Dunfermline Athletic 2-0 Falkirk
- Published
Declan McManus (on ground) scored Dunfermline's second goal against Falkirk
Falkirk failed to give Rangers-bound assistant Jimmy Nicholl a winning send off as they fell to defeat by promotion-seeking Dunfermline Athletic.
Declan McManus had already tested Robbie Mutch before setting up Nicky Clark and the goalkeeper fumbled the striker's shot over the line.
Falkirk piled on the pressure thereafter, but Dunfermline struck again after the break.
Clark set up McManus to fire home and secure the three points.
It means Nicholl, who is also assistant to Michael O'Neill with Northern Ireland, will leave Paul Hartley's side with the Bairns languishing in second-bottom spot.
The Bairns had arrived at East End Park for what has become a local derby across the River Forth with a mood of positivity after recording their first win in 10 games since Hartley took charge by beating Queen of the South.
They were not only unbeaten in three games but had knocked the Pars out of the Challenge Cup in October before a league draw at Falkirk Stadium in November.
While Dunfermline sit fourth in the table, their weekend win over bottom-placed Brechin City was their first in six outings and ended a run of three straight defeats.
Falkirk manager Paul Hartley and technical director Alex Smith are saying goodbye to Jimmy Nicholl
But it was the Fifers who came out on top in front of a healthy festive crowd of 7,100 to move to within a point of third-top Livingston.
Dunfermline had handed a debut to Lee Robinson, the former Queen of the South goalkeeper signed just in time to replace the injured Sean Murdoch.
And the 31-year-old produced a good stop to prevent Louis Longridge cancelling out Clark's opener just before the break.
Falkirk had also put three January signings straight into their side: former Partick Thistle midfielder Sean Welsh and two arrivals from Sunderland - defender Tommy Robson, who has signed a permanent contract, and on-line striker Andrew Nelson.
Welsh and Nelson were prominent as the Bairns looked to find a reply, but it was Dunfermline who found the net when McManus fired home within five minutes of the restart after good skill from Joe Cardle.
Winger Cardle was himself denied by a post, while Falkirk's Reghan Tumilty also found the woodwork late on as the visitors failed to score for the sixth time in seven matches.