Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
The defeat by Falkirk last week extended Dunfermline's winless run to 5 games, during which only a single point has been picked up. Despite this, it is still possible, although highly unlikely, that we can gain fourth position. This would require Inverness to lose their next 2 matches, while we win ours, which would also in turn narrow the goal difference between the clubs. This would set up a final game of the season when Dunfermline travel to Inverness. I feel almost embarrassed even raising the prospect of this, but it cannot yet be ruled out.

A gaggle of mediocrity in the lower half of the division may yet be Dunfermline's salvation, with many teams due to face each other and the chances of more than 4 bypassing us with only 3 games remaining being a doubtful scenario. A win tomorrow would end all fears of that happening, something that should have been confirmed weeks ago. While some have described the Championship as competitive, teams have cancelled each other out with defensive football, a severe lack of quality and games being decided by errors rather than any great football being played. Ross County will win the title with the likes of Declan McManus, Lewis Spence and Kenny Van Der Weg as first team regulars, which says it all.

The team I have selected for tomorrow is decided by several factors, all listed below. 
Out injured: Tom Beadling, Joe Thomson
Available but not selected: Danny Devine, Kallum Higginbotham, Ryan Blair, James Vincent, Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Myles Hippolyte, Robbie Muirhead.
Comments: Ryan Williamson comes back in at right back, with James Craigen moving into midfield. Mark Durnan replaces Danny Devine in central defence. In centre midfield, losing Beadling and Thomson through injury is a blow but I have dropped Blair and Vincent after their insipid recent displays. Matty Todd moves to central midfield, with Aidan Connolly selected on the right wing. Higgy drops out, a shadow of the player he used to be.
Louis Longridge, fit again, comes in on the left. Lewis McCann scored twice for the reserves in midweek and partners Bruce Anderson up front. Faissal drops out and I have no interest in seeing Hippolyte and Muirhead again. 
Time for a shake up! This team has more youth and attacking intent and does not include players who slow us down.
Preferred lineup, in a 4-4-2 formation:

Queen of the South
On the edges of the promotion play-off positions for much of the first half of the season, Queens' form has dropped off in recent months and they have gained just 5 points from their past 12 League games. Now missing 40-goal top scorer and talisman Stephen Dobbie through injury, the main responsibility for scoring goes to Lyndon Dykes, who signed with Livingston in January but was then loaned back to Queens for the remainder of this season as part of the deal. Dykes has 8 goals this season. Josh Todd, a converted midfielder, also played up front in Queens' last game (a 1-0 defeat at Alloa). Todd, who has signed a pre-contract with Dundee, has scored 6 times this season. 

​Match odds (McBookie):
Queen of the South 17/10
Dunfermline 8/5
Draw 9/4

​Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
One point from 12 has caused almost irreparable damage to the Pars' aim of extending their season into the promotion play-off fixtures. Although form has picked up in the past 2 games, partly due to a more attacking formation having been deployed after weeks of safety-first tactics, results are ultimately all that matters and the season is likely to end in mid table. Thankfully not actively involved in the relegation scrap - unlike the 5 teams below us -  the remaining matches after tomorrow are likely to be glorified pre-season friendlies. However, before that, we have the derby and a chance to inflict a damaging defeat on our rivals.

Five consecutive wins in February to early March highlighted the players' desire to grind out wins even when performances were average, but could not disguise the deficiencies in the Dunfermline squad. A busy summer awaits Stevie Crawford, with many players out of contract and decisions to be made on others who still have another year left but who have been peripheral figures in team selections of late. Lack of goals has been our biggest problem and we are currently the second lowest scoring team in the Championship. 

Louis Longridge is a doubt for tomorrow's game having suffered a shoulder injury in the midweek defeat at Ross County. In that game, Myles Hippolyte moved from striker to left midfield after Longridge had to be substituted, with Faissal El Bakhtaoui then partnering Bruce Anderson up front, and we could line up with the same 11 players to start tomorrow's game. There is no need for any other changes, with teenager Matty Todd impressing against Ross County and providing an attacking thrust  from midfield.
Preferred lineup, in a 4-4-2 formation; Louis Longridge starts unless injured, with Hippolyte his replacement:

Falkirk
A January clear out, which followed another clearout last summer under previous manager Paul Hartley, briefly lead to improved results for a Falkirk side who have spent most of the season in the bottom two positions. After climbing to eighth a month ago, they have fallen away again and are without a win in the past 5 League games. 
In the lad up to this weekend's game, Falkirk boss Ray McKinnon spoke to the media:
''It's a big derby and a tough game - a game we are looking forward to though.
''Hopefully we get the rub of the green that I don't think we got this week. It has been a tough week but that group will bounce back, I'm certain of it."

