CLYDE have ended the first quarter of the season in the play-off zone, but striker Scott Gemmill hopes to find the goals in the remainder of the season to fire them to safety.

The summer signing from Berwick Rangers has started all league nine games this season, but with his only goal coming in the 3-2 win over St Johnstone in August, he knows he has to do better.

Gemmill said: "I'm disappointed with my goal tally so far, but I think my performances have been okay. However, I know as a striker that I'm expected to score goals.

"There are some good defenders in this league who don't make life easy but the same was true in the second division and even when I was playing in the reserves at St Mirren."

Clyde manager John Brown ripped into his team after the 2-0 defeat to Dunfermline saying only three of the starters, Gemmill, Dave McKay and Stuart Kettlewell, along with half-time substitute Chris Higgins showed enough desire.

For Gemmill though, the faint praise from his manager was of little consolation.

He said: "It was nice of the manager to say that but it is of little consolation after a defeat like that."

Striker Pat Clarke returned to the Clyde line-up after missing the defeat to Queen of the South through injury and could have put his side ahead twice in the opening ten minutes.

McKay got down the right and his cross was met by Clarke but he didn't get enough on it to steer the ball into the far corner and then headed over an Alan Lowing cross.

Lowing himself almost scored as his inswinging corner had to be punched out from under the bar by Paul Gallagher, with Kettlewell firing the cleared ball over.

Having weathered the storm Dunfermline clawed their way back into the match and only a terrific block by Neil McGregor denied Graham Bayne.

Kevin Harper is back in Scotland after a long spell in England and the former Hibs' winger showed he could still be an influence depite carrying a few extra pounds.

On 38 minutes he slipped in Andy Kirk who knocked the ball past David Hutton to make it 1-0 and five minutes later Harper himself shot from 25 yards and the ball skidded past Hutton on the sodden surface to double the visitor's lead.

At half time Higgins and Gary McSwegan replaced Michael Ohnesorge and Ricky Waddell as Clyde went 3-4-3.

Quick thinking by Paul Emslie was almost rewarded but his swift free kick was comfortably gathered by Gallagher.

A cross by McKay almost caught out Gallagher but the keeper did just enough to push it away, while at the other end Hutton was impressive getting down low to save a Bayne header.

Ruari MacLennan replaced Lowing as Clyde threw on another attacking option.

Kettlewell should have pulled one back as he played a neat one-two with McSwegan but instead of blasting the ball into the unguarded left half of the net, he elected to try to curl the ball round Gallagher who easily tipped it wide.

A cross almost resulted in a fluke goal for the third time but again Gallagher was equal to it, this time tipping Mark Brown's effort onto the bar.

Dunfermline moved up to third with this victory, but with Clyde still without as home win it could be a long time before they are challenging at the right end of the table.

Gemmill believes that his side will improve if they can bring their away form to Broadwood.

He said: "In the first half we didn't start well, but we started to come into it in the second half and I thought we were the better team.

"We need to start games at the same tempo as we seem to manage in the second half. On Saturday we went 3-4-3 at half time as we were 2-0 and had nothing to lose.

"Some of the games we have played reasonably well, even some that we've lost, particularly away from home and have possibly just needed a wee bit of luck.

"Our home form has been disappointing, although I honestly have no idea why we seem to find it harder to play at Broadwood.

"Over the next fortnight the manager says we'll be doing a lot of running, so we'll see how that goes and hopefully we'll perform much better in the rest of the season."

CLYDE: Hutton, Lowing (Ru. MacLennan 65), Ohnesorge (Higgins 46), McGregor, Brown, Kettlewell, McKay, Emslie, Clarke, Gemmill, Waddell (McSwegan 46).

DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC: Gallagher, Thomson (Bell 23), Wilson, Phinn, Woods, McCann, Harper, Glass, Bayne, Kirk (Campbell 84), Burke (Wiles 75).

Referee: C. Allan.

Attendance: 1273.

Sportline Man of the Match: Scott Gemmill.