Dunfermline Athletic secured a 1-0 win away to Stenhousemuir on Tuesday night, with R. MacLeod scoring the decisive goal late in the second half. The victory lifts the Pars to fifth place in the Scottish Championship standings on 18 points from 11 games, a record of four wins and six draws from those matches. They are now seven points behind the league leaders, Partick Thistle.
MacLeod struck in the 76th minute to break a stubborn deadlock at Ochilview Park. It was his second winning goal in a week, having also scored the only goal in the 1-0 victory at Queen's Park on Saturday 24 October.
Stenhousemuir's L. Grant was booked in the 16th minute, setting a combative tone. The home side made their first change just after the hour, with L. Hodgkiss replacing L. O'Donnell. Dunfermline's S. Kearney and N. Abdulai both received yellow cards in the closing stages, while Stenhousemuir's M. Bartley was also cautioned.
This result extends Dunfermline's unbeaten run to five matches, with a recent form of two wins and three draws. They have now won their last two games, having also defeated Queen's Park 1-0 last Friday with MacLeod again on the scoresheet. The team has conceded just six goals in the league this season, the joint-best defensive record in the division, and has scored nine for a goal difference of plus three.
Dunfermline now turn their attention to a key home fixture against Inverness Caledonian Thistle this Saturday 31 October. Inverness sit one place above them in fourth, making it a key match in the early-season standings battle. The last meeting between the sides in August ended in a goalless draw. The Pars will be looking to continue their positive momentum at East End Park, though they will do so without a goal from their top scorer this season, T. Oakley-Boothe, who has yet to find the net in 22 appearances.
