Dundee v Ayr United – cinch Championship – Saturday, 3:00pm kick-off
It may be early in the season, but this is a huge encounter in the second tier promotion race. Gary Bowyer’s Dundee play host to one of the season’s surprise packages in Ayr United.
Upon relegation from the Premiership, many had tipped Dundee to bounce straight back at the first time of asking. And, while there have been some positive signs/results, they are a wee bit off the pace in the middle of October, sitting fifth albeit only three points off the top. It feels as though the Dee have been unable to find any consistent rhythm or groove thus far. Every positive result or two is closely followed by a head-scratching defeat or a disappointing draw. There is more than enough quality within the Dundee ranks to be title challengers, with many members of the squad already having had a taste of football at the top level. But manager Bowyer needs to get a more consistent tune out of his players. After last week’s 1-1 draw with Arbroath at Gayfield, a resurgent Ayr United will likely prove to be a sterner test. Dundee will need their senior players to stand up and be counted if they’re to pick up a much-needed result on Saturday.
The Honest Men have been in fantastic form this season. Before a ball was kicked, not many would have suspected just how well they would start the campaign. Five wins and two draws from their opening nine games sees Ayr tied on points with league leaders Partick Thistle. What has been the secret to this early season success? Well, a few things. Manager Lee Bullen has recruited well across the park but the key man has been star striker Dipo Akinyemi. Ayr’s new No 9 has taken to Championship football like a duck to water. Ten league goals by mid-October has the Somerset Park goal machine looking like a shoo-in for the division’s top scorer accolade. With a renewed energy and confidence throughout the side and a constant goal threat up top, the Honest Men look like they could be real contenders for promotion this season.
Dunfermline Athletic v FC Edinburgh – cinch League 1 – Saturday, 3:00pm kick-off
A table-topping clash in League 1 as James McPake’s Pars welcome surprise league leaders FC Edinburgh to East End for what promised to be a mouth-watering contest.
It’s been a positive start to life in League 1 for Dunfermline Athletic. They are the only SPFL club to remain unbeaten at the start of the season, having won five and drawn four of their opening nine games. They currently sit in second place, just two points behind this weekend’s opponents FC Edinburgh with a game in hand on the Citizens. Dunfermline’s greatest strength seems to be the ability to pick up points and results even when not necessarily playing to the best of their capabilities. It appears they haven’t quite kicked it into high gear yet, but still find themselves well in the mix at the top end of the table without a blemish to their name yet. Though they will be disappointed to have dropped points against Peterhead a couple of weeks back, they bounced back with a convincing 3-0 win away to Alloa last Saturday. A win this weekend could really kick-start the Pars’ title charge.
It has been said countless times already this season, but the fact that FC Edinburgh currently sit at the top of the League 1 table is an incredible feat at this stage of the season. Seven wins from their opening 10 games and the Citizens are there on merit. It appears every week there is a new ‘tricky test’ for the capital city side and almost every week they pass that test with flying colours. The team is built on a rock-solid spine, with experienced defender Liam Fontaine at the heart of a defence which has picked up clean sheets in five of their 10 league outings this season. The form of attacker Danny Handling has been one of the revelations of the season. The versatile forward has five goals in the league already this season and is a constant threat, whether playing out wide or in a central berth. Whether FC Edinburgh have the staying power to mount a real title challenge remains to be seen, but the early signs look incredibly positive. A win on the road against Dunfermline would lay down a real marker, showing that the team from the Big Smoke mean business.
Stenhousemuir v Stirling Albion – cinch League 2 – Saturday, 3:00pm kick-off
The big game of the weekend in League 2 takes place at Ochilview as third-placed Stenhousemuir host a Stirling side one place and three points above them in the table.
Darren Young’s men make the short journey in red-hot form. They thumped leaders Dumbarton 6-0 at Forthbank last week to close the gap at the top to just two points and have rattled in 16 goals in their last four matches. Dale Carrick has netted in each of those four games – he has weighed in with 10 goals in all competitions and yesterday signed a contract extension until summer 2024. The Binos have been playing superb attacking football of late but lost Robert Thomson, Kai Fotheringham (on loan from Dundee United) and Jack Leitch to injury against the Sons. They will hope at least some of those key man are fit to face the Warriors.
Stenhousemuir made a slow start to the season, as did their visitors, but are unbeaten since losing at Elgin in the SPFL Trust Trophy on August 23. Stephen Swift’s side have put together an impressive unbeaten run of six matches – four wins and two draws – and will be looking for revenge after losing 3-0 when the sides last met. They were hugely hampered that afternoon when Daniel Higgins was sent off after just four minutes. Scoring goals has not been a problem for Stenny of late – they have netted 16 times in six matches – but they will have been disappointed to drop points in the 2-2 draw with Annan last weekend. There’s a huge amount at stake for both teams and it should be a cracker at Ochilview tomorrow.
.png){kind=logo}
