A first half goal from Thomas Mikkelsen earned Dundee United victory over Dunfermline at Tannadice.
And with Morton losing at home to St Mirren, the win moved the Tangerines up a place to third in the Championship table.
United were unchanged from the side that drew with Falkirk on Saturday, meaning after his impressive debut teenager Scott Allardice kept his place.
The action started brightly with Michael Moffat having a couple of efforts for the Pars and in between Mikkelsen was just inches away from connecting with a Blair Spittal cross at the other end.
Dunfermline were looking lively, but it was United who went close in the 22nd minute. Tony Andreu fed Simon Murray and from ten yards he poked the ball just wide of the right post.
Within a couple of minutes the same pair combined again and this time Murray saw a header land on the roof of the net.
Just short of the half hour mark Dunfermline missed a glorious chance when Rhys McCabe broke on the right before sending a great ball in for Moffat. Right in front of goal and unmarked, his control let him down and Cammy Bell was able to gather easily.
And just a few seconds later the Pars were punished. Bell moved the ball forward quickly and after an attack down the right, Murray crossed for Mikkelsen to side foot home from close range and give United the lead.
As the break approached the visitors went close when Kallum Higginbotham cut the ball across goal and Nicky Clark saw his shot blocked by William Edjenguele.
Shooting down the slope in the second half, United went looking for a second goal to kill the game.
It almost came just before the hour mark when Andreu let fly from the edge of the area. The Frenchman’s shot beat Sean Murdoch in the Dunfermline goal hands down, but rebounded off the post and despite their best efforts neither Murray nor Mikkelsen could force the loose ball into the net.
The Pars were still in the game and when Higginbotham sent a corner over from their right, ex-United man Callum Morris wasted a chance by heading straight into Bell’s arms.
Fourteen minutes from the end of the 90 it was again almost two as Blair Spittal skipped past a couple of tackles before seeing his 18 yard shot well saved by Murdoch.
When Andreu fed Murdoch and he hooked the ball across goal there was a half chance for Murray, but his shot ballooned high over the bar and into the stand.
Right at the death Andreu set up Nick van der Velden for an easy chance but somehow he managed to hit Murdoch with his shot. It didn’t matter because in the end Dane Mikkelsen’s strike was enough to secure a valuable victory.
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