Head to Dunfermline for some Barcelona-esque action
Published:
It’s shaping up to be a thrilling season just off the M90 with Dunfermline fans seeing almost 30 goals fly into opposition nets in the opening seven games, a stunning average of just over four goals a game.
The Pars began with four against Arbroath in the Challenge Cup before a five-goal haul at home to Cowdenbeath in the League Cup.
It didn’t stop there. Brechin City were despatched 6-1 on home soil on the opening weekend of the Ladbrokes League 1 season, and poor Cowdenbeath were again on the receiving end of a thrashing, this time a 7-1 humbling in the third tier.
A further 3-0 win over Forfar consolidated an amazing start to the year, and though a 2-1 loss at Peterhead last weekend took the shine off things, Allan Johnston’s men – 4/7 to win the Ladbrokes League 1 title – roared back into life with a 3-1 cup success over Premiership Dundee last night.
In total the Pars’ hot streak has yielded seven wins from six games and 29 goals scored.
Barcelona would be proud of those numbers.
But where are these goals coming from? Not from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
Step forward a trio of attackers in arguably the form of their lives – Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Michael Moffat and Joe Cardle.
Moroccan El Bakhtaoui is producing the sort of statistics you used to see on the Championship Manager 01/02, with 11 goals in seven games, including five braces.
Those 11 strikes are already two more than the 22-year-old recorded throughout the whole of last season, and at this current rate he could well be on for a 40-goal campaign.
He’s been ably assisted by Michael Moffat, who has netted six times season, including a double in the 3-0 win over Forfar during a spell of scoring in four successive games.
Englishman Joe Cardle completes the final piece of this devastating triangle. On his return to Dunfermline following spells at Ross County and Raith Rovers, the 29-year-old has netted four times on his comeback so far.
To further compound their League 1 rivals’ despair, Ryan Wallace is also back among the goals. After a disruptive campaign with injuries last time out, the Scot has got his name on the scoresheet four times this season.
So let’s say Dunfermline play 44 matches this season in all competitions. At their current rate of goals, they’ll score somewhere around 180 times. Mind-boggling.
So you can keep your Messis, your Neymars and your Suarezs, Dunfermline Athletic are doing just fine with their own defence-destroying trio.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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