PARS boss James McPake said his players deserve the credit after they moved clear at the top of League One on Saturday.

After two successive draws, Dunfermline returned to winning ways at Queen of the South, with first half goals from Nikolay Todorov and Rhys Breen sealing a 2-0 success.

Goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet - who his manager described as "excellent" - saved a second half spot-kick from Ruari Paton to ensure he kept a fifth shut-out as Athletic made it six matches without defeat.

Todorov's 19th-minute header gave Dunfermline the lead before Breen, on the stroke of half-time, doubled their advantage.

The centre back slid home, from close range at the far post, from Joe Chalmers' free-kick, with the referee overturning his assistant's offside flag.

The win moves the Pars two points clear of FC Edinburgh, who thumped 10-man Airdrieonians 6-0 at New Broomfield, at the summit, and McPake was full of praise for his team's efforts.

"It's a very tough place to come, we know that. I've been down here plenty of times before as a player and a manager and teams will drop points down here," he said.

"We just had to make sure it wasn't us today and I thought we really efficient with what we did in the first half, and the game was done. Albeit, we had a great save from Deniz to keep the two goal cushion, but I don't think we were ever in any trouble today.

"That's credit to the players, but that could have been the case most weeks of the season, and today they got their rewards. That shows the difference when you get that two goal cushion; you've got the wee bit to play with, and they were really effective in what they did today, so I'm delighted for them.

"I think in the first 25 minutes we were excellent again. We came out really quick; we emphasised the fact that they had played midweek (at Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup) and, emotionally as well, it's not easy going in to Ibrox.

"They were in the game until 80-odd minutes, which is credit to them, midweek, so we knew we had to come here and start fast, and that we had to be good in what we did, and we were.

"On another day, we're out of sight by 25 minutes, but it doesn't matter; you've got 95, 96 minutes to win a game, and we did it today, so credit to the players.

"The changes worked I thought as well. Lewis McCann, Chris Hamilton coming on, Sam Fisher late on, so I thought that worked. Deniz pulling off a penalty save was great, but he's been excellent. I don't think he had much more to do other than that, but I hope he's not got that to do most weeks, or any other week!

"Credit to the players. They deserve it today."

McPake was also keen to praise the communication of the match officials, particularly in light of Dunfermline's second goal, from which the ball had come off the head of a home player before Breen touched it home.

"I've not seen the penalty, or our (second) goal, but you can gauge by their reaction," McPake continued " At the penalty our players did not react too much and that probably tells you it was a penalty. At our goal you could see the reaction from our players that it was a goal anyway.

"I’ll go off now and watch it back and maybe find that I’m talking rubbish. but I'm not bothered. It's three points, a clean sheet, and we're still unbeaten."

Although pleased to be top of the table, with another away trip, to Clyde, to come this weekend, McPake added: "We're only six games in. It's far too early to be looking at the table.

"It is nice, but talking about coming back, I've come down here before on the last day of the season needing a victory, so every game we just look ahead to next week.

"We're away to Clyde again next week and then we're back at home, so it's just one game at a time. It doesn't really matter what's happening six games in; I'm just delighted we're still unbeaten and we're back to winning ways."

Doonhamers counterpart, former Dunfermline star, Wullie Gibson, lamented his side's first half performance and praised their opponents desire.

"It was nowhere near good enough," he said.

"Off the back of Tuesday night, the fans got behind them because they could see the heart, the fight and the spirit at Ibrox on Tuesday night and, although we got beat, we gave a good account of ourselves.

"But we've not started again. It's not for the first time, and the standard in the first half's way off what I expect, and what will be expected.

"I said in there before the game that nobody's came to me and said they were tired. The starting eleven was based around Ibrox, because they did well the other night. Nobody chapped my door and said they were feeling anything or they were tired. I asked they just need to pick themselves up and go again.

"It's not the first time in boys' careers that they'll have an extra game midweek or whatever, so I'm not putting that down to that all. I just felt Dunfermline were by far the hungrier side and started the game far sharper than we did.

"They were winning the firsts, the seconds, the thirds; we were just an absolute mile off it.

"I have had a go at the players - and what I say always stays in there - but the boys know that they've let themselves down there. The first half, I think is probably the worst we've produced this season so far.

"Again Dunfermline, although we picked it up in the second half,  I felt it was easy.

"Dunfermline sat in a wee bit, we enjoyed a bit more of the possession, and Dunfermline always looked dangerous on the counter."