East Fife 0 Dunfermline 2
DICK Campbell reckoned he could have "thrown my bunnet" on Lewis McCann's fine free kick that found the net and confirmed Athletic's first win since mid-July.
The East Fife boss said both of Dunfermline's goals were very preventable - he moaned that "Christmas came early" - but those of a black and white persuasion won't care a jot after ending a winless run of seven matches ahead of a much bigger Fife derby this Friday night.
After six defeats in a row, last week's 1-1 draw with Championship leaders Ayr represented progress of sorts and on Saturday they avoided the banana skin of losing to a League Two side with second half goals from Aaron Comrie and McCann.
It's a shot of much-needed confidence ahead of the Raith match and Pars assistant boss Dave Mackay admitted: "We were on one of those negative runs for a wee while there and sometimes it is difficult to snap out of them.
READ MORE: Lewis keeps Pars on the right side of Fife in derby win
"It can change so quickly, I have been involved in football long enough to know now that one result or one win can change it and you can go on a good run.
"That is why today was really important to try and build on last week. It was only a point last week but there were a lot more positives than negatives which hadn’t been the case previously.”
They're now into the fourth round of the SPFL Trust Trophy and Mackay said they're aiming to win it.
He admitted: “Our cup runs since we have been at Dunfermline haven’t been great at all so regardless of the cup, we want to try and progress in it and do well."
Mackay went on: “Today we were always coming here with as strong a team as possible or one that we felt would cause the most problems for East Fife.
"Thankfully that was the case and we managed to get through. We want to have a real good run in this cup and try and win it.”
Nathan Austin scored the last time East Fife beat Dunfermline in a competitive match - in March 2014 - and the striker came close in the third minute with a header that hit the bar.
McCann played provider early on, a lovely set-up for Josh Cooper should have ended in a goal but the youngster's deliberate side-foot lacked the power to beat Allan Fleming.
Allan Trouten spun and fired wide inside the Pars box, as the League Two high-fliers posed problems, while Cooper looked a cert to score until Jess Norey raced back to make a goal-saving challenge.
McCann fired a half volley just wide and Tobi Oluwayemi was forced into a point blank save as Trouten tried to guide a header beyond the young goalie.
Level at the break, two goals in five minutes won the tie for the Pars.
In the 53rd minute a lovely feint from Cooper bought space for McCann to whip in a curling cross that bounced back off the bar, the rebound fell to Comrie who took a touch before drilling the ball low past Fleming.
And after Sam Fisher was bundled to the ground in the 58th minute, McCann took aim from 25 yards and sent the ball up and over the wall and out of the reach of Fleming's left hand.
A fabulous strike.
He was just off target with another header, and subs Andrew Tod and David Wotherspoon had chances to add some gloss, but with East Fife out of ideas the Pars ran out easy winners.
Mackay was more appreciative of McCann's free kick than Campbell - describing it as a a "great bit of skill" - and praised 18-year-old Sam Young for a fine display in the heart of the defence, with skipper Kyle Benedictus an injury doubt for the visit of Rovers.
He said: "He did really well, especially after an early booking which could have unsettled him.
"Sam Fisher has had a rocky patch of form, which everybody has in some point in their career, but I thought he looked a lot more assured as well and a lot more like his old self.
"So there are a lot of positives there.
“Younger guys came on towards the end, Andrew Tod nearly got a goal and he had a couple of chances.
"Aaron Comrie finally got his goal, he gets himself into some great areas and it has not quite happened.
"Thankfully today he got his rewards for getting into those areas.”
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