IT may be early in the season but Kallum Higginbotham believes Dunfermline have already illustrated their credentials for a return to Scotland’s top division.

They took the tumble back in 2012 and subsequent severe financial difficulties forced a further plunge to League One from which they took three seasons to recover from.

Stabilisation in the Championship last season has now been followed by justifiable optimism that the Fifers are top-flight material.

They thrashed supposed contenders Inverness Caley Thistle 5-1 last week and followed that up with a similarly convincing win over rivals and perennial play-off qualifiers Falkirk – their first in six years.

According to Higginbotham, that is compelling evidence that they have what it takes to climb back up to the Premiership.

He said: “Our aim has always been to get promotion. We are a Premiership team in waiting because we have the facilities and the stature.

“I think the club has underachieved in recent years, With the players we have it’s a Premiership squad.

“There are bigger budgets in the league but if we can stay under the radar and keep performing the way we have been we will see where it takes us.

“Most people will have Falkirk as one of the favourites. They have been up there the last few seasons when some big teams have been in there so they are rightly being tipped as contenders.

“So if we want to be up there and be thought of as real contenders too then we need to beat teams like Inverness and Falkirk at home and we’ve done that in the last couple of weeks so the boys are absolutely buzzing at the moment.”

Ironically, Higginbotham played in the last Falkirk side to lose to Dunfermline back in 2011 when they went down 3-0 at East End Park.

And Saturday’s win was just as convincing as the soft-centred Bairns were swept aside with ease and then lost their discipline as both Craig Sibbald and Lee Miller were sent off for stupid acts of aggression.

Sibbald had a kick at Joe Cardle while Miller caught Nat Wedderburn on the face with his elbow.

Clinical finishes from Declan McManus and Cardle had The Pars two up and although Tom Taiwo netted seven minutes from time, Cardle made sure with another goal in injury time.

Higginbotham said: “We couldn’t get a win against them last season so in the first meeting of this season it’s great to get a victory against our biggest rivals.

“We started strongly but we have done that in every game we have played this season.

“I think we might have rattled them. The first half was quite heated but you get that in derby games.

“It was just unfortunate that they couldn’t keep their cool – although they probably played better when they went down to nine men.

“We need to manage games better when we get into that situation. It was the same against Arbroath last week when they lost a man.

“We need to keep the ball better and control the game better then pick them off.

“Everyone was just trying to run forward and get on the scoresheet but we need to keep our heads.

“I used to play for Falkirk and the Dunfermline fans probably hated me then but the roles are reversed now.

“I got a lot of stick on Saturday. Fans are entitled to have their opinion but I thrive off it and it was great to get the victory.

“Banter is good but they’re the ones going home crying and I’m the one going home happy.”

Bairns skipper Mark Kerr said Sibbald and Miller apologised but admits Falkirk are in a bad place right now with just one point from their opening three matches.

He said: “It’s another slow start, just like last year. So many things went wrong. The two red cards compounded our misery.

“The dressing room is not a good place to be but it’s better to be realistic and be honest.”

Manager Peter Houston described his players as “soft as putty” and Kerr is not quibbling.

He said: “It’s understandable that the manager is furious. For the first two goals, we were trying to play a high line.

“The boys were saying it was hand ball for the first goal, but Higginbotham turns too easily and we have to deal with it. We can’t then lose a second goal minutes later. There are no excuses.

“Dunfermline have had a good start to the season and played well, so credit to them. But we’re not up to our normal standards.

“It will be hard to turn the corner. The gaffer will make changes, which he has not had to do since I arrived.

“In the main, we’ve been solid and scored goals but it’s not happening just now.”