Dunfermline manager Allan Johnston was delighted with the quality of his side’s performance in sweeping Arbroath aside at Gayfield on Saturday.
A double from Faissall El-Bakhtaoui and counters from Michael Moffat and substitute Ryan Wallace had the Fifers coasting to victory before Martin Grehan grabbed a late consolation for the Lichties.
Johnston said:”We blew them away with the pace we played at in the first half. They just couldn’t handle it and we might have had a lot more goals.
“It was difficult to keep it going in the second period but the players deserve a lot of credit for the way they played and the way they approached the game. Hopefully it will stand us in good stead for the season ahead.
“We are looking for a dangerous strike force but everybody has to chip in with goals. In the first half it was a real team performance.”
The visitors, who were without former Lichties star Josh Falkingham because of a ‘wee niggle’, settled quickly and took just eight minutess to open the scoring, El-Bakhtaoui firing low beyond the helpless Allan Fleming.
Moffat made it 2-0 in the 20th minute when he got on the end of a perfectly delivered Ryan Williamson cross to guide the ball home.
The Red Lichties were toiling to cope with the constant onslaught and Joe Cardle was inches away from making it 3-0 a couple of minutes later with an effort which flashed narrowly wide.
The third wasn’t long in coming, however, and again El-Bakhtaoui was the man on target, heading home a Michael Paton cross from the right.
The incessant pressure continued and only desperate defending, the woodwork and some fine saves from Fleming prevented further goals before the interval offered Arbroath some breathing space.
The Lichties made a bright start to the second half but it was to no avail as Dunfermline went further ahead just after the hour when Wallace rifled home from the edge of the box.
Arbroath plugged away, however, and sub Grehan grabbed a deserved consolation from close range in the 72nd minute.
Lichties coach Mike Cargill, standing in for the absent management team of Todd Lumsden and Steven Hislop, wasn’t too despondent with the home side’s efforts.
He said: “We found it really hard to cope with their movement and pace in the first half. They are a full-time side and it certainly showed during the opening period. I though we contained them better in the second half.
“We changed shape to cope with their movement and I think we cancelled them out in a lot of areas. We had more possession and we are a good team on the ball.
“But in the first half we couldn’t get on the ball and were unable to get up the park.”