Dunfermline Athletic are League One champions after a comprehensive victory over an in-form Queen of the South.
The Doonhamers were unbeaten in six matches going into this but were swept aside by goals from Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Matty Todd, a double for Craig Wighton – his 17th and 18th goals of the season – and substitute Kevin O’Hara.
It was also fitting that the occasion was marked with another clean sheet, their 20th of the League One campaign.
Key moments
The Pars looked to get the ball forward as quickly as possible in the early stages of the match and were clearly in the mood for a party.
Lewis McCann shot wide on the turn before Craig Wighton forced a good save out of Kevin Dabrowski.
Just as the match entered a slight lull midway through the half, Ritchie-Hosler collected a short corner and fired low inside the near from the corner of the penalty area to give Dunfermline the lead.
Queens came into the game more as the half progressed, putting the Pars backline under pressure.
The closest they came was Connor Murray’s long-range effort that went just wide of the post.
The away side’s positive spell was undone around five minutes before the break when a sweeping counter-attack was finished off by Todd, sparking chants of “Championies!”
Before the break, Wighton headed just over before McCann forced a spectacular save from Dabrowski with a looping header.
Queen of the South started the second half brightly but were 3-0 down on 52 minutes via another devastating Pars counter.
This time Todd found McCann who squared to Wighton for the finish, though Dabrowski did get a decent hand to it before it trickled in.
Marvin Bartley’s side kept plugging away but Dunfermline were a threat every time they went forward and were soon four ahead when Wighton tapped in a deflected effort from Ritchie-Hosler.
Ian Wilson then unleashed from distance for Queens, cracking the post, but his shot agonisingly trickled along the line, as the visitors continued to push forward.
Second-half substitute O’Hara had gone close not after coming on and later added the fifth, nodding in the rebound from Paul Allan’s effort that crashed off the bar.
Queens still created chances, with Ruiri Paton forcing a save from Deniz Mehmet and Paul McKay heading over.
Soon after Dabrowski made a double save from O’Hara and Josh Edwards to keep the score at 5-0.
Player ratings
Dunfermline (3-4-3): Mehmet 8; Comrie 9, Benedictus 9, Otoo 9; Ritchie-Hosler 9 (Mahon 8), Hamilton 8 (McGowan 8), Chalmers 9 (Allan 8), Edwards 9; Todd 9 (Mochrie 8), Wighton 9, McCann 9 (O’Hara 8). Subs not used: Little, Macdonald, Todorov, Fenton.
Star man
McCann didn’t get on the scoresheet – he nearly did – but he was at the centre of most of the Pars attacks until he was replaced on 66 minutes, setting up two of the goals.
It could have been any number of players in a performance fit to mark a title win.
Manager under the microscope
James McPake made one change to his side, bringing in Craig Wighton – fresh from signing a new deal – for Nikolay Todorov and sticking with the 3-4-3 from Tuesday night.
The plan appeared to be to get the ball forward quickly and put the opposition under pressure – and it worked as the Pars recorded one of their more comfortable wins of the season.
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