Dunfermline manager James McPake gave Raith Rovers the credit they deserved after their narrow victory in the Fife derby.
Sam Stanton’s only goal of the game sent the three points back to Stark’s Park and saw Dunfermline lose their first home league match since April last year.
The Pars created the better chances in the first half but found themselves behind at the break.
They had much of the second half but found Rovers’ rearguard in defiant form.
“We’re disappointed to lose the game,” said McPake. “First half, we weren’t at the levels we’re used to seeing from that team.
James McPake: Raith ‘better’ than Dunfermline in the first half
“Raith in the first half, without really creating too much were the better side. They got after the ball a lot better than us.
“First half, we were nowhere near it – whether that’s down to them or us, I don’t know.
“Second half we were a lot better, a lot more like ourselves. We tried everything to get the goal but we couldn’t.
“Goals were lacking. First half, I don’t know, I need to watch it back.
“They’re a decent team, we know that. They got after us and we weren’t as courageous enough on the ball to go and try and play the way we normally do.
“We could have had a few goals in the first half as well, but the team just wasn’t the way ot normally is.
“The gaps in the team were too big in the first half, from defenders all the way through.”
Dunfermline’s ‘fantastic run’ under McPake comes to an end
McPake took little comfort from the fact that this was Dunfermline’s first home league defeat since April last year – and McPake’s first as Pars manager.
“When you’re still raw, it hurts,” he said. “It’s natural, we work all week to come in and try and win a game of football.
“It was a great crowd in here again, they backed us right to the end to try and salvage something.
— Craig Cairns (@craigcairns001) August 26, 2023
“A goal in the second half, with this crowd behind us, we could have went on and got all three points.
“It has been a fantastic run, but we’ve got to take the defeat on the chin.
“We need to see where we went wrong, work hard and we have another tough game last week.”
