Dunfermline 2 - 1 Brechin City: Pars do enough to see off City

Dunfermline had to withstand a gritty comeback from Brechin City and the nerves of their frustrated home support but they finally registered a victory for the first time in eight league matches.

Declan McManus opened the scoring for Dunfermline. Picture: SNS/Sammy Turner

The win hoisted the Pars into third in the table on goal difference and will have lifted a load off the shoulders of manager Allan Johnston and his players after a miserable run.

Declan McManus knocked in the opener when Nat Wedderburn’s pin-point diagonal allowed Nicky Clark to nod down into the six-yard box. The Pars then looked to be cruising when Michael Paton speared a shot in off the underside of the crossbar from Joe Cardle’s lay-off early in the second-half.

However, a magnificent 30-yard drive into the top corner from Brechin’s on-loan Aberdeen youngster Connor McLennan set the nerves jangling in the home ranks and winless City claimed they should have had a penalty when Euan Spark went down under Sean Murdoch’s challenge.

“You could see the crowd turn against the players and get on their backs,” said Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston. “But the players showed a bit of character to hang in there in the second-half to get that win we needed.”