By Michael Wood
19. Max Little
Little’s arrival from Queen’s Park Rangers on a two-year deal came out from left field when announced in July of 2022 and has been a head-scratcher ever since.
Why the London-born shot-stopper with no prior professional experience flitted up to Scotland to play bench warmer and having a Pars career that totals two Challenge Cup games against Celtic B and Dundee United has not made it any less befuddling.
Little has been the reserve keeper, which made sense as Mehmet was exceptional last season. Yet, evidently, at first-team level he is not entrusted as when the former Turkish youth international was sidelined in this campaign, Harrison Sharp was given the gloves upon arriving.
18. Harrison Sharp
Before ceding the gloves back to Adam Legzdins, Sharp had been Dundee’s starting goalkeeper in their quest for the Championship title. However, he was knocked further down the pecking order after the arrival of Trevor Carson upon their return to the top flight; thus, the move on loan to Dunfermline for six months transpired.
Sharp was a replacement for Deniz Mehmet, who was waylaid by an ankle injury that kept him off the park for the opening half a dozen league games.
In theory, Sharp could have returned at the end of September when Mehmet returned and fans would have been happy after his meek performance between the sticks at Firhill in Partick Thistle’s three-nil victory. Yet, that would have just soured relations with the hierarchy of Dundee, with whom the DA manager James McPake and his assistant Dave Mackay still have relationships therein. So, the alternative was to field two goalkeepers on the bench until his agreed departure in mid-January.
He was technically lacking as Chris Mochrie’s shot passed through him to give the visitors the win at East End Park in mid-November – his last appearance for the club. That was not his only questionable performance: he failed to parry a tame strike from Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s Nathan Shaw away from goal in the Highland capital and iffy when Sam Stanton scored the only goal in Raith Rovers’ win in August.
17. Bradley Holmes
Holmes is at East End Park to provide depth to the centre forward department that lost Craig Wighton for the season shortly after the former’s loan move from Blackpool.
While he has appeared bright off the bench in a handful of appearances, he does not seem the goalscorer that the club craves and is neither a wide forward, as shown in his display in his only start against Partick Thistle.
16. Xavier Benjamin
Benjamin, whose professional career consisted of two cup games for the Cardiff City prior to joining the Pars, would have been better being slowly introduced to his new surroundings, however, the Bluebirds loanee was thrust into the side at an inopportune time.
The defender bore the brunt of the criticism in playing his part in the side conceding nine home goals in three successive home games – albeit he was only on the park for eight of them after being hooked at half-time after picking up his second booking in back-to-back matches against Queen’s Park and Arbroath respectively.
That stint has already tainted the 20-year-old, who needs a period out of the limelight to come back all the better for it, perhaps competing as a full back in a four rather than a wide centre back in a three-man defense.
15. Michael O’Halloran
The two-time Scottish Cup winner has been fine since his arrival from St Johnstone in the summer, fine and no more.
A hamstring injury thwarted him early in the campaign, when he had to sit for the three League Cup matches after coming on as a substitute in the club’s penalty shootout win over Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park.
And while he was absent in the league opener against Airdrieonians, he has been available for nearly every other game in the Championship, which is saying something considering the club’s injury record this season.
O’Halloran netted his first goal as the scoreline sweetener in DA’s three-one win over Greenock Morton and returned the favour for Alex Jakubiak when providing his opener against Ayr United.
The one caveat is that he is being played out of position more often than not as a right wing back, which has not been to the benefit of himself or the team as he has never been that skilled a defender, and rightfully so as a final third operator.
Being out of position perhaps explains somewhat why the biggest points drop off per game of any Dunfermline player this season is O’Halloran, who yields 0.88ppg across his 17 starts, opposed to the 1.89ppg in the eight games he has not.
14. Alex Jakubiak
It has been underwhelming. Jakubiak was a centre forward that had been good for a goal involvement twice in five matches in his Championship career and was coming off the back of an excellent campaign with Dundee when notching six goals and three assists in 20 outings.
It took 13 games for Jakubiak to get off the mark for Dunfermline when scoring a brace against Ayr United at Somerset Park. Pairing those goals with the couple of assists he laid on for Michael O’Halloran and Matthew Todd in wins against Morton and Airdrieonians, his contributions appear more flattering.
Across 17 matches, however, the former Dundee centre forward has only contributed to a goal one in every four and a quarter games on average, slightly better than his one in five at Partick Thistle, undoubtedly the worst spell he had at this level.
Like O’Halloran, Dunfermline appears a better side when Jakubiak does not start, with the Pars being 0.6 points per game better off when he is involved off the bench or not at all. Frustrating as you can see a player there.
13. Chris Mochrie
He was an ever present in the title winning side since his arrival when scoring against Edinburgh City, but he only registered one other goal at Peterhead.
Mochrie’s only goal at East End Park came this season while playing for his parent club: Dundee United.
It was perhaps unfair to expect a 19-year-old to excel week in and week out, and the expectation of him to produce magic in games laid with the projection of the supporters onto him.
