SPFL Trust Trophy match. An away trip to Ayr United saw the Somerset Park men score 3 goals: a third consecutive match that Peter Grant`s side had conceded 3 goals in the league. A Nikolay Todorov goal to make it 2-1 gave Dunfermline hope but Athletic fell to a third consecutive defeat, too.
A change of system and personnel saw 0-0 draws at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle – who had won every match in the division this term until they travelled to West Fife – and Hamilton Academical. Following this, a 1-1 draw with Raith Rovers in Kirkcaldy, as the re-scheduled match - which had previously been abandoned early in the first-half due to the health and safety of the spectators due to power failure within the Stark`s Park stands – took place. Kevin O`Hara equalised late on to salvage a point for the Pars as the first Fife Derby of the campaign came to a close.
A 1-0 defeat on Match-Day 8, away to Queen of the South, saw tensions soar as fans piled on the pressure to the Players, Management Staff and Board of Directors.
A statement was released by Sporting Director Thomas Meggle to explain why the Club were remaining fully behind the Management Team, but it was accepted from all quarters that wins on the board were required very quickly.
Grant ended the opening quarter to the 2021-22 SPFL Cinch Championship season at home to pre-season promotion favourites Kilmarnock.
A much improved performance saw the home crowd rally behind DAFC, but a Killie opener looked to have dampened the mood. Dom Thomas equalised within 5 minutes, but the Pars found themselves a goal behind again straight from kick-off. A last gasp, 95th minute, equaliser from Aaron Comrie salvaged a point – the minimum Dunfermline Athletic deserved out of the match.
So, after the first quarter, and the opening 9 matches of the season, the table looks like this;
| Pos | Team | Points | Goal Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 22 | +8 |
| 2. | Raith Rovers | 17 | +5 |
| 3. | Kilmarnock | 17 | +5 |
| 4. | Partick Thistle | 15 | +9 |
| 5. | Arbroath | 15 | +9 |
| 6. | Ayr United | 11 | -4 |
| 7. | Queen of the South | 9 | -4 |
| 8. | Hamilton Academical | 8 | -12 |
| 9. | Greenock Morton | 6 | -7 |
| 10. | Dunfermline Athletic | 5 | -9 |
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