Dunfermline Athletic have been drawn away to Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup third round. The tie will be played at Palmerston Park on the final weekend of November.
Manager Neil Lennon confirmed the fixture. "Neil Lennon's Championship side, who lost to Celtic in May, will travel to Palmerston Park on the final weekend in November," he said. The Pars were last season's Scottish Cup finalists, falling to Celtic in the showpiece event.
The cup draw offers a fresh focus as Dunfermline sit fifth in the Championship with 18 points from 11 games, having recorded four wins and six draws from their league campaign. Their recent form reads one win, three draws and one loss from their last five league matches, a sequence that includes a 1-1 draw with Partick on Tuesday 20 October and a goalless draw with Livingston on Saturday 17 October. A 1-0 victory over Queen's Park on Saturday 24 October, secured by a Rhys MacLeod goal assisted by A. Tod, provided a timely boost ahead of the cup campaign. The team has scored nine goals while conceding only six this season.
Recent form and league position
Dunfermline's league campaign has been built on a solid defence, conceding just six goals so far this season. They are currently seven points behind leaders Partick Thistle in the title race. Before facing Queen of the South in the cup, the team must handle a key league fixture away to second-placed Stenhousemuir on Tuesday 27 October. The squad's top scorer this season is T. Oakley-Boothe, who has yet to find the net in his 22 appearances.
Their path to the cup final last season demonstrates their pedigree in the competition. The draw against Queen of the South, who play in the same division, presents a challenging but winnable away tie. Other third-round matches include Peterhead hosting Edinburgh City and Stranraer facing Clachnacuddin.
Lennon's side will look to carry momentum from their win over Queen's Park into the cup fixture next month.
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