Dunfermline’s appearance in last season’s Scottish Cup final against Celtic was an impressive achievement for a Championship side, and Neil Lennon’s troops should look to get on the front foot in their opening Scottish League Cup game against East Kilbride on Saturday.
Gaining momentum will be key for the Pars as they look to drag themselves back into the top flight this term, but their opponents will look to build upon their strong end to the campaign, which brought them title honours in League Two.
East Kilbride v Dunfermline Athletic Tips Summary
Best Bet - Dunfermline to win & both teams to score @ 2/1
Alternative Bet - Dunfermline-Dunfermline half-time/full-time @ 7/4
Double - Over 3 goals & second half to have most goals @ 3/1
East Kilbride v Dunfermline Athletic Prediction
Best Bet: Dunfermline to win & both teams to score @ 2/1
Dunfermline received plenty of plaudits for battling their way to the Scottish Cup final last season, but Lennon would have swapped that experience for a return to the Scottish Premiership and that will be the Pars’ main focus for this term.
Four Scottish League Cup games should give them a chance to build up a head of steam and they should get off to a winning start when they travel to League Two champions East Kilbride.
The Pars were unfortunate to come up against Premiership challengers Hearts in their first game last season, but three other wins over Dumbarton, Hamilton and Stirling demonstrated a willingness to treat the competition seriously.
This represents a step up in class for East Kilbride but they scored 77 goals in 38 games during their successful league campaign and netted 11 times in four games in this competition last season, so a Pars win with both teams scoring looks an attractive proposition.
Alternative Bet: Dunfermline-Dunfermline half-time/full-time @ 7/4
The fact Dunfermline failed to get through the Championship play-offs last season means Lennon’s side will want to ensure they are right at the top of their game once the league season starts.
They should not hold back and it is worth noting that in their League Cup campaign last season, they netted before the interval in their defeat to Hearts and in their victories against Dumbarton and Hamilton.
There is little temptation for them to sit back and they can go into the break ahead before finishing the job.
East Kilbride v Dunfermline Double Tip
Over 3 goals
Second half to have most goals
Pays 3/1
There were 23 goals in East Kilbride’s four Scottish League Cup matches last season, which included a 3-1 defeat to Championship opposition when they fell at home to St Johnstone, while they were also beaten 6-2 by Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
That points to a high-scoring game on Saturday as Dunfermline look to hit the ground running, so it is worth chancing that there will be at least four goals.
That selection can be coupled in a double with a bet on there being more goals in the second half of the contest.
While the Pars can score in the first half to give themselves a lead at the interval, it is worth considering that 17 of those 23 goals in East Kilbride’s games last season came after the break and that trend could transfer into the new campaign.
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Key Match Stats
Seven of Dunfermline’s 11 cup games last season featured at least three goals
East Kilbride’s four League Cup games last season generated 23 goals
The Pars won three of their Scottish League Cup games last season with the only reverse coming against Premiership title challengers Hearts
East Kilbride lost two of their final 15 games last season
Seven of Dunfermline’s final nine Championship natches last term, including the playoffs, featured fewer than three goals
Neil Lennon’s side scored more than once in just two of their final nine league games
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
