Dunfermline midfielder Michael Paton was to the fore in Saturday’s 5-0 victory over Stenhousemuir, scoring the all-important second goal with a classy free-kick and spraying searching passes to all corners of East End Park.
The 26-year-old knows how to clinch the League One title as he and Pars boss Allan Johnston did precisely that when they were at Queen of the South, and a second set of winners’ medals will surely be theirs this spring as the Fifers moved 10 points clear of nearest challengers Peterhead, who lost further ground after barely scraping a last-minute draw at Albion Rovers.
Skipper Josh Falkingham opened the scoring on Saturday, but it was Paton who provided some welcome breathing space by doubling Dunfermline’s lead in the 31st minute, using pinpoint accuracy rather than sheer power to clip a 22-yard free-kick over the wall and past keeper Colin McCabe, who was later red-carded.
Although he happily deferred to Paton at the set-piece, top scorer Faissal El Bakhtaoui soon made his accustomed contribution when he half-volleyed his 24th goal of the campaign to make it 3-0 early in the second half.
Substitute Ryan Wallace added further gloss in the closing 20 minutes, his second goal coming after keeper McCabe was sent off for a cynical foul on Wallace.
Despite no warm-up, McCabe’s replacement Jamie Barclay managed to parry Wallace’s penalty, but he could do nothing about the rebound.