East Fife will learn lessons from derby defeat against Pars, vows manager Dick Campbell

East Fife losing 2-0 at home to Dunfermline Athletic in round three of this season's SPFL Trust Trophy on Saturday (Photo: Kenny Mackay)

East Fife manager Dick Campbell has vowed to learn lessons from his side’s SPFL Trust Trophy exit at home to Dunfermline Athletic at the weekend as they resume their push for promotion to Scottish League One away to Stranraer this coming Saturday.

The hosts were looking to follow up a 2-0 friendly win hosting the Pars at Bayview Stadium at the end of June with their first competitive victory against them for over ten years but lost out to two second-half goals in the space of five minutes, from Aaron Comrie on 53 minutes and Lewis McCann on 58, in front of a crowd of 1,264.

Campbell accepted that the Methil men’s Scottish Championship visitors were worthy of their 2-0 derby win – their first victory of any description since mid-July – but he wasn’t happy about the defensive display that gifted it to them.

“In fairness to Dunfermline, they deserved to win the game,” the 70-year-old told East Fife TV afterwards.

“It was always about getting back to league business even before kick-off.

“You’re looking at a team that’s two leagues above you, full-timers.

“Bring on next week – it’s Stranraer away, and then we’re at home again, and I'm already focused on Stranraer.”

Even allowing for the two divisions separating the sides, Campbell wasn’t happy about how his team went about their defensive duties, saying: “I’m angry at the way we went about our job in the second half.

“We didn’t defend properly, and we’ll learn from that.

“In the first half, the fans would be happy and I was happy because we were competing.

“In the second half, there was a big difference. We gave away a free-kick which was totally silly, and we didn’t defend it.

“We’re a better team than that in terms of what we’re trying to create at East Fife.

“Dunfermline were way in front of us in the second half and we started to defend deep, which isn’t what we do.

“That’s the first time we’ve lost two goals for a wee while, bad goals, but there you are – we’ve got to take it on the chin and learn from it.”

East Fife head west to Dumfries and Galloway sitting second in the table, on a dozen points from five fixtures, just one point behind league leaders Peterhead and ten better off than second-from-bottom Stranraer.

Kick-off at Stair Park this Saturday is at 3pm.