​Match odds (McBookie):
Dunfermline 20/21
Falkirk 3/1
Draw 23/10

Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
Saturday's 2-2 draw at Partick Thistle saw Dunfermline play a more open, expansive game than of late. There was a greater attacking threat with 2 up front and the team took a 2 goal lead inside the opening half an hour. However, after Thistle pulled a goal back through an unfortunate own goal from Ryan Blair, the lack of leadership in the Pars team saw them lose a further goal in the second period and only just survive some very shaky moments in central defence. 

Manager Stevie Crawford gave a first start to 17 year old Matty Todd on Saturday, an encouraging sign that youth will be given a chance even in a vital game with important points at stake. Todd will have learned much in the game and although his lack of experience showed at times, I would select him again for tomorrow's match as he has much to offer - always a stand-out in the reserve games I have seen - and to continue his development. 
As mentioned above, central defence was a real concern at Firhill, so much so that midfielder Tom Beadling was moved back into defence for the final 20 minutes to support the faltering pair of Lee Ashcroft and Danny Devine. I would bring Mark Durnan, an unusued substitute in recent weeks, into the team tomorrow. Durnan could replace either centre half but I have opted to have him replace Devine, with no other changes form the starting 11 that faced Thistle.

Tomorrow is almost certainly the last chance for Dunfermline to make a realistic push for a top 4 place. A win is essential and even then we would require the teams above us to drop points in the final handful of games. We then move onto the derby with Falkirk on Saturday so there is still much to play for. 
Preferred lineup, in a 4-4-2 formation:

Ross County
The last minute equaliser scored by Jamie Lindsay in Ross County's last outing, at home to Dundee United on Friday, may prove to be the goal that eventually brings the Championshuip title to Dingwall. United were the better team and should have been more than 1 goal ahead before the late County goal. This meant that instead of reducing County's lead to 2 points, the gap remained at 5, with United having played a game more. 
County have topped the division largely through digging out results - they lack flair but work hard as a unit. Without injured top scorer Billy McKay, the County forward line of Brian Graham, Ross Stewart and Declan McManus are industrial as opposed to artful but have done just enough to put their team in an excellent position to make an instant return to the Premiership following last season's relegation. 

​Match odds (McBookie):
Ross County 23/20
Dunfermline 23/10
Draw 12/5

Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
Two 1-0 losses in the past week have made the Pars' ambitions of finishing in the promotion play-off places significantly harder to achieve. This midweek brought a glimmer of hope with Inverness losing to Ross County. Dunfermline still have to play Inverness again - in the Highlands on the final day of the season - and also have a game in hand (at Ross County on Tuesday), so the current 6 point gap could still be overcome. A win tomorrow would put pressure on Inverness, who travel to Ayr United, who themselves have to be rated favourites to secure third place. ​

With midfield dynamo Joe Thomson ruled out through injury, Ryan Blair could return tomorrow, while 17 year old Matty Todd is another option after making 3 appearances as a substitute since Stevie Crawford became manager. Either player could feature ahead of James Vincent, who had a very disappointing game last time out against Ayr United. James Craigen did well when replacing Joe Thomson during the Ayr game and should start. 
​I would expect the out-of-form Kallum Higginbotham to drop to the bench.
In attack, Faissal El Bakhtaoui could start a game for the first time since February 2nd. I would select Faissal ahead of Louis Longridge, who would move to left midfield. 

