Dunfermline look down to stay after 5-0 drumming

By: Ian Rose | October 20th, 2007

This is the last season (finally) that the loser of the Scottish Cup can represent Scotland in European competition. Last year, Dunfermline had a terrible season in the SPL, and were relegated, but somehow managed to make the final of the Cup, only to lose to Celtic. The Hoops, of course, already had their European ticket punched, so Pars made it in. Their short and horrible stint in this year’s UEFA Cup should be proof enough that they didn’t deserve that honor, and now they look very likely to stay down in the Scottish First Division. Today, they matched up with the current leader and promotion favorite Hamilton, who famously kicked Kilmarnock out of the league cup last month. It was one of the first real tests for Dunfermline, to see if they really deserved to rise back into Scotland’s top flight. I think it’s safe to say they failed. Hamilton’s James McArthur scored after just four minutes, and there was plenty more pain to come as Hamilton were the most unkind guests possible at East End Park, walking away with a 5-0 victory that puts them alone in the First Division lead by four points, and leaves Dunfermline 13 points back in the middle of the table. Unless things change quickly at East End, the Pars will be thinking less about a run back at the SPL than just at surviving for certain in the First Division, and rebuilding after what must seem like a nightmare of a year (with the exception of their dream Cup run).

Second-place Dundee kept pace in a goalfest of their own, beating struggling Livingston 4-1 at home. Livi stands in 8th place, tied on points and goals with Queen of the South for the relegation playoff spot. The bottom spot still belongs to Stirling, who did manage to get a point today in their 1-1 draw with Partick Thistle, putting them just 2 points from safety, since both Queen of the South and Livingston lost.

Meanwhile, all the way down in the Third Division, East Fife continues their epic start to the season, now sitting alone by 5 points at the top of the table after today’s 2-0 win over East Stirling. With eight wins, a draw and a loss from their first ten matches, they and Hamilton share the distinction of the best teams in Scotland in terms of domestic record.