The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Ashcroft goal lifts Pars into third place
DUNFERMLINE 1 LIVINGSTON 0
Dunfermline boss Allan Johnston admitted he was ‘delighted’ after his side secured a huge three points in their play-off push against secondplaced Livingston at East End Park.
The result, courtesy of a Lee Ashcroft goal, sees the Pars leapfrog Morton into third in the table and extend their unbeaten run to six games in the league.
Johnston said: “I thought it was a real team performance.
“We gave everything and I thought we played some decent football and on the counter-attack we should have punished them.
“You couldn’t ask for much more. It was a big performance and a big result.
It was an old school game, no holds barred, both teams going for it and played in those conditions but it’s great to come out on top and hopefully we can build on that again.”
Johnston reserved special praise for his central defenders saying “Big Ashy (Ashcroft) and Callum Morris as well. It was a great goal, it was a striker’s finish and he was everywhere it was a really good performance we defended really well and I think we will have a lot of tired legs tomorrow.”
The game started with pouring rain and swirling winds causing the players no end of difficulty. However, it would burst into life 10 minutes in.
Kallum Higginbotham rifled in a flat cross that found its way to Ashcroft to volley home from six yards.
That seemed to wake up the visitors and they were almost level straight from kick-off. A well-worked training ground corner routine saw the ball fall to Ryan Hardie in the box and his back heel was saved by Lee Robinson who did well to readjust when the original Scott Pittman effort was heading in the opposite direction.
The second half was much of the same with Livi dominating possession but coming up against resolute defending from a well-marshalled backline.
The Pars were a constant threat on the break as well with Declan McManus spurning a glorious chance. The former Raith man had done well to mug Craig Halkett but failed to connect with his shot.
A minute later and again it could have been 2-0. This time Nicky Clark was unlucky not to find the net, his shot being blocked by Neil Alexander.
Tom Beadling got on the end of another Higginbotham free-kick and his header came back off the post.
The home men were almost made to pay for failing to make those chances count four minutes into injury time when Hardie raced through on goal.
Ashcroft made a heroic effort to get back to block him off despite Hardie and his manager David Hopkirk’s protestations that it was a foul. Attendance: 4,572. Dunfermline: Robinson, Williamson, Morris, Ashcroft, Martin, Higginbotham, Beadling, Craigen, Aird (Wedderburn 71), McManus (Ryan 81), Clark. Subs not used: Armstrong, Talbot, Duthie, Gill, Shiels.
Livingston: Alexander, Gallagher, Halkett, Lithgow, Jacobs, Byrne, Pitman (Thompson 72), Cadden (Frizzell 57), Longridge, Robinson (Miller 65), Hardie. Subs not used: McMillan, Buchanan, Maley, De Vita.
Referee: Stephen Finnie.