Deniz Mehmet couldn’t believe what he was watching from the Pars dugout last year as his side were relegated from the Championship at the hands of Queen’s Park.
A disastrous season, starting under the guidance of Peter Grant and finishing with John Hughes at the helm, meant Dunfermline would be playing League One football this season.
Fast forward 11 months and the Pars have secured their return at the first time of asking.
They wrapped up the title with matches to spare after a 5-0 thrashing of Queen of the South.
🎥 Watch all of #DAFC's goals from yesterday's 5-0 win over Queen of the South.
Full Highlights Later! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/XtrWxe3NIj
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) April 15, 2023
After the match the players took turns to savour renditions of the songs belted out by the Pars faithful across the season.
Praise for fans
“Considering what it was like last year … I think if you had told them a year down the line they’d be doing that, they’d have told you you’re mad,” said Mehmet.
“I would have anyway! “It’s just mad how football changes so quickly now.
“It’ll be a big challenge ahead next year in the Championship, we’ve just got to give it everything again.
“The fans were brilliant. They’ve been through it all over the last two years that I’ve been here as well.
“To have a good backing like that and have them the way that they were, cheering on for 90 minutes is brilliant.”
Saturday was a devastating attacking performance but it was also Mehmet’s 20th clean sheet of the season, a club record for a league campaign.
At 5-0 up, you could have forgiven the Dunfermline players for taking their foot off the gas with one eye on the impending celebrations.
Extending clean sheet record
They were still harrying Queens and snapping into tackles, desperate to add another shutout to their impressive tally.
“The boys have been so good in front of me all year,” added Mehmet.
“The majority of the time I’ve been stood there, let’s be honest!
“They’ve been putting the hard work in, but it’s very much everyone’s record – from top to bottom from the club.
“It takes a lot of character from the boys to have a bounce back – because if you look at the team, it’s the majority of the same bunch of boys from last season.
“It was the most surreal feeling I’d had when we lost to Queen’s Park. I couldn’t believe it. I was sat [in the dugout] thinking, ‘This is not happening.’
“Not even a year down the line we’re celebrating like this to be back where we were again. It’s amazing.”
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