Club History | Season 2005-2006
A total of 45 goals had been scored with Mark Burchill on 16 as top scorer.
After the 2003/04 season, when events off the park, nearly finished the Club, in 2004/05, it was the woeful performances on the park which nearly spelt doom. The appointment of the wrong management team had very nearly got the team relegated and lost the side its best player and, at the same time, a good potential manager, in Craig Brewster. The board had performed miracles in saving the Club and had taken the necessary action (just in time) to allow Jim Leishman to perform his magic to keep them up. It was a worry that the team was too far gone and that the financial situation would impact on contract renewals and the ability to bring in fresh talent.
There had been three main departures during the summer. Barry Nicholson had joined the growing band of former Pars, under the two Jimmies at Aberdeen, Derek Stillie had moved to Dundee United and Billy Mehmet to St. Mirren. On the way in were Mark Burchill from Hearts, Bryn Halliwell from Clyde and Scott Morrison from Aberdeen. Youngsters joining up were Greg Paterson, Calum Smith and Iain Williamson. Manager Leishman had Craig Robertson as his assistant and with Hamish French, Scott Y Thomson, Gordon McEwan and Mo Hutton on the coaching staff. Club Doctor was Gerry Gillespie and Physio Paul Atkinson. The first two games of the season were away from home. Greg Shields scored to earn a 1-1 draw at Easter Road and this was followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat at Fir Park. The opener at East End Park brought a visit from Craig Brewster`s Inverness Caley Thistle who went back north with the spoils after a 1-0 win, masterminded by Brew, who played the full ninety minutes.
Bartosz Tarachulski, the Polish striker signed from Yeovil Town, made his debut from the bench. Two more away games were next. A 1-1 draw at Livingston was courtesy of Lee Makel whilst it was Mark Burchill who scored to gain a 1-0 win at Raydale Park, Gretna in the CIS Cup. Yet another of The Pars quality players left when Andrius Skerla joined Tom Tomsk. To complete the month`s fixtures, Celtic won 4-0 in front of 9,244 fans at East End Park. Before the transfer window closed there were several arrivals:- Pat Halpin from Hibs, Liam Horsted from Portsmouth, Jamie McCunnie from Millwall, Yannick Zambernardi, formerly of Hibs and, on loan from Rangers, goalkeeper Allan McGregor. Nick Phinn joined the youngsters.
After the customary blank week to welcome September, The Pars got back into action away to Kilmarnock, losing 3-2. The following Saturday, Aberdeen were visitors to East End Park. The Dons won 2-0 with Barry Nicholson, Stevie Crawford and Scott Muirhead all in their starting line up plus Gary Dempsey and Jamie Langfield on the bench. For Dunfermline, Jamie McCunnie, Liam Horsted and Yannick Zambernardi all made their first starts. Another trip down to Rugby Park, this time in the CIS Cup, produced an excellent 4-3 victory, with Derek Young having one of his unbeatable days and scoring a hat-trick, Jamie McCunnie getting the other goal.
After that boost to morale, the month finished well with a 2-1 home win against Dundee United. United had Derek Stillie in goal and Mark Kerr in midfield. Jim McIntyre was on the bench. October began badly with a 5-1 thumping at Ibrox, followed by another blank week. Falkirk were the next visitors and with Craig Ireland in their line up, they escaped with a 1-0 win. A 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle was followed by a 2-1 defeat at home to Hibernian. The last match of the month was at home to Motherwell, who won easily 3-0. Things were getting serious. The Pars were joint bottom with Livingston and eight points behind 10th placed Falkirk. Lee Makel scored as Dunfermline lost 2-1 away to Inverness Caley Thistle but the next action was one of those days when everything went great.
