Sam Stanton goes fourth for Raith Rovers’ fifth derby win on bounce versus Dunfermline

That was their fourth time they’ve got the better of their fellow Fifers in the Scottish Championship this season, following wins by 1-0 away last August and at home in October and 2-1 on the road in January, plus a 3-0 Scottish Cup knockout in November.

Their scorers at Kirkcaldy’s Stark’s Park at the weekend, in front of a crowd of 4,288, were Sam Stanton with a 38th-minute header after visiting goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet had kept out a Lewis Vaughan free-kick and Dylan Easton, also following a free-kick, with a 78th-minute shot from an Aidan Connolly assist.

Stanton’s goal was his fourth against the Pars this season, having also been on target in August, October and November.

Former Dunfermline striker Callum Smith was handed an opportunity to make it 3-0 against his old side after Raith were awarded a penalty seven minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match for a foul in the area on midfielder Stanton, 29, but Mehmet saved the Cowdenbeath-born 24-year-old’s spot-kick.

Rovers manager Ian Murray was delighted to see his team continue their derby-day dominance, telling Raith TV afterwards: “It was a fantastic result for us, that’s for sure.

“Derbies are notoriously difficult, no matter where they are and what time of the season they’re in, so I’m really, really pleased to come away with three points.

“It was a really hard-working performance we put in.

“We showed real character, desire, hunger, commitment and all the attributes and fundamentals you need to be a football team, and we had moments of quality that won us the game.

“We’ve done really, really well in derbies this season and they’re not easy. This league is so hard, and when you come up against your local rivals, it’s even harder.”

Stanton’s opener ahead of the half-time whistle was the turning point in the game that swung it the hosts’ way, according to Murray, neither of the two sides having been able to get the edge over the other until then.

“It was a great finish from Sam. There was no pace on the ball so he had to loop it into the net,” said the 42-year-old.

“He’s a player who thrives on big occasions. For me, pound for pound, in this division he’s the best player in his position.

“To get the goal at that time was great. I thought Dunfermline played very well in the first half, so to get into half-time at 1-0 up was a huge positive for us and it gave us something to hang onto at the very least, and there were times in that second half when we were hanging on.

“We had to pack our box and make sure we defended our goalkeeper and our goal, and, to a man, every single player did that, so we can’t ask for too much more.

“We were going into the last derby of the season and we knew that if we didn’t get beat, we’d have an unbeaten season in the derby, which doesn’t happen very often, and the boys produced again and I can’t speak highly enough of them.”