Pospisil prolongs Dunfermline drought

DUNFERMLINE Athletic racked up an eighth game without a win to make a drop to the First Division in 2007 seem almost unavoidable. Manager Stephen Kenny had hoped the new year might bring a change in fortune, but it was the same old Dunfermline who made it seven-and-a-half-hours without a goal against a spirited Hearts side.

An improved second-half showing almost allowed the home side to snatch something from the game, but that elusive goal simply would not come. Instead, Michal Pospisil's first-half goal on the counter was enough to claim the points for Hearts, with the Czech striker, like Dunfermline, having previously endured a barren spell in front of goal. This was his first strike since the opening day of the season, also against Dunfermline, but it maintained Hearts' spell of good form over Christmas. They might have won by a greater margin had former player Roddy McKenzie not denied Paul Hartley just before half-time, with the midfielder granted a clear run into the box after springing the off-side trap. The let-off helped rally Dunfermline, and a double substitution at half-time altered the dynamic of a match from which the home side perhaps ultimately deserved a share of the points.
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The East End Park side remain nine points adrift at the bottom. Although not an insurmountable margin it won't be significantly reduced unless Dunfermline start scoring. This was another frustrating afternoon for their fans, with the only cheering thought being a break from all this gloom on Sunday in the Scottish Cup, when Rangers are the visitors.

Hearts, by contrast, can look with some unexpected relish at what remains of the campaign. Yesterday's match represented a return to the place where they had begun the season so full of hope. A 2-1 win then had given the cup winners the perfect start to the domestic season, but a combination of poor form and baffling management decisions has made it seem like a long first half of the season for Hearts supporters. Yet they travelled to Fife in impressive numbers nevertheless - so much so that the game had to be held up for seven minutes as long queues formed outside the away end of the ground.

Having finally taken their place in the stand, the Hearts fans learned that Calum Elliot had been brought straight back into the side after a six-month loan-spell at Motherwell. The success of that venture is debatable, since the striker only scored twice in 17 appearances. But the player himself benefited from regular football. Hearts, in his absence, failed to find someone who could find the net consistently, something head coach Valdas Ivanauskas has stressed is a priority.

With Pospisil partnering Elliot in attack, it was a far from prolific frontline. Pospisil last scored for Hearts at this very ground on day one of the campaign. If Ivanauskas harboured a hunch that the Czech striker might be roused by a return to Fife then it was made to seem like inspiration in the 15th minute. During a sustained burst of Hearts pressure Phil McGuire was forced into drastic action as Andrew Driver's cross flew across the face of the box. His clearance almost landed in the back of his own net, but from the resulting corner - taken by Bruno Aguiar - Hearts claimed the winner. Darren Young should have averted the danger but failed to connect at the near post. The ball sped into the path of Pospisil, who squeezed it home from close range.

Hearts might have ended any hope of a Dunfermline comeback soon after, but Marius Zeliukas's header from another Aguiar corner was deflected onto the bar by Young. Lee Wallace, the victim of a heavy challenge earlier in the half, was forced off after half an hour, with Takis Fyssas brought on as a replacement. The Greek left-back made an immediate impression, chipping a cross into the six-yard box where it was met by Pospisil. This time the striker saw his effort bash back off the bar, and Dunfermline retreated to the dressing-room in the knowledge that the match remained in the balance.

Kenny made two changes, with the virus-afflicted Greg Shields forced off, along with Gary Mason. Jim Hamilton arrived to partner Mark Burchill in attack, and Stevie Crawford switched to right midfield. Owen Morrison was also brought on, and provided some width, and trickery, on the left. But the goal Dunfermline so desperately sought failed to materialise. Anger mingled with the inevitable frustration when Burchill was denied a goal after Hamilton was penalised for a challenge in the lead-up. Hamilton had only himself to blame with ten minutes remaining, firing straight at Craig Gordon from just outside the six-yard box. Instead, Hearts came closest to scoring in these last, frantic stages, with Elliot almost crowning his return with a goal. McKenzie, however, beat away his fierce drive in injury time.

Dunfermline Athletic: McKenzie, Shields (Hamilton 46), McGuire, Wilson, Scott Morrison, Bamba (Ross 71), Mason (Owen Morrison 46), Young, Simmons, Crawford, Burchill. Subs not used: Murdoch, Tod, Woods, Williamson. Booked: Young, Crawford.

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson (McCann 81), Zaliukas, Berra, Wallace (Fyssas 31), Mikoliunas (Barasa 63), Aguiar, Hartley, Elliot, Pospisil, Driver. Subs not used: Banks, Bednar, Armstrong, Karipidis.
Man of the match

Roddy McKenzie (Dunfermline)

In a match where no-one was able to distinguish themselves to any great extent, the Dunfermline goalkeeper, replacing the injured Dorus de Vries, caught the eye with a brilliant stop from Paul Hartley in the first-half.

Taken from the Scotsman