Our last win at EEP came in May 2001 when a Stuart Elliott double gave us a 2-1 success. Since then we have lost the last five meetings between the teams in Fife.
Dunfermline are doing very well in the league and, as usual, their success is largely based on home form. However, whilst their plastic pitch will undoubtedly give them an advantage, they are doing marginally worse off at home than they were last season. And if we do resort to using the plastic as an excuse for a dire performance, at least we can point to the fact we voted against it - unlike a certain team of well known whiners from Maryhill.
We will be forced into making a change to our previously stable starting line up due to Scott Leitch going for a shoulder op on Friday. For the first time in a while, we actually have various options to change the team around. The most likely scenario is probably Phil O’Donnell coming in as a direct replacement. The captains armband will also need to find a new home, with Derek Adams or Martyn Corrigan being likely candidates.
The game will probably hinge on whether we can contain the on form duo of Crawford and Brewster. They both found the net in the first meeting between the teams this season but we managed to fight back to claim a 2-2 draw. Sadly that feat will be beyond us this time and the home team will keep the points with a 2-0 win.