A survey published last week indicated that people in Fife were the happiest in Scotland, but there was little evidence of this at East End Park as Dunfermline slumped to their third successive defeat.
Undoubtedly the least enamoured Fifer in the stadium was Pars midfielder Lewis Spence, denied what he felt was a clear penalty in the closing stages of the game as his side chased an equaliser against in-form Queen of the South.
As full time beckoned, Spence looked set to pounce on a loose ball in the crowded visitors’ goalmouth before crashing to the ground, leaving Queens defender Jamie Hamill time to clear the danger.
“I need to be careful with what I’m saying” said a clearly furious Spence afterwards, “but the ball came to me perfectly, then someone took me right off my feet.
“I wasn’t trying to win a penalty – I’m not going to dive when I’m three yards out – and although the defender maybe won the ball it doesn’t matter, he went right through me first.
“I feel the referee’s made the wrong decision, but I appreciate he has a hard job to do.”
Dunfermline found themselves on the back foot early on as the pumped-up Doonhamers looked to maintain their unbeaten record in the league.
They almost fell behind in the 12th minute when Derek Lyle curled in a free kick which hit one post then rolled along the goal line, striking the other post before being cleared by Kevin Cuthbert in the Pars goal.
Despite a fragmented and uninspiring first-half performance, Dunfermline looked set to reach the sanctuary of the interval unscathed.
However, they were stunned when Queens took the lead on the stroke of half time, Lyle steering the ball home from close range after Andy Dowie headed Hamill’s free kick into the goalmouth.
The home side began the second half positively but were hampered by the dismissal on the hour of Jason Talbot, who received a straight red card for his foul on Kyle Jacobs.
A late Pars onslaught gave the home fans some encouragement, but the Dumfries side held on for a deserved victory.