But Mochrie did posses the technical ability to be a cut above in the third tier. It was just a shame not to see it more often, and his languid effort on defense was a disappointment.
Last season, Dunfermline was 0.21 points per game better off when Mochrie did not start, the largest disparity of any of the 11 players that did and did not begin a sixth of the league campaign.
12. Owen Moffat
The Blackpool loanee was eased into action upon his return north of the border when making five consecutive substitute appearances before starting in the Fife derby defeat to Raith Rovers in October.
Moffat announced himself to a national audience, however, when netting within 20 seconds and following up his first professional goal with his second before the game clock hit 10 minutes at Cappielow against a beleaguered Greenock Morton.
Eight days later, he scored an equaliser against Dundee United, making Euro 2020 squad member Declan Gallagher look foolish when he sent him to the floor before dispatching past Jack Walton in a well-taken dribble and finish against the league leaders.
Since then, he has split time between starter and impact sub, notching his first club assist for on-loan Celt Summers in the club’s two-one defeat at Hampden Park.
11. Ben Summers
The on-loan Hoops teenager has struggled with injury in his time with the club, yet, when he has played, he has proven more than helpful in later starts when the club has been struggling.
Of the 15 Pars players that have not started at least a fifth of the league campaign, only a handful of player appears to be missed more when not in from the beginning than Summers, with the club achieving 0.23 points per game more with him starting – which would equate to eight more points over a season.
His goals against Raith Rovers and Queen’s Park were nothing more than consolation efforts, however, they represented his first and second for the club.
Not only has he shown his prowess to leather the ball into the back of the net, but he has the ability to be the best playmaker in the squad, threading on a couple of assists to the centre forwards (McCann v Queen’s Park; Jakubiak v Ayr) who sorely lack service in open play all too often.
10. Paul McGowan
The strength of McGowan’s signing was not what he brought to the team on the field but on the training ground. He was an experienced head, a setter of standards, and an individual who kept his teammates on their toes with his fiery temperament.
He had been there and done it with Greenock Morton in 2007, so knew what was required to get this time over the line in winning the League One trophy.
While he turned out in every game bar one while at the club, he started only three times, which meant he was not overexposed or exerted on his return to fitness from a back injury. His goal against Alloa Athletic on the season finale exemplified how technically gifted he remained.
9. Robbie Mahon
While never under appreciated by the coaching staff, he was perhaps an afterthought amongst the supporters because of how infrequently the now Dundalk winger played in the club’s League One winning season.
His Pars career consisted of 412 third-tier minutes spread across 13 games, three of his four assists were vital and will live in the memory for a while. The outlier of the quarter merely inflicted further misery upon Peterhead.
Mahon set up Dunfermline’s second and third goals in their four-three comeback victory against Airdrieonians and laid off Lewis McCann in stoppage time for the winner against Clyde in DA’s last home game of the season.
8. Malachi Fagan-Walcott
The second of the Cardiff loanees came in and, on debut, kept a clean sheet at Tannadice, and Dunfermline appeared to have turned a corner when drawing with the league leaders toward the end of January.
However, along with Benjamin, he was at the centre of the defence that endured the collapse that followed in the trio of games against Greenock Morton, Queen’s Park and Arbroath, where he was poor for a few of the goals conceded.
Yet, he did net his first professional goals in back-to-back games – both important in securing a draw against Arbroath and igniting the comeback v Partick Thistle. Fagan-Walcott has also been in the side for half of the club’s league clean sheets this season, meaning there are signs that this could develop into a great signing that can, hopefully, be extended into the next campaign and beyond for the defender who previously worked with McPake at Dundee.
7. Miles Welch-Hayes
The right back came on loan from Livingston a day after the club missed their prime target: Lee Ashcroft.
While two different players, because of the plight that the club found itself in at the time, accusations of panic singing was made by ignorant observes, rather than what he is: an upgrade on Benjamin after Aaron Comrie’s injury ruled him out the remainder of the campaign and solely relying on Liam Hoggan, a player a decade his junior.
He made his first start against Inverness, and kept a clean sheet, the club’s fourth of the campaign and followed it up with another in the two-nil win over Ayr.
Early days, but if he continues looking a solid replacement then the promptness of the recruitment team has to be commended on this one as he may just have helped save Dunfermline’s season.
6. Chris Kane
Kane did not come in as McPake’s first choice after the club lost out on Zak Rudden to Raith Rovers, and their bid for Eamonn Brophy from Ross County was rejected.
Nevertheless, he has instilled himself as first choice centre forward after Wighton’s injury and the on loan St Johnstone striker hit the frame against Arbroath on debut, a frustration, as that would have gave the club a mighty lift out of a slump in form that at the time was worse than anything suffered in the last decade.
Being industrious has immediately endeared him to the fanbase, rightful so, as the squad is viewed as all too passive, all too often. The goals, however, had to come. He almost scored on debut when striking the woodwork late against Arbroath, which would have won the game, but did get off the mark by forcing Sean McGinty into an error and dispatching to seal the three points on Saturday.
