The new Dunfermline Athletic coaching team will be in the dugout for the first time tomorrow at a familiar venue, as we travel to Tannadice to take on a Dundee United side whose revival under Robbie Neilson has faltered in recent weeks but who are still very much in the hunt for promotion.
​Here is the current Championship table:

DUNFERMLINE
A long overdue decision was made by the Pars board this week when they ended Allan Johnston and Sandy Clark's time as management duo, swiftly replaced by Stevie Crawford and Greg Shields. A new management structure is now in place - Crawford being referred to as head coach as opposed to manager, and while that may only be a change in terminology to some, the hiring of Jackie McNamara's football consultancy company to oversee ''football matters'' at the club would suggest that the traditional manager role will now be replaced by a set up that gives Crawford more time to concentrate on coaching while others will deal with other aspects of a manager's duties.
Of course, what this week's events have given us all - supporters too - is a chance to make a fresh start and feel better about going to games, which lately had become a slog. This has to become enjoyable again. I am behind Crawford and Shields (plus whoever comes in as a third coach) 100% - having lost all faith with Allan Johnston, I am glad we seem to have taken on an innovative approach to how the club will be managed and have not resorted to hiring a tired old face from the managerial merry-go-round. 

Team, formation etc
Stevie Crawford will, at the time of writing this, have the same squad available to him as Allan Johnston did last week. No new faces, but changes are likely. My preferred lineup would see Ryan Williamson brought back in, with an injection of confidence to be the player we all know he can be. I would also bring back Mark Durnan - on the bench recently after recovering from an operation  - to replace a faltering Danny Devine in central defence. Up front, where we need at least one new signing to add to the existing goal threat of Aidan Keena, I cannot justify selecting Myles Hippolyte after his performance against Alloa. So Faissal comes back in, with the same formation as last week, 4-3-3. 
Here is my preferred lineup:

DUNDEE UNITED
Robbie Neilson enjoyed an excellent first few weeks as United boss after taking over from Csaba Laszlo in October last year. A 5 game unbeaten run was ended dramatically with a 5-0 defeat at home to Ayr United at the end of November. Since then, United have won just 1 of their next 4 League games. Currently third in the division, they cannot afford to miss out on promotion for yet another season. 
Yesterday, United signed attacker Cammy Smith following his release from St Mirren. Smith is Neilson's second signing in the January transfer window, after Aidan Nesbitt's move from MK Dons last week. 
United were recently bought over by American Mark Ogren and this week 2 changes were made off the park, with a new managing director and a sporting director being appointed. The new United owner could be in attendance for the first time this weekend, having not yet visited Dundee since buying the club. Robbie Neilson had this to say to local media ahead of the game and the new owner's rumoured visit:
“It’s good for anybody when you’re winning, whether the owners are there or not but it would be great for them to come over and get the result that we want, start pushing up the league and get the players we want.
“I’m hoping they will be over at some point this weekend, possibly. They’ve got a long-term strategy for the club but they understand short-term football is what everybody looks at.''

DUNFERMLINE
The halfway point in the League season. Only 2 teams have a win ratio over 50%, with draws a common outcome in many games - put that down to healthy competition, or conversely, a lack of real quality, meaning everyone is capable of taking points off each other - the Pars go into the first game of the new year still hoping to achieve promotion despite an ordinary first half of the campaign. There have been encouraging signs over the past month that the team and manager are finding form and a formula that gives hope for the next 17 games. The 4-3-3 formation allows our 3 first choice central midfielders - Tom Beadling, James Vincent and Joe Thomson - to play without being forced out of position, and frees up Kallum Higginbotham to play on the left of a front 3, where his crossing and creativity have led to goals and other unconverted chances in the past couple of games. 
The team's work ethic against Falkirk last weekend was pleasing, and if they apply the same high press and determination to control the game as they did last week, they will give themselves an excellent chance to record a first home in over Alloa this season, after 2 draws in League and Cup fixtures at East End Park. The last meeting between the teams ended in a 1-0 win for the Pars in Alloa. 

