Airdrie 3-0 East Fife - In pictures

But there’s absolutely no disguising the fact that the trip west is by far the Fifers’ biggest game of the season so far.

Win and the gap between the bottom of the table Methil men and their hosts will be reduced to just two points.

A defeat will see Stevie Crawford’s men cut eight points adrift.

East Fife failed to capitalise on a defeat for Dumbarton at the weekend as they fell to a 3-0 loss at Airdrie.

The damage was done in a first 45 minutes when the Fifers shipped all three goals.

Jordan Allan hit the back of the net with barely a few minutes on the clock when he had far too much time and space inside the Fife box to pick his spot beyond Scott Gallacher.

It was 2-0 on 17 minutes when Adam Frizzell finished from close range.

East Fife’s best chance of the first-half fell the way of Kevin Smith but somehow Callum Fordyce scrambled his close range effort off the line.

Airdrie made East Fife pay when they put themselves on easy street before the half-time interval when Dylan Easton raced clear on the Fife goal and beat Gallacher.

From the Fifers going so close to making it 2-1 to losing 3-0 within a matter of seconds.

East Fife improved after the interval with Dan Higgins and Ryan Wallace both having decent sights of goal.

Sadly they’d given themselves far too much to do in a sloppy first-half to make any dent in Airdrie’s advantage.

Boss Stevie Crawford said: “The boys know the type of character now, I’ve been in the building for over a month.

"I’ve always said the attitude and application has been good but today in the first-half, for as much as Airdrie were very good, there were things there that I didn’t like.

"It’s a collective and I take full responsibility for the result.

"There were a few choice words at half-time but the challenge we set was for a reaction and I felt we got that, albeit that we haven’t managed to score.

"I have to find a way to start getting clean sheets and conceding goals.

"That’s my responsibility.”