Dunfermline are seven points clear at the top of League One after a 4-0 thrashing of Peterhead.
That the away side didn’t score is no surprise – they went into this one having set a club record of six games without a goal.
The manner of the Pars victory was no surprise either, though it was welcomed to see a comfortable result amid some fantastic football after a 2-2 draw the last time the sides met at East End Park.
Too often Dunfermline have been frustrated for large spells at home this season – despite still being unbeaten there.
On Saturday they swept away a poor Peterhead in even poorer conditions.
Courier Sport looks at taking points from the win after goals from Craig Wighton, Matty Todd, Josh Edwards and the returning Kevin O’Hara.
Best so far?
There was the 5-1 win over Arbroath in the SPFL Trust Trophy, the 4-0 over Forfar in the Scottish Cup and there have been comfortable wins away at Alloa and Edinburgh among others in League One.
The win over Peterhead was as comfortable as they have been this season, other than a slightly flat first 10 minutes or so, and had some of the best football they have played.
As he so often does, manager James McPake fielded a front three against a back three – which inevitably became a five – with his wingbacks pushed high.
It was 4-0 going on seven or eight, with Chris Mochrie – fresh from agreeing to remain at Dunfermline for the rest of the season – at the heart of most of it.
Chris Mochrie
Just sensational. He had a rare tough afternoon away to Kelty Hearts and was dropped to the bench versus Edinburgh – for the first time since he broke into the starting XI – but came back in for this one.
It is easy to forget when he is gliding around the pitch to make things happen that he is still a teenager.
Mochrie sets up Todd:
There have been a few postponements for the Pars since that Kelty match, so it’s difficult to tell exactly if this was the case, but it looks like a great bit of man-management of the young playmaker.
Josh Edwards
Another player who has been consistently great this season but maybe not had the recognition he has deserved from Courier Sport is Josh Edwards.
Pars assistant Dave Mackay said that it was the plan to get the wingback high up the pitch and he really came to life in the second half, eventually rewarded with his goal.
Edwards’ goal:
We are used to seeing him ceaselessly move up and down the flank with the ability to either cross from deep or get to the byline.
Here, he continually cut in from the left, often underlapping Matty Todd, to make himself a threat in the Peterhead box.
League break
Two cup games lie ahead this week. We all know the significance of the match versus Dundee, but aside from that they will be a decent barometer of how far this Pars team has come.
While the first will have some added bite, Dunfermline will be without their loanees at Dens Park.
Matty Todd reveals coaching advice after another spectacular strike for Dunfermline – and why he’s being ‘slaughtered’ https://t.co/kRzEfLv7eT pic.twitter.com/OODz8yocBJ
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Two of them started versus Peterhead – Mochrie and Sam Fisher – and were excellent, two came off the bench – Robbie Mahon and Kane Ritchie-Hosler – and were also excellent.
Mackay said after the match that training has gone up another level recently and they have taken that on to the pitch.
