Brad Spencer sends Falkirk six points clear at Championship summit after Dunfermline derby win

The Bairns, buoyed by the news that boss John McGlynn and assistant manager Paul Smith had signed new four-year contracts yesterday, got off to a flying start.

Brad Spencer showed great composure to curl home after Barney Stewart’s lay-off just six minutes in to hand the Bairns an early advantage.

It could have been short-lived however with Chris Kane thinking he had bagged a quick-fire leveller just two minutes later – but he was adjudged to have handled the ball after a free-kick caught out the Bairns’ backline.

It was set up to be a classic but in truth it turned into a bit of a slog.

Falkirk’s next chance just before the half hour mark, with Calvin Miller breaking away up the pitch and doing well to feed in the on-rushing Keelan Adams.

The full-back shot from a tight angle and forced Celtic loanee goakeeper Tobi Oluwayemi into a fine stop down low.

In the second half, Dunfermline enjoyed possession for spells, but they looked incapable of really troubling a Falkirk team who hadn’t even reached full gear.

Goalscorer Spencer could have had a second goal on 50 minutes when team-mate Scott Arfield neatly left a cross-field pass for him to latch onto.

But this time around this curling effort was sent over the bar much to the relief of the Pars’ backline.

Towards the end of the game, Falkirk really weren’t in much trouble despite the 1-0 scoreline and they safely – and simply – secured a massive three points.

McGlynn’s side now sit six points at the top of the table with eight games to go as the Bairns’ top-flight dream moves one step closer to reality.

Teams

Falkirk: Hogarth, Adams, Donaldson, Lang, Mackie, Henderson, Spencer (6’), Arfield, Miller, Ross, Stewart.

Subs: Munro, Yeats, McCann, Graham, Nesbitt, Thomson, Oliver, Agyeman, MacIver.

Dunfermline Athletic: Oluwayemi, Comrie, Benedictus, Chilokoa-Mullen, Yeboah, Oakley-Booth, Otoo, Raymond, Stevens, Kane, McCann.

Subs: Mehmet, Ngwenya, Hamilton, Chalmers, Fogarty, Young, Wotherspoon, Hampson, Taylor-Clarke.

Referee: Caulm Scott.

Attendance: 7,106.