DEFENDER turned goal-creator Lee Ashcroft joked he used his vision to set up Saturday’s winner – and could finally enjoy looking at the league table.

The centre back found himself in the rare position of being able to claim an assist during the vital victory over St Mirren as his connection with Farid El Alagui’s knock-down fell kindly for Nicky Clark to score the only goal of the game.

It was as scruffy a flick into his teammate as you are likely to find but Ashcroft laughed: “I saw the keeper coming and I used my vision to find Nicky – I gave him the eyes!

“I was delighted he got his goal and it came at a good time. We saw it through to half time; they’re a big team and they had a lot of pressure in the second half but the full team defended brilliantly and everyone played their part.

“It wasn’t the greatest game but it was a dogged performance and I think before the game we would’ve taken that.

“We’ve been a lot better over the last four weeks and I hope Saturday is the start of a run where we can pick up wins and enjoy looking at the table again. By the time New Year comes, hopefully we’re closer to the play-off places and looking above us rather than behind.”

Ashcroft, 23, typified Dunfermline’s recently found steeliness and determination to keep clean sheets when he reacted quickest to clear when Sean Murdoch pulled off a stunning stop in first-half injury time to deny John Sutton an equaliser.

Since joining from Kilmarnock in the summer, he has been a regular pick at the heart of Allan Johnston’s backline that has seen a lot of change around him as Athletic tried to find a formula to their defensive problems.

With Andy Geggan missing through injury, his centre-back partner of recent weeks, Lewis Martin, was deployed at full back and saw club captain Callum Fordyce drafted in to start for the first time since September.

The changes did not hinder the Pars and when asked what he thought has changed, Ashcroft continued: “I feel we are more balanced and have a better shape; I’m not sure why but we’re more solid. We’re confident going into games and that gives the forwards confidence that if they can get a goal, then we can hold out.

“I’ve been here six months now and, at first, it take a while to get used to the players, but we know each other now so it’s not a problem if there’s someone else beside me. We just go out and play our game and I thought Dycey was brilliant because it was a hard game to come back in to. We’ve only lost two goals in four games and, looking back, we’ve not really looked like losing goals.”