Dunfermline went into the season as title favourites for League One and have lived up to that billing so far.
James McPake had a huge job on his hands to turn around a club at a low ebb following relegation.
Smart signings and just one defeat mean they sit comfortably at the top of the league, four points ahead of Edinburgh with a game in hand.
Courier Sport assesses the first half of Dunfermline’s season.
Signings
The Dunfermline manager was patient in the transfer window and it is paying off.
He was able to make a smart double-signing soon after taking over, adding boyhood Par Chris Hamilton and experienced centre-back Kyle Benedictus.
There was then a little frustration at missing out on a few targets but eventually the threadbare squad was added to as McPake made good use of the loan market.
Chris Mochrie is technically the best player in the division on his day and Sam Fisher has come in to improve an already solid defence.
More recently Kane Ritchie-Hosler has made his mark on the side and McPake still has plans for Robbie Mahon who has struggled for minutes since he joined on loan from Motherwell.
Grade: A
Star man
Mochrie has looked a cut above at points this season and Chalmers is thriving after being targetted at the start of the season.
Matty Todd is the kind of player that makes you think there are two of him – and that’s not a reference to any of the other “Toddys”.
The captain probably just sneaks it though.
Benedictus can be heard barking orders most weeks and backs them up by leading by example – and he can hit a penalty.
🎥 Watch the only goal of the game as #DAFC defeated Falkirk 1-0 yesterday.
Full Highlights Later! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/aOtNbtoZ1C
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) November 6, 2022
The Pars have conceded the fewest goals across the four SPFL divisions and have chalked up 10 clean sheets in 18 League One matches.
Grade: A+
Form
One defeat in 18 league matches is a great achievement in any league.
On the road the Pars have been superb – other than the defeat to Montrose and a 0-0 at Kelty they have won the other seven without conceding a goal.
There is paradoxically still room for home improvement even though the Pars are unbeaten at East End, drawing more matches than they have won.
If you were looking for another criticism it would be that they don’t finish teams off as often as they should.
Grade: A+
Manager
Two manager-of-the-month awards, spanning a three-month period, go a long way to explaining how well the Pars have started under McPake.
A winning mentality was instilled right from the start as McPake made advantage of a tighter squad.
He concedes that he sometimes gets his set-up wrong but time and again this season he and his management team have come up with answers.
Grade: A+
Conclusion
A straight-A student that, if you were being very strict, could still do with a little extra reading in a couple of areas.
From the quick turnaround to the form they are showing and the general vibe around East End Park, it very much feels like League One is Dunfermline’s to lose.
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