Preview: Dunfermline Athletic vs Stirling Albion - prediction, team news, lineups

Dunfermline Athletic will welcome Stirling Albion to East End Park for Saturday's final game of the Scottish League Cup group stage.

The hosts still have an outside chance of reaching the knockout stage, but the visitors have already been eliminated following three consecutive defeats.

Match preview

Dunfermline head into the weekend in second place in Group E after winning two and losing one of their three matches.

Neil Lennon's side began their campaign with a heavy 4-1 defeat against Hearts, before they produced an emphatic response with a 4-0 victory in their away meeting with Dumbarton on matchday two.

They backed up that impressive result with a narrow 2-1 win in their midweek outing against Hamilton Academical, which came courtesy of Andrew Tod's opener and a Lee Kilday own goal.

Dunfermline cannot overturn the six-point deficit to group winners Hearts, but they still have an outside chance to progress from the group phase for the first time since 2021-22, knowing that a win would give them hope of clinching one of three best second-placed spots.

The Pars will take confidence from the fact that they have won four of their last six games against Stirling, including a 3-1 home victory in their most recent meeting in July 2018.

Meanwhile, Stirling have already suffered their second straight group-stage exit after they failed to take anything from their opening three matches.

The fourth-tier side lost 2-0 in their first game against Hamilton, before they fell to a narrow 1-0 in their away meeting with Dumbarton.

Alan Maybury's charges then endured a difficult outing in their recent home meeting with Hearts, conceding three first-half goals in a heavy 4-0 defeat to the Scottish Premiership outfit.

As a result, Stirling are one of six teams yet to pick up a point in this season's group stage, leaving them bottom of Group E with a game left to play.

Having struggled in the competition, the visitors know that they will have their work cut out to claim their first competitive victory over Dunfermline since they recorded a 3-0 home win in October 2007.

Dunfermline Athletic Scottish League Cup form:

L W W

Stirling Albion Scottish League Cup form:

L L L

Team News

The hosts may have to cope without the services of Chris Kane, who was forced off with a knock in the midweek win over Hamilton.

If Kane is unable to feature, Rory MacLeod will come into the side to partner Andrew Tod in the Dunfermline forward line.

Kane Ritchie-Hosler and Tashan Oakley-Boothe are both pushing for recalls after settling for substitute roles in Tuesday's contest.

As for the visitors, Maybury may opt to line up with a back three, which could feature Kyle Banner, Ross McGeachie and Robbie McNab.

After dropping out of the lineup last weekend, wide man Harry Wright is hoping to earn a recall for the final group game.

Ross Cunningham and Russell McLean could feature in the front two, as Stirling look to avoid finishing the competition without a goal to their name.

Dunfermline Athletic possible starting lineup:

Mehmet; Chilokoa-Mullen, Benedictus, J. Tod; Ritchie-Hosler, Oakley-Boothe, Gilmour; Otoo; Cooper; A. Tod, MacLeod

Stirling Albion possible starting lineup:

Gaston; Banner, McGeachie, McNab; Wright, Carse, Knox, Crane, Brown; Cunningham, McLean

We say: Dunfermline Athletic 2-0 Stirling Albion

Dunfermline will carry some momentum into Saturday's fixture after winning their last two matches, and we expect them to enjoy another successful outing against a team that ply their trade two divisions below them in the Scottish football pyramid.

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