Putting aside the battle for points, Saturday will hopefully bring more in the way of entertainment; even in the midst of the winning run, as commendable as it was, the football often failed to excite and in truth there has hardly been a drop-off in actual performance levels in the defeats that followed the runs of victories. Pragmatism can only achieve so much. 
​Preferred lineup, in a 4-4-2 formation:

Partick Thistle
A double from striker Kris Doolan set Partick Thistle on their way to a 3-0 win at Morton last week that saw them climb out of the relegation places in the Championship table, until results in midweek - with Thistle not playing - meaning that the Firhill side go into tomorrow''s match in ninth position. With only 6 points separating the teams placed sixth to tenth, points are priceless at this stage of the season. Doolan, who was inducted into Thistle's Hall of Fame last week, had only scored 4 times this season before the game in Greenock, but when in form remains a big goal threat and has now scored 118 times for Thistle. 
Partick boss Gary Caldwell had this to say after the win over Morton:
''This was a massive win at an important time of the season. The league table does not matter until the last game of the season and then you look at it as that’s when it’s important where you finish.
''What matters is we got a massive three points, we got a clean sheet which we haven’t had for a while and we can move into next week with confidence and look forward to Dunfermline at home.”

​Match odds (McBookie):
Partick Thistle 7/4
Dunfermline 6/4
Draw 12/5

Fifth plays fourth in tomorrow evening's Championship match at East End Park, brought forward a day from its original scheduling so that it can be screened live on BBC Scotland. Dunfermline's run of 5 consecutive wins and clean sheets came to an end in Tuesday's 1-0 home loss to Dundee United but there is still much to play for - a win  tomorrow would see us go level on points with our visitors, who would still have games in hand but who have faltered badly in recent weeks. 
​Here is the current Championship table:

Tuesday saw Faissal El Bakhtaoui reunited up front with Bruce Anderson for only the second time. After promising signs in their only previous game - at home to Ross County, when Faissal's pass lead to Anderson scoring, before both were substituted - Faissal's injury absence then gave an opportunity to Aidan Connolly and Louis Longridge to play in the role behind the main striker. There seemed to be more of an understanding in the Anderson/El Bakhtaoui partnership compared with other combinations and I would bring Faissal, who was given the final 20 minutes as a substitute against Dundee United, back into the starting 11 for tomorrow evening's game. 

Other changes could include an out-of-form Kallum Higginbotham dropping out - my selection would be to restore James Craigen to midfield and bring Ryan Williamson back into the team at fullback, to provide a greater attacking threat down the right side. Despite being named the sponsors' man of the match on Tuesday, Louis Longridge has been underwhelming in recent games and so he too would drop to the bench in the team I have selected. 
Tomorrow is a game we simply have to win. We are 5 points behind Inverness, who we play on the final day of the season in the Highlands, and as noted above, Ayr have games in hand over us. To remain actively involved in the battle for a top 4 place, 3 points are essential under the floodlights tomorrow. 
​Preferred lineup, in a 4-4-1-1 formation:

Ayr United
Leaders for several weeks and rarely out of the top 2 positions in the Championship table, Ayr's form and results have declined in 2019 and they now face a challenge to remain in the top 4, something that seemed secure for the majority of the season. With only 2 wins in their past 11 League matches, Ayr will be desperate to recapture the type of performance they showed in the 5-0 drubbing of Dundee United at Tannadice at the end of November, possibly the best display by any team in the division all season. December saw Ayr draw all 3 League games, then in January they went out of the Scottish Cup to junior side Auchinleck Talbot, and also won just one League game. Last month brought just one League win from four matches, while their last game - 3 weeks ago - ended in a loss at Falkirk. 
Ayr boss Ian McCall spoke to the media about the challenge facing his team:
“The key thing right now is we have a lot of young players whose confidence is down. We need characters and we need to score the first goal in a game.
"We are in the final quarter of the season but we must now replicate the first and second quarters.​"

​Match odds (McBookie):
Dunfermline 11/8
Ayr United 21/10
Draw 9/4

Fifth plays second in tomorrow evening's Championship match at East End Park. Dunfermline go into the game as the division's form team, with 5 consecutive wins, while visitors United have recovered their form and have just 1 loss in their last 7 League games. 
​Here is the current Championship table:

Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
Without a game since the 1-0 win at Alloa on  9th March, the Pars have slipped out of the top 4 promotion places due to Inverness taking full points from their game in hand, at Partick Thistle on Friday last week. Tomorrow's game is the first of a crucial pair of matches at home this week, with the second coming on Friday's evening's televised game against Ayr United. These games could define our season, with 8 games remaining. The turnaround in our prospects has been a credit to Stevie Crawford, his coaching team and of course the players, from the depths of seventh place and only a few points off the bottom of the table, to challenging for a promotion play-off place, in the space of a handful of matches.

