A QUICK turnaround from the weekend defeat at Falkirk was felt by James McPake to be a plus ahead of Athletic's midweek meeting with Livingston.
He pointed to "the size of the squad" now at his disposal, with injuries clearing up, that having only three days to move on from the Bairns setback would be a good thing.
That proved to be the case, as a fired-up Dunfermline, showing four changes to their starting line-up, produced arguably one of their best performances under McPake - and certainly of the current season - to demolish the previously unbeaten Lions.
Striker Chris Kane, who missed out at Falkirk with a minor issue picked up in training, was one of those alterations, and he responded with a brace to four goals in his last four appearances.
Skipper Kyle Benedictus hadn't featured in any of the last eight Pars matches due to a hamstring injury, but he was back at the heart of defence, and capped an excellent night by heading in their second goal, and his first of the campaign.
The victory was Athletic's first in their last six league games, but McPake said optimism that they could find a positive result never wavered in the dressing room.
"I don't know if the belief was we're going to go and win 3-0 so comfortably. I don't think that was in my head, but the belief was there that we can win games," he said.
READ MORE: Pars roar to claim thumping Livi victory
"I know how good the group is. You see the changes I can make tonight - the squad's now very strong, obviously with Bene (Benedictus) coming back in as well. I was desperate to play Bene on Saturday, but he'd been out a while and, again, you're looking at how long he had trained, how long he had played, and could he have managed Saturday, Tuesday? I wasn't too sure.
"I don't think he was too sure, albeit he was saying he was, so it looks like the right decision, although maybe had he played on Saturday, we'd have won that game as well, but that's all by the by.
"I'm just delighted he got through 82 minutes of the game. He'll recover now and now when you see the changes you can make in the squad, and the freshness you can bring on, that certainly gives us hope."
There will be renewed hope amongst the fans who lapped up Tuesday's super show that the team can build on this win and performance and victory when Partick Thistle come calling on Saturday - and that is the next step.
From the start, those in black and white pressed and harried, forced mistakes, and were forward thinking in their running and their play.
🎥 Watch all 3 goals from last night's win over Livingston.
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) October 30, 2024
Full Highlights Later! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/hVxXNNyGTz
An early goal helped, too, when it was delivered by Kane after only seven minutes.
He evaded Livingston's attempt to play him offside, from Kieran Ngwenya's powerful clearing header forward, to drive a shot at Jerome Prior.
The keeper blocked, but when the ball rebounded out to the Pars number nine, he coolly slotted away for the opener.
The hosts dominated from there on, with Chris Hamilton hitting the side netting, whilst Craig Clay was inches away from scoring when he rattled the upright with a fine drive from the edge of the box.
Early in the second half, Dunfermline were adamant they should've had a spot kick when Prior, after fluffing an attempted clearance and having the ball pinched from his toes, hacked down Kane at the edge of his penalty area.
Referee Dan McFarlane, to the fury of the Pars players, deemed it to be just outside the box, but moments later, Benedictus came up trumps.
When an Ngwenya effort from the free-kick was deflected wide, the centre back rose at the far post to connect with David Wotherspoon's corner and, despite the attempts of a Livi man on the line, headed in number two.
That gave the Pars breathing space and, with just under 20 minutes to go, Kane headed in his second, from another Wotherspoon set piece, to complete the scoring.
With Raith Rovers winning against Airdrieonians, Dunfermline, who remain second bottom, are now four points clear of the latter, and just one point adrift of eighth-placed Greenock Morton, who lost to Queen's Park.
"I think what must be said is it's three points," McPake added.
"First and foremost, it's what we needed above all else, but I thought the performance was a continuation, if I'm honest, of what's been.
"I've not been coming out here every week and saying after defeat, after defeat, but saying that the performance levels were good, or certain draws. I thought we were the very same against Morton out there, but tonight we got the goals.
"That's the important thing."
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