A landmark week for Dunfermline Athletic culminated in ideal fashion as the Fifers demolished Stenhousemuir 4-1 to claim a place in the last-16 of the Premier Sports Cup.
Fresh from DAFC Fussball GmbH‘s purchase of a majority shareholding in the club, Peter Grant’s men continued the feel-good factor courtesy of doubles from Kevin O’Hara and Craig Wighton.
A late strike by former East End Park attacker Robert Thomson was scant solace for the League Two side.
The result means the Pars currently top Group H on nine points and, even if St Mirren usurp them by avoiding defeat against Partick Thistle on Sunday, will progress as one of three best-placed runners-up.
While Dunfermline lost 1-0 against the Buddies earlier in the section, they bagged 13 goals in the other three fixtures and there is a real sense that Grant is succeeding in building a free-flowing, entertaining outfit.
The hosts handed an immediate debut to new signing Reece Cole in the heart of midfield, while on-loan Rangers kid Kai Kennedy would enter the fray for his bow following the half-time interval.
And the Pars took just 13 minutes to claim the lead when Wighton latched on to a neat through-ball and showed laudable technique and composure to dink a delightful shot past David Wilson.
The advantage was doubled when Stenny descended into keystone cops territory. Wilson rushed from his goal to clear a long pass and proceeded to lash the ball against his own teammate Nicholas Jamieson.
Todorov picked up the scraps and laid it across the face of goal to give O’Hara a tap-in.
Wighton grabbed his second of the game following a scramble in the box, before O’Hara rippled the net after the break, smashing home from eight yards after the excellent Josh Edwards nodded a deep cross perfectly into his path.
There was late consolation for Stenny when Thomson slotted into the net following a wonderful run and cross by James Lyon.
