Montrose 1 PARS 3

ATHLETIC assistant manager Dave Mackay saluted the club's "outstanding" fans after watching his side moved 11 points clear at the top of League One.

A Craig Wighton double, after Lewis McCann's opener, handed Dunfermline victory at Montrose, avenging their only league defeat of the campaign so far, at the same venue, in October.

Their 19th victory from 29 matches moves them another step closer to the title, and an instant return to the Championship, with 11 points from their remaining seven games enough to seal it.

McCann, one of five changes to the starting line-up from the previous weekend's draw with FC Edinburgh, headed the Pars ahead in the 22nd minute from Joe Chalmers' cross, before playing a part in Dunfermline's second seven minute later.

Dunfermline Press:

Lewis McCann celebrates netting Dunfermline's opener. Photo: Craig Brown.

A break led by Robbie Mahon saw the wide man slide a pass through for McCann, whose first-time shot was pushed onto the bar by Montrose keeper, Ross Matthews.

However, Wighton was the quickest to react to the rebound, heading into an unguarded net to double the visitors' advantage.

A commanding position was further increased 10 minutes into the second half when Wighton, after Andrew Steeves had been penalised for a foul on Chris Hamilton inside the area, scored his second from the penalty spot, taking his tally for the season to 14.

Although Craig Brown's fine strike pulled a goal back for Pars legend Stewart Petrie's side, Dunfermline saw the game out and moved another step closer to the title.

The game kicked off at 4pm - following Scotland's opening Euro 2024 qualifier at Hampden against Cyprus, which started at 2pm - and Mackay acknowledged the travelling support in the attendance of 1,052 afterwards.

"It was a four o’clock kick off up at Montrose when Scotland were playing, so the turn out was brilliant," the assistant boss said.

"The fans have been outstanding all season; they have followed us everywhere. The home crowds have been outstanding but, away from home, the following that we have had and the backing that we have had has been different class. It is important that we show our appreciation of them as well.

"It costs a lot of money travelling a long way from home so we really appreciate their backing and it is important that we go over and show that.

"We had built up a couple of goals lead in the first half and then, obviously, we extended that early in the second half. They had nothing to lose at that point. They ended up throwing loads of boys forward; they are very direct and they are a physical team. You expect to deal with a lot of long balls and crosses into the box.

"On the whole, I thought that we defended them well. Deniz (Mehmet) didn’t really have too many saves to make so, overall, it is pleasing because it is a difficult place to come. The pitch is awful, the weather is not great and the boys stood up to a physical challenge, which is what we asked of them at the beginning of the game.

"We know they were the only team who have beaten us so far, so we had that in our heads. We knew that if we didn’t turn up they were capable of beating us.

"Thankfully today, the boys turned up and showed what they are all about."

Mackay added that Matty Todd, who was substituted last weekend, should be ready to return against Kelty Hearts next week after missing out yesterday, but said defender Rhys Breen, who also sustained an injury against Edinburgh, will have a scan to discover the extent of it.

"Obviously there is not too much of the season left now in terms of weeks and sometimes these hamstring injuries can take a little bit of time to heal," Mackay said.

"The last thing you want to do as well is try and rush them and end up with a setback and potentially missing pre-season etc.

"We will manage him and he is in good hands with the medical department that we have got here. We’ll see how it goes."