TWO goals in five second-half minutes saw Dunfermline stun SPL opponents St Mirren and earn passage to the Co-operative Insurance Cup quarter-finals.
Graham Bayne eased the First Division side into the lead in the 68th minute of a second half when they outshone their Premier League visitors, and substitute Simon Wiles rattled in the second soon after.
St Mirren afforded their opponents the gr
eatest respect in making only two alterations from the side which eked out a 1-1 draw with Falkirk at the weekend. Stephen McGinn and Hugh Murray were the additions, with Steven Robb and Andy Dorman dropping out.
Dunfermline were unchanged following a morale-boosting 3-1 victory over Ross County on Saturday.
St Mirren's selection of one-time Dunfermline players Gary Mason, Jim Hamilton, John Potter and Billy Mehmet added spice to the proceedings.
Mehmet was lively in the opening exchanges as he looked to add to his impressive six goals in seven outings, and
Mason crucially popped up to deny his former colleagues in the 17th minute as he hacked Steven Bell's net-bound header away.
Hamilton was valiant in taking a boot to the face whilst stooping to meet Franco Miranda's 35th-minute cross, with Mehmet scooping the loose ball wide. Bravery and endeavour were not in question on a night when quality in the final third was.
Mehmet's lay-off in the 50th minute produced a glimmer of hope for St Mirren but Hamilton's 20-yard drive arced just too high and wide.
The visitors had a penalty claim turned aside in the 64th minute as Greg Shields felled Hamilton in dealing with Scott Wilson's mistake but the striker didn't appear to have any chance of reaching the ball.
Andy Kirk clipped the top of the crossbar after racing clear of a hesitant Jack Ross and it was a sign of things to come as Dunfermline netted twice in five minutes. First, Bayne rose to head in Kevin Harper's free-kick in the 68th minute and then Harper's corner broke kindly for substitute Wiles to rattle the ball in off the underside of the crossbar and clinch victory.
Dunfermline: Gallacher; Thomson, Wilson, Shields, McCann; Harper (Woods 79), Bell (Wiles 67), Burke, Phinn; Bayne, Kirk. Subs not used: Reidford, Muirhead, Graham.
St Mirren: Howard; Ross, Haining (Cuthbert 87), Potter, Miranda; Murray (Robb 64), Brady, Mason (Wyness 78), McGinn; Hamilton, Mehmet. Subs not used: Smith, Dargo.
The full article contains 418 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
