Pars lose at home to St Mirren for second defeat on the bounce

FOR the second week in a row the Pars support watched their side fall behind, equalise and then lose.

If Dunfermline were serious about mounting any form of title challenge, winning games like this would see them become genuine contenders.

They failed to do so.

They lacked a creative spark and couldn’t find an equaliser despite a late rally.

Eager to put to bed Scottish Cup disappointment against Morton last time out, Allan Johnston retained faith in his starting eleven with one enforced exception.

The suspended Joe Cardle was the only man missing, with Kallum Higginbotham coming in for league duty.

Within two minutes the home support thought their side were awarded an early gift as Declan McManus went to ground under pressure from Jack Baird.

Referee John Beaton wasn’t having any of it and had a quick word in the striker’s ear instead of pointing to the spot.

If it the away contingent weren’t making enough noise as it was, they raised their levels when their side opened the scoring on 13 minutes in some style.

A flowing move from midfield was rounded off by Cammy Smith placing his shot past Lee Robinson in the Pars goal after a perfectly timed reverse pass by talented winger Lewis Morgan.

It was a slick team move from start to finish, befitting of a team topping the table.

Ex-Par Gavin Reilly would have loved nothing more than to see his low drive find the back of the net on 20 minutes to double the advantage.

Unfortunately for the league’s top scorer, his effort was always heading away from goal.

The Pars never looked like levelling any time soon against Jack Ross’ men although Ryan Williamson continued his form from the Scottish Cup with quick feet on the touchline leading to a wicked weak-foot delivery which narrowly evaded the outstretched Higginbotham at the back post.

Johnston was forced into an early change on 41 minutes when Dean Shiels’ game came to an end. He had been struggling throughout the game and was replaced by James Craigen for his second outing from the bench in the black and white.

A minute later Nicky Clark done well to fashion an overhead kick opportunity for himself. It was a good effort but into the hands of the untroubled Craig Samson.

Other than that moment and Williamson’s cross, it’s not exaggerating to say that the hosts created next to nothing in the first half as they went into the interval trailing.

The Pars didn’t take long to draw level in the second, however.

Michael Paton’s driven free-kick to the back post was inch perfect for Jean-Yves M’Voto who nodded into the direction of Clark whose header went over Samson who was caught well off his line.

It was the perfect start to the second half for Athletic.

When Stephen McGinn drew a foul on 52 minutes, Robinson had to be alert to tip the resulting free-kick from Kyle Magennis 25 yards out over his bar.

The Pars bench were able to take a sigh of relief as the swerving drive was pushed away, but a two-minute blow of woe was to follow.

Paton followed Shiels off the park with injury on 61 minutes for Fraser Aird.

And on 62 minutes, the Buddies surged back in front with a clever set-piece of their own.

Morgan’s clipped delivery to the back post was met by the unmarked Baird on the volley and with the aid of a deflection off Jason Talbot, his shot went over the head of Robinson.

The impressive Morgan almost grabbed a goal himself but Robinson’s feet denied him on 83 minutes, and he watched as the winger once again shot over minutes after.

For Jack Ross, his namesake Baird was the match winner in more ways than one.

Not only did he score the winning goal, he blocked two potentially goalbound efforts in the space of a minute, with Andy Ryan likely to have found the net from the left-hand side of the penalty box.

For the Pars, it was the second 2-1 home defeat on the bounce, with new recruits clearly needed before the close of the window.

PARS: Robinson, Williamson, M’Voto, Morris, Talbot, Shiels (Craigen 41), Wedderburn, Paton (Aird 62), Higginbotham (Ryan 70), Clark, McManus.

Subs not used: Gill, Martin, Ashcroft, Smith.

Booked: Shiels (29), Craigen (67), Morris (80).

Goal: Clark (47) St Mirren: Samson, Smith, Baird, Davis, Eckersley, McShane (Flynn 60), McGinn, Magennis, Smith (MacKenzie 81), Morgan, Reilly (Mullen 77).

Subs not used: Stewart, Demetriou, Sutton, Hill.

Goal: Smith (13), Baird (62)

Referee: John Beaton

Attendance: 5,479