Raith Rovers 1 Dunfermline 0

THERE was late heartbreak for the Pars as a last gasp goal from Sam Stanton gave Rovers a barely deserved win in the Fife derby.

James McPake’s much changed side had the better of an encounter that was short on quality with Raith indebted to Polish goalie Kevin Dabrowski for a double save to deny Owen Moffat and Aaron Comrie.

Dunfermline looked like they would snatch the three points, only for Comrie to nod wide.

And in the third minute of added time Stanton, who netted the winner at East End Park in August, proved the hammer of the Pars again when he rifled home.

There were angry scenes at full-time, with players and staff from both sides squaring up, with Athletic every right to feel aggrieved at coming away with nothing as the home side celebrated.

Pars haven't won here since January 2017 and the fact that Dabrowski was named man of the match tells you a lot about how this game went.

After back to back defeats and a dreadful performance in the 1-0 home loss to Ayr last Saturday, Dunfermline made five changes to their starting line-up.

The big news was the return of skipper Kyle Benedictus after injury, his first game since the 1-1 draw in Inverness on September 2, and loan star Ben Summers dropping out altogether through injury.

Michael O’Halloran, Joe Chalmers, Chris Hamilton and Craig Wighton were benched with Paul Allan, Owen Moffat, Sam Fisher and Alex Jakubiak in from the start.

This was the third Fife derby between the sides this season, a 1-1 league cup draw in Kirkcaldy in July, with Pars winning 4-2 on penalties, was followed by a 1-0 win for the Rovers at East End in August.

The first half here was a scrappy affair, plenty of effort but short on quality.

Dunfermline were the better team though, forcing Raith back for the concession of numerous corners.

After getting caught time and again as they tried to play the ball out from the back against Ayr, there was none of that here.

If in doubt, launch it forward was the mantra this week although at times they did knock the ball about well in the opposition half.

The more direct approach seemed to work.

In just the second minute Allan swung in a corner from the right, Fisher met it at the front post and his downward header was well saved by Dabrowski, with Raith hoofing the ball away from danger.

Jakubiak then showed his strength, holding up the ball until Comrie ran off him, taking a touch and flashing a low left footed effort that the Rovers goalie did well to push away.

Moffat had an effort blocked as Raith looked rattled, gifting possession away cheaply and allowing Athletic to dictate the play.

The same combination, Allan’s corner and Fisher’s header, almost brought a goal but again it was saved and smuggled out for another corner.

It took 26 minutes for Raith to seriously threaten and it was ex-Par Ross Millen who delivered the ball from the right for Lewis Vaughan who, with his back to goal, turned and shot in the same move but had to watch his effort go over the top.

Another former Dunfermline player, Euan Murray, could have broken the deadlock moments later when Scott McGill lifted the ball to the back post for the centre back who climbed highest but couldn’t keep his header under the bar.

Athletic finished the half stronger and Lewis McCann saw a bundled effort, from yet another corner, bounce just wide of the target.

The gamble on Benedictus’ fitness didn’t seem to have paid off as he made way at half-time for Hamilton, with the sub taking the captain’s armband.

The visitors still looked the more likely to score and it took a superb double save from Dabrowski to deny Dunfermline in the 56th minute.

Edwards cantered down the left and found Moffat in the box who took a touch and rifled a low shot that the keeper blocked and he was up quick to stop Comrie netting the rebound.

A rare lapse in defence gave Raith a sight of goal in the 68th minute, with Fisher misjudging a ball to the back post, and it was controlled by Josh Mullin but he couldn’t get his drive on target.

Vaughan then tested Pars goalie Deniz Mehmet with a strike that zipped off the astroturf and forced a diving save.

Breen limped off injured with 10 minutes left, he crumpled to the turf with no-one near him when he turned to chase a high ball, and Chalmers came on. It looked like a hamstring problem.

In the 88th minute Pars could have won it when Edwards sent a teasing cross to the back post that was met by Comrie but his diving header bounced wide when he should have hit the target.

Instead, in the third minute of added on time, there was a real sting in the tail.

Pars gave away the ball cheaply, sub Dylan Easton prised open the defence with a pass to Stanton who took a touch before rifling a low shot into the bottom corner for the winner.