Dunfermline lost at home for the first time in a year, going down 2-0 to Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup.
Goals from Fraser Murray and second-half substitute Kyle Vassell gave Derek McInnes’ side the points and put them at the top of Group F, one point ahead of the Pars with a game in hand.
Dunfermline played well for large spells of the game but ultimately didn’t work goalkeeper William Dennis often enough after a slow start to the match.
Courier Sport looks at some talking points from Saturday’s defeat.
Red card?
On first viewing, Murray’s challenge on Lewis McCann looked a certain red.
The footage from ParsTV is on the far side and doesn’t clear things up, but this clip from Pars Review shows that, while borderline, it is probably just on the side of yellow.
Yellow or red?
Fraser Murray’s foul on Lewis McCann could have seen the Kilmarnock player sent off but referee Euan Anderson decided a booking was enough. pic.twitter.com/wOlVHuuitb
— Pars Review (@ParsReview) July 22, 2023
The speed that Murray goes into the challenge and the fact he doesn’t go for the ball means he would have had no complaints had a red card come out instead.
There has been growing opinion that such cynical fouls – when the player makes no attempt to play the ball to prevent an attack – should be a red card and it may be that we see a rule change implemented in future.
Thin squad
Even before injuries to Kane Ritchie-Hosler and Matty Todd, Dunfermline have been in the market to boost their attacking options.
The release of Kevin O’Hara and Nikolay Todorov in the summer left them short up front and even though Michael O’Halloran has since been added, they have been denied his services for the last two matches.
O’Halloran was a slight doubt ahead of Kilmarnock and was not risked. He is in line to return versus Albion Rovers on Tuesday.
There are other areas of the pitch that could be strengthened but after Saturday’s defeat, in which Dunfermline put a lot of pressure on their opponents, the Pars were lacking in the final third.
McPake said a new signing is “close” but wouldn’t be drawn on the position of the player.
Andrew Tod
That’s not to downplay the contribution of the man who stepped into Todd’s boots.
Andrew Tod has shown flashes of what he can do in his limited exposure so far.
His manager again touched on his “bad ” loan to Elgin City last season, adding that even a frustrating spell like that will serve him well.
Tod is 17 but is “ready”, according to McPake, and wasn’t thrown in just because of injuries. He was arguably the Pars’ best player on Saturday and came close to a second-half equaliser.
McPake has said in the past that he is conscious of being protective of young players, learning the lessons from what he witnessed at Dundee with Craig Wighton.
Tod now has the chance to continue making his mark on the side before it is decided if another loan or keeping him around is best for the club and for the player’s development.
Relying on other results
We’re still not in a position to know with any certainty how many points will be required to qualify.
Since there are always teams with games in hand, it is difficult to read too much into the ranking of second-placed sides as it stands.
What we do know is that a win over Albion Rovers on Tuesday night leaves the Pars on eight points and relying on other results to go their way – first of all in their group and then in others.