5. Kane Ritchie-Hosler
The English wide midfielder has been at the club since September 2022 but only managed to be involved in less than half of all 55 league games he has been at the club for – 24; 17 starts (1,541 minutes, the equivalent of 17.12 full games).
Unquestionably talented but injury has cruelly plagued him this campaign, with three surgeries on his ankle, knee and shoulder. However, the best ability is often availability, and for how good a player he showed down the stretch in the League One winning campaign, only three of his five-goal involvements had a differential outcome on the result: when setting up the opener against Queen of the South at Palmerston; opening the scoring v QoS in the reverse at East End Park; and the first in the comeback at home v Clyde.
4. Ewan Otoo
Otoo has played every league minute he has been available this season, missing just two games: the two-all draw with Ayr and the two-one defeat to Queen’s Park.
He is so versatile as a player that fans are divided as to where his best position on the park is: is he a wide centre back, a ball-winning defensive midfielder, or a left back. It may not matter at this moment in time when injuries are decimating the squad that any player in any position will do, and Otoo has performed in them all already this campaign.
Yet, with the possibility that Edwards will depart in the summer, it does give credence that his replacement may already be at the club.
Otoo’s debut for the club came in that mesmeric four-three comeback win in Airdrie last season when he came on after 32 minutes in place of Chris Hamilton.
But he would have to wait for his first start, which came at left back following a rare Edwards absence in the two-nil win v Alloa Athletic. Then, with Rhys Breen’s injury against Edinburgh, Otoo moved to left centre back and remained in the line-up for the concluding eight fixtures of DA’s title-winning season in which the side kept four clean sheets.
Otoo’s first goal came on the opening day of this campaign when heading home the leveller against the team it all started with: Airdrie.
3. Chris Hamilton
Hamilton came to the club carrying a two-game suspension in the league, meaning his debut in League One for the Pars came against Montrose in a one-nil win when positioned in front of the defence. Since then, he has only missed a league match day squad twice.
And his importance to the squad reflects in the numbers as only Josh Edwards (76) and Joe Chalmers (74) have appeared in more Dunfermline games under McPake than Hamilton (68). The fact that he is at his boyhood club is merely a bonus.
His versatility has been needed this campaign as injuries to defenders have forced him into the back line where he can operate because his ball disruption and organisation are excellent, commensurate to the level. However, his stature limits him aerially, and Dunfermline has suffered for it.
In lieu of Kyle Benedictus, he has been brandishing the captain’s armband, a vote of confidence by McPake for a player who arrived at the age of 20 and had not worked with the former Dundee manager previously, finding himself entrusted as a locker room leader and commanding the respect of his teammates.
A move back into the midfield will surely see him flourish further and fulfil his potential.
2. Sam Fisher
Dunfermline are a better team when Fisher plays. His points per game with and without him last season exemplified his importance to the backline and its defensive record.
When Fisher started for the Pars last season, the club gained, on average, 2.42ppg, opposed to the 2.00 in his absence – the largest difference in the negative when someone is out of the line-up. It is similar in this campaign with a negative difference of -0.05ppg when he is not in from the start, meagre, but over the course of a campaign that equates to 1.8 points and, in a division this tight, every point counts.
Only 12 players have turned out for the Pars under the stewardship of McPake more than Fisher’s 38 – impressive considering the defender was recalled by Dundee and went on to qualify for winners’ medals last season in the Championship and League One.
For Dunfermline, to bring back a player fresh off that success is a testament to how he feels he was treated by everyone involved with the club. And while just 22, he appears to be the modern day heir to Benedictus – if he is not pinched by a Premiership side before his contract expires in May 2026.
It is not only on the defensive end that he has contributed: two of his three assists were vital in earning the club points. Whether it was his goal-bound shot turned in by Edinburgh’s Liam Fontaine in the one-nil win or his flick-on to Chris Hamilton in their draw in Inverness earlier in the campaign.
1. Kyle Benedictus
Dunfermline had four members in the 2022-23 PFA Scotland League One Team of the Year: Edwards, Mehmet, Todd and Benedictus.
That alone highlights his exceptionalness across a campaign when missing only a single game after taking one for the team when receiving a red card against Airdrieonians with his opponent bearing down on goal two minutes after the Diamonds had equalised.
Benedictus signed a new two-year deal in October but has been limited to just 66 minutes since, and with one eye on the future indicating he may be finishing his career with the club there needs to be a longer-term view to replacing him, an impossible job at present as his absence this season shone a light on how big a void is left when he is not around, even with his declining athleticism. No single player in the squad can replicate his leadership, commandment of his area and aerial presence – it has been a collective effort by the young defence to take on the added responsibilities.
Benedictus suffered a foot injury up in Inverness – a disastrous game for injuries for the club – which subsequently ruled him out of five matches. Sadly, however, his ailments have exacerbated since with two thigh injuries in comebacks that have sidelined him out for large spells but did make his return to the bench on Saturday against Ayr United.
(Photo credit: Craig Brown Dafc.co.uk)
That's Never 10 Yards 