Fifers hand over three-goal lead to St ran ra er

STRANRAER 3 EAST FIFE 3

Darren Young admitted his East Fife side had been the architects of their own downfall as they surrendered a threegoal lead to Stranraer.

With around half an hour of this game remaining, the Methil men looked to be cruising towards victory.

But a dramatic ending saw the Blues net three goals of their own while both sides had players red-carded.

Young said: “For the first hour it was the best we’ve played in a while and have enough chances to score a few more. So for it to go that way is hard to take.”

After last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Montrose, Young made a couple of changes to his starting XI. Scott McBride and Kyle Bell were handed rare starts as the Fifers freshened up.

The Methil men took an early lead when Aaron Dunsmore finished neatly from the edge of the area.

Bell almost made it 2-0 from close range, but the Fifers didn’t have to wait much longer for the second.

A looping cross from Scott Agnew was stood up at the back post and there to meet it was Daryll Meggatt who headed home from close range.

Things got even better early in the second half when they added a third.

Referee Steven Reid played a good advantage after a foul on Dunsmore on the edge of the area and East Fife made the most of it, working the ball to Scott McBride whose cross was finished by Craig Watson.

The visitors pulled one back from the penalty spot, Adam Cummins blasting home and the Fifers lost a second when Cameron headed into the net.

Meggatt was red-carded for bringing down Cameron as he raced clear on goal and Stranraer rubbed salt into Fife’s wounds when McGowan rifled home the resultant free-kick.

However, Cummins took his celebrations too far as far as the referee was concerned and he sent the midfielder off in the aftermath of the goal.

East Fife defender Daryll Meggat was red-carded.