James McPake blamed ‘safe’ Dunfermline’s lack of quality as they crashed to a bitterly disappointing derby defeat.
Raith Rovers took the Fife bragging rights with goals in either half from the excellent Dylan Easton and substitute Cody David in their 2-0 victory.
The Pars were left to rue a stunning double save from Kevin Dabrowski in the first-half when the home keeper brilliantly kept out Lewis McCann’s curler before leaping up to block Matty Todd’s follow-up.
And the Fifers rarely threatened after the interval until they were two goals behind and frantically chasing a way back into the match.
A skewed header from David Wotherspoon with six minutes remaining was their best opportunity.
“It was really disappointing,” said McPake. “To lose a game, to lose a derby, but to lose it in the manner we did.
“I think we just lacked quality today, in their half.
“That might look like you’re singling out the forward players, but any time we got the ball in their half, we had the chance to hurt them with the stuff that we had been working on.
“But we lacked that wee bit at the top end of the pitch.
Missing quality
“Dabrowski does really well to save from Lewis, and then follow up to save from Matty. Lewis then gets down the side of them and puts a great ball into a really good area.
“That was the two bits of quality.
“I don’t think they had much either. But I just felt that they were always more of a threat at the top end of the pitch.
“I think we were rushed in trying to get the ball forward, and too many times just giving it back to them. And that certainly wasn’t what we were trying to do.”
“It was too comfortable for Euan Murray and Paul Hanlon to defend and we were just turning the ball over too quickly.”
McPake, who made two changes – one enforced – from the team for the previous week’s victory over Hamilton Accies, did not seek to absolve himself of blame either.
“Again, nothing’s down to effort,” he added. “I think the effort was there.
“[But it was down to] quality all over the pitch, and again, that comes back to me as well.
“I pick the team, so I need to look at that and see.”
Meanwhile, McPake explained the decision not to call on Chris Kane late on in search of a way back into the match.
The former St Johnstone player has been nursing a calf injury and last played three weeks ago in the defeat to Ayr United.
Chris Kane explanation
“With Chris Kane, it’s the amount of training he’s done,” he continued.
“I get the statement that people say that if you’re fit enough to be on the bench, you’re fit enough. But, look, we’ve got to manage his load.
“Again, I’m not complaining about it, but it is a tough pitch for players that are coming back from injury.
“When the second goal goes in, had we got the first one back quickly, we would have put Chris Kane on because he’s always likely to get a goal.
“But he’ll be back fully for next week.”
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