Tonight was a break from the hard fought fight in the First Division where things are pretty hard up against the other nine full-time teams in the Division. The visit to New Bayview to take on East Fife, who are finding the new season tougher that the Lichties having only scored one goal and secured one point and are anchored at the bottom of the Third Division, gives us the opportunity to show that we are a decent team and progress to the next round of the CIS League Cup where we may get a money spinning draw against a Premier League side.

JB had, in my opinion, gone a bit OTT on the changes he made to the Saturday’s team – I am not a manager but I do maintain that settled sides gain success whilst the chopping and changing which the manager makes both between games and during matches does not do our cause any good.

Out of the team went Wight, MacKay (strange decision), Cusick, Cargill, McGlashan, Bayne (another strange decision) and Gardner as we lined up with Hinchcliffe, a back four of Rowe, McAulay, Ritchie and Florence, midfield of Heenan (in my opinion he should be rested!!), Fallon, Mercer, and McKinnon with Mallan and Brownlie up front. On the bench were Wight (and) MacKay (now that’s some combination for a wee dram!), Cusick, Cargill and Gardner. One wonders why McInally, who was the best player in midfield when he came on as a subbie on Saturday was not listed. East Fife lined up with former Gayfield favourite, John Gallagher, in defence. John was also their captain.

It was the Third Division strugglers who had the better of the chances in the first half with Bailey squandering a chance when he completely miscued when a John Gallagher corner found him unmarked at the back post and then McManus mistimed a header from another Gallagher cross. The home side’s misses were nothing compared with Paul Brownlie’s shortly before half time when he latched onto a fine Stevie Mallan pass, got away the Fifer’s right back and then rounded their keeper only to hoof the ball over the bar from six yards (shame we were not playing rugby).

There were no changes at half time and early in the second half both sides were denied by the woodwork as an East Fife shot rebounded from the bar and then Jim Mercer saw an effort come back off the far post. After 60 minutes MacKay replaced Florence (centre half for a right back – interesting change) and Gardner replaced Heenan but disaster struck in 69 minutes when our defence was split open down our right hand side and the ball was crossed low for a forward to miss-kick but it ended un in the back of Hinchie’s net. Cargill then replaced McAulay and the Lichties responded with Mercer rattling a 20 yard shot off of the bar (reminiscent of his performance against Keith where he was denied by the bar and post) Mercer rattled the bar at the other end and straight away our challenge was wiped out when Colin McKinnon was sent off for receiving his second booking for trying to score with assistance from his hand (plonker!!)  It was all East Fife now as Hinchie pulled off a hat-trick of saves to stop them adding to their tally.

After the match JB said, "we have got to get back to basics and get together, the changes I made worked alright up to a point but it is all about results and after this it is back to the drawing board. It won’t be easy to lift their heads after losing to a team that we should have been capable of beating, but that is what we have to do."