The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Scrappy win
DUNFERMLINE MADE it a hat-trick of derby wins over their near neighbours Raith this season with a hard-fought victory at East End Park yesterday.
The game was no thing of beauty but that did not matter to the Pars fans at the final whistle with the derby bragging rights once again secured.
The only goal of the game came from Andy Geggan, in at right-back in place of suspended skipper Jordan McMillan.
It was Dunfermline’s first win since December 1 and they have now closed the gap on league leaders Morton, who surprisingly lost at home to Dumbarton, to just two points.
The last league match between these two sides was a bad-tempered affair at Stark’s Park, with home skipper Allan Walker and Dougie Hill both red carded.
Thankfully, there was no repeat yesterday, but little quarter was given or asked throughout in a typical Fife derby.
Pars boss Jim Jefferies made three changes to the side that slumped to a disappointing defeat against Morton at the weekend, with veteran striker Andy Kirk replacing Andy Barrowman, Joe Cardle coming in for Craig Dargo while 19-yearold midfielder Shaun Byrne was handed his first league start at the expense of Stephen Husband.
Rovers manager Grant Murray made just the one alteration to the starting line-up from their home draw against Cowdenbeath on Saturday, with Jason Thomson returning at the expense of Laurie Ellis.
The Pars were quickly out of the blocks and it took some astute defending from Walker and Simon Mensing to snuff out a couple of early half-chances for the home team.
In the seventh minute, Kirk had an outstanding opportunity to open the scoring whenAndy Dowie sent a deep freekick into the Raith box but the Northern Irish striker directed his header from six yards into the side netting.
Raith soon fashioned an opportunity of their own when Grant Anderson fired in a cross from the right, but Brian Graham’s header was comfortably saved by Paul Gallacher.
Young Byrne was making a good first impression but he made a mark of the wrong kind on Walker in the 15th minute when he was late with a tackle and was promptly yellow-carded by referee Craig Charleston.
Dunfermline forced a corner in the 22nd minute with Josh Falkingham sending a great delivery into the Raith box towards Callum Morris but the big centre-half headed over when should have at least hit the target.
Rovers were forced to make an early change in the 25th minute when Eddie Malone, who had received lengthy treatment earlier, could not continue and was replaced by Reece Donaldson.
Unfortunately for the big crowd inside East End, the early promise was not fulfilled, with too many passes being misplaced and a succession of niggly challenges forcing the referee to blow his whistle on numerous occasions.
There was little surprise when Mensing became the next player to go into the book in the 33rd minute for persistent fouling.
Raith were presented with a rare opportunity shortly before half-time after Cardle was adjudged to have fouled Thomson just outside the Pars penalty area.
Joe Hamill succinctly summed up the disappointing first 45 by firing his free-kick wildly over the bar.
The Pars were again quickly into their stride at the start of the second half, with Ryan Wallace hitting a fierce 20-yard strike that flashed narrowly wide of Ross Laidlaw’s far post.
It was Rovers turn next in the 54th minute when Brian Graham was close with a header from a Walker corner.
It was a corner at the other end that produced a chance for the Pars, with the Falkingham effort only being half cleared to young Byrne lurking on the edge of the box — but he hit his shot just over the bar.
Wallace was next to try his luck, cutting in from the right and hitting a snap shot from 18 yards but again, it flew past the woodwork.
The game was crying out for a goal and it should have arrived on the hour mark.
Cardle hit a speculative ball in from the Pars’ left and it sneaked all the way through to Kirk lurking at the back post, but he inexplicably lifted his shot over the bar from close range when he should have burst the net.
The Pars f inally made the vital breakthrough in the 71st minute, however.
Falkingham, who had been dangerous throughout, swung an inch-perfect cross in from the Pars’ right, with Geggan bursting a gut to powerfully head home past the helpless Laidlaw.
Raith should have equalised in the 75th minute when David Smith burst down