Clean sheets and a strong team ethic have been key to our positive run of results. With no goals conceded during the current 5 game winning run, the football hasn't always been free flowing but the determination of the team to grind out each result has been commendable. Players such as Danny Devine have emerged as leaders and have typified the spirit in the squad. Results are all that matter - there is no league table for having played well - and if we can come out of the next 2 games with 4 or 6 points then we will have put ourselves in a tremendous position for the final half dozen matches. The game against Ayr on Friday is arguably more vital to our top 4 hopes, as we have a far greater chance of overtaking Ayr and finishing third or fourth than making up the points difference over second placed Dundee United. However, momentum has been a big factor in our recent good run, and a win over United tomorrow would be a huge boost and give the team even more belief. 

Dundee United
United have won their past 2 League games and taken over second position in the table from faltering Ayr United. One player who has been key to their recovery has been ex-Pars striker Nicky Clark, who missed much of the middle part of the season through injury. His late winner against Alloa on Saturday was his 12th goal of the season, averaging a goal every 132 minutes of playing time. 
Dundee United manager spoke to the media after the win against Alloa, and looked ahead to the game against Dunfermline:
“The lads showed character to keep going. It’s a big ask for the players to go Tuesday, then Saturday and now Tuesday again at East End Park. But this is a huge result as it gives us that chance to get the gap down to two points on Tuesday night.
“We’d like to be in a position so that when we go to Ross County in two weeks' time, we can really turn the screw.”

​Match odds (McBookie):
Dunfermline 7/5
Dundee United 17/10
Draw 19/10

Fourth plays second in tomorrow's Championship match at East End Park. As unlikely as it may have seemed 5 weeks ago, Dunfermline have the chance to move within 3 points of visitors United with a victory, and possibly draw level on points with Ayr United. The Pars will look to record a first home win over United since 2007. 
Here is the current Championship table; Inverness play leaders Ross County this evening.

Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
Last week's win at Alloa was the Pars' fifth consecutive win, all of which have come with clean sheets, closing in on a club record. Four of those wins have been with a 1-0 scoreline, with what has been perhaps lacking in excitement being more than made up for by a collective drive and togetherness in the team to secure the win and then move onto the next game. Manager Stevie Crawford has made this game-by-game approach clear: not looking too far ahead, preferring to concentrate on catching the team above us, which started over a month ago when Morton were our target. Since then, we have also by-passed Queen of the South and Inverness, although the latter have a game in hand. 

Missing through injury tomorrow will be Andy Ryan, Aidan Connolly and Lewis Martin, while Faissal El Bakhtaoui has returned to training but may not quite be ready to take part. Despite our run of excellent results, Bruce Anderson has often been isolated up front, and Faissal's eventual return should boost the team, as there was a clear understanding between the pair in the hour that they played together against Ross County last month. ​

In terms of team selection, I would revert to the team lineup I suggested last week, which involved James Vincent coming back into the starting lineup at the expense of Kallum Higginbotham. Higgy has worked hard but is not delivering goals or assists. Vincent would solidify the midfield further, which could be an important factor against one of our most difficult opponents. 
Preferred lineup, in a 4-1-3-1-1 formation:

Dundee United
After signing virtually a whole new team during the January transfer window, Dundee United went on a 4 game unbeaten run during February, before being knocked out of the Scottish Cup (a home defeat by Inverness) and then last week's loss to Partick Thistle in the Championship. They now sit 9 points behind leaders Ross County - who play this evening, a chance to extend their lead to 12 points - and look set for another attempt at returning to the top division via the promotion play-offs.
Manager Robbie Neilson spoke to the media during the week:
“We need to try to build momentum. We can’t give up. We’ve still got to play them (Ross County) twice so there’s still an opportunity to put pressure on them.
“We just need to get ourselves going. It was a tough, tough game on Saturday but we created chances, it’s just in those pressure games we need to make sure we do the right things and get results.
“Like the fans will be, we’re bitterly disappointed because it was an opportunity, we had chances, we get back in the game and we get the goal. We had three or four really good chances to score but we didn’t take them and they go up the other end and get the goal and it kills you but we have to keep trying to move forward.
“The boys are focused on Dunfermline, who are on a fantastic run.”

