PARS 3 Dundee United 1

DUNFERMLINE manager James McPake hailed his side for producing one of their best performances to dump league leaders Dundee United tonight.

Matty Todd, on his 100th appearance for the club, put the Pars ahead before Kane Ritchie-Hosler's brace, either side of half-time, put them three goals to the good.

Although Kyle Benedictus was unfortunate to net a late own goal, it didn't stop Athletic picking up three points after two successive defeats, moving them sixth in the Championship table - and four points above second bottom Inverness Caledonian Thistle - ahead of tomorrow's fixtures.

With Ritchie-Hosler, who netted his first goals of the season, and his first since last April, when Dunfermline picked up the League One trophy, Todd and the exceptional Alex Jakubiak to the fore, the home side produced a thrilling performance in front of the BBC Scotland cameras.

They blew Jim Goodwin's title-chasers away with a display of tenacity, intensity and no shortage of quality, with each of their three goals well crafted and taken.

"Yeah, it'll be one of the best performances, but it's three points at the end of the day. We're delighted with it," a delighted McPake said.

"Probably individually there were a lot of good performances. I think that's Alex Jakubiak's best performance in a Dunfermline shirt, so I'm delighted for him, and that's the Alex Jakubiak I know.

"I'll need to watch it back and then I'll discect it a wee bit and see if it's our best performance.

Dunfermline Press:

"We came out the blocks and we knew we had to. We're at home, Dundee United will obviously bring a big travelling support, which they did, and they're going to come out and make a lot of noise, so we had to go out and give our fans something to get into the game.

"It's not always getting in the lead in games, but it's showing that intent, that intensity, to just go at the other team, and when we do that here, this place does get right behind us.

"We knew we'd have had a bigger crowd in here as well on our side, so we had to go out and excite them, get them off their seats, and we did that. You saw the difference that that made to us. I thought they helped us massively and it kept Dundee United quiet."

The hosts, who were again without forward, Chris Kane, welcomed Sam Fisher back to their squad having been out since their last meeting with United, a scoreless draw in January, through injury.

He was named on the bench as McPake selected the same starting eleven that played in Saturday's Fife derby loss at Raith Rovers, whilst United counterpart Goodwin made two alterations to his team.

Kai Fotheringham, who scored the opener when the league leaders won 2-1 on their last visit to East End in November, dropped to the bench alongside Glenn Middleton following their 4-0 win over Arbroath at the weekend, with Alex Grieve and Jordan Tillson drafted in.

Dunfermline made a bright start, with Josh Edwards and Jakubiak probing down the left, and it was they who made the early breakthrough.

The latter did well in the wide area, checking infield and playing a pass across the edge of the box to Ritchie-Hosler.

The winger's touch took him wider than he probably would have liked, but he had the presence of mind to look up and spot Todd's run, laying it on a plate for the midfielder to stroke home his fourth goal of the season.

It was a dream start for the home side, and it almost got even better midway through the opening period when Jakubiak, after taking a fine touch, fired into the side net.

The Pars were putting in a controlled performance, with United ragged, summed up when ex-Falkirk man, Craig Sibbald, slashed off-target from distance.

Soon after, though, the ball was in the net - and again it was in that of the visitors.

Ritchie-Hosler, who had seen an effort blocked minutes prior, was not to be denied though and netted his team's second in fine fashion.

Jakubiak, outstanding in the first half, again was at the heart of it on the left, poking the ball infield whilst under pressure from two opponents.

Although Kevin Holt won the ball in a tackle to prevent it falling to Todd, Ritchie-Hosler accepted it and, under no pressure, picked his spot beyond Jack Walton.

It was just reward for an opening 45 minutes full of bright play and endeavour, but there was a warning just before the break when a trundling Sibbald shot sneaked just wide of Deniz Mehmet's upright.

Chris Hamilton, who had picked up an early booking, was substituted at half-time for Paul Allan, whilst the visitors replaced Tillson with Middleton in a bid to spark themselves back into proceedings.

The visitors came out for the second period fired up, with a brave Pars defender doing well to block from Middleton, before Louis Moult had a huge chance to halve the deficit.

They put pressure on the hosts inside the box and, after Grieve knocked it into his path, the former Motherwell man sent the ball wide from six yards, when you'd have put your money on him to net.

That miss proved costly as Dunfermline, moments later, broke away for a third goal.

From their own free-kick, United's Scott McMann gave up possession to Ritchie-Hosler, who drove forward from halfway.

Jakubiak made a fine supporting run to his run and, after the forward was picked out, he immediately returned the pass to Ritchie-Hosler, taking out two defenders in the process.

That left the winger one-on-one with Walton, and he made no mistake, finishing with aplomb for his second and Dunfermline's third, sending East End wild.

That was the cue for some away fans to head for home, although their side did come close when Middleton flashed wide of the far post, before Pars captain Kyle Benedictus made a superb block to deny Tony Watt on the turn.

That was a feature of Dunfermline's play, tenacious in the tackle and determined to shut out their opponents, further emphasised when Ewan Otoo made a superb challenge on Watt as the clock ticked into the final 15 minutes.

Two-goal hero Ritchie-Hosler went off to a standing ovation, alongside Edwards, with Joe Chalmers and Fisher replacing them, as the hosts sought to see the match out.

However, a minute later, United pulled one back.

Middleton, who had made a positive impact for them since his introduction, did well on the left to cross, which took a nick off Fisher as he tried to block.

Benedictus, sliding to try and clear, was unfortunate as the ball seemed to take a touch off the top of his boot, sending the ball into the far corner of the net.

That, however, was mere consolation as Dunfermline saw the match out to secure a huge three points in their bid to pull clear of relegation trouble, whilst United remain just a point clear of Raith Rovers, who go to Queen's Park tomorrow, at the top.

Dunfermline: Mehmet, Welch-Hayes, Fagan-Walcott, Benedictus, Edwards (Fisher 79), Hamilton (Allan 45), Otoo, Ritchie-Hosler (Chalmers 79), Todd (Moffat 70), Summers (McCann 29), Jakubiak.

Subs not used: O'Halloran, Sutherland, Holmes, Little.

Goals: Todd (11), Ritchie-Hosler (37, 53).

Booked: Hamilton (4).

Dundee United: Walton, Holt, Greive, Moult (Fotheringham 64), Sibbald, Tillson (Middleton 45), Docherty (Mochrie 64), Thomson, Gallagher, Watt, McMann.

Subs not used: McClelland, Graham, Grimshaw, Meekison, Cudjoe, Newman.

Goal: Benedictus (own goal, 80).

Booked: Watt (25), Docherty (59) Referee: Colin Steven.

Attendance: 6,368.