PARS 2 Falkirk 0

RHYS BREEN and Matty Todd were Dunfermline's heroes as they saw off rivals Falkirk to claim a hugely significant League One victory.

The table-topping hosts, in front of an outstanding crowd of 9,530, took a 67th minute lead when Breen headed in from a corner, after Chris Mochrie hit the post on the stroke of half-time, before Todd's 10th goal of the season seven minutes later secured all three points.

It moved James McPake's Pars eight points clear of John McGlynn's Bairns at the summit with nine games remaining, as they extended their unbeaten home run to 14 games.

The Pars have lost just once in 27 League One games, and are unbeaten in their last 15, and kept their third successive clean sheet, taking their total for the league campaign to 16.

McPake said post-match that the message at half-time to his players was to play with freedom and "go and get after them", and commented: "Second half we were excellent. It just counts how many goals you score.

"In terms of the atmosphere, we had to come out and have a go at them because, first half, it was a bit of a boring game. The only real bit in the game was Chris Mochrie's shot, if I remember right, that got our set of fans excited.

"Apart from that, it was a boring first half. Second half was much better, much more like us, and it's a good three points."

Bairns boss McGlynn, who has watched his team lose twice to the Pars in three meetings this season, said: "I thought we were the better side first half, although they did hit the post at the end of the first half.

"I thought we were the more dominant team and controlled the first half without creating a hell of a lot. We got a couple of balls across the face of the goal that we might have got someone on the end of, Gary (Oliver) had a header very early in the game, and I thought we were on top.

"However, second half, we've not started the second half. We've given them the initiative and once they get the goal, their tails are up, pushed for a second goal, which they got, and it was quite difficult after that.

"On the second half performance, we didn't do enough to take anything from the game, and we've just got to accept on the night that Dunfermline deserved to win over the 90 minutes."

Pars boss McPake made two changes to his starting line-up from the team that defeated Alloa on Saturday.

The injured Aaron Comrie missed out, and was replaced by Kyle MacDonald, while Ewan Otoo dropped to the bench for the fit-again Josh Edwards.

Visiting manager McGlynn made one alteration to his team that thumped Peterhead, bringing in former Kelty Hearts loanee, Max Kucheriyavi, for Liam Henderson.

The contest started amidst a crackling atmosphere generated by the 9,530 crowd, but it was the Bairns who settled the quicker in its infancy.

Gary Oliver headed at Deniz Mehmet from a Callumn Morrison cross, whilst the same combination produced a miss-hit shot wide of the post.

Kane Ritchie-Hosler was a bright spark for the Pars and, in the 15th minute, he did well to win the ball in midfield and drive at the Falkirk backline, which resulted in some pressure, but only a MacDonald shot that was blocked did the hosts have to show for it.

Todd sliced an effort wide from the edge of the box as a corner was cleared out to him, before Mehmet had to be alert to deal with a back pass, whilst put under pressure by Oliver, after Dunfermline coughed up possession from their own throw.

The leaders, at times throughout the opening period, didn't retain the ball as well as they could have, and Falkirk aimed to run at their defence whenever their wide men got on the ball.

Kai Kennedy, who had a stint on loan at East End last season, needed no second invitation when he picked it up on the left but, after ghosting infield and away from two markers, he pulled his shot off-target.

Then, on the stroke of the interval, only the woodwork denied Dunfermline the opening goal.

They worked the ball well on the left hand side and Mochrie, on the turn, fired a fine effort towards the bottom right corner, only for the upright to deny him.

The Pars started the second half brightly and, within minutes of the game resuming, MacDonald scooped over from close range after Falkirk failed to clear a corner, before Brian Kinnear did well to save from a low Todd drive at the edge of the box.

McPake was the first of the managers to turn to the bench, sending on former Falkirk man Kevin O'Hara for Mochrie, but it was Todd again trying to find a goal, shooting down Kinnear's throat after Kyle Benedictus kept the ball alive after a corner, won after Hamilton had a deflected shot wide, was headed out.

However, in the 67th minute, it was Dunfermline who hit the front.

It came from a corner which was won after Todd did brilliantly well on the left to race away from Kucheriavyi, move inside the box and send a curler towards the far post, which Kinnear pushed wide well.

From the delivery by Chalmers, the ball was met by the head of Breen and, despite desperate attempts to clear by a Falkirk shirt and the goalkeeper, the ball scrambled in over the line and in.

That sent the vast majority of East End Park into bedlam, and it was deserved for a second half showing that was dominant by the Pars.

Todd, despite appearing to be fouled by Liam Henderson, held off the defender and slipped in Wighton, who saw his effort hit the outside of the post on its way wide, but soon afterwards the Pars did double their lead.

It was a mistake in the Falkirk backline as, in attempting to clear, Kinnear cannoned the ball off Wighton, who deserves credit for closing the keeper down.

The ball broke for Ritchie-Hosler, who showed terrific composure to play the ball in for Todd, who had the simple task of rolling the ball into the back of the net.

That gave Dunfermline the breathing space they needed and they saw the match out well to secure a fine victory and take a big step closer to the League One title.

Pars: Mehmet, MacDonald, Breen, Benedictus, Edwards, Hamilton, Chalmers, Todd, Mochrie (O'Hara 53), Ritchie-Hosler (McGowan 85), Wighton (McCann 76).

Subs not used: Todorov, Otoo, Allan, Fenton, Mahon, Little.

Goals: Breen (67), Todd (74).

Booked: Edwards (52).

Falkirk: Kinnear, Rowe, McGinn (Henderson 60), Donaldson, Morrison, Nesbitt, McCann, Oliver (Burrell 60), Kucheriayvi (McGuffie 72), Mackie, Kennedy (Wright 72).

Subs not used: Williamson, Allan, Yeats, McKay, Morrison.

Booked: Mackie (83).

Referee: Euan Anderson.

Attendance: 9,530.