Dunfermline 2

Dundee Utd 1

Dunfermline grabbed three vital points last night despite a valiant effort by Paul Sturrock's men. The Pars second victory of the season puts them level on points with Aberdeen and United at the bottom of the table.

The only thing to blemish their win was an ankle knock to striker Andy Smith who was stretchered off in the second-half and taken to hospital for tests.

Two first-half goals from Andy Tod and Scott McCulloch, who has been linked with a move to Aberdeen, cancelled out a strike in the third minute from Alex Mathie.

Mathie and Billy Dodds worked well up front for United and must have impressed the watching Scotland manager Craig Brown.

Afterwards Dunfermline assistant manager Dick Campbell praised the quality of the game.

Campbell said the victory would kick-start their season and felt his side would gain confidence from the win.

United coach Paul Sturrock slammed the attitude of his players and made it clear that there would be changes for their derby match against Dundee next Sunday.

Sturrock said: ''I could be accused of being too loyal to the players, but things will be changing.

''I feel really sorry for Mathie and Dodds who did well and still came off the park on the losing side.''

McCulloch said Aberdeen had made an offer for him but it would ''take a very good one'' to entice him away from East End Park. The young player said he would talk to the Dons out of courtesy but was enjoying his football with the Fife club.

It was man-of-the-match Mathie who got the visitors off to the best possible start in only three minutes.

Dodds picked the ball up just outside the area and played it into his feet. The former Ipswich player turned Craig Ireland before placing a magnificent effort into a top corner, despite keeper Lee Butler managing to get a hand to the ball.

The goal certainly caught the home side cold and was a tough baptism for their two new players, David Graham, who was signed from Rangers, and Brazilian Edinho, who arrived on a three- month loan from Bradford City.

Dunfermline created the better early chances and Edinho brought out a good save from Sieb Dykstra before they deservedly pulled level in 27 minutes.

Edinho and Gavin Johnston combined again before the latter put over a precise cross from which Tod powered an angled header into the net.

In 34 minutes, Dunfermline took the lead from a well-worked free kick.

Johnston and Smith ran over the ball before McCulloch fired home an unstoppable left-foot shot into a corner of the net.

At the other end Mathie nearly equalised four minutes before half-time when his left-foot shot rebounded off a post with Dykstra stranded.

A minute after half-time Dunfermline nearly made the game safe when Smith had a great chance from close range.

Former Rangers player Derek Ferguson put in a pinpoint free kick which was met by Smith, whose header was pushed away by Dykstra, as was his follow-up shot.

At the other end, Butler did well to tip a Kjell Olofsson cross over the bar as United pressed for an equaliser. They brought on Canadian internationalist Jason De Vos in 54 minutes, who was booked for a challenge on Tod.

Six minutes later United came close to equalising when Dodds played in Mathie, whose flick was knocked off the line by Greg Shields.

Edinho was replaced a minute later by Petrie and, after weathering the storm for 10 minutes the home side should have increased their advantage when Smith put a free header wide of a post.

United, for all their pressing, were finding it difficult to break down the Dunfermline defence. Their best chance to do so came in 70 minutes when the home side gave away an unnecessary free-kick when Butler gathered a Ferguson pass back.

From the resultant free-kick from just ouside the six-yard box, the Dunfermline defence managed to scramble away Dodds' effort.

That chance was the last clear-cut effort United had as the home side held on to celebrate their vital win in style at the final whistle.

ROB ROBERTSON