Top spot is deserved for on-form Fifers

Kevin Smith celebrates his winner. Pic by George McLuskie.

The past couple of seasons have been filled with various disappointments, including play-off defeats and a relegation.

But this current side, the average age of which is in its early 20s, has something special about it.

There’s a real reason to be optimistic around Bayview

Of course, nothing has been achieved yet, and anyone who regularly follows life in League Two will know how quickly the league placings can be changed.

Several clubs have occupied the top spot this season as it’s passed around like a hot potato.

But the Fifers have nabbed it at a crucial time, with just ten league games to go until the end of the season.

Other clubs have games in hand, of course, but the run East Fife are currently on, winning six out of their last seven, there’s nothing to suggest they won’t continue to rack up the points needed to surge to the title.

Of those below East Fife with games to play, just one, Elgin City, can leapfrog the Methil side on points.

That’s a massive psychological boost to a side which is already absolutely flying.

It seems almost laughable to suggest that a couple of months back, when things weren’t going so well on the park, we were talking about this side totally lacking in confidence in itself.

The latest win wasn’t pretty, a 1-0 victory over a decent Stirling Albion side.

It’s a cliché, but grinding out results like that is what title winning teams are made off.

When things aren’t going well, the defence does its job while the guys up front go out on a limb to give themselves something to hang on to.

They did that on Saturday.

Jamie Insall had a first half chance which was stopped by the impressive Chris Smith in the Stirling goal.

The goalmouth action dried up, but the Fifers, who had the advantage of the wind in the second 45, blew a gale at the Stirling goal after the break.

The side created chance after chance, with Insall and Jason Kerr again denied by Smith.

It would have been typical if the Binos had snatched an unlikely second half goal to sucker punch the home side and snatch the points.

Instead, though, the Methil men continued to work at it, knowing that eventually, surely, the pressure would pay off.

It duly did when Kyle Wilkie’s deep cross met by the head of Kevin Smith who nodded his side into a lead they refused to give up.