Former Dundee striker Pat Clarke has stressed there were no signs of the financial storm that has left his former colleagues reeling at Dens Park.
Clarke’s goal, plus one from man of the match Willie Gibson and a last-minute winner from sub Steven McDougall, saw the Pars beat Ross County in a thrilling match.
The Pars forward said he moved to Dunfermline from the Dark Blues for “football reasons” in July but realises just how tough things are for the Tayside club having fallen into administration.
“It’s terrible situation a tragedy,” he said. “We were never told anything last season that it would come to this.”
Although Clarke was happy with the final result on Saturday, he admitted the Pars missed a series of opportunities.
“It was one of those games where we had a lot of chances the first half we could have been four or five up. I had a few chances myself but I try to not let if affect me and keep plugging away. Thankfully, Steven McDougall came on and had a good finish at the end of the game.
“I don’t think the fans would accept us settling for a point and we’re not the type of players who would do that anyway, especially sitting top of the league. We never gave up we kept on coming close and you think, ‘Is it going to come?’ but the pressure finally paid off.”
Clarke could actually have put the Pars ahead after only six minutes, having two shots saved by Staggies keeper Michael McGovern after being put through by Dunfermline’s Gary Mason.
Just a minute later it was the turn of Andy Kirk to miss when he shot wide after a good pass from full-back Calum Woods.
Dunfermline had a decent penalty claim turned down in 15 minutes when County right-back Gary Miller looked to have handled a Woods cross. It seemed inevitable that Dunfermline would open the scoring but the visitors silenced the home crowd in 24 minutes with a scrappy goal from Scott Boyd.
County had won a contentious free-kick which left the Pars fans incensed, and from the award the ball flew across goal and was misjudged by Chris Smith, who allowed the stopper to bundle the ball home on the goal line.EqualiserHowever, the league leaders struck back with an equaliser a minute later. Good work on the left wing by Joe Cardle and Kirk led to a cross from the Northern Irish international that was missed by the County defence with Gibson waiting to hammer the ball home to make it 1-1.
Clarke again went agonisingly close five minutes before the break. Cardle ran at the County defence and crossed for Clarke, whose first shot was well saved by McGovern but the former Dundee man blasted the rebound over.
But Dunfermline were not be denied and made it 2-1 three minutes later. Cardle laid the ball into the path of Kirk, whose cross found Clarke, who finished with aplomb, side-footing the ball into the net.
The Dingwall side levelled after 48 minutes. Martin Scott played a great ball in to Steven Craig and the striker swept it in.
County looked a different team and could have had the lead four minutes later when Miller played in sub Andrew Barrowman, but he shot just wide. Dunfermline responded and again went close in 57 minutes when a lovely ball was floated in by Gibson but headed over his own bar by Michael Gardyne with Cardle waiting to pounce.
Gibson had a rasping free-kick touched wide by the County keeper four minutes later.
The home side kept up the pressure. Just when it looked like the Pars would have to settle for a point, McDougall was played in on goal and held his nerve to bury the ball low past the helpless McGovern.
Pars boss Jim McIntyre said, “It was a great ending but a superb performance. I thought we were exceptional in the first half and it should have been game over by half-time. But we never took our chances and County scored to make it 2-2 and it was game on.
“That put us off our stride for a wee bit but credit to the lads, they kept going and kept getting at them and it was a thoroughly deserved win.”