Team, formation etc
The return to the starting 11 of Myles Hippolyte last week brought a goal and a greater physical presence in the middle of the front 3. There's no reason to change the line-up or the formation for tomorrow's game - it's currently our strongest available team. 
​Preferred starting 11:

ALLOA
Far from ''doing a Brechin'' - the previous part time team to enter the Championship, relegated with weeks remaining and without a win all season - Alloa have worked their way through the first half of the season admirably, with a points total that, if replicated in the second half of the campaign, could see them safe. Manager Jim Goodwin retained the nucleus of the promotion-winning team of 2017/18, including stalwarts Neil Parry, Andy Graham, Kevin Cawley and Iain Flannigan. Hearts striker Dario Zanatta, signed on a 12 month loan deal in the summer, has been impressive, and the return to the club of Jordan Kirkpatrick, signed this week from St Mirren - after enjoying 2 spells at Alloa between 2016 and 2018 - will strengthen Goodwin's squad further. 
After last Saturday's win over Dundee United, which extended Alloa's unbeaten run to 4 games, Jim Goodwin had this to say:
"Everybody expected us to be rock bottom of the Championship and I think the only people who believed we were better than that is ourselves. Everybody wrote us off before a ball had been kicked this season and I don't think anybody is writing us off now.
"People are starting to give us the respect we deserve. I've got a group of players in there who a number of the full time teams would be delighted to have. That's full credit to the boys and it's also pleasing that we are where we are playing football in the right manner."
Commenting on the win coming after going a goal behind, Goodwin said:
"It was disappointing to go a goal down, but it is just unbelievable character that the boys have shown. I've lost count of the amount of times they have shown such great heart and determination to come back and rescue a point or secure all three.''

Tenth plays seventh in this weekend's Championship fixture at the Falkirk Stadium. The home side have been in the bottom 2 positions since almost the first week of the season, while Dunfermline are the definition of inconsistency.
​Here is the current Championship table:

DUNFERMLINE
Lose, lose, draw, win; lose, lose, win, lose, draw, draw. That's the Pars' sequence of results in the League since mid October, and typifies the inability of the team to put together anything close to a run of positive results. As a consequence, we are in seventh place, almost the same number of points from the edge of the top 4 as we are from the relegation positions. The last two games in which we played the teams then at the foot of the table (Falkirk and Partick Thistle) we lost, but on a more positive note we go into tomorrow's game looking for a third consecutive win at Falkirk, after victories at the home of our rivals in April and October this year - which ended a 7 year wait for a win away against the Bairns. 
The last time the teams met, on the 10th of November at East End Park, Falkirk won 1-0 for what must be the worst result of our season so far. Falkirk have yet to win a League game at home this season. That win simply cannot come this weekend. It is crucial for our season to win this game. Failure to do so will see morale plummet to a new low. We must win. 

Team, formation etc
Injured: Louis Longridge, Andy Ryan, Aidan Connolly
With Andy Ryan becoming the latest Pars player to require an operation this season, options up front - by far the weakest area of the team - are limited. The defence could see the return of Ryan Williamson, who was injured last week. I would expect to see the same line up in defence and midfield as last week. In attack, changes could be made but the options only highlight how important the January transfer window will be.
Formation: the 4-3-3 used during last week's second half could be worth trying again, with Kallum Higginbotham on the left of the front 3. 
​My preferred lineup:

FALKIRK
Falkirk's season has been a continuous struggle before and after the sacking of manager Paul Hartley at the end of August. His replacement, Ray McKinnon, has been pragmatic in his approach, making it clear that he is trying to grind out results with the players at his disposal. No doubt we will see much activity at Falkirk over the next month. Former Scotland fullback Paul Dixon has signed a contract that will begin on 1st January and there will be more to follow. In the lead up to this weekend's game, McKinnon had this to say:
"If we can get the pieces of the puzzle in January, we'll definitely play a different system. We have pace and energy in the current squad but we need to mix that with different players who can hold the ball and also attack on the wing. We're playing with spirit, we're organised and we go into the game full of optimism."

Seventh plays first in tomorrow's Championship match at East End Park, with leaders Ayr United featuring a host of former Pars players in their squad. After having the upper hand over Ayr in recent seasons, including in League 1, Dunfermline go into this game as underdogs, and up against the country's second top scorer, Lawrence Shankland, a player we had on loan 4 years ago and who also had an unsuccessful trial with DAFC in the summer of 2017.
Here is the current Championship table:

DUNFERMLINE
The season rolls along, with a mixture of the occasional win, a few draws and some defeats, leaving the team in seventh place, 15 points behind leaders Ayr, who have a game in hand. At the start of the season, it would have been unthinkable that come the end of the calander year, we would be - potentially - around 20 points behind an Ayr side that gained promotion from League 1 in May. Just as Livingston did last season, Ayr are proof that having a budget that can't compare to the bigger spenders in the division does not mean that you can't defeat these opponents. Organisation, team spirit, excellent player recruitment and good management are enough to succeed in this division. 

