Four wins in a row as Dunfermline climb into promotion place

DUNFERMLINE moved into the promotion play-off places after Ryan Blair’s strike saw them win their fourth match in a row.

Stevie Crawford’s men leapfrogged Inverness into fourth place – the Highlanders are on Scottish Cup duty and have a game in hand – after a cracking goal and dogged defensive display.

Blair grabbed his first goal for the club with a ferocious second half strike and although there were a few scares they held on to give their promotion hopes a huge boost.

Pars started in confident fashion and they should have taken the lead in the third minute when James Craigen lifted the ball into the box and Kallum Higginbotham met the ball around the penalty spot.

He tried to volley it home with the outside of his right boot, rather than swinging through it with his left, and the connection with the ball lacked the power to beat Alan Martin in the Queens goal.

Ex-Par Fraser Aird was getting the treatment from the home fans but he almost silenced them with a ferocious hit that Ryan Scully took two attempts to gather.

Ace marksman Stephen Dobbie ran riot here earlier in the campaign and looked in the mood for the visitors again. He swept a free kick round the wall and skidding just wide of the post before Pars were denied a stunning opener from Blair in the 23rd minute.

Bruce Anderson was fouled and the on-loan Swansea midfielder lined up a free kick on the edge of the box.

He stepped up and hammered a left foot drive that was rocketing towards the top corner when Martin flung up an arm to divert the ball over the bar.

Queens began to dominate possession with Aird and Dobbie a constant menace.

However, the Athletic rearguard that has now notched up four clean sheets in a row managed to restrict Dobbie to a venomous long ranger that flicked off a Pars boot on the way over.

In a rare foray up the pitch Ryan Williamson ghosted his way to the line and his cut back was met by Anderson but his delicate flick saw the ball bounce just the wrong side of the post.

Back came the Doonhamers though and Aird cut in on his right foot before shaping a shot that flew just past Scully’s left hand upright.

Dunfermline had sparked into life against Partick Thistle in midweek and Crawford was hoping his team could raise the intensity after falling out of the contest.

Blair showed some impressive touches and Joe Thomson was all action but the blue shirts managed to form an effective barrier.

Aidan Connolly swiped the ball over the bar but Athletic were struggling to give Anderson some much-needed service.

The striker did panic the Queens defence into gifting a cheap corner in the 54th minute but Danny Devine was penalised for a shove in the back and the visitors breathed again.

Pars started to string a few passes together and ask questions of Gary Naysmith’s side and Crawford rang the changes just before the hour with Louis Longridge on for Connolly.

A slack moment in defence allowed Dobbie a glimpse of goal but his half volley wasn’t his best and the ball sailed wide and into the stand.

Longridge did some great defensive work to rob Scott Mercer in the box and it looked increasingly likely that, if a winner was to come, a piece of magic or a mistake would decide this match.

Anderson flicked the ball just over the top in the 65th minute after Lee Ashcroft had climbed high to win a header from a corner and Dunfermline slowly began to crank up the pressure.

Jackson Longridge replaced Higginbotham and with 20 minutes to go the home support got involved, urging their favourites on as a Louis Longridge cross whistled across goal with no takers.

There was an anxious moment when Scully dropped an inswinging Aird cross, he managed to jump on the ball before Lyndon Dykes could pounce.

Pars were back on the attack and netted in the 74th minute when Jackson Longridge passed the ball to Blair, who shifted it back onto his left foot before arrowing a shot across Martin and into the bottom corner.

Tom Beadling raced back to rob Iain Wilson, as the Queens man threatened to run right through the heart of the home side’s defences, as Athletic tried to stay on top.

There was controversy when centre back Darren Brownlie appeared to elbow Anderson in the face, as they chased Louis Longridge’s searching ball, with the striker left prone on the deck holding his face. The crowd bayed for a red card but the ref brandished a yellow and Blair thumped the resulting free kick into a wall of blue jerseys.

Louis Longridge’s dancing feet and a stepover bought him a yard to whip in a cross that Anderson nodded down and the ball bounced into the keeper’s midriff.

Heroic defending saw Louis Longridge block Dykes shot on the line and several players threw themselves in front of the Queens striker’s second attempt as Pars sought to protect that clean sheet.

Ex-Par Andy Stirling almost spoiled it, racing onto the ball after Dykes and Dobbie had carved a path to goal, but he failed to keep his effort down.

Blair got a standing ovation when he made way for Mark Durnan for the final moments and Louis Longridge should’ve made it safe when he ambled into the box, clean through, but clipped the ball over the keeper and wide of the post.

It was a sitter but, luckily for him, it didn’t matter as Dobbie’s deflected drive fell just wide and Scully flopped onto sub Barry Maguire’s downward header as Pars held on, just, for a fourth win in a row.