​Match odds (McBookie):
Dunfermline 8/5
Dundee United 17/10
Draw 9/4

The narrowness of Alloa's pitch should not be an issue for Dunfermline this weekend. We have largely played without much width for the past few weeks, with the exception of occasional overlapping runs from Ryan Williamson.  Our midfield, whether in a diamond formation or in the shape in the graphic below, has been compact and has restricted opposing teams from having space in the middle of the pitch. This has taken some pressure off our defence, who have been steady and no-nonsense, clearly intent on having no repeat of previous blunders. 

The return to fitness of Jackson Longridge could see him restored to the starting 11 at Alloa, with James Craigen - who had filled in at left back in the past 3 games to great effect - shifting back to right back. In midfield, James Vincent is now recovered from the injury which caused him to miss the past 2 games. I would select Vincent in the defensive midfield role that he is most suited to. Tom Beadling would then move to the right of a 3 man centre midfield, with Kallum Higginbotham  dropping to the bench. Aidan Connolly will miss tomorrow's game through injury and so Louis Longridge, a substitute last week, will probably start up front, playing behind Bruce Anderson.
Preferred starting 11, in a 4-1-3-1-1 formation:

Alloa
The Wasps have proved to be difficult opponents for Dunfermline this season, knocking the Pars out of the Irn Bru Cup in a penalty shoot-out after a draw over 90 minutes. They have also recorded two further draws at East End Park in the League - the second of which, in January, lead to Allan Johnston being sacked following a last minute Alloa equaliser. The only game between the sides at Alloa's ground saw Dunfermline win 1-0 thanks to Jackson Longridge's thunderous strike.
The main threat to Dunfermline's defence tomorrow will come from veteran attacking midfielder Alan Trouten, who has scored 4 times against us this season. Trouten has an impressive total of 155 career goals, including 17 in 34 appearances this season.
The Wasps' win last time out at Queen of the South ended a run of 4 consecutive defeats; prior to that disappointing period, they had gone six games undefeated in the Championship. Manager Jim Goodwin had this to say when he spoke to the media this week:
''They are all massive games from now until the end of the season. Dunfermline are one of the form teams in the league and will come into the game with confidence.
''We now have ten cup finals to play for and just need to pick up as many wins as we can to keep ourselves in the league. We will still try to make it to fifth place as there is not a lot between the teams.
"Dunfermline have shown what can happen if you can find a bit of form. We want to build on an excellent performance in Dumfries and see how high that can take us up the table''

​Match odds (McBookie):
Alloa 7/2
Dunfermline 3/4
Draw 11/4

​Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
The turnaround in Dunfermline's results continued on Tuesday with a resounding 3-0 win over Partick Thistle, echoing the resurgence of last season's final dozen games that saw the team gain a promotion play-off place. There is nothing to prevent a similar outcome this season - we are now only 2 points behind fourth placed Inverness and with 10 games remaining have a great chance to complete what would be a remarkable transformation in what was at one point a forgettable season. Credit must go to the new management team - the change in players such as Danny Devine has been one of the biggest plus points to emerge in the past few weeks, while the January arrivals - Bruce Anderson and Ryan Blair, both on loan, plus the signing of goalkeeper Ryan Scully, have all contributed to the team's improvement.

James Vincent and Myles Hippolyte both missed the Partick Thistle game through injury, while Jackson Longridge, withdrawn from the starting lineup minutes before the Ayr United game last weekend, also missed the midweek match. Stevie Crawford confirmed that all 3 players will be given fitness tests in advance of tomorrow's game but definitely missing out is Faissal El Bakhtaoui, whose recovery from a calf injury is taking longer than initially anticipated.  We will have to wait a little longer to see the return of the Faissal and Bruce Anderson partnership that looked so promising in the hour they played together, in the game against Ross County last month. 

