Dunfermline continued their scintillating start to the season with another outstanding performance in the Petrofac Cup at Station Park.
The Pars played some fantastic football at times against 10-man Forfar, who were always up against it after defender Kevin Nicoll’s red card on the half-hour mark, and two goals from Michael Moffat either side of a Faissal El-Bakhtaoui strike booked their place in the third round.
But there was a huge blow for the Pars right at the final whistle when Ryan Williamson was stretchered off with a suspected broken leg after coming off worse in a 50/50 challenge with Loons defender Michael Dunlop.
It was the team that put seven past Cowdenbeath that looked right in the mood from the off to add to their burgeoning goals tally.
A blistering run from El-Bakhtaoui took him to the edge of the Forfar box and he set up Joe Cardle for a shot that stung the fingers of keeper Rab Douglas.
El-Bakhtaoui then curled in a shot himself but it was straight into the goalie’s arms.
The Pars continued to press at lightning pace and Shaun Byrne whistled a shot over the bar from the edge of the box after a great cross from El-Bakhtaoui was knocked back into the danger area.
A goal looked inevitable and it came from the penalty spot in the 31st minute. Bryan Hodge made a great tackle on El-Bakhtaoui but the ball broke cleanly to Michael Moffat and he sped through on goal only for Kevin Nicoll to bring him down with a last-gasp challenge from behind. Nicoll was shown the red card by referee Crawford Allan and Moffat himself picked the ball up to hammer it into the bottom corner from the spot.
It was Forfar’s first conceded goal in 391 minutes of competitive football but another one wasn’t very long in coming.
A minute before the interval El-Bakhtaoui bulleted home a brilliant diving header from six yards after Iain Campbell gave the ball away and Paul Paton picked him out with a perfect cross.
It took Forfar until two minutes into the second half to get their first shot of the game away and even then Hodge’s effort trundled wide without troubling keeper Sean Murdoch.
Dunfermline sub Ryan Wallace then rounded Douglas and knocked the ball goalwards only for Michael Travis to hook it off the line
The Pars always looked likely to extend their lead and the third came in the 83rd minute when Moffat hammered home a Williamson cross from 12 yards.
The night ended on a real sour note for Dunfermline with Williamson’s leg injury.
Pars boss Alan Johnston said: “It spoils it right at the end. We are gutted and just have to keep our fingers crossed for Ryan.
“We could probably have scored a couple more but it was a hard game. Forfar made it difficult for us.”
Opposite number Dick Campbell offered his full condolences to Williamson but insisted there was no ill will in the tackle.
He added: “Dunfermline were by far the best team tonight. But the penalty was a very important issue in the game.”