Team, formation etc
Injured: Andy Ryan, Aidan Connolly, Louis Longridge, Lewis Martin (ill)
There has been no mention from Allan Johnston of the absence of Robbie Muirhead from last week's squad, or his availability this week. Tomorrow's team will probably not be changed much, or at all, from the 11 that started against Queen of the South. Lack of reserve games is not helping the reintroduction of Mark Durnan into the first team. On a positive note, Tom Beadling completed his first 90 minutes of the season for the first team last week and will hopefully go onto be a big influence in midfield. In a 4-4-2 formation, Joe Thomson may play as an auxiliary left winger with James Vincent alongside Beadling in the middle of the park, with Kallum Higginbotham on the right; another option is to play 4-3-3 with Vincent, Beadling and Thomson in midfield and Higgy, Faissal and Aidan Keena  up front. So with no changes from last week, here's my preferred Pars starting 11: 

AYR UNITED
Ayr have been the surprise team of the Championship so far this season, defying odds of being second favourites for relegation before the season began. Currently sitting top of the division, they retained the nucleus of their League 1 winning side of last season, supplemented by a few well-scouted additions including Andy Murdoch, Daniel Harvie plus on-loan Celtic keeper Ross Doohan. Their squad contains 6 ex-Pars - Lawrence Shankland, Michael Moffat, Andy Geggan, Mark Kerr, Steven Bell and Chris Higgins, and of course manager Ian McCall, who had 2 spells as a player with Dunfermline in the 1980s and 1990s. Shankland has scored an incredible 28 goals in 24 games (League & Cup) this season, one goal behind Queen of the South's Stephen Dobbie, whose 29 goals have come in the same number of games. 
Last week, Ayr drew 3-3 with Ross County after leading 3-1. McACall had this to say after the game: 
“The first half was a great game of football and we were disappointed only to be 3-1 up, we played really well. The toss was vital today and we lost it. In the second half, the wind got up and the rain came and we were kicking right into it. The second half was a nightmare.
''But all credit to Ross County, they changed and went long ball and I have no issues with that and got a couple of goals. After that we changed and defended better. They still had chances but we had the best chance of the second half with Liam Smith  - he has got to score from three yards out.
“I am not disappointed with the point. I knew the toss was going to be vital because of the way the weather changed but we will take a point and move on. We are still top of the league with a game in hand.”
Asked about rumoured interest in Shankland from clubs in England, McCall said: "Our chairman has gone on record saying we had received a bid of £200,000 that he immediately turned down. The only way the chairman will change is if someone offers ridiculous money like £500,000 plus for him.”

Fourth plays seventh in Dumfries tomorrow - weather permitting, with heavy snow and 45mph winds forecast for the hours before and during the game. Should the game go ahead, hosts Queens will be without their talisman Stephen Dobbie through injury, while the Pars will aim to end a difficult week for the club with the much needed boost that a win would bring.
​Here is the current Championship table:

DUNFERMLINE
Stale performances on the pitch and a statement from the club chairman that highlighted off-field problems between the club and a minority of supporters: it's not been a great week and the game tomorrow will be another test of the team, management and the mood of the fans. There is a sense of despondency around the club at the moment, caused by a prolonged spell of poor results, with the manager's popularity declining alongside the fortunes of his team. 
Only 4 points out of a play-off position but also not completely detached from the teams below us, a win at Palmerston -  a venue where we are unbeaten in the last 5 visits - could be pivotal for our season; the difference between a gap of 1 point, or 7 once the game is over. 
Whatever the result, here's what I hope for this weekend - a tweet I sent last night: thanks to the people who have responded to it. There's been enough of the wrong kind of drama surrounding the club - let's get back to the football! Here's the tweet:

Team, formation etc
After a decent display at home to Morton 2 weeks ago, certain players under-performed at Partick last week, with the midfield in particular a disappointment. For tomorrow's game, I would bring in Kallum Higginbotham - now free from suspension - to replace James Craigen on the right midield, and give Tom Beadling a first League start of the season, replacing James Vincent. The rest of the team remains unchanged, partly due to lack of options. Mark Durnan will be a contender, but may not be fit enough to start. 
Preferred lineup:

