Goalie Deniz’s spot-on with three penalty saves in a row
MORTON.......... 0 DUNFERMLINE...... 1 BY MICHAEL BAILLIE
JAMES McPAKE hailed keeper Deniz Mehmet’s three-in-a-row penalty heroics as Dunfermline boosted their play-off hopes.
And he claimed he was always confident his big goalie would come out on top to save Robbie Muirhead’s late spot-kick for Ton and secure all three points.
Livingston loan star Miles Welch-Hayes scored his first goal for the Pars – but Mehmet’s contribution was just as vital.
The win lifts Dunfermline above rivals Morton into fifth place and just one point outside the play-off spots.
McPake said: “It was a really important three points.
“At no point were we bullied by Morton. We deserved the victory. They make you defend, with lots of balls in your box, but we defended well.
“It was a big save from Deniz for the penalty but by then we should have been out of sight.
“That’s three penalties in a row he has saved. I thought it should have been a free-kick to
us before it – but you always feel he’s got that big save in him.”
In a scrappy first half Kirk Broadfoot twice went close to opening the scoring but Pars hit back through chances from Ewan Otoo, Chris Kane and Kane Ritchie-Hosler that tested Ton keeper Ryan Mullen.
The Fifers edged ahead in 55 minutes when Ritchie-Hosler swung in a deep cross that Welch-Hayes got on the end of and the defender looped his header over Mullen.
Kane hit the post then Chris Hamilton should have scored the rebound– but Mullen made an incredible reaction save to keep his effort out.
Ton should have levelled in 82 minutes when Otoo tripped Jai Quitongo – but Mehmet pulled off a stunning save from the penalty to push Muirhead’s effort on to the post.
Morton have now lost five in a row in all competitions and boss Dougie Imrie said: “It’s disappointing. There wasn’t much in it – one mistake. I felt it had 0-0 written all over it.”