Raith Rovers v Dunfermline: James McPake's reaction to Fife derby

A goal in each half from Sam Stanton and Dylan Easton gave the Kirkcaldy side the bragging rights at Stark's Park on an afternoon where their clinical finishing proved the difference.

The Pars, who have lost five matches to their neighbours in succession this season, a run that includes all four Championship games and a Scottish Cup tie, played their part in an engrossing match.

They had opportunities throughout, the pick of which saw Kevin Dabrowski produce an outstanding stop to deny Ewan Otoo early in the second half, and a penalty appeal turned down inside the third minute.

Matty Todd went down in the box under a challenge, for which he was booked for what referee, Craig Napier, deemed to be simulation when it looked as though Athletic had a strong case for a spot-kick.

McPake wouldn't be drawn on offering a view on that incident post-match, but he was frustrated his team didn't do more with periods of pressure they had.

"You can have as much of the ball as you want, you can have as many corners as you want, but ultimately, you've got to put the ball in the back of the net, and that's what Raith done," he said.

"The team deserved that deserved to win the game today won it. Raith deserved to win the game, they scored two goals. It's sore alright, any game you lose.

READ MORE: Athletic fall to defeat as Rovers claim Fife derby honours

"When you're here with a big travelling support, you're desperate to win the game, but they deserved to win the game.

"You can see the reason they're second in the league. They don't need to have the most of the ball, they don't need to have most of the chances, but at the top end of the pitch, they make sure, when they chances come around, they take them.

"They did that today."

Raith's opening goal came when Stanton, who took his tally to four in six meetings with Dunfermline this season, nodded in after Deniz Mehmet, who saved a stoppage time penalty from former Par, Callum Smith, had parried a Lewis Vaughan free-kick.

McPake felt his goalkeeper should have done better with the initial shot, and branded his team "naive" in the build-up to Easton's clincher, which came after Rovers were awarded a free-kick on the right of the penalty area, took it quickly, and found the midfielder to curl home.

When he was asked whether the awarding of the free-kick for the opening goal was soft, McPake replied: "I've not seen it back, but it doesn't matter. The goalkeeper's got to be dealing with it better. It's a poor save, we don't follow it in, Stanton's in acres just to knock it in if I remember correct.

"If you parry the ball back out into the middle of your box, then you're going to concede a goal. Whether the free-kick's given or not, then they maybe could've got the shot away and it gets parried out, but I'm not going to make excuses and say it was a free-kick, it wasn't a free-kick.

"There's one at the second goal, which we couldn't see from where it is either, but we're that naive we allow them to take a quick free-kick and, all of a sudden, you give it to player like Dylan Easton, and he's going to find the net. We're naive in that one, and just a poor individual mistake in the first one."

Kyle Benedictus, a former Rovers captain, made his first appearance since late December after recovering from a thigh problem, which he initially picked up during Dunfermline's last trip to Kirkcaldy in October, before aggrevating it in a match at Ayr United.

The influential skipper played the full 90 minutes at the heart of the Athletic backline, which McPake was pleased with.

"I thought he was excellent. He really was. It's not easy for him coming back here," the boss added.

"We were swithering whether to play him on Tuesday against Airdrie, but we decided to give him the extra few days training.

"I think he cruised through the game for everything he had to do. It's great having him back because he is our leader, and you could hear how vocal he was on the pitch.

"He's hurting in there. Of course he is. He wanted to come back to this club where he played for so long - he had a great time here - and win for us.

"He's in there, he's annoyed, he's frustrated, but I was pleased with his performance, not too many more."

Rovers counterpart, Ian Murray, added: "I’m delighted with the result and three points that’s for sure.

"It was a really good derby performance. It was hard, that was for sure. There were moments we had to defend our box, which we did - Kev (Dabrowski) has made one really good save.

"It was important we picked up three points and to do it against your local rivals is even nicer."