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH
The perennial midtable Championship team, Queens have slipped into the top 4 almost unnoticed. Losing top scorer Stephen Dobbie to injury - possibly out for a month - will be a huge blow for them, as is the absence of Gary Harkins, also through injury. Despite that, boss Gary Naysmith will be confident going into the game and he had this to say this week in the lead-up to the match: ''For the club to be in the top 4 in the second week in December, everyone deserves a lot of praise. They're a super group of players and work really hard. We've played 16 games in the League this season and if you add the last 3 from last season, we've only lost 4. That's good consistency."
Asked about this weekend's game, Naysmith said: '' Dunfermline will feel they need to pick up points or they're going to become detached. There's a lot for both us and them to play for. As it stands just now, there's a lot of teams eyeing that fourth place and we're one of them. We want to close the gap on the teams above us and if we can do that we'll also open up a bigger gap on teams like Dunfermline, Falkirk and Partick Thistle. It's as simple as that.''

Tenth plays seventh in tomorrow's Championship match at Firhill. Pre-season, few would have expected to find both sides in the lower half of the table in December, and certainly not Thistle in last place. All of Thistle's wins have been at home, while the Pars have a better away record than at home, which may suggest a draw is the most likely outcome tomorrow. A Dunfermline victory could put us within touching distance of the top 4, while a Thistle win could see them move off the bottom of the division.
Here is the current Championship table. Leaders Ayr United play Inverness this evening. ​

DUNFERMLINE
Last week's resounding 3-0 win at home to Morton was both welcome and almost essential in terms of our season. The confidence supplied by an early goal - the direct outcome of a willingness to shoot from distance - will hopefully follow the players to Glasgow, over 5 years since our last visit there. The team produced a very good first half performance last weekend, going into the break 2-0 ahead, and while the second period was less noteworthy, the Pars goal was rarely threatened and a third goal was added late on to round off an overdue home victory. 
The club's directors have faith in Allan Johnston and while the dismal home form (pre-Morton) in particular has done little for the manager's popularity in the stands, ultimately his success is our success: I felt there was a need for a change last month but despite that, still hope that Johnston can be successful this season, as the club is far bigger and more important than any perception of the manager.

Team, formation etc
Due to 6 players being unavailable last weekend, the lack of options available to the manager ended up being a blessing in disguise. To his credit, he sensibly chose James Craigen in right midfield instead of Myles Hippolyte, and his lineup was a great balance of hard work and inventiveness. There is no need to contemplate any changes for tomorrow's game. Johnston rarely changes a winning team in any case. Most of the missing players from last week are still not ready for selection but I would retain the same 11 players regardless of that. It was encouraging to see Robbie Muirhead give a decent display on the left, plus the tenacious Joe Thomson was the driving force in midfield. 
Preferred lineup:

PARTICK THISTLE
Relegated last season and in danger of enduring a repeat this term, Thistle have struggled from the outset of the League campaign. After sacking long-term boss Alan Archibald in October, new manager Gary Caldwell has had a dreadful start to his time in charge - just 1 point gathered from his first 6 games, scoring just 2 goals in those games.
Caldwell praised his team's performance in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Queen of the South, finding positives to take from another loss: ''We are the only ones who can change it. You have to dig in and stay together. There are positives in how we're playing. We've lost and are frustrated. It's just not going for us. We are very close to getting it right and have to keep believing.
“The support I’ve felt from the board here and the honesty and openness of the whole football club has been refreshing and excites me for the future. We’re trying to implement certain things that we are changing within the football club, but it doesn’t happen overnight.
​''Certain things we have changed are getting better, but the fans don’t see that. They see the result on a Saturday, and I understand their disappointment and their frustration. But it is coming.”

Seventh plays fifth in tomorrow's Championship match at East End Park. Two wildly inconsistent teams with aspirations of a top 4 place meet, both needing a win to make a positive start to what will be a busy month of December. 
Here is the current Championship table. Dundee United play leaders Ayr United at Tannadice this evening. 