Tuesday 8th November brought Hibs to East End Park for the CIS Cup Quarter Final and a marvellous team performance saw the Edinburgh side routed 3-0. Mark Burchill scored two and Gary Mason the other. With The Pars every great result is usually followed by an anticlimax and true to form they lost 1-0 at home to Livingston. Before the month ended, however, it was back to celebrations as a Greg Ross goal and a splendid defensive performance achieved a 1-0 win at Celtic Park. What did I just say about the Athletic? It was anti-climax again as Kilmarnock opened December`s fixtures by winning 1-0 at East End Park. Two away games followed and 0-0 draw at Pittodrie and next a narrow defeat 2-1 at Tannadice led up to Boxing Day and a home match with Rangers. A thrilling contest finished 3-3. The Pars finished the year in style with a 2-1 win at the Falkirk Stadium. Athletic were 11th, one point ahead of Livingston and four behind Falkirk.
The first game of the new year was a Scottish Cup Tie, at home to Airdrie United. Athletic should have won but threw it away and lost 4-3. Martin Hardie was in the Diamonds starting eleven and both Stephen McDougall and Graeme Holmes on the bench. The poor start to the year continued with a 4-1 defeat at home to Hearts followed by a 3-1 loss at Easter Road. The CIS Cup Semi-Final was next at Almondvale which Darren Young won with a penalty, to book another Hampden final for The Pars. Before the transfer window closed, Freddie Daquin arrived from Rouen, Scott Muirhead from Aberdeen, Stephen Simmons from Hearts and Andy Campbell from Cardiff City. Campbell had once been a £950,000 transfer from Middlesbrough.
January ended with a 1-1 draw at Fir Park. As Dunfermline kicked February off with a home game against Inverness Caley Thistle, they were still in 11th place, two ahead of Livingston and six behind Falkirk, all with 24 games played. Goals from Noel Hunt and Mark Burchill earned a 2-2 draw. The following Saturday brought a 1-0 win at Livingston, thereby establishing a six point cushion. The Pars celebrated this with an embarrassment of a performance, losing 8-1 to Celtic at East End Park. This was followed by an improvement with a draw 1-1 at home to Dundee United, now managed by Craig Brewster.
March began with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock. Mark Burchill won the home game against Aberdeen and this set the side up nicely for the CIS Cup Final, at Hampden, against Celtic. Just as he had missed the last Cup Final, Noel Hunt contrived to pick up an injury and was an absentee, a pity because he had formed a potent striking force with Mark Burchill.
With the recent 8-1 thrashing against Celtic playing on his mind, Jim Leishman did something I never thought I would see and sent out a team designed to keep the score down. From the minute they ran out in a dreadfully drab dull black strip, right through to the final whistle, there was not one second of play for Pars fans to cheer. What is the point of being in a Cup Final, if you do not at least try to win. The result was a ridiculously easy 3-0 stroll for Celtic - Jim - How could you? The final action of the month was a narrow 1-0 defeat at Ibrox. The 1st April brought Falkirk to East End Park and The Pars stayed in front of The Bairns by drawing 1-1. The last game before the split was at Tynecastle, where Hearts ran out comfortable winners 4-0.
The post split schedule gave Dunfermline two home games and three away. The first of these was at the Falkirk Stadium where a tough 0-0 draw was fought out. The following Saturday was at home to bottom club, Livingston. If Athletic could win this match, they could relax over the remaining three fixtures as they would be in an unassailable position over Livvy. With just over ten minutes to go Livingston were winning 2-1, when Mark Burchill, who had already scored, completed a hat-trick and won the game 3-2.
To celebrate, The Pars went to Fir Park and beat Motherwell 3-2 then made it three in a row by beating Dundee United 1-0 at Tannadice. Perhaps predictably they lost the last game 1-0 at home to Inverness Caley Thistle. It had already been announced that Bartosz Tarachulski, Yannick Zambernardi, Andy Campbell, Simon Donnelly and Derek Young would be leaving, as their contracts were not being renewed. Because of poorer goal difference finished 11th on the same points as Falkirk and Dundee United but 15 points ahead of bottom club Livingston. Jim and Craig had kept the Club in the top division. A total of 45 goals had been scored with Mark Burchill on 16 as top scorer.
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