Dunfermline Athletic 3-1 Dundee United: Kane Ritchie-Hosler double helps stun Championship leaders

Dunfermline Athletic stunned Scottish Championship leaders Dundee United with a convincing victory inspired by two-goal Kane Ritchie-Hosler.

He set up fellow midfielder Matty Todd to slot home the 11th-minute opener.

Ritchie-Hosler then fired the Pars further ahead either side of the break, both set up by striker Alex Jakubiak.

United got back into the game when Kyle Benedictus deflected a low Glenn Middleton cross into his own net, but they rarely looked like saving a point.

• Reaction & as it happened

Jim Goodwin's team stay one point clear of Raith Rovers, but the Kirkcaldy side can go top when they play their game in hand away to Queen's Park on Saturday.

Dunfermline move above Queen's Park into sixth place in the table, one point behind Airdrieonians but having played two more games.

Dunfermline Athletic manager James McPake: "It feels great, particularly at home with the big crowd, and a BBC Scotland TV game. It is the favourites coming to your place and you want to win your home games.

"Excuses have been made that we have injuries. Tonight, when we've got players back and we can make changes, we're a much better team."

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin: "We didn't start the game well enough, it's as simple as that. The first 45 minutes is one of our worst performances, there's no doubt about it. We didn't offer anything going forward.

"We didn't carry a threat at all in the final third and we weren't at the races in the first half. Dunfermline looked as if they were a little bit more energetic than us, picking up a lot of second balls. I can have no arguments about the result."