DUNFERMLINE
With just 1 win and 1 draw from 7 home League games this season - scoring just twice in those matches - things must change, and quickly, if this season is to be rescued from what could be a mediocre midtable slog, or an even more unwelcome look over our shoulders at the teams below. Apathy has replaced anger in the EEP stands, with enthusiasm draining with each negative home result. The Pars fans certainly did all they could to lift the team in the most recent home game, against Falkirk, but it ended in an all too familiar loss, with manager Allan Johnston repeating the same post-match comments that we have heard all too often, centering on lack of goals and failure to finish off teams when dominating possession. 

Team, formation, etc
Out: Kallum Higginbotham (suspended), Andy Ryan, Aidan Connolly, Louis Longridge (injured); Mark Durnan (just returned to training after injury). Tom Beadling has trained this week but will clearly require reserve games before being considered for a first team start. 
The defence will almost certainly remain unchanged but it's in midfield where there are decisions to be made. Missing 2 wingers - Higginbotham and Connolly  - we may have to settle for Myles Hippolyte and Robbie Muirhead on the flanks. Both players have played the majority of their careers out wide but neither has convinced in that position - and nor have they done enough to play up front. Unless there is a change of shape tomorrow (4-3-3) we can expect to see Hippolyte and Muirhead starting on the right and left midfield.
Centre midfield has more options than any other area of the squad. I would retain the same central pairing that started at Ross County last week - Joe Thomson and Malaury Martin. James Craigen, James Vincent and - eventually, when fully fit - Tom Beadling are also contenders. 
In attack (and let's hope that is the correct word to use), with Andy Ryan injured and Hippolyte and Muirhead more likely to be used as wingers, that leaves Faissal El Bakhtaoui and fit-again Aidan Keena to start. Keena was not fit enough to start last week's game but will almost certainly be in the team tomorrow. As I said last week, we are very light on decent options up front. Keena has shown promise in his limited game time, while Faissal played reasonably well at Ross County last weekend. They are probably our best pairing and will at least provide pace and movement. 
​Preferred Pars starting 11:  

MORTON
A loss, 2 wins, another loss then a draw - Morton's last 5 League results are indicative of their season as whole - good enough to stay within touching distance of the top 4, safe from any relegation worries but very inconsistent. Their most recent match, a 3-0 win over League 2 Peterhead in a Scottish Cup 3rd round replay on Tuesday, came after the teams drew 1-1 in Greenock last Saturday. 
Morton manager Jonatan Johansson praised his team after the midweek win, achieved after a delay in travelling and a game played in horrendous weather: ''They showed character and put in a great team performance. Set pieces were important and we also defended well as a team. 
''I liked Robert Thomson's physicality, in his first start of this season, and as a team, as a defensive unit, I am very proud. To come and get a clean sheet is very good."
Morton will be without Gary Oliver, out for  2 months with a broken collarbone. Midfielder Kyle Thomson left the club this week, having made just one appearance since his move to Greenock in the summer. 

Third plays seventh in the Highlands tomorrow with the home side keen to make up ground on the top 2 clubs in the division, while visitors Dunfermline look to extend a good away record in what has otherwise been a disappointing League campaign so far.
​Here is the current Championship table:

DUNFERMLINE
The dismal home defeat to Falkirk a fortnight ago signalled the start of a 2 week gap between games for the Pars, a period that for some would have been an opportune time to bring in a new management team, given the team's underwhelming season and a particularly poor home record. Had results at East End Park mirrored the team's away form, then the game this weekend may have been a top of the table fixture; Dunfermline have gathered 11 points from 6 away games, but only 4 points from 7 home matches. The Pars board, led by chairman Ross McArthur, have stuck by their manager - a case of either supreme loyalty, belief, or on the flip side of that argument - blind faith or lack of funds to fire him. 
As fans of the club, we all want our manager to succeed. Allan Johnston is a decent guy and it is hard to bear any ill will towards him. However, the team are currently 15 points off the top of the table and less than a handful of points from being involved at the wrong end of the division. Ultimately, that's what matters. 

