Dunfermline Athletic vs Ross County

[Chubbychops]

County far better than us. Not much more to say. Strong and organised.   Think the change of formation was a big factor for us but hands up, The best championship side I've seen in the three years we've been here.

[parsforlife]

County did a complete professional job on us today. We weren't at our best but I don't think we were especially poor either, county were just a class above. Team full of reliant players who can more than handle the physical side of the game and abit of quality (especially via garydne). I don't think they will run away with the league but with what I saw today I'd be very very surprised if they aren't champions. County's main task is to ensure there's a big enough gap between them and united before lazlo gets sacked and the new manager gets a chance to bring in new players.

As for us, meh. As said we can perform better but your going to have days your not quite on the pace and it's slightly unfortunate that happens to be when county turn up instead of alloa. I still think there's enough quality in this side to be up the top end of the table, but now we know county can't be considered as an equal competitor and it's our job to try and fight to be the next best.

Tl:dr. County are buying the league and we can't compete, 2nd/3rd would be a good finish for us.

[Poet of the Macabre]

Felt we were properly bodied yesterday tbh. Felt it was a good contest in the first half but County upped it and fully deserved the win. Mullin's goal was superb and he had a brilliant game but plenty of their lot had performed well.

For us, not much to say. Outplayed and couldn't break through a solid defence. Williamson isn't suddenly shite because he had one bad game but let's be clear; he had a bad game. As poor as I've seen him in a Pars shirt. Faiss and Hippo kept getting their wires crossed and until Higgy came on, we didn't look dangerous at all in the second period.

Positives? We probably won't face as good a side in the league this season and they've shown how much we need to improve to challenge for the title. There was also a queue out onto the street pre-match, which suggests a bumper crowd for the Hearts cup game next week. Lovin that Maroon pound.

[P475]

We got what we deserved out of this game. County were far better than us all over the park. 

We'll have to regroup and start again. 

[bunglebonce]

I thought County were well below average for the first quarter of the match.  The 4-5-1 had Lindsay as the most attacking midfielder, with Draper and Vigurs getting in each others' way.  Vigurs and Gardyne were both off the pace for a good 20 minutes, repeatedly giving the ball away in their own half and inviting pressure (Lindsay got robbed by Hippolyte as well after receiving a FK pass square from Vigurs).   Gardyne was playing as badly as I'd seen him (and he had a few stinkers at the end of last season).

It wasn't helped by Louis Longridge playing at the top of Dunfermline's midfield triangle.  Longridge showed some intelligent movement in front of County's defence and would often pull wide to find space - when the full-backs were meant to provide the width it gave him plenty space to operate in.  He's got a lovely touch, can operate in tight areas and had a smashing finish - I had no idea he was that good a number 10 at this level.

 

Dunfermline were on top in the first quarter of the match, but it was mostly all down to Longridge having a very good game.  The chances County conceded were more down to miscommunication at the back rather than the defenders not being able to cope with El Bakhtaoui and Hippolyte - with a brand new central defence and a virtually silent goalkeeper that's going to happen at the start., and they improved on that a lot as the match went on.  Dunfermline's forwards were less than the sum of their parts, they played like two individuals rather than a partnership.  Maybe Longridge linking them is enough to get them working eventually but if I was AJ I'd play one of them with Longridge and Higginbotham.

 

County's biggest problem was the blend in midfield. Vigurs wanted to be dead central but when he was giving passes away it meant that Dunfermline had space to run into.  Fraser went down with an injury at about 22 minutes so Gardyne was hauled over to the touchline to get instructions - Draper was told to sit more centrally in front of the defence, so that the midfield shape was more 4-1-4-1 than 4-2-3-1.  We then started to see the best out of Draper and I thought he was County's best player, with Mullin.  It was Draper who started the move for the first goal with a pass out to Fraser before he kept going, drew bodies to him and that gave space for Mullin to size up that amazing shot.

 

Between the change in shape, touchline instructions and the team's goal, Gardyne started to get on his game with a dangerous cross and a shot and the team began to click a bit more.  Longridge's goal was a set-back and I wondered if Dunfermline would dominate the rest of the first half, but it was more even after that, with Gardyne's goal setting County up to own the second half.

