Stranraer 0-1 East Fife: Nathan Austin nets winner as Fifers go five unbeaten in League Two

Nathan Austin scored for East Fife (Photo: Kenny Mackay)

That victory, courtesy of a 17th minute strike from Nathan Austin, saw Greig McDonald’s team move into fifth spot after sixth-placed Bonnyrigg Rose drew with Forfar Athletic.

And boss McDonald was delighted with his side’s performance, telling East Fife TV: “I was really pleased. We knew it wouldn’t be a pretty game and we prepared for that. A few weeks ago we went to Dumbarton on a similar surface and we ground out a victory – we did that again here.

"Allan Fleming has had one save really in the first half and other than that we dealt with set-pieces so well. Throughout the season we have given away cheap ones but we didn’t today and we dealt well with Thomas Orr up top.

Austin nets the winning goal (Photo: Kenny Mackay)

"One of the reasons we are unbeaten in five is that we are doing the horrible things. It is a valuable three points for us ahead of a big week.

"The first goal is so important and Fash (Nathan Austin) produced a really good finish to score for us. We carried a threat all day long and we could have scored more if we were a little bit more clinical. We made the right decisions but we just maybe didn’t get the bit of luck.”

"That left us with a difficult few minutes at the end but we learned from last weekend (losing an injury-time goal in a 1-1 draw with Peterhead) and didn’t drop too deep. We won our headers and everyone to a man threw themselves into things.

"It wasn’t a great spectacle but getting the win is all that matters. It may be the defender in me but something about getting a result like this is great; when you have to battle for it, I would take that over a 4-0 victory.”

McDonald added: “The boys are getting to know Fash’s movement and vice-versa. You could see today that the guys are building that relationship. I also loved that the guys really got up the pitch to support him which we maybe haven’t done enough.”

East Fife face fourth-placed Spartans on Tuesday night at the MGM Timber Bayview when this newspaper goes to press before travelling north this Saturday afternoon to take on Elgin City.