Dunfermline Athletic 2, Montrose 0.

DUNFERMLINE returned to winning ways after putting two past Montrose.

A goal in each half was enough to bag all three points and a much needed win.

After being forced to settle for a point last week at Clyde, James McPake’s men were looking to get back to winning ways.

However, pre-match, he insisted his top of the table side would be up with a tough challenge with the visitors being the only team to have beaten the Pars this season when they secured a two nil win at Links Park in October.

The first half saw a tense, closely fought battle with both sides creating several chances which could have given their sides the lead.

A header from Rhys Breen following a corner went wide in the opening minutes and, soon after, it was the visitors who had chance through Adam MacKinnon. Deniz Mehmet had got down well to block a shot and the ball came to MacKinnon whose shot trickled wide.

It was then straight back up the other end and the Montrose keeper Aaron Lennox who produced an impressive save to deny a Matty Todd shot.

Just before the 20 minute mark, Sean Dillon got the ball on the edge of the box and shot for goal. His effort won him a corner thanks to a deflection but their set piece came to nothing.

Dunfermline took the lead on 38 minutes through Rhys Breen. A Joe Chalmers corner was followed by a bit of a scramble in the box and Breen was able to capitalise and head the ball past Aaron Lennox.

The lead could have been doubled soon after when Josh Edwards skipped past his defender before shooting just wide.

In the second half, Dunfermline came out looking the more dominant side and could have made it more if chances had gone their way.

On 49 minutes, Lewis McCann used his strength to turn and shoot but his ball from just outside the box went wide.

Minutes later, Aaron Comrie found McCann in the box but his shot was immediately blocked and goes out for a corner.

Dunfermline suffered a blow when goalscorer Rhys Breen was stretched off with a leg injury on 54 minutes.

After a lengthy delay, the game restarted and soon saw Wighton turning and driving forward before teeing up Matty Todd who was one on one with the keeper but Lennox was able to collect the ball without much difficulty.

McCann was provider on 61 minutes when he delivered a ball across the box to Craig Wighton who tapped the ball into the goal from close range.

It wasn’t all DUnfermline Great save by Mehmet after Blair Lyons shoots from just inside the box.

Just before the 80 minute mark, Dunfermline had another chance when O'Hara dragged the ball back and it looked like it was coming through to McCann but he missed his shot and the ball went away to safety.

Dunfermline Athletic

Mehmet, Comrie, Edwards, Benedictus, Hamilton (Mochrie 97), Macdonald, Chalmers, Wighton (Todorov 84), Breen (O’Hara 57), McCann, Todd.

Subs: Little, Fenton, Ritchie-Hosler, Young, Tod, Mahon.

Goals: Breen (38), Wighton (61)

Bookings: Hamilton

 

Montrose

Lennox, Whatley (Johnston 70), Steeves, Allan, Waddell (Webster 63), Dillon, Masson (Callaghan 63), MacKinnon (Brown 81), McAllister, Milne (Watson 81), Lyons.

Subs: Matthews, Machado, , Johnston, Watson.

Bookings: Masson, McAllister