It was Sean’s show at Bayview as the Fifers moved into fifth place with a deserved 2-1 win.
Methil was lit up by two pieces of sublime finishing by winger Sean Dickson in a match that won’t live long in the memory.
The Fifers went into the game looking to extend an unbeaten run that stretches back to the turn of the year.
With Bayview boss Gary Naysmith light on options up front, he called on the services of former Celtic and Hibs striker Derek Riordan, who started the game on the bench.
Also included on the bench was former East Fife keeper Scott Bennett as on-loan Jordan Millar still struggling with injury.
The game took a while to settle but when it did it was East Fife who carved out the first real opportunity.
Gary Naysmith’s free-kick from the right wing was whipped in dangerously towards the head of Jonathan Page.
The big defender was only denied thanks to a goal-line clearance from Chris Townsley.
At the other end, Shire showed they could pose a threat of their own when David McKenna headed a David Greenhill ball inches past the post.
East Fife heeded the warning, though, and took the lead in stunning fashion when Dickson’s strike from 25 yards dipped under Richard Barnard’s crossbar.
Riordan was introduced 10 minutes into the second half, adding some extra impetus and Ross Brown went close following a goalmouth scramble.
The former Hibs man then proved he could be a real capture by creating the game’s second goal.
Riordan squared a free-kick to Dickson on the edge of the box but the midfielder fluffed his first shot.
The ball dropped kindly to him, though, and he made no mistake a second time, firing into the top corner.
The Fifers had to endure a nervy ending to the match when the ball bounced off Naysmith and ended up in his own net to give the visitors a goal.
The Methil boss said: “That was dreadful to play in so I don’t know what it was like to watch but I said to the players that I was delighted to win it scrappy because those are the sort of games we’ve been losing.”
Att: 342.
East Fife: Fleming, Liam Smith, Leanizbarrutia, Page, Naysmith, Campbell, Brown, Mullen, Walker (Barr 83), Dickson (Cook 78), Adeyemo (B Trialist 55). Subs not used: Scott Smith, A Trialist.
East Stirling: Barnard, Greene, Townsley, Bates, Kinnaird, Brisbane, McCabe, Greenhill (Brown 78), Wright (Vidler 73), McKenna, Gilmour (Nicholson 63). Subs not used: A Trialist, Wallace, Jon Tully, MacGregor.
Ref: Matt Northcroft.