Should the division one championship trophy be wearing black and white ribbons come the end of the season then there is every chance that Saturday, March 12 will be seen as the day it all swung back the Pars’ way.
Facing fierce rivals Falkirk, who were striving to keep themselves in the promotion race, and on the back of a couple of disappointing home results against Morton and Ross County, Dunfermline produced a professional performance that was perfectly timed.
With league leaders Raith Rovers slipping up at home to Partick Thistle, the big Fife fight is on at the top of the table and both teams play again on Tuesday night Dunfermline away to Stirling and Rovers at home to Cowdenbeath.
Calum Woods gave them the lead on 28 minutes at the Falkirk Stadium before Martin Hardie made it two just before half-time with a superb volley.
The Bairns got one back on 58 minutes via a dubious penalty award, with only referee Eddie Smith knowing why it was given.
Mark Millar converted the spot-kick but the East End Park men, backed by a 1300-strong travelling support, held out.
The contrast in the demeanours of the two managers in the press room afterwards was stark, with Pars boss Jim McIntyre all smiles while Steven Pressley spent most of his time launching an unprovoked verbal attack on a journalist for never having “a good word to say about me” before giving a rather skewed summing-up.’Massive game’McIntyre said, “It was a massive game for us.
“We didn’t start well. Falkirk came out of the traps more quickly than we did.
“There was a lot of pressure and we had to defend well.
“I thought once we scored we started to pass the ball a bit more, which is what we are good at.
“We knew Falkirk would respond but we managed to hang on. For 10 or 15 minutes there were a lot of balls coming into the box but I thought the defenders coped really well. As for the title race, there are going to be many twists and turns.
“This league has a habit of kicking you in the teeth if you are not at it right from the start in every game.
“The teams are so evenly matched that you can’t take anything for granted.”‘Bad result’An animated Pressley, meanwhile, claimed the Bairns were hard done by.
“It was a bad result but not a bad day,” he said.
“It was a really good performance and a game that we absolutely dominated. We lost the game in two critical moments. That aside, our performance was excellent.
“They scored from their first opportunity in the game.
“It was a smash-and-grab.
“I said before that we would have a mountain to climb had we lost but I think we have been given a lifeline with Raith losing I really mean that.”
It was an absorbing match and grateful to be in amongst it all was Graham Bayne, who came off the bench to play as a trialist for his second club in under a week.
On Tuesday he was turning out for Dundee at Cowdenbeath trying to help the Dark Blues stay up.
Now he has been handed the chance to be involved in the battle to reach the SPL and is relishing it.
“It all happened really quickly for me,” he said.
“The Dundee manager Barry Smith told me that he would love to keep me but couldn’t sign players.
“Then the gaffer (McIntyre) phoned me asking what my situation was.
“I was delighted to come back to Dunfermline when I got the call.
“They have been great to me. In fact, my career could have been over had they not looked after me like they did and helped me to get fit again.
“I need to prove that my injury is totally gone and that I am clear of it.
“Ever since I signed for the club the fans have been great to me and it was nice to give them a win.”
Bayne’s afternoon could have been even more dramatic than it was, with McIntyre revealing that he was a candidate to go in goal after keeper Chris Smith got knocked out, with all the subs used.
“Maybe he thinks I am better at keeping the ball out the goal than putting it in now!” joked Bayne.
Pressley’s view that all is not lost for Falkirk was echoed by striker Tam McManus, although the player believes they need to beat both Partick and Dundee in their next two matches to have any chance of keeping up with the Fife duo.
“I think we are still in it because Raith lost and we have to pick ourselves up from this,” said McManus.
“We have Thistle here on Tuesday then Dundee at home on Saturday. If we get six points from those two games then we’ll have a chance.
“The fans will probably be thinking we have blown it again but we think we can still do it.”