Dunfermline: Kyle Benedictus reacts to Raith Rovers loss

Kyle Benedictus, playing his first match since late December, cut a frustrated figure post-match after his team were beaten by Raith Rovers in the Fife derby.

The influential centre back described the 90 minutes against the club he left to join Dunfermline as "the same old" after they were undone by a goal in each half from Sam Stanton and Dylan Easton.

James McPake's side were competitive for large spells against Ian Murray's title-chasers, who not only completed a clean sweep of four Championship victories from four against the Pars this term, but set themselves a new club record by claiming five successive wins in this fixture for the first time.

Rovers' Kevin Dabrowski, who made a stunning save to deny Ewan Otoo what looked like a certain equaliser early in the second half, was the busier of the two goalkeepers throughout, even though Deniz Mehmet saved a stoppage time penalty from former Par Callum Smith.

Deniz Mehmet saved a stoppage time penalty from Callum Smith. (Image: Craig Brown.)

Dunfermline, especially after the break until Easton's clincher, had plenty of the ball in their opposition's half, and pressure in and around the penalty area, but couldn't fashion enough to get back into it.

READ MORE: Two police officers injured during brawl between Raith and Dunfermline fans

Each of the previous league derbies, all settled by a single goal, have followed a similar pattern, and Benedictus said: "It was the same old. I thought we did well in the game but there was big moments in the game.

"Their keeper pulled off a 'worldy' that would have made it 1-1 and, for their second goal, we switch off. A quick free-kick - it shouldn’t happen - and then Dylan’s put it into the side netting, a great finish.

"We’ve been here too many times, especially in these games, but credit to Raith again.

"They’ve done what they needed to do and got the three points."

The latter point was one that McPake made afterwards, who noted: "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."

READ MORE: Pars boss says Raith 'deserved' Fife derby win

This match was similar to Dunfermline's previous game, a 2-0 home loss to Airdrieonians, in that there were good things within it, but failure to convert into goals proved to be their undoing.

In the third minute, Matty Todd thought he should've had a spot-kick under a challenge from Scott Brown, only for referee, Craig Napier, to view it as a dive and book the Pars midfielder.

It was a big call from the man in the middle, who dished out a further six yellow cards in the first half, which was feisty and, at times, threatening to boil over.

Dunfermline were on the front foot for much of it, with Josh Edwards forcing Dabrowski into a decent stop from a free-kick, whilst Alex Jakubiak, Miles Welch-Hayes, Chris Hamilton and Otoo also had attempts, but it was Rovers who struck first.

There was no way through for Alex Jakubiak and Ben Summers on Saturday. (Image: Craig Brown.)

Chris Hamilton was penalised for a challenge on Stanton and, although Mehmet pushed out Lewis Vaughan's strike, it fell invitingly for Stanton to head in his fourth goal in six derbies this season.

Shortly after the restart, Otoo seemed certain to find the top corner with a blistering drive, only for Dabrowski to leap to his left and produce a stunning save.

Ewan Otoo was denied an equaliser by a stunning Kevin Dabrowski save. (Image: Craig Brown.)

That, though, was the best chance created by the Pars for the remainder of the match.

Jakubiak, Ben Summers and Todd all found their route to goal blocked out by a well-marshalled Rovers backline, whilst Malachi Fagan-Walcott steered a loose ball over from a corner.

Then, with 12 minutes to go, Raith clinched victory when a free-kick near the corner flag was taken quickly to Aidan Connolly, who laid the ball off for Easton to curl a lovely strike into the corner of the net.

It would've been worse for the Pars had Mehmet not kept out Smith's penalty, after a foul by Lewis McCann on Stanton, but the damage had already been done.

"It’s probably been affecting us in recent weeks," Benedictus said of Dunfermline's lack of cutting edge.

"You see it again, there was a lot of effort from the boys. I thought we competed well and I don’t think there was much in the game, but they’ve had their moments again and that’s what’s got them the three points."

McPake added: "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.

"The team 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.

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