Stranraer 0-2 East Fife

Mar 2 2008 Chris Sanderson At Stair Park

EAST FIFE stepped closer to the title after Paul McManus ended his three month goal drought to give the league leaders a flying start.

The hitman had the ball in the net just seconds after kick off as the Fifers leaders took control.

But the Methil men had to wait until Bobby Linn's 84th-minute clincher to celebrate after Stranraer made it a battle for Dave Baikie's promotion favourites in the second half.

East Fife were quick out of the traps and the crowd barely had time to settle in their seats before McManus pounced inside the opening 38 seconds.

Virtually straight from the kick-off the striker picked up a loose pass from the home defence and squeezed a 20-yard drive just inside Scott Black's far post.

Stunned by the early blow the Blues could have found themselves trailing by three goals inside the opening 10 minutes.

Chris Templeman fired a seventh-minute effort straight at Black after McManus had knocked down a Ryan Blackadder cross.

Three minutes later McManus had the ball in the net again but the goal was chalked off by an eagle-eyed assistant's flag for offside.

Visibly stunned by the visitors' early pressure it took a while for the home side to rally.

Michael Mullen almost made the most of a mix-up between Kevin Fotheringham and East Fife keeper Craig Wight but just couldn't make the connection.

And Mullen was unlucky in the 25th minute when he was inches from connecting with a James McKinstry cross and the ball trickled into Wight's grasp.

But it was the visitors who ended the half on top.

Templeman blazed over from an inch-perfect Blackadder delivery then Greig McDonald steamrollered his way through the home side's midfield to rifle an effort narrowly wide of Black's goal.

Stranraer shaped up to have a real go at the Fifers in the second half but ultimately couldn't pierce their solid defence.

McColm teed up Andy Gibson but the midfielder's left-foot drive was brilliantly turned round the post by Wight.

Then McColm had two good chances to pull Stranraer level.

Gregory Tade robbed McDonald on the left flank in the 79th minute and fired over a low cross that the big striker failed to connect with.

Then two minutes later McColm's powerful header from a Gibson corner flew wide.

And the misses proved costly as the visitors wrapped up the points sixminutes from time with a sucker-punch goal.

McDonald picked out Linn wide in space. The striker cut in and drew Black from his goal before slotting home.

HERO

PAUL McMANUS had a happy return to his old stamping ground and ended his three-month goal drought with an early opener. A constant threat to the home side.

VILLAIN

STUART McCOLM had two chances to make his name after coming from the bench - but the Stranraer striker knows he should have done better in front of goal.