Team, formation etc
Injured:
Mark Durnan (recovering from hernia operation) 
Tom Beadling (not near game-ready after his latest injury)
Louis Longridge (going for an operation according to Allan Johnston)
Aidan Keena (returned to parent club Hearts after picking up a dead leg against Falkirk, and still unfit)
While the defence largely picks itself - although there could be a case to involve a now fully fit Lewis Martin, who can play anywhere across the backline - it is in the midfield and forward positions that decisions will be made for this week's lineup. Assuming we retain the 4-4-2 formation, I would expect Kallum Higginbotham to keep his place on the right wing. The other 3 midfield positions are very much up for grabs. The central 2 positions could be occupied by the same 2 players that started the last 2 games - Malaury Martin and Joe Thomson. James Vincent and James Craigen could come into contention, as would Tom Beadling if he is ever match fit for any period of time. As much as I rate Malaury Martin, I would bring in James Craigen for this game as the Ross County team are known for being physical, and Martin has shown that he can be out-muscled - a sad comment on the Scottish game, perhaps. 
​On the left midfield, Myles Hippolyte did very little against Falkirk. I would bring back Aidan Connolly on the understanding that he stays out wide and is not used as a striker at any point, something Allan Johnston has tried in recent games.
Up front, With Aidan Keena out injured, and Andy Ryan out of form, that leaves Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Robbie Muirhead and Hippolyte (if used as a striker) to choose from. This really should be the time for Muirhead to be given a chance but I have not been impressed by him in reserve games or in his brief substitute appearances for the first team. A pairing of Faissal and Myles Hippolyte could start, with Ryan and Muirhead on the bench. We are desperately short of options in attack.
Preferred starting 11:

ROSS COUNTY
Pre-season title favourites County go into tomorrow's game without as many as 6 first team regulars. Already out are long-term absentees Michael Gardyne and Liam Fontaine. They could be joined by Billy McKay, Ross Draper, Iain Vigurs and Callum Morris. Vigurs was on crutches earlier in the week; Morris, who only returned to training on Monday, broke his wrist during his first session back. McKay and Draper are both carrying injuries but could still be in contention depending on their speed of recovery.
County co-manager Stuart Kettlewell told local media: “We’ve had a few problems this week. Iain Vigurs picked up a problem in training. Billy McKay took a whack and Ross Draper is also struggling. We can’t put a timescale on any of them, but some may have a chance for Saturday.
“We’re looking at a lot of big players on the injury-list again. For this time of year it is unusual, but we’re not going to beat ourselves up about it.​ Young Tom Grivosti came in and played excellently against Motherwell Colts (in the Irn Bru Cup), so as much as we have a few injuries to deal with, we’ve a couple of guys ready to take advantage.
“Tom has been the prime candidate from the younger batch here who are pushing through and doing well.”

Seventh meets tenth in this weekend's derby at East End Park. Dunfermline can extend the current unbeaten run against Falkirk to a fifth game, while aiming for what would be just a second home win in the Championship this season. Falkirk are rooted to the foot of the table in what has been a dreadful season for the club - long may it continue!
​Here is the current Championship table:

DUNFERMLINE
There has rarely been a more straightforward win against Falkirk than in the most recent fixture between the teams, when the Pars won 2-0 at the home of our rivals last month. That game was followed by 2 defeats and a draw before last week's win at Alloa. This uneven sequence is why the team are still in the wrong half of the table, in 7th place; only 4 points off the top 4 but having scored the least number of goals, and with the worst goal difference, of the top 7 teams.
The team have, however, shown promise in the past 2 outings - the draw at Inverness and then the previously-mentioned game at Alloa. Goalscoring is still a concern but there is enough ability in the team to see off Falkirk before we have a week off next week due to the scheduled game against Ross County being moved because of the Highlanders' participation in the Irn Bru Cup. 

Team, formation, etc
The team that ended the game at Alloa last week - with the exception of Aidan Keena replacing last week's sub striker Faissal El Bakhtaoui - would be my lineup for tomorrow's game. This would see the right wing combination of Ryan Williamson and Kallum Higginbotham reunited for a first team start together for the first time in several months - injuries to both players plus Ryzo's involvement with the Scotland Under 21 squad has deprived the team of 2 of its best players, who also combine better than any other duo in the squad. 
The rest of the team should stay the same - Keena to start up front, with Faissal coming off the bench. As mentioned in the Wishlist article here, I would like to see AJ utilising his subs as he did last weekend, giving players time to make an impact.  
Tom Beadling, Mark Durnan and Louis Longridge are still unavailable through injury.
Preferred starting 11:

