Dunfermline 31 Ross High RFC 5, National League, Division Four

DUNFERMLINE head coach Gavin Emerson felt his side's winning scoreline against Ross High on Saturday flattered them after a "flat" performance.

The McKane Park outfit's first XV won their fourth match in a row, all of which have included a try-scoring bonus point, against their East Lothian opponents.

An early unconverted try gave the visitors from Tranent the advantage, but that was almost immediately cancelled out by a well-executed score in the corner from Dunfermline, the first of five tries they scored.

Despite the end result looking like it was a convincing success, Emerson said it was a victory built on his team's defensive work, in sharp contrast to their 45-13 win over Stewartry the previous week.

READ MORE: 'Unreal' Dunfermline make it three-in-a-row with Stewartry win

"We're delighted with the win, and especially to get the bonus point, but for us it was a bit of a flat game," he told Press Sport.

"The scoreline flattered us a wee bit. Ross High stuck in, added a lot of pressure, and we were defending for much of it. We conceded in the first few minutes and then, after that, it was a blue wall that nobody was getting through.

"It was a funny feeling after. We expected to put on a performance like last week against Stewartry, and it didn't happen."

Whilst he was pleased to see his players score some well-worked tries, Emerson said that handling errors and loose passes, resulting in a large number of scrums being contested, played a significant role in Dunfermline having to defend more than they had anticipated against a Ross High team that have lost all five of their matches played so far.

"It's hard to play to your game plan when you're playing a team that don't play with a lot of structure," Emerson continued.

"It worked for them and they played well. We're delighted to come away having not played our best rugby with five points, and still at the top end of the table, which is where we want to be.

"We did show signs; when we had the ball, we played some good rugby. It's testament to the boys that they hold themselves to higher standards."

Dunfermline go west to play Glasgow's Whitecraigs Rugby Club on Saturday, where a win will see them leapfrog their opponents into second place.

"I think we're missing a few key players, so we'll have to rally the troops and show the depth of our squad. It's going to be a tough game," Emerson added.

"It should be pretty close. They've had wins against similar opponents, so it might come down to the team that doesn't make as many errors."

Meanwhile, Dunfermline's second XV lost 41-21 at home to Madras in their Caledonia Midlands Region League, Division Two match, and are scheduled to play Dundee Uni Medics at home this Saturday.

Both the first XV and second XV matches will kick off at 3pm.