IT NEEDED no more than a par performance to give Dunfermline all three points against lacklustre Clyde and worsen the Bully Wee's play-off fears at Broadwood.
After an opening riddled with errors Mark Burchill snapped a shot on the turn which C
lyde keeper David Hutton dealt with uncomfortably. Clyde's first effort on goal also almost paid dividends, David McGowan's downward header scrambled past the post by Dunfermline keeper Paul Gallacher.
It was the Pars who opened the scoring in the 11th minute, Alex Burke's raking cross met low down by the head of Stephen Simmons who angled the ball into Hutton's top right hand corner.
Dunfermline doubled their lead 25 minutes later when Stephen Glass's low left-foot shot from fully 30 yards was spilled by Hutton and Burchill fired home from two yards.
The Pars were good value for their half-time lead, something Clyde manager John Brown clearly accepted by introducing Jimmy Gibson and Michael McGowan at the interval.
The changes, allied to the wind at their backs, brought about an improvement from the home side and
as the match went into its final quarter, the Bully Wee were given a lifeline courtesy of a somewhat generous penalty award by referee Charlie Richmond.
David McGowan tried breaking through Scott Wilson's tackle and went to ground, and Patrick Clarke stepped up and confidently converted the spot kick. But in truth the Pars deserved a victory more comfy than the score suggests.
The full article contains 261 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
