Ten-man Dunfermline produce a backs-against-the wall home performance to record a 2-1 victory over Raith Rovers and earn the local bragging rights in a pulsating Fife derby.
The Pars stormed into a comfortable 2-0 lead but the match turned on its head just before half-time following the dismissal of the home side’s Steven Bell.f
Raith, fresh from their quarter-final heroics against Dundee at the weekend, pulled one back but just could not find the equaliser.
The Pars victory sees them leapfrog Ross County into third in the first division table and their manager Jim McIntyre said, “That was a great three points. I thought our players showed a lot of character and I must applaud their efforts. They were magnificent.
“I have no complaints over the sending-off as Steven seemed to go in with both feet off the ground, which you cannot do.”
Downbeat Raith boss John McGlynn said, “I am not particularly happy as we have lost a game I thought we deserved to take something from.
“We had a few chances but just did not take them but Saturday was physically and mentally draining and I was worried about the effect it would have on the players.”
The Pars took a sensational early lead in just the 10th minute.
Willie Gibson beat Thierry Gathuessi down the Dunfermline left and hit a speculative cross which was only cleared to the edge of the box where it fell to the advancing Steven McDougall.
The Pars striker cracked home a crisp shot with the help of a large deflection off Laurie Ellis.
Raith were shell-shocked and came close to conceding another just five minutes later when Graeme Holmes sent a tempting cross in from the right.
Davie Graham met it powerfully with his head and keeper David McGurn had to pull off a smart stop low down at his right post.
Raith’s misery deepened soon after when Graham Weir was forced to go off injured after pulling up with what looked like a hamstring strain to be replaced by Dene Shields.
And it was the substitute who provided a cross from the Rovers right which produced their first real chance on 25 minutes.
Shields had latched on to an inch-perfect 40-yard pass from ex-Par Stephen Simmons — who was roundly booed throughout — but his ball into the Dunfermline six-yard area was just inches too far from Gregory Tade’s outstretched leg.
Raith’s injury woes deepened in the 37th minute when Gathuessi limped off to be replaced by Robert Sloan.
And once again it was a replacement who had the opportunity to make an immediate impact when he was presented with a glorious chance to equalise following a trademark run and pass from Tade.
However, with the goal at Sloan’s mercy, his composure deserted him and he blasted wildly over.
As the game edged towards half-time, Bell was sent off after cfontesting a 50/50 ball with Tade.
The Frenchman seemed to stamp down with his studs while Bell looked to have gone dangerously over the top of the ball with both feet.
Referee David Somers, who had sent off Gibson in the corresponding fixture back in August, reached into his pocket and showed red to Bell, while Tade escaped punishment.
Right on the stroke of half-time Raith’s on-loan Dundee United striker Johnny Russell broke free on the left but sent his angled drive wide of Greg Fleming’s far post.
Raith began the second half looking to make their one-man advantage count, but it was the Pars who increased their lead in the 54th minute courtesy of Gibson.
He had bust a gut to latch on to a ball inside the Raith box after good work down the left by Graham and the winger gave McGurn no chance as he fired home.
The Pars came close to increasing their lead just three minutes later when Graham this time found Holmes inside the Rovers penalty area but his attempt was well saved by McGurn.
But Raith once again showed their resilience and pulled one back in the 62nd minute when Sloan played a telling pass into the Pars box to Allan Walker who steadied himself before firing past Fleming.
The Kirkcaldy side were obviously boosted by the goal and began to turn the screw but were frustrated in their attempts to find an equaliser.
Tade missed with a header when he should have scored while Mark Ferry was just wide with a rasping 22-yard drive.
As the game entered its closing stages it was all Raith, but like their Scottish Cup quarter-final opponents on Saturday, they just could not dig out an equaliser as the Pars held on for victory.
Attendance: 4549.
Dunfermline: Fleming, Woods, McCann, Bell, Dowie, Higgins, Gibson (Burke 67), Mason, McDougall (Campbell 83), Graham, Holmes (Phinn 67). Subs not used: Ross, Paterson.
Raith Rovers: McGurn, Gathuessi (Sloan 37), Ferry, Murray, Ellis, Simmons, Williamson, Walker, Tade, Weir (Shields 18), Russell (Smith 83). Subs not used: Wedderburn, O’Connor.
Referee: David Somers.