Dunfermline Athletic are just about certain they will be a Championship club next season.
The maths, though, is not quite 100% with a little bit more work to do.
Six points ahead of the relegation play-off place with only six to play for and a better goal difference by eight, it will take a remarkable turn of events to see the Pars in trouble.
The final whistle in Saturday’s 0-0 draw at home to Queen’s Park was met by a rumbling of disgruntlement from the home support, though.
Mainly because this was a game Dunfermline really should have won to add those sums up to job done for their first season back in the Championship.
Courier Sport was there to analyse all the action.
Goals
In case you missed the scoreline, there were none.
The main reason for that was Queen’s Park goalie Calum Ferrie.
The Pars had enough opportunities to win this game and, certainly for much of the first half, showed they are a better side than the Spiders.
Had one of the early chances for Lewis McCann and Chris Kane gone in, a comfortable home victory could well have been on the cards.
Though the visitors showed more threat in the second period, Deniz Mehmet only had one real save of note throughout the 90 minutes.
The clean sheet was hard earned and should really have won all three points.
Dunfermline, though, are the third-lowest scorers in the Championship – only Inverness and Arbroath have notched fewer this season.
They have taken more shots across the season than Raith Rovers, Partick Thistle and Airdrieonians, however.
They are fourth in that particular list – but ninth when it comes actually getting those shots on target.
That lack of scoring touch is a major reason why the Pars are looking over their shoulders in mid-table rather than pushing into the promotion play-offs.
Step-by-step
One point for the Pars or a failure by Queen’s Park to win both their remaining games will see the job done for James McPake.
Securing Championship football for a second successive season is within touching distance and is an important step for Dunfermline.
Since 2013, the Pars have had four seasons in League One – that’s far too many for a club this size.
Now James McPake has them heading back up the way, it is done one step at a time.
Win promotion, re-establish in the higher league and then build for better. That’s the blueprint.
It’s an important summer ahead to build on a solid foundation at East End Park.
But the job is not quite done yet.
Malachi Fagan-Walcott
The on-loan defender strolled through this contest.
Little flustered the Cardiff man, even picking up an injury after half-time didn’t give Queen’s Park the chance to get past him.
McPake wanted a penalty for the incident that saw Fagan-Walcott injured.
After a few minutes looking in trouble, the former Spurs defender soldiered on and continued to impress.
His performance, combined with the assured presence of Kyle Benedictus next to him, deserved a clean sheet.
A fine January addition.
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