DUNFERMLINE stepped up their title challenge with a workmanlike display that left Clyde still looking for their first home win of the season.
The Pars made a bright start at a blustery Broadwood but it was Clyde who almost broke the deadlock with an incisive breakaway in seven minutes.
Scott Gemmill fed David McKay on the right and the winger's drilled cross was flicked narrowly wide by
the in-rushing Pat Clarke.
David Lowing also went close for Clyde with an inswinging corner which Paul Gallacher could only punch off his line.
At the other end Kevin Harper released the rampaging Graham Bayne and it took a brilliantly timed tackle by Neil McGregor to deny the Pars striker.
However, the match swung decisively in Dunfermline's favour with two goals before half-time.
Andy Kirk broke the deadlock in 37 minutes when he found space to receive Harper's slide-rule pass and strike an angled shot behind David Hutton.
If the keeper was blameless on that occasion, he was culpable six minutes later.
Harper appeared to mis-hit his 30-yard effort but there was sufficient swerve on the ball to deceive Hutton.
McKay almost pulled one back on the restart when his shot from outside the box drew a diving save from Gallacher.
But Dunfermline went just as close when Kirk's cross was headed firmly goalward by Bayne and Hutton flung himself low to his left to claw the ball away.
The full article contains 245 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
