Dunfermline 1 - 1 St Mirren: Sure signs of East End spirit

SO much rests on the shoulders of one man, but after a fighting, scrapping display at East End Park yesterday, there are signs that new manager Jim Jefferies’ charges at Dunfermline might – just might – have enough gas in the tank to avoid relegation.

At times the home side rode their luck, at others they tried Jefferies’ patience against a Saints side who haven’t won here since 2001, yet they never gave up as they gained a crucial point that brought them to within a win of Hibs.

Jefferies has only had two days with Dunfermline’s players since the club dispensed with the services of Jim McIntyre, yet the veteran coach has already begun to weave his magic. Dunfermline only fleetingly looked like registering their first home SPL win of the season, yet they looked to have shored up a defence that has been ruinously porous all season. Even more importantly, Jefferies believes he knows how to make Dunfermline a side that’s difficult to break down and defeat. “The problem wasn’t a lack of effort, it was that at times they looked as if they were working too hard to impress me,” he said. “I wasn’t happy with the first half, not in terms of effort but in terms of quality. They need to learn that when you are down there [at the bottom of the league], you need to play the percentages and grind out a few results. These boys have got a lot of guts and determination, they just need a bit of savvy.”

That was in short supply during his first half at the helm. His tenure in Fife began with 45 minutes of football in which only a litany of errors and a surfeit of grunt punctuated the tedium. Running and sweating were in evidence throughout, but precision passing and close control were virtually non-existent.

Yet Dunfermline at least looked organised in defence, which is a major step forward for a side who have scored three more goals than their visitors but conceded 26 more goals than St Mirren. Yesterday, their much-discussed goalkeeping frailties were nowhere in evidence, and for much of the first half Dunfermline looked pretty well organised at the back, with former Buddie Gary Mason and Mark Kerr keeping a lid on Steven Thompson and Nigel Hasselbaink.

Although there were no clear chances, those shots and headers which did come were predominantly from the home side. Liam Buchanan, Alex Keddie and Martin Hardie all put speculative shots or headers wide in the first quarter, while Lee Mair and Dougie Imrie responded in kind for the visitors.

The greatest likelihood of a goal was always going to be from a set-piece, and so it proved just as it looked as if the first half would end goalless. The breakthrough came from Steven Thomson, who rose unchallenged to head Gary Teale’s corner across the goal and into the far corner despite the best efforts of Mason on the post. It was a goal that ensured that Jefferies’ men departed the field for the interval with the sound of boos ringing in their ears. It’s surprising how much noise a crowd of less than 4,000 can make when roused.

Yet no one can ever accuse Jefferies of sending out teams that won’t fight for him, and if the first half had ended with a gradual ratcheting up of the tempo, the second half began at a roaring pace that barely slackened. It worked, too, and within seconds of the restart Dunfermline had drawn level when Martin Hardie’s cushioned header diverted Mason’s ball into the St Mirren box into the path of Liam Buchanan. Yet, clear inside the St Mirren box, he was bundled over by Lee Mair just as he was about to shoot. It was an obvious penalty, but referee Alan Muir let play continue and the ball broke free to Joe Cardle, who bundled it into the corner of the goal to bring the home side level.

That was the signal for a frenzied assault on the St Mirren goal which the Paisley side did well to withstand. Less than a minute after conceding, only a goal-line header from Graham Carey prevented the Pars taking the lead through a cracking shot from Mason, and another minute later Cardle weaved his way along the goalline before forcing Saints keeper Craig Samson to turn a stinging shot around his near post.

Having weathered the unexpected onslaught, St Mirren soon began to work their way back into the game. Without creating any clear chances, Danny Lennon’s men started to play the lion’s share of their football in the Dunfermline half, with Hasselbaink and Imrie’s pace, the ever-impressive Paul McGowan’s trickery and Thompson’s aerial power providing the main threats. That they weren’t able to turn their numerous forays into Dunfermline’s box into goals owed much to Andy Dowie, who was indomitable at the heart of the home defence: powerful and aggressive in the air, and willing to throw his weight around on the ground.

It took all of his efforts, plus a fair sprinkling of luck, to deny St Mirren as they sought to atone for their cup exit and for missing out on finishing in the top six by dominating the final quarter. As the game reached its final stages, St Mirren looked by far the more likely of the two teams to score, with Goodwin and Teale both trying their luck from long range, and Hasselbaink putting a header over bar. The final chance, however, was the best. The 90 minutes were up when Hasselbaink received the ball on the edge of the box and for once his close control didn’t let him down, the little striker turning and slipping the ball into the path of McGowan. The midfielder was one-on-one with the keeper deep inside the box yet somehow scuffed his shot harmlessly across the face of the goal.

Jefferies and his men could do with more luck like that in the weeks ahead. They may not have got their first win at home, but they looked considerably more organised and committed. With just seven games to go, the game at Easter Road is looking increasingly like a make-or-break for both clubs.