Dunfermline 1 Queen of the South 4

No way back after losing three goals in the last seven minutes of the first half

Dunfermline were without Calum Woods for the visit of Gordon Chisholm`s side.  He joined the injury list that included Stephen Glass, Steven Bell and David Graham.  The visitors handed a debut to Dennis Wyness, on loan from St Mirren but they too were missing key players in Steven Tosh, Stewart Kean, David Weatherston, Neil Scally and Craig Barr.

Joe Cardle came in for Jim McIntyre`s team with Greg Ross switching to right back.Queens kicked off but Ross was heading the ball into Fleming`s hands with only nine seconds gone.

The Pars then enjoyed all the chances in the opening twenty minutes.  Firstly Cardle played a neat one two off Bayne on the edge of the D before releasing a sharpattempt that Ludovic Roy spilled but his defence mopped up before Nick Phinn could touch the ball home.

Next Willie Gibson had a shot blocked and then from a long Scott Muirhead throw in on the left, Phinn just failed to connect in front of goal and Cardle`s return from the right was cut out.

Phinn`s 13th minute shot was blocked by Steven McKenna, a Gibson one blocked and then shots from both Bayne and Gibson fell wide right.It was midway through the half before the team in blue got in a shot but Rocco Quinn`s attempt from 15 yards went well over the top.

The Dumfries side suffered a set back when David Hutton had to come bon to deputise for the injured Roy in 25 minutes. The substitute keeper was mighty pleased to see Gibson`s pop shot from outside the penalty box go wide left of target.

Queen of the South gradually began to enjoy more possession but it was totally against the run of play when they snatched a 34th minute lead.New boy WYNESS got the better of McGregor down on the left side of the Pars box to cut inside and laced the ball past Fleming from eight yards.

Possibly fearing their Manager`s half time wrath, Dunfermline came back at their opponents with Burke seeing his shot blocked and then Cardle blasting a shot into the defenders 12 yards out.

Everything looked so just when a Pars equaliser duly arrived in 37th minute; a Bayne cross from the right byeline expertly headed home by PHINN. Unfortunately QOS were to score three in the following seven minutes.

Former St Mirren defender Mark McAusland got away with a tackle on Cardle when the Pars player was clearly taken out. Cardle had ran on to a Bayne lay off but the home side were still arguing for a penalty when Paul BURNS lobbed the ball into the far left of the Pars net from 20 yards just two minutes after the equaliser.

Muirhead forced a fine save out of Hutton in the next minute for the first of two Dunfermline corners but a long ball out of defence saw Fleming come out to the edge of his box only to lose the race with Paul BURNS and the no.7`s nod on could not be stopped on the line by Muirhead.

Right on half time Muirhead and Burns tangled on the right edge of the penalty box and Referee Frank McDermott pointed to the spot!  Derek HOLMES took the responsibility and Fleming was given no chance to prevent the deficit becoming three.

Half Time: Dunfermline 1 Queen of the South 4

Chris Higgins replaced Neil McGregor for the start of the second half and Holmes had an early effort that was well wide right.Burke was yellow carded for trying to take a quick free kick further distancing Mr McDermott from the East End faithful.

Derek Holmes had a crack at goal in 52 but Fleming pulled off a fine save while at the other end Cardle hit one wide and the crossbar also came to the visitors assistance.

Both sides committed substitutes with Barry Wilson getting an early opportunity to fire a free kick over Fleming`s bar.Andy Kirk was giving Dunfermline more penalty box presence and the Queens defending was desperate at times.

Hutton stopped another good Gibson effort as the match entered its final quarter. Two 70th minute corners did nothing to break the Queens defence and a slip up by Fleming from a Dowie back pass gifted the visitors a corner on the left.The Pars survived that thanks to McKenna`s drive narrowly taking the route outside the left post.

It became apparent that the goals Dunfermline required to rekindle the game were not going to come.  Bayne`s powerful shot from a Cardle lay off four minutes from time was well beaten away by Hutton and the three points were never in any danger of not returning to Dumfries.

A fourth straight league defeat yet the opening twenty five minutes promised so much.