 

I was expecting much more from Williamson.  Kelly is there to be got at by teams, especially if Vigurs is only nominally going to cover that side at times. I thought Dunfermline had the tools to do it, but it never happened.  Fraser and Mullin are an excellent combo on the right hand side.  We saw a lot less of Jackson Longridge and Craigen going forward after Mullin's goal.  I'm not a fan of County's full-backs launching those heavy top-spun balls to McManus so often, they're a better team than that, but I suppose County did still win 3-1.

 

Draper, Lindsay and Vigurs all went on to have decent games, but I worry about how Cowie fits into the equation, especially with four strikers on the bench.  I think the team as a whole still has a lot more to show.  Compared to the previous management, SFSK are setting Premiership-level standards to the team that weren't there earlier in 2018.  I went away from the match not overly impressed with how County fared but I realise that I was comparing it to bottom-six Premiership contests. 

[Comrie]

Highlights:

 

 

I can't stop watching the Mullin goal.

[We Are Pars Fans!]

Mullins goal is special. County fully deserved the win yesterday, no complaints.

[Poet of the Macabre]

We're going to see something pretty darn special if there's a better goal at EEP this season. Belter of a goal.

[Savage Henry]

Absolute worldy. Mullins looks a bit of a player. The other goals were all decent finishes, too.

[smpar]

Cracking strike from Mullin. County’s passing and movement will piss all over a few sides this season.

[Stellaboz]

THAT first goal. Oft. For that alone County deserve to win, they look a tidy outfit. Good goal from us but my fears about Hippo and Fez not working together seem to be warranted so far.

Tuesday should see Ryan, Connolly and maybe Higgy in the team.

[MarkPockets]

Delighted with the win yesterday. The most encouraging thing is that, there is no way that was the best that side can play.  Wasn't impressed first 20/25 minutes but better second half. If Dunfermline are going to be one of the challengers for the title, I'm confident that we will win the league after seeing that yesterday.

Surprised to see the praise for Midge. Wasn't impressed with him first half, goal aside, but he did pick it up in the 2nd half.  Draper/Mullin MOTM. Kelly at LB is the weak link in the team. But all in all, it was a wonderful first away league game of the season

  

[Salvo Montalbano]

Hopefully this game is like the St Mirren game last season, when any neutral watching would have thought Dunfermline would have ran away with the league and that St Mirren would be scrambling around to get into the Play-offs.

[yoda]

Expected a narrow defeat or a draw yesterday, so was an unexpected (but welcome!) surprise to see the result come through on the TV.  A really encouraging result, particularly given that I don't think The Stuart Kettlewell Experience (Feat. Fergie) has sussed out its best team yet - both in terms of personnel and formation.

I think/hope that the defensive miscommunications will be resolved once Fontaine comes back from injury. He can have that "Grant Munro" calming presence on those around him.  

[DAFC.]

More evidence that we are missing Beadling. 5 goals conceded in 2 games [emoji53]

[StuartTaylor]

I'd forgotten what it was like to read balanced reports from opposition fans.

 

[Potted hOuGh]

It's a leveller for us. Glad I missed the game. 

Like I said the other day on here I had Partick and Ross County down as the teams to beat. I see no reason for changing that point of view.

We'll just have to get the head down and get working on what went wrong etc

[frankthetank22]

I'd say Dunfermline fans on here are being overly harsh on their team. The score could have been 3-3 at half time. With County struggling to contain the Pars attack at times. 

The direct running at our defence in the first 30 minutes was causing all kinds of problems for us.

Gardyne's goal, which was route 1, straight from a Fox punt gave us an undeserved ht lead, and County grew in confidence from the ht lead.

Keep playing like you were in the first half and you'll score goals against anyone. 

[D.A.F.C]

Mullin scored a peach against us for Albion rovers away a few seasons back. Volley from a corner.

[parsforlife]

I'd say Dunfermline fans on here are being overly harsh on their team. The score could have been 3-3 at half time. With County struggling to contain the Pars attack at times. 

The direct running at our defence in the first 30 minutes was causing all kinds of problems for us.

Gardyne's goal, which was route 1, straight from a Fox punt gave us an undeserved ht lead, and County grew in confidence from the ht lead.

Keep playing like you were in the first half and you'll score goals against anyone. 

 

I think most of us still feel confident in our ability, just abit of recognition that you showed to attributes of a a title winning side and we aren't at that standard. We weren't blown away with free flowing football and we shouldn't fear anyone else, however the collective professionalism from county meant once it went 2-1 you weren't going to let it slip, that's not an easy thing to achieve in a league where most teams will push each other all the way.