Young left to rue what might have been after Methil men’s collapse

East Fife boss Darren Young admitted his side’s game management let them down against Airdrieonians.

The Methil men looked as if they’d cruise to the three points after two first-half Kevin Smith strikes put them a couple of goals up.

But an Airdrie counter on the stroke of half-time turned the game on its head and the home side would go on to net another three after the break to close out the win.

Young, though, reckoned it should have been his men doing the closing out after Smith’s brace.

He said: “It’s a poor goal to lose right before the break from a setpiece.

“I don’t think we had really started to be honest but got ourselves two goals up.

“Overall we never really passed the ball and at 2-0 up we should be shutting up shop and making it hard for the other team – but we never did.”

East Fife struck first – and what an opener it was.

The Methil men worked space for themselves in the middle of the park with Aaron Dunsmore’s pass cutting through the Airdrie defence and finding Ross Dunlop.

The centre-half showed excellent close control as he slid the ball along the face of goal to find Kevin Smith, who made no mistake from close range.

Airdrie responded well, and Duffy again went close with a decent drive which crashed into the side-netting.

But it was East Fife who grabbed the game’s crucial second goal.

The Diamonds made a mess of clearing their lines from a corner and the ball was picked up by Court who stood his cross up at the back post for Smith to nod home his second.

Sean Crighton pulled one back on the stroke of half-time when he finished off a Grant Gallagher corner.

And the comeback was complete shortly after the hour mark when Duffy netted from the spot after Craig Watson tripped Kyle Wilkie inside the box.

Things got even better for the home side when they managed to get their noses in front.

Leighton McIntosh skipped clear of the away defence and found Wilkie inside the area.

The former East Fife midfielder scuffed his shot but got enough on it to force the ball over the line.

It was four when a McIntosh shot was saved by Craig McDowall and the loose ball fell to Duffy who had an easy tap-in from a couple of yards.