Arbroath boss Allan Moore is calling for his men to return to the form they showed the last time they played East Fife when the Bayview side pitch up at Gayfield today.
The Gayfield side won 5-1 over Gary Naysmith’s team at the end of December, although they have not won since and their lead at the top of League Two has been reduced to just two points by Albion Rovers.
Moore said: “In our last meeting with East Fife we played really well and ran out strong winners.
“A lot was made of the game being 1-1 when they had Ross Campbell sent off but we had been playing some great stuff before then.”
“I felt the penalty they got to equalise was soft but we recovered well from it and played some great attacking football. If we can repeat the display we put in that day I will be delighted.
“We have hit a bit of a barren patch in front of goal but we will keep playing away.
“Our strikers have missed chances that have cost us points at Queen’s Park and Clyde however they will come good again I am sure of that.
“East Fife have strengthened their squad over recent weeks but we are at home and need to capitalise on that.”
Whilst Moore is looking for his strikers to return to form he has to hope that his makeshift defence knits together quickly with new loan signing from Hearts, Liam Gordon, expected to make his debut.
Scott McBride, Kevin Nicoll and Craig Johnstone all miss out through knocks, with Gordon in line to link up with recent recruits from Falkirk, Liam Rowan and Ryan McGeever, and Ricky Little in the Arbroath rear-guard.