FALKIRK
Inheriting a shambles from former boss Paul Hartley, Falkirk manager Ray McKinnon has struggled to oversee any improvement in his team's results since taking over. Limited to signing out of contract players, McKinnon has largely had to make do with Hartley's signings, and must be counting down the days until the January transfer window opens. Ex-Hearts midfielder Prince Buaben joined on 1 October, after being without a club since the end of last season.
McKinnon had this to say to local media this week:
"I’m using all my contacts from when I was running courses for the SFA and you come across a lot of coaches and different people. I know Duncan Ferguson at Everton and players are being mentioned to us. 
"It’s not just about contacts. It’s about the best quality of young players being available to come to Scotland. A lot of teams in England look at clubs to send their players out to the Championship clubs – Premier League sides can send their best youngster out to Aston Villa for example. They might think of the next level down to League One for some – they can go to Sunderland there. So you need to be very careful of what sort of players are available to come to Scotland. We are working hard between now and January to see what we can source.
“The club made a statement about there being funds there which is great and very supportive and we are appreciative of that. We have just got to make sure that if we can use it that we use it wisely. We need to bring players in that are better than what we’ve got and get the right balance in the team. We are looking at changing the dynamics of the team and that’s what we will work on for the next eight weeks.”
McKinnon added to his squad this week with the signing of former Portsmouth and Partick Thistle rightback Mustapha Dumbaya, although the Falkirk manager stated that the player, given an initial 8 week contract, is still short of match fitness. 

Ninth plays seventh in this week's Championship match at the Indodrill Stadium in Alloa. Dunfermline have found Alloa difficult opponents this season, with a goalless draw in the League fixture at East End Park on 15 September, and a 2-2 draw in the Irn Bru Cup last month, which was followed by Alloa winning the penalty shootout at the end of the 90 minutes to progress to the next round.
Here is the current Championship table:

DUNFERMLINE
Dunfermline ended October with 1 win from 4 League matches and occupying seventh place in the table. Such is the competitive nature of the division, there is still a closeable gap of 5 points between the Pars and the fourth place that would secure involvement in another promotion play-off come the end of the season. However, the gap between Dunfermline and the teams below (including tomorrow's opponents) is slender and we should expect some improvement in the months ahead from Partick Thistle and Falkirk, currently eighth and tenth. 
Aidan Keena's 2 goals at Inverness gave the team a huge boost and the teenage on-loan Hearts striker will lead the Pars attack tomorrow. Goals need to come from other areas however; of our central midfielders, only James Vincent and Joe Thomson have scored this season, and they have just 1 goal apiece. Our top scorers are on 5 goals - Myles Hippolyte, Louis Longridge and Andy Ryan.

Team, formation, etc
Five changes were made to the team that faced Inverness - some through choice and others (Tom Beadling and James Vincent, replaced by Malaury Martin and Joe Thomson) through injury. James Craigen, who had been ineffectual in right midfield against Dundee United last weekend, moved to right back at the expense of Ryan Williamson. While I look forward to the eventual reuniting of the Williamson/Higginbotham right wing combination, I would retain Craigen in defence for the immediate future. The other changes were all largely successful - the biggest success obviously being Aidan Keena, with 2 goals on his first start for the team.  Beadling and Vincent are expected to miss tomorrow's game and so I would select the same 11 players to start the match. I would like to see Higgy get some much needed game time from the bench for at least 20 minutes. 
​Preferred starting 11:

ALLOA
As Dunfermline have experienced in games against Alloa this season, the Wasps are a well-organised side that have made themselves difficult to beat, while lacking the creativity required to win a greater number of games. Being the only part time club in the division, avoiding relegation will be a successful season for Alloa and their manager Jim Goodwin, who completed 100 matches in charge last weekend. Goodwin reflected on his time in charge of the club and his hopes for this season, speaking to local media:
''I'm very lucky to have been given the opportunity 2 years ago. I'm delighted to be here - I'm really enjoying my time here. I've got great backroom staff, great people up the stairs but more importantly I've got a great group of players that are now starting to believe that they are more than capable of competing at this level. People wrote us off before a ball was kicked, expecting us to be detached but the fact of the matter is, we're more than matching the opposition. I can't fault the players' effort - they give me absolutely everything and if they carry on doing that, they'll be fine.
''My ambition is to go full time but I'm not in any hurry - I'm 36 years old and very young when you consider some of the other managers that are out there. I'm loving life at Alloa at the moment. If I'm here for another hundred games then fantastic - it would mean I'm doing something right. It's a great place to be, I've got a great relationship with the chairman - he knows I want to go full time but at the same time this is a great place for me to learn. The longer I'm here, the more I'll learn."