A Lewis McCann double saw Dunfermline move off the foot of the Championship table with an impressive 3-0 win over Ayr.
It was a first league victory at East End Park for the Pars as John Hughes earned a second-straight three points as boss.
McCann’s goals either side of the break sandwiched Ryan Dow’s header as Dunfermline leapfrogged the Honest Men in the table, leaving Queen of the South in bottom spot.
Corner chaos
Hughes received a hearty welcome from the home support ahead of kick-off.
And his team immediately set out on the front foot, full-backs Aaron Comrie and Josh Edwards connecting to bring a good save from Aidan McAdams within a minute.
The Pars were on top but it was set-pieces where they really came alive.
On 13 minutes, Ayr were angry at referee Alan Newlands for giving the home side a corner instead of a goal kick.
And their protestations continued after Lewis McCann had risen to head in a Dom Thomas cross, making it 1-0.
After Andy Murdoch had cleared off the line from another corner kick, it was 2-0.
This time Graham Dorrans swung in the set-piece and Ryan Dow peeled off his man to head beyond McAdams six minutes before the break.
McCann can
The game was over as a contest on 51 minutes as the home full-backs combined in attack once again.
Edwards crossed, Comrie rose at the far post to head across for the impressive McCann to fire in his second of the afternoon.
The visitors were inches away from getting one back before the hour, though it came from a Dunfermline head as Kyle Macdonald flicked a header onto his own post.
The result, though, was never in doubt as the Pars shot up the Championship standings.
Teams
Dunfermline: Fon Williams, Comrie, Edwards, Macdonald (Wighton 76), Dow, Gaspuitis, McCann (O’Hara 81), Dorrans, Thomas, Todd (Allan 67), Connolly.
Subs not used: Deniz, Graham, Kennedy, Todorov.
Ayr: McAdams, Chalmers (Maxwell 70), Reading, McKenzie (Bradley 83), Fjortoft, Houston, Afolabi, Baird, Murdoch, O’Connor (Salkeld 70), Muirhead.
Subs not used: Albinson, Adeloye, McGinty, McAllister.
Referee: Alan Newlands
Attendance: 3,503
