THROUGH crunching tackles and aerial challenges East Fife couldn't stop Lewis McCann - but one of his team-mates did with a forearm smash to the face.
It was pleasure and pain for the Pars forward who wrapped up a 2-0 win with a brilliant free kick and was then left with a bloody nose after some over-exuberant celebrations.
Luckily, in this age of medical marvels, he was able to play on after having two bits of cotton wool shoved up his nostrils and came close to adding another goal near the end.
Afterwards McCann said: “One of the boys, I’m not sure if it was Hammy or one of the other boys hit me with their forearm and my nose just started bleeding.
"Then one of the boys jumped up and said ‘Oh McCann your nose is bleeding’.
"I have been heading the ball all game and then the one thing that makes my nose bleed is someone’s forearm when we're celebrating!”
After ending a dismal winless run of seven matches he's now hoping they can dish out some pain to Raith - a victory would lift them above their derby rivals in the Championship table.
McCann said: "We needed to get the confidence up going into a massive game on Friday.
"The last two games we have put in two good shifts and we will go in with a lot of confidence.
“They had us last season so it will be good to go up against them after the result today.
"To go above them is a very good incentive.”
Despite facing League Two opposition, Dunfermline's awful start to the season meant they couldn't take Dick Campbell's men for granted, especially as they'd already lost 2-0 at New Bayview in a friendly at the end of June.
Asked if that run, six straight defeats in the league cup and the Championship before last week's 1-1 draw with Ayr, had played on their minds, McCann said: “No because you know that it’s going to come to an end eventually.
"In recent games there has definitely been a lift in performances. Obviously we didn’t start off the season too well but I’d say in the last couple of games we have started to put more positive performances in."
East Fife probably had the better chances in the first half and it took Aaron Comrie's first goal since October 2022, only his third overall for Athletic, to put them in front.
The ball came to the right back after McCann's swerving cross - he admitted it wasn't a shot - bounced back off the bar and into his path.
He said: "I thought it was going in, pretty much the same as the one that happened at Hamilton.
"I hit the bar from a cross there as well. I’m just lucky that Aaron finished it off. That took the pressure off and we could start to play a little bit more."
If the effort off the bar wasn't deliberate, McCann certainly meant the beauty of a free kick that he curled in from 25 yards to make the game safe.
He said: "I have been close recently, I’m just happy that one has finally gone in.
"I had a good one against Ayr last week and the keeper has managed to save it. It was a similar position, I just felt confident so I went for it.”
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