Pars 0 Airdrieonians 2

FORMER Athletic strikers Nikolay Todorov and Gabby McGill returned to haunt their former club as Pars were made to pay for missed chances against Airdrieonians.

The Bulgarian, who left East End in the summer after last season's League One title success, nodded the Diamonds ahead in the 16th minute.

Rhys McCabe's side doubled their advantage on the hour mark when McGill, who spent two years with Dunfermline after joining in 2019, smashed a superb shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Thereafter, James McPake's team didn't do enough to find a way back into it as the visitors managed the game well to seal three points and jump above their opponents in the table.

The hosts, though, were left to regret a number of missed opportunities in the first half in particular as their three-game unbeaten run came to an end ahead of this Saturday's Fife derby at Raith Rovers.

"I think we started the game okay in terms of the chances did we create. The real negative of tonight - obviously the result is the important thing - but I think for the decent chances we had in the game, we didn't work Airdrie's goalkeeper nearly enough.

"We were snatching at them and I think Matty, normally when he's in those areas, he's really good at working goalkeepers. But, again, for him it's fourth game in 11 or 12 days, so he'll be feeling that.

"That's the real disappointing thing, is that we never worked the goalkeeper nearly enough."

There was a blow for Dunfermline going into the game as Chris Kane, who scored their second in the win over Ayr United on Saturday, was not included in the match day squad.

He was replaced in the starting line-up by Alex Jakubiak in one of two changes made by McPake, with the other being a start for Ben Summers in place of Owen Moffat, who dropped to the bench, which also included Kane Ritchie-Hosler.

The Diamonds, who had lost both of this season's previous meetings with Athletic by a 2-1 scoreline, fielded no fewer than four ex-Dunfermline players.

Player / manager, Rhys McCabe, and his assistant and cousin, Callum Fordyce, were joined by forwards Todorov and McGill, whilst a fifth, goalkeeper David Hutton, was on the bench.

Goals scored was all that separated fifth-placed Pars from Airdrie, in sixth, ahead of kick-off, with the two clubs sitting on 32 points - alongside Ayr, who sit seventh - while both were just two points above second bottom Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The hosts, unbeaten in their previous three matches, were straight on the attack from kick off, creating a big opening within 30 seconds.

Summers sent Jakubiak haring into the Airdrie penalty area on the left, where the forward did well to the hold the ball, check back, and pick out Matty Todd.

The midfielder's run to latch on to the pass was excellent but, unfortunately, he didn't connect well with the shot, which went wide.

Lewis McCann soon forced Josh Rae into a comfortable catch whilst, at the other end, Fordyce headed a high, looping cross over the Pars bar.

Back at the other end, excellent play by Summers saw him find Todd for another attempt, which he sent wide of Rae's right-hand post, before Liam McStravick volleyed wide after Charlie Telfer had an attempt blocked for the Diamonds.

It had been an entertaining start, but Dunfermline's promise in the game was punctured somewhat when they fell behind 16 minutes in.

Adam Frizzell was the supplier, sending a cross to the far post where Todorov, who netted 11 times for the Pars last season, had the simple task of nodding in at the far post from close range.

The hosts tried to respond, and Miles Welch-Hayes was unfortunate to have a header booted from the line, before Chris Hamilton slashed the rebound well wide of target.

There was a flash point in the 26th minute when Welch-Hayes was on the end of a crude challenge by Frizzell, who was cautioned, and which sparked a melee, after which Ewan Otoo was shown a yellow card.

From the resulting free-kick, Paul Allan slide a pass down the right for Todd - inexplicably in space in the box - but he lashed over.

The game continued to be feisty, with referee, Duncan Williams, not endearing himself to the home crowd at times, but the Pars trailed going into the half-time interval.

Jakubiak was soon having a go early in the second half, firing a difficult chance wide of the near post after racing on to Hamilton's flighted pass, before Allan's attempted far post cross from a short free-kick struck the post, almost catching Diamonds keeper Rae out.

In the 56th minute, Lewis McCann was replaced by Ritchie-Hosler, who has recovered from a third serious injury this term, with the last, a dislocated shoulder, having sidelined him since late November.

Airdrie, though, almost made it 2-0 when Todorov sent a header not too far wide from McCabe's deep free-kick into the Pars box, but soon did so to drive another dagger into home hearts.

As the visitors struggled to clear their lines effectively, the ball broke for McGill at the edge of the box who took a touch, swivelled, and then smashed an unstoppable shot beyond the helpless Deniz Mehmet and into the top corner.

You could have been forgiven for struggling to understand how the Pars found themselves two down, but moments later, when Jakubiak did well to check inside in the box, but hit the side net, profligacy in front of goal was a big reason for it.

With 20 minutes left, McPake made a triple switch, sending on Michael O'Halloran, Brad Holmes and Moffat in place of Jakubiak, Summers and Allan, in an attempt to try find a route back into the game.

Moffat soon tried his luck, sending a drive over from around 20 yards out, but Dunfermline struggled to find opportunities that came their way in the first half as Airdrie managed their advantage well.

Frizzell fizzed a drive from distance over late on for them, but they had done enough to earn three points and leave Dunfermline deflated.

Dunfermline: Mehmet, Welch-Hayes, Fagan-Walcott, Hamilton, Edwards, Summers (Holmes 70), Allan (Moffat 70), Otoo, Todd, McCann (Ritchie-Hosler 56), Jakubiak (O'Halloran 70).

Subs not used: Benedictus, Chalmers, Sutherland, Benjamin, Little.

Booked: Otoo (28), Mehmet (89).

Airdrieonians: Rae, Hancock, McCabe, Watson, Fordyce, Telfer, Frizzell, McStravick (McMaster 72), Megwa, Todorov (C. Gallagher 72), McGill (Donnell 66).

Subs not used: Taylor-Sinclair, Dunlop, O'Connor, Lyall, G. Gallagher.

Goals: Todorov (16), McGill (60).

Booked: Frizzell (28), McStravick (28), Hancock (42), McCabe (85), Telfer (89).

Referee: Duncan Williams.

Attendance: 4,988.