East Fife bullied their way past the Wee Rovers at Cliftonhill to win by a solitary Jonathan Smart header from a Ryan Blackadder corner in the only real moment of excitement in a dreary game. Rovers were sucked in by East Fife's tactics and forgot how to play to their own strengths.
Referee David Somers was partly to blame for the stagnant fare on offer as the official was only too keen to blow for the pettiest of offences, breaking the match up into untidy segments, stifling any sort of fluidity that was trying to display itself in the play.
The away side had the best chance of the first-half when a Paul Ritchie drive from 25-yards stung the hands of home 'keeper Jamie Ewing.
Martin Bonnar tried his luck with a long-range effort of his own for Rovers but Iain Ross had the shot covered. East Fife were sticking with their 4-5-1 formation that bottled-up the play in midfield, stifling the nippy attack of the Coatbridge side who could find no way past the East Fife defence. Ironically it was the Fifers defence that found its way past the home side in the 56th minute through Smart's header.
Rovers only real chance as they battled to drag themselves back into the match came from a Ciaran Donnelly header, as the centre-half met a Pat Walker flick, the effort looped over the bar and onto the roof of the net.
Both sides should be commended for their efforts but levels of creativity must be increasd if either club wish to escape the Scottish Third
Division.