Kilmarnock 0 Dunfermline Athletic 1

Scottish Division One: Pat Gardner (23) 0-1:

Having drawn 1-1 the previous Saturday against reigning Division One Champions Celtic, the Scottish Cup holders Dunfermline travelled to Rugby Park, to take on a Kilmarnock side which in their previous game, had drawn 3-3 with Rangers at Ibrox. With both teams in confident form, this game was eagerly anticipated, as both vied for the position as the third power in Scottish football.

Against Celtic, the Pars had taken the lead in 34 minutes through Jim Fraser (playing his first game in eight months following a serious injury), only for Celtic to equalise in 67 minutes through Jimmy Johnstone.

For the Kilmarnock game, manager Farm made one change to the team that had played against Celtic, bringing in Barrie Mitchell to replace Ian Lister. The game opened briskly with Killie looking the more livelier of the two teams.

Morrison had an early attempt that was very close, while for the Pars, McLaughlin made heavy weather of a Willie Callaghan cross. In 13 minutes Bent Martin was tested with a shot from the right, and at this stage of the game Kilmarnock were the more dominant.

However, having survived the early pressure, the Athletic gradually came back into the game, and both Renton and Paton went close. In 23 minutes the Pars took the lead. Alex Edwards wriggled his way clear of the Killie defence on the left, and hit a tremendous shot that McLaughlan could not hold. The ball rebounded from the keeper`s hands to Pat GARDNER, who made no mistake with his low left foot shot.

The Pars were encouraged by the goal and continued to attack, and a Paton header was kicked off the line by Dickson. However, despite being a goal behind, Kilmarnock were far from out of the game, and Lunn distinguished himself with some fine interceptions The referee had cause to speak to both Renton and Cookson, but the game was well contested rather than dirty.

After the break, Martin, assisted by Fraser, had to move swiftly to prevent a corner from directly entering the net. By now it was all Kilmarnock, and Martin held a fine shot from Queen. The Pars keeper saved the day in 72 minutes when he held a low shot from Jim McLean.

Edwards then found his way into the referee`s book for an innocuous challenge on Tommy McLean. At times there were 8 Pars players on defensive duty, and although Killie continued to push, Roy Barry and his back guard remained defiant until the end.

The following Wednesday, Dunfermline travelled to Cyprus to play Apoel FC in the second leg of the 1st Round European Cup Winners Cup tie. With the Pars leading 10-1 from the first leg, the game was a mere formality. Despite the heat and the poor state of the pitch, goals from Willie Callaghan and Pat Gardner saw the Pars record a 2-0 victory to send them through to a 2nd Round tie against Olympiakos of Greece.

Kilmarnock: McLaughlin, King, Dickson, Gilmour, McGrory, Arthur, T McLean, Queen, Morrison, J McLean, Cook. Sub: Rodman.

Dunfermline: Martin, W Callaghan, Lunn, Fraser, Barry, Renton, Robertson, Paton, Edwards, Gardner, Mitchell. Sub: Thomson.

Referee: A.J.Crawley (Glasgow)