Terrors are not up to Par
Top spot back under threat
DUNFERMLINE fired themselves back into the promotion play-off picture and may well have done rivals Raith a turn in the title race.
The Pars pulverised Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United league leaders at East End Park.
James McPake has got many of his key players back from injury and they clicked into top gear, with star man Kane Ritchie-Hosler bagging a double and centurion Matty Todd notching the other.
United got a consolation own goal via Kyle Benedictus.
The Fifers had been a point above the relegation play-offs but ended it two points outside the top four in the mad world of the Championship.
It was an awful night for United who were second best.
They still remain top of the table by a point but Fife rivals Rovers could jump above them with victory at Queen’s Park today. For the neutral viewers tuning into the live TV footage, they may have been mistaken that the team in black and white were top of the table and those in tangerine were loitering nearer the bottom end.
Dunfermline had lost their previous two games but ripped up the form book.
It was a worrying night for United boss Goodwin and his team as they were on the end of another costly slip-up.
At a time when it is all about results, they were outfought, outworked and outscored.
The Pars were up for the fight, although Chris Hamilton overstepped the mark and earned himself an early booking for a pull on Craig Sibbald.
Todd was making his 100th appearance and he marked his big night with the opening goal in the 11th minute.
It came after a great run up the right from Ritchie-Hosler and he pulled a low cross that Todd let run across him before he stabbed it past keeper Jack Walton.
The goal hero then turned provider for Alex Jakubiak but he fired his shot over.
Dunfermline’s delight was doubled when they netted a second in the 38th minute.
Kevin Holt won a challenge against Todd but the loose ball fell to Ritchie-Hosler and he fired it past the left hand of Walton.
It was no more than the home side deserved as the Pars were cheered off at the break while the United players booed.
The Terrors created more in five minutes of the second half than they had done in the whole of the first period.
Glenn Middleton had a goalbound shot blocked by Miles Welch-Hayes and then United had a great chance but failed to hit the target.
It was to prove costly along with a big error from Scott McMann. He took a heavy touch on the halfway line and was robbed by Ritchie-Hosler, who ran on and played it to Jakubiak.
He took out two United defenders before finding RitchieHosler and the Pars star guided it past Walton in the 57th minute.
Ritchie-Hosler has had no luck after three operations this season but last night his and Dunfermline fortunes took a turn for the better.
Many of the United fans piled towards the exits. They did get a goal back when Middleton’s cross was deflected and was turned into his own net by Benedictus but it was too little, too late.