Dunfermline have been left three points adrift in ninth place in the Championship following Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat to Hamilton Accies.
Not only do they again occupy the relegation play-off place but they may be looking over their shoulders nervously at an improving Airdrie in bottom spot.
Stuart McKinstry’s 63rd-minute strike was enough to separate the teams on the night, but Accies were worthy of their victory.
And Pars head coach Michael Tidser was honest and frank in his assessment of a worrying 90 minutes from his side.
Courier Sport was there to pick through the main talking points.
Seven
The meeting with Hamilton was billed as an opportunity to create a gap between Dunfermline and their hosts in the bid to avoid a play-off battle at the end of the season.
With a better goal difference than Accies, a three-point deficit is not devastating.
Just one win could flip things back in the Fifers’ favour.
But there should be some concern over the improvements being made by Airdrie in bottom spot.
The Diamonds are unbeaten in their last five games, taking 11 points from a possible 15.
Only Livingston have a better record in that time.
With a game in hand over Dunfermline, Rhys McCabe’s side are now just seven points behind and closing fast.
Automatic relegation also now has to be a worry for the Pars.
Five
Tidser has been in charge for five league games since taking over from James McPake last month.
With one win and two draws it is not a disastrous record.
It is the same as Morton’s, better than Queen’s Park’s and Partick Thistle’s, and only one point worse off than Hamilton’s.
But what will be alarming for Dunfermline is their failure to score in their last five matches.
In fact, they have failed to score in six of Tidser’s eight games at the helm in all competitions.
In the two games they did find the net, one was against League One Stenhousemuir and the other included two penalties and a fortuitous deflection in the Fife derby victory over Raith Rovers.
Tidser described his side as ‘toothless’ against Hamilton, where they were without Chris Kane, Matty Todd and Kane Ritchie-Hosler because of injury.
The statistics show they had more possession (52 per cent) than their hosts but did less with it – three shots on target to Hamilton’s five.
They are going to have to find an answer in attack – and soon.
Ten
Dunfermline now have ten games remaining to save their Championship status.
Following Saturday’s home clash with Morton, they face away trips to Falkirk and Raith Rovers and a home clash with Livingston before going back on the road to Ayr United.
That’s five of the top six teams in the division over the course of March.
It is shaping up to be a crucial month that will decide the nature of the remaining five games in the campaign.
Tidser has urged his players to give him more and warned they are heading for League One unless they do.
Since he came in he has two wins, two draws and four defeats from his eight games in charge.
Predecessor James McPake finished his tenure with four wins and four defeats from his final eight games.
Every new manager needs time to implement their style.
But it is fair to say that time is in danger of running out on the Pars unless they can dig out badly-needed goals and victories in the coming weeks.
Twenty-three
Alan Hansen once famously warned ‘you can’t win anything with kids’ – before Manchester United proved him wrong.
David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Gary and Phil Neville might have made a fool out of Hansen but many will still subscribe to his theory.
Dunfermline’s starting XI against Hamilton was the second youngest in the Championship over recent days.
In analysing every team’s most recent match, only basement boys Airdrie (22.7) had a lower average age than the Pars’ 23.7.
Putting aside skipper Kyle Benedictus (33), David Wotherspoon (35) and Tashan Oakley-Boothe (25), every other starter was 23 or younger.
Some of those have plenty of knowhow for their age, but others are still making their way in the game.
When the average age of Dunfermline’s eight recent signings is 20.1, it is an indication of where the East End Park outfit want to take their squad.
But, on the flip side, Hamilton have brought in four players with an average age of 29.2 and experience of just what is required in Scottish football.
It remains to be seen if the Pars can win with kids.
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