Queen of the South
After being on the edges of the top 4 for most of the season, Queens have now lost their last 5 League games and have achieved just 3 wins in the Championship since the start of December. They now occupy 7th place, and are in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle during the remaining weeks of the season. Talisman Stephen Dobbie, with 38 goals in all competitions this season, is their obvious threat. Dobbie has averaged a goal every 79 minutes this season, confirming what an outstanding player and goalscorer he is, even in the veteran stage of his career.
Queens manager Gary Naysmith spoke to the media after the loss at Morton on Tuesday:
''We are all hurting. Due to our recent results - not performances, but results - the players are lacking a little bit in confidence. 
''It's about us - as a group of players and the management - delivering as a team, making sure that we're organised and trying to get that victory. I'm sure when that victory comes we'll go on a run. At this moment in time, it's not going for us. We've already shown on several occasions that we're capable of beating any team in this league. Confidence is down a little bit but it's up to me as manager to try to pick them up and make sure that they believe that we're going to turn the corner. I believe we will. 
''We'll be giving it our all to make sure on Saturday we'll be going home with a smile on our face.''

​Match odds (McBookie):
Dunfermline 17/20
Queen of the South 14/5
Draw 14/5

Fifth plays tenth in tomorrow's Championship match at East End Park, with Dunfermline looking for a third consecutive win and visitors Thistle aiming to recover from a second half collapse against Ross County at the weekend. The division is so tight that 3 points for either team could be hugely significant come the end of the season, as we approach the final quarter with only 6 points separating 6 clubs. 
​Here is the current Championship table:

​Dunfermline team news, selection & preferred lineup
Six points and two clean sheets from games against Inverness and Ayr United is a superb return for Stevie Crawford's Dunfermline. Backbone has now been added to the team's performances, built on a solid defence that takes no risks and has been able to avoid the type of needless errors that blighted much of our season. New coach Callum Davidson, interviewed soon after joining the club 2 weeks ago, said that he had told several of the team's more senior players - naming them as Lee Ashcroft, Danny Devine and James Craigen - that they had to show more leadership on the pitch. That was evident at Ayr on Saturday, with Devine in particular very vocal and driving the team on in difficult weather conditions against opponents currently second in the division.

​There is clearly no need to change much, if anything, about the team or the formation for tomorrow's game. Jackson Longridge's fitness must still be in question after pulling out of the lineup during the pre-match warm up at Somerset Park. James Craigen could continue at leftback - his versatility is a great benefit to the team - while in midfield I would move James Vincent to the defensive end of the diamond. Vincent was used as the attacking tip of the diamond on Saturday but has little instinct to attack, and is better utilised as a defensive midfielder. Joe Thomson would seem to be the best option in the attacking role, with Vincent as DM, and Tom Beadling and Ryan Blair in the middle. 
Up front, it could be time for Louis Longridge to start after two appearances from the bench following his 4 month injury absence. I would have no issue with Aidan Connolly continuing in attack if Longridge is not quick ready to start a game.
A win tomorrow could put the Pars within 2 points of fourth place Inverness. It was at this point last season that the team began an unbeaten run that pushed them into the promotion play-offs and a repeat of that this season is entirely possible if their current form and apparent resurgence in self-belief can be maintained.
​Preferred starting 11:

Partick Thistle
The wheels came off Partick's recent upturn in form on Saturday when, 2-0 up at half time at home to Ross County, they conceded 4 second half goals to find themselves once again at the bottom of the division, although still within touching distance of the clubs immediately above them. Their January recruitment brought in 8 new players to the club, including ex-Pars winger Joe Cardle, who after making a bright start to his Thistle career with 2 goals in his first 4 appearances, suffered an injury and has missed the past 4 games.
Thistle went into their game at the weekend on a 6 game unbeaten run but after starting promisingly, with first half goals from Aidan Fitzpatrick and Christie Elliott, lost a goal 2 minutes after the re-start and went onto lose a further 3 goals to the Championship leaders. Thistle defender Steven Anderson had this to say after the game:''It’s not good enough. We should see the game out, simple as that. Professionals should know how to see games out. We were good first half and we get that but we need to be cute during games.
''We need to be nasty, really, and if they’re on top we need to slow it down and understand that putting in a challenge will get us up the park. The pressure was there and we couldn’t deal with it. It’s not good enough. We were just soft.''

Match odds (McBookie):
Dunfermline 20/21
Partick Thistle 14/5
Draw 5/2