DUNFERMLINE have been largely written off as title candidates, but anyone thinking they can't achieve promotion will have to re-evaluate their opinion after this stunning win over St Johnstone.
Substitute Iain Williamson opened the scoring before
Nicky Phinn and Graham Bayne struck after the break to give Jim McIntyre's side three points and, perhaps more importantly, send out a statement of intent to the rest of the league.
For St Johnstone, who were uncharacteristically dreadful on their home turf, the start to this campaign has mirrored so many others with a win, a draw and now a defeat on their already patchy record.
The Pars dominated the opening 45 minutes
, but it was two minutes before the break until they took the lead, in controversial circumstances.
St Johnstone, legitimately, claimed that Andy Kirk fouled Kevin James on the edge of the area but while they were protesting the ball found its way to substitute Williamson, whose poorly struck low shot evaded Euan McLean and squirmed into the bottom corner.
They got their second goal of the game after 56 minutes when more criminal defending by the hosts allowed Kirk to cross into the box for Phinn, who nipped in ahead of Dan Smith and bundled the ball home.
St Johnstone's disastrous afternoon was complete in the final minute when a shocking passback by Kevin Rutkiewicz found its way to Bayne, who coolly lobbed the ball over MacLean from 25 yards out.
The full article contains 258 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
