East Fife 0-5 Raith Rovers

Just four of the words being banded around on Saturday evening to describe East Fife's showing in their 5-0 demolition at the hands of rivals Raith Rovers.

That one of those words came from the mouth of manager Darren Young, it's pretty clear there will be no sugar coating just how poor this result was by anyone at Bayview.

East Fife's players have rightly received some pretty glowing praise over the past couple of seasons for the way they've adapted to League One following their promotion a couple of seasons back.

It's only right then that they stand up to the criticism which will come their way after this capitulation.

Defeat in any derby is painful, but suffering in such spectacular style as this is something no football fan ever wants.

First of all, though, give credit where it's due.

Raith Rovers are rightly thought of as one of the division's clear favourites given their resources and full-time status.

On Saturday afternoon they demonstrated a lethal potency in the final third.

Through gritted teeth or otherwise, nobody at Saturday's game could deny the Kirkcaldy side that their five goal win was absolutely merited.

The club's front four of Bobby Barr, Liam Buchanan, Lewis Vaughan and Greig Spence took it in turns to torment the Fifers and all got their name on the score sheet.

Vaughan twice.

If there's any crumb of comfort to be taken from the result, it's that it appears East Fife won't be the only side Raith take a good four or five goals off this term.

The Methil men went into the game high on confidence, having beaten Alloa and then returning from Gayfield last weekend with all three points thanks to a deserved win.

Hopes were high the club could record its first win over their Kingdom rivals since 1988.

But they were dashed within five minutes when Barr peeled off at the back post to collect a Kevin McHattie cross and beat Ryan Goodfellow.

There was simply no response from East Fife and it was 2-0 when Vaughan headed home a Barr cross.

The third arrived when Spence finished off a deep Jason Thomson cross.

Buchanan netted the fourth with another header with McHattie again the architect.

And the visitors saved their best for last when Spence's clever dummy on the edge of the box allowed Vaughan to latch on and pick his spot beyond Fife 'keeper Goodfellow.

The Fife fans had long since departed Bayview before the fifth goal and the 'ole' chants started up amongst the jubilant Raith support.

For the Fifers there's no game this Saturday, no chance to take the frustration out on someone else.

Instead the Methil men will need to bottle that anger and unleash it when they host Queen's Park on September 9.

But what they cannot do is let the embarrassment caused by the gutless, rubbish performance seep away because quite clearly it was unacceptable.

And their fans know it.

Young said: “It was embarrassing.

“From the way we performed last weekend against Arbroath to today was like night and day.

“We went a certain way with a certain formation and it never worked.

“It was four or five crosses which we’ve lost goals from which is disappointing because one, you haven’t stopped the cross and then you haven’t picked up the boy in the middle.”