Dunfermline Athletic 3-1 Dundee

Fayssal El-Bakhtaoui scored twice as Dunfermline beat Dundee

Two goals from prolific Faissal El-Bakhtaoui and one from Joe Cardle gave League One Dunfermline Athletic a famous victory over Premiership opponents Dundee at East End Park.

The Moroccan scored his 10th of the season after 11 minutes, adding another in stoppage time.

Kane Hemmings had levelled for Dundee just after the break.

The visitors were picked off on the counter-attack though as Cardle struck late on the counter.

This was the first League Cup meeting between the clubs since a Ross Jack goal sent the Pars into the semi-final back in 1989 in front of 9,000 spectators.

There were just 3,806 in attendance this time but the Dunfermline fans should have been hailing a first-minute goal as El-Bahktaoui and Michael Moffat combined to slice open the Dundee defence.

The latter's pass picked out Cardle in the inside left channel but the former Ross County winger failed to hit target from 12 yards.

He was more accurate from the edge of the box shortly afterwards but Scott Bain flew to his left to pull off a fine save, before Dundee went just as close at the other end.

First Julen Etxabeguren forced Sean Murdoch into a smart stop with a header from Gary Harkins' free-kick, then the Spaniard steered a Paul McGowan cross just wide.

It was the lethal El-Bahktaoui who broke the deadlock though after a frantic opening spell with a stunning finish to sweep home Lewis Martin's cross from the right.

El-Bahktaoui celebrates putting the Pars 1-0 ahead on 11 minutes

While the intensity remained the same after the early opener, the number of clear-cut scoring chances diminished drastically for the rest of the half.

Dundee knocked the ball around but the League One side defended with resilience to limit their Premiership opponents to just one near thing.

Harkins spotted James McPake's dash from the back and picked him out with a sublime through ball which the central defender flicked on to the top of the crossbar just before half-time.

However, Dundee did level within three minutes of the restart before Dunfermline could settle back into their rhythm as Hemmings intelligently eased into space to score from 10 yards.

Hemmings then sent a looping header onto the bar as the visitors went in search of a second but Paul Hartley was hit with another injury problem to deal with.

With Nicky Low, Rory Loy and Kevin Thomson currently sidelined Etxabeguren was forced off with what looked like a hamstring pull.

It was certainly a fiercely competitive cup tie with the Pars feeling harshly done by at some of referee Stephen Finnie's decisions.

So much so that Pars manager Allan Johnston was sent to the stand by Finnie on 65 minutes for making his point too forcefully to fourth official David Munro.

He would have been feeling a lot happier four minutes from the end though as his team soaked up everything Dundee could throw their way before scoring the first of two breakaway goals.

Hemmings twice, Harkins then Kevin Holt all had chances while Murdoch in the Pars goal made a couple of important saves before Cardle pounced late on.

Dunfermline mounted a swift counter and although Bain got a hand to the winger's shot he could not stop the ball squirming over the line.

Then just to rub salt in Dundee's wounds, they struck again three minutes into stoppage time as El-Bahktaoui stayed cool and calm to thump the ball past Bain.