arbroath 1 Donnelly (49) dunfermline 0
Arbroath manager Dick Campbell was delighted that super sub Luke Donnelly won the game for his side by doing exactly as he was told after replacing fellow striker Greig Spence at the interval.
On a windy afternoon, the former Stranraer player lashed the ball home from 15 yards with his first touch in the 49th minute to give Arbroath a well-deserved victory over a Dunfermline side that is without a win from the opening four matches of the season.
Campbell, who felt his side was in control for most of the game, said: “I took Spence off at half-time because he got booked.
“So I put on Donnelly and the last thing I said to him was that, wherever he was, he should have a go and just hit it. He did that right away and it won us the three points.
“The elements certainly played a part but we adapted better than Dunfermline. My goalkeeper didn’t have a save to make and we totally deserved to win the game.
“It’s a great three points and another clean sheet. That’s seven points we’ve got from our first four games and I’m delighted with that.”
Despite playing into the ferocious wind in the first half, Arbroath created the best scoring opportunity when Bobby Linn ended a flowing move with a rasping shot Ryan Scully did well to beat away. But Dunfermline responded, with Kevin Nisbet coming within inches of opening the scoring with a curling effort.
Donnelly rifled home what proved to be the winner shortly after the interval when Arbroath broke up a Pars attack and swiftly countered with Linn’s pinpoint pass setting up Donnelly’s clinical finish.
Pars manager Stevie Crawford had no complaints, saying: “It’s disappointing. We didn’t create enough chances, there weren’t enough shots and not enough crosses. We weren’t organised at the goal. It was a soft goal for us to concede.
“It wasn’t good enough.”