Season Preview: How The Summer Has Been For Dunfermline Athletic
Date: Tuesday, 23rd Aug 2022Following relegation from the Scottish Championship, Dunfermline Athletic needed to have a successful summer to prepare for life in SPFL cinch League One.
There have already been several positive arrivals ahead of the 22/23 season, varying from Kyle Benedictus coming in from Raith Rovers to Max Little joining from QPR, it`s been an interesting summer to say the least, so far.
Test
Pre-Season Friendlies
The Pars wanted to ensure they started the season off in the best way possible. The first Pre-Season Friendly was away to Cove Rangers at the back-end of June. This saw Athletic run out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Lewis McCann and Kevin O`Hara.The next Pre-Season game saw Dunfermline travel to Forfar Athletic. This was another win; in a more dominant display, James McPake`s side ran away with the Friendly, with a 5-0 victory. The first home Pre-Season game was to follow.
Kilmarnock had the opposite season to Dunfermline last year. They won the SPFL cinch Championship, meaning they are now in the Scottish Premiership. As you would expect, Kilmarnock ran out eventual winners with a 1-0 win. With the vast league difference, this loss gave hope to the West Fifers and set up the season`s competitive fixtures in a positive fashion.
Premier Sports Cup Performances
Dunfermline Athletic got started in the Premier Sports Cup with two wins and two clean-sheets against East Fife and Buckie Thistle. These came in the forms of a 2-0 win and a 5-0 victory.
Things took a turn when they played Ross County in the third match of Group C, in which Dunfermline lost 1-0. The loss was mainly attributed to the new players that Ross County had, but it was enough to put a dampener on a good start to the campaign for McPake`s men.
Their performance in the Premier Sports Cup suffered after this, with the next game ending in a draw against Alloa Athletic – with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out defeat to the Wasps compounding matters further. This all meant that they finished in second place in Group C, but this wasn`t enough for the Black & White to qualify for the next round: by being one of the three best runner-ups of the Group Stages, you can go through to the Last 16, however Dunfermline Athletic sadly missed out on qualification this term.
The Betting Odds
Bookies have understandably given Dunfermline quite favourable odds for this season`s League One title. However, most bookies can`t look past Falkirk, the Pars` arch rivals. With that said, most of the bookies predict Athletic to have a good year and rock up in second place.As you may know, the team that finishes in second place in Scotland`s third-tier will have to go through the Play-Offs. If Dunfermline live up to the expectations of second, then they will have to play the team that is third in the league come the end of the season. According to current predictions, that could be Queen of South. If Dunfermline were to defeat third place, they will play the winner of the other tie, which sees the team that finished fourth taking on the team that finishes ninth in the Scottish Championship. The final game sees the two winners from these games play each other in the Final over two legs.
The odds for these games can vary and will change as each team gets knocked out. You should keep a close eye on various betting apps and websites closer to game-days, especially when the line-ups are released, so that you can get the most accurate bets that could yield a result.
You can also look to gamble via online casino websites too. You can find the best live casinos from Online Casinos, which compares the top casinos to find the best option for yourself. Informing yourself on the different ways to gamble before betting on Dunfermline could be an excellent way to learn how odds work.
The First Few Games
After their draw with Alloa Athletic in the Premier Sports Cup, the first game saw Dunfermline take the same team on in the SPFL cinch League One opener for 2022/2023, which ended in a 1-0 victory for McPake`s side.
Follow-Up victories against FC Edinburgh and Montrose followed – with 3-0 and 1-0 score-lines respectively. An away draw at Kelty Hearts on Match-Day 4 saw the Pars` unbeaten start to the campaign continue, with 0 goals conceded. However, their toughest test is yet to come, with Airdrieonians the visitors to the newly named KDM Group East End Park this weekend. Dunfermline will be hoping to continue their great start to the term with a win over the Diamonds.
This early run could define the season ahead, and many other teams may be intimidated and approach the games differently. Morale can also be crucial early on in the season, especially after such a difficult season last term, and this impressive early run of form may indicate the team are on the right path under their new management team.
The Fixtures Ahead
It`s also important to look further ahead, within the season, too. For the glory days of KDM Group East End Park to return, Dunfermline will be hoping for a good run of wins going into 2023.Some notable dates to look forward to will be around the festive period. Dunfermline will play local rivals Kelty Hearts on Christmas Eve before playing Falkirk for the first game of 2023 on the 2nd of January. The season ends on May the 6th, playing once again against Alloa Athletic.
The last home game of the season will be on the 29th of April, against Clyde. April also looks to be one of the busiest months of the year, playing five times. This can only be matched by the month of October. If Dunfermline has a good season, they will hopefully have the title confirmed before the last away game. If it is the Play-Offs, then this will mean that there are more games to be played. Time will tell, but chances are looking good for Dunfermline Athletic for Season 2022-2023.
views: 638