A late strike from Simon Murray saw Dundee United make it five Championship wins in a row when Dunfermline visited Tannadice.
But the Tangerines had to work hard to break down a Pars side who played more than half the game with ten men after Nate Wedderburn was sent off late in the first half.
Having blown Queen of the South away on Saturday with two goals in the first 20 minutes or so, United found the Pars a tougher prospect.
It took almost 15 minutes for their first teal attempt at goal and when it came, Scott Fraser’s shot rolled wide without troubling ‘keeper Sean Murdoch.
Dunfermline were not just stopping United and when they broke through Nicky Clark he made ground before shooting from the edge of the home box, only to see Cammy Bell save well down to his left.
At the other end Murdoch also had to react sharply to hold a Tony Andreu effort after the attacker had been set up by a neat Simon Murray pass.
Six minutes before the break the game burst into life when Wedderburn was given a straight red card for a bad tackle on Andreu. The midfielder could have no complaints about referee Don Robertson’s decision.
As the game moved into the second half, even with their numerical advantage United were finding the Pars difficult to break down.
The opener almost came when Tope Obadeyi fed Fraser, but his 18 yard effort flew just wide. Then Murray headed wide from a Frank van der Struijk cross.
As the home pressure continued sub Cammy Smith sent a 25-yarder over the bar and again Murdoch was not too troubled.
And the visitors almost snatched a goal when Kallum Higginbotham sent an angled shot inches wide.
But the breakthrough finally came on 78 minutes when a Fraser corner wasn’t cleared and after a scramble Murray blasted the ball high into the net from close range.
The win means United only trail division leaders Hibs on goal difference.
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