Dundee United 2 PARS 3

LOUIS LONGRIDGE was Athletic's hero as they kicked off their Championship campaign in style against Dundee United this afternoon.

The summer signing from Falkirk's goal six minutes from time proved decisive after a thrilling second half that saw Dunfermline fight back to earn a fine three points.

Former Par Nicky Clark's close-range finish a minute from half-time gave United the lead but, in a thrilling second half, the visitors roared back to level through Joe Thomson.

Jackson Longridge, who netted the winner on the other side of Tannadice Street against Dundee 13 days ago, gave them the lead before his brother added the third.

Fraser Aird's sublime free-kick in the final minute gave his new employers hope against his former team-mates, but it was black and white delight after a second half performance that deserved to end in victory.

It brought a 15-game winless streak against United - not since Paul Burns hit the winner in an SPL clash seven years ago had Dunfermline tasted victory - to a close and fired an early warning to Athletic's promotion rivals.

Fresh from securing their place in the last 16 of the Betfred Cup with a win over Stirling Albion last Saturday, Allan Johnston made just the one change, with Lee Robinson returning in goal for Cammy Gill.

The Athletic manager was without banned duo Ryan Williamson and Kallum Higginbotham, while Lewis Martin and Tom Beadling both remained sidelined through injury.

For the hosts, Clark - Dunfermline's top scorer last season before moving to Tannadice in the summer - started up front, while two more former Pars, Aird and Paul McMullan, began the afternoon on the bench.

It was a scrappy opening to proceedings, with the first quarter of an hour most notable for some niggly fouls on both sides, and the jeering that greeted Clark from the big away following any time he touched the ball.

He tried a speculative shot from the edge of the area that Robinson held comfortably, in what was the contest's first effort at goal, in a half that largely saw little happen.

Both goalkeepers were under utilised as the two sets of players cancelling each other out, with the sound of referee Willie Collum's whistle the main feature for the vast majority.

Thomson skewed a first-time effort wide after Adam Barton could only clear James Craigen's corner to the edge of the box, before the match suddenly livened up just before the half hour.

Faissal El Bakhtaoui, who had already been chopped down by William Edjenguele - who was booked - was targeted again by Christoph Rabitsch.

His poor challenge was not only met by a card, but a reaction from both a furious El Bakhtaoui and the Pars bench, who remonstrated with their Tangerine counterparts before Collum was moved to speak to Johnston.

Edjenguele saw a header deflected behind before Myles Hippolyte sent a free-kick not too far wide for the visitors, but it was United who struck first.

A free-kick was flighted into the Athletic box and, as they tried - but failed - to clear, and Robinson's best attempts to gather, the ball eventually fell to Clark two yards out to poke home.

Aird replaced Rabitsch at the start of the second half where Hippolyte, having spotted Matej Rakovan off his line, attempted a lob from just inside the United half.

The effort was such that the keeper had to scramble back to his line and push it over the top.

Craigen then curled a shot over and wide after picking up Jackson Longridge's ball played across the penalty area as the Pars tried to find a route back into it, but Aird served notice of his threat with a fine cross that Yanick Loemba headed over.

At the other end, Hippolyte was unlucky to miss the target with a good header from around the penalty spot from Craigen's corner but, just before the hour mark, they did pull level.

And what a fine goal it was too.

Athletic kept the ball moving well on the left and worked it into the feet of El Bakhtaoui, positioned at the edge of the box to the right of the D.

He showed neat feet to create a yard of space and lay off for Thomson, whose fine low strike flew beyond Rakovan and into the net.

It sent the travelling fans wild and it almost got even better when Craigen sent El Bakhtaoui racing clear but, under pressure from Edjenguele, couldn't direct the ball on target.

But, in the 67th minute, Jackson Longridge did as Dunfermline turned it around.

United seemed to stand still and wait for a handball as Thomson picked up Craigen's throw before he directed it towards goal.

It took a deflection but, with the home defence static, the left wing-back wasn't hanging around as he stole in at the far post to head beyond a helpless Rakovan.

Thomson then chanced his luck with a volley after controlling a clearing header from a corner at the edge of the box, while Hippolyte couldn't quite generate the required power in a header from another Craigen set-piece.

A fine reverse pass by Aird released Clark to shoot to the near post, only for Robinson to block, before Frederic Frans nodded wide from Sam Stanton's volley.

But, with six minutes to go, Athletic looked to have sealed it with another fine goal.

Just after Laszlo had thrown on McMullan for Jamie Robson, Dunfermline broke forward and found Louis Longridge.

He took the ball under control, shimmied into a bit of space before firing a cool, low shot beyond Rakovan to send the 1,347 visiting fans delirious.

However, in the final minute, Aird gave United a glimmer with a fantastic free-kick that flew beyond Robinson and in to the bottom left corner of the net.

But, after seeing out four minutes of injury time, Dunfermline held out to secure a superb opening day win.

Dundee United: Rakovan, Frans, Barton, Curran, Clark, Stanton, Robson, Rabitsch, Wardrop, Edjenguele, Loemba.

Subs: McMullan, Smith, Allardice, Glass, Aird, Watson, Siegrist.

Pars: Robinson, Craigen, J. Longridge, Devine, Durnan, Ashcroft, Thomson, Vincent, El Bakhtaoui, L. Longridge, Hippolyte.

Subs: Luke, Allan, Connolly, Todd, Ryan, Smith, Gill.

Referee: Willie Collum.

Attendance: 6,532 (1,347 Pars fans)