Picture the scene – Raith Rovers are two to the good against arch-rivals Dunfermline and just 17 minutes remain in the match.
The Kirkcaldy side have dominated proceedings on home turf and are on their way to ending the Pars’ unbeaten start to the season.
Suddenly, substitute Fraser Murray picks up the ball on the left for Stevie Crawford’s men, chops inside and curls a wonderful effort beyond an outstretched Jamie MacDonald.
With barely time for anyone inside Stark’s Park to settle, Ryan Dow is haring down the right for a Pars side in full flow.
He clips a beautiful ball into the box for Declan McManus to lash home a ferocious volley to level up the Fife derby right in front of the Val McDermid Stand.
This would, usually, send the black and white hordes occupying the away end wild but 2020 is a story not even the great Raith-supporting novelist could’ve conjured.
There was no clambering over seats, no unidentified limbs flailing in the air nor the beautifully-orchestral moment of silence preceeding a reverberating roar that would usually greet such a magnificent and important goal.
It was a smash and grab double salvo of epic proportions, perhaps even an injustice crime fiction writer McDermid would’ve been proud to pen had it not gone against her beloved Rovers.
Though, what it hammered home most to the few inside Stark’s Park on a fresh Saturday afternoon was a true sadness indicative of our times.
It was a game, the first league derby between the pair since 2017, that was made for thousands of frenzied Fifers.
The Championship’s top dogs going into the match, Dunfermline, against a newly-promoted Raith riding high in third.
The ground, alas, was empty minus a sprinkling of press, club officials and safety staff – the lucky few afforded a coronavirus shutdown hall pass.
Dunfermline aside, despite surrendering their lead late on, there were moments of magic missed for the Kirkcaldy faithful, too. An all too familiar story for fans of a team lighting up the second tier.
Whether it was the early electricity Aberdeen loanee Ethan Ross brought to the contest, cracking the inside of Owain Fon Williams’ left-hand post.
Or dominant Dutchman Manny Duku striking fear into Paul Watson and Euan Murray throughout as well as stabbing home on 27 minutes to give his side a deserved lead.
There was, too, delightful football on show from Raith midfield maestros Regan Hendry, Dylan Tait and Ross Matthews.
While Hendry conducted proceedings in front of him, Tait and Matthews would connect with the likes of Ross, Danny Armstrong and Reghan Tumilty to mesmerising effect.
Innately comfortable playing their John McGlynn brand of silky soccer on the Stark’s astro, they would exchange flicks, clips and scoops all afternoon at the expense of a dilapidating Dunfermline defence.
In centre-half Frankie Musonda, McGlynn appears to have uncovered a gem of the more roughly-cut variety.
Rugged and imposing, he was a threat at corners all afternoon, cracking the crossbar shortly before doubling the home side’s lead with a header that sneaked over the line just after the hour mark.
Yes, it was a contest made for supporters. Not merely football – it was theatre, a spectacle sadly set to no score.
Bosses label derby ‘exciting’ and ‘great advert’ for football in Fife and the Championship
And that was something Crawford and Rovers No 2 Paul Smith, standing in for a recovering McGlynn, were keen to ram home after the final whistle had sounded on a highly-entertaining encounter.
Although his side had surrendered top spot to title favourites Hearts, who won at Morton, Pars gaffer Crawford preferred to look at the bigger picture.
“The players showed what it meant to play for Dunfermline on Saturday, to go on and get the two goals and give us something to come away with,” he said.
“If there were fans in that stand for Declan’s equaliser, it would have been great scenes for the Dunfermline supporters.
“I thought it was a great advert for Fife football and I think Paul and John deserve a lot of credit for what they’ve done at Raith Rovers.
“They play football in the right manner, it’s exciting to watch.”
Smith saw the game through a similar lens, praising his rivals for their approach to the match and the season as a whole.
He said: “We got ourselves into a great position but we knew at 2-0 it wasn’t over because Dunfermline weren’t at the top of the league for nothing.
“We knew they’d come back into the game, unfortunately, we switched off for five minutes and lost two goals.
“I felt, over the piece, for a Championship game, it was a great advert for the league. There was some great football.
“We’d said all week how good a team Dunfermline are and I think we’re playing good football as well. That was shown on Saturday with a good, open, exciting game.”
