Raith Rovers have dominated the Fife derbies against Dunfermline this season to create history.
Their current run of five consecutive victories is their best ever in the fixture.
The Stark’s Park outfit had managed four wins on the bounce once before, in the early 1980s.
And rivals Dunfermline have twice managed four in a row more recently – in 2011 and 2012/13 and in a clean sweep in season 1996/97.
But you have to go back to the 1960s, when the Pars won seven in succession, to find another time when either side has racked up more than four straight triumphs.
Courier Sport has looked at how Rovers have earned the local bragging rights to rewrite the history books.
15/07/2023: Raith Rovers 1-1 Dunfermline, Viaplay Cup
Dunfermline defender Josh Edwards had clipped the post with a shot and Jamie Gullan’s free-kick crashed back off the bar before the Pars took the lead after half an hour.
Lewis McCann was the breakthrough man, cutting in from the left side of the box to drill into the far corner of the net.
But the lead lasted just eight minutes as Dylan Easton danced away from the visitors’ defence before clipping in a sublime finish.
Raith came close to snatching victory but keeper Deniz Mehmet pulled off brilliant saves from Liam Dick and Lewis Vaughan.
Penalties followed to decide the competition’s bonus point and Gullan and Vaughan both missed, allowing Matty Todd to fire in the winning spot-kick.
26/08/2023: Dunfermline 0-1 Raith Rovers, Championship
A game of even possession and shots on target finished with Raith heading home with the three points.
Dunfermline forced 12 corners to their visitors’ two and enjoyed five efforts at goal compared to Rovers’ three.
But it was a Sam Stanton header nine minutes before the break that settled the encounter.
Rhys Breen and Ewan Otoo threatened a leveller for the hosts in the second-half and Stanton was denied a second by Harry Sharp.
It was the start of Stanton’s influence on the fixture.
28/10/2023: Raith Rovers 1-0 Dunfermline, Championship
The derby was heading for a draw when Stanton struck again in the 93rd minute.
Still looking for a first win at Stark’s Park in six years, Dunfermline kicked off in determined fashion during a frenetic opening.
Kevin Dabrowski was key for Rovers, saving from Sam Fisher after just a minute and then from Aaron Comrie a few minutes later as the Pars dominated.
After the break, Dabrowski held the Pars at bay with a superb double stop as he kept out a Moffat shot and then Comrie’s net-bound follow-up.
And then Raith won it right at the end.
Liam Dick fed a low ball into Stanton, who swivelled brilliantly onto his stronger left foot and drilled a stunning finish into the far corner of the net.
24/11/2023: Dunfermline 0-3 Raith Rovers, Scottish Cup
The one derby of the season that still rankles with Dunfermline boss James McPake, who reckons his players were bullied as they crashed out of the cup at home to their rivals.
Jack Hamilton’s 15th-minute opener set the tone for a fourth derby without defeat for Ian Murray’s side, who were short of defensive options and played an unorthodox three-man rearguard.
Stanton then blasted in a second in the 65th minute to make it three derby goals in a row.
And Lewis Vaughan’s third five minutes later from a curling free-kick hammered home the visitors’ dominance on the night.
There was even time left for the Pars to miss a penalty to compound their misery.
02/01/2024: Dunfermline 1-2 Raith Rovers, Championship
Raith hung on to their three-point lead at the top of the table with a see-saw victory at East End Park.
Defender Daniel O’Reilly, who had been plunged in for his debut in the previous derby, prodded Rovers ahead in front of a bumper New Year crowd of nearly 8,500.
Ben Summers levelled for Dunfermline to give them hope going into the break.
But O’Reilly headed in six minutes into the second-half to put the Stark’s Park side back in front.
Play raged from end to end as time ticked away, and Alex Jakubiak struck the bar from a tight angle for the Pars, but the Kirkcaldy men held on for a fourth straight win in the fixture.
09/03/2024: Raith Rovers 2-0 Dunfermline, Championship
As has been the case a few times this season, Dunfermline held the upper hand in the opening stages of the final scheduled derby of the season.
There was a clear determination in the Pars’ ranks to come out on the right side of the result this time.
However, it was to end in familiar fashion in terms of the winners and the opening goal-scorer.
Stanton, who had missed January’s meeting with injury, scored for his fourth successive derby to give Raith the initiative against the run of play.
With Kevin Dabrowski pulling off a stunning save early in the second-half, Eason sealed the triumph with a smart finish from a quickly-taken free-kick.
Rovers even had the luxury of Callum Smith seeing his injury-time penalty saved by Deniz Mehmet.
