Less than three months after the Scottish Cup final - where the Pars were the better team for large patches in the game against a team of the calibre of Celtic - the Pars have almost hit rock bottom after a horrendous performance against an Inverness Caley Thistle side that were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Livingston in the first game of the new season.
In front of an appallingly low crowd - just under two thousand - the Pars lined up with the same team that started against FH Hafnarfjordur on Thursday night, with the exception of Craig Brewster starting in place of Andy Tod up front. Captain Scott Thomson maintained his place in the midfield desite an obvious lack of fitness, a suprise for many Pars fans who had expected Darren Young to be given a start in the midfield after his impressive substitute performances in the last two games.
The Pars were first to offer any kind of threat to goal in the 6th minute when a Noel Hunt cross was almost dropped by ICT keeper Mark Brown with Brewster ready to pounce. Six minutes later it went horribly wrong for the Pars when ICT left back Stuart GOLABEK picked up the ball near the half way line. The defender cut inside unchallenged before firing in a twenty yard strike which Derek Stillie could only parry into the net.
Rather than offer up any kind of swift reply it took the Pars the best part of quarter of an hour to test the Thistle defence when Noel Hunt beat the offside trap to get on the end of Brewster through pass, only for the young Irishman to lob the ball over the keeper, and the bar when he really should have put the Pars on level terms. Three minutes later Hunt again found himself in possession when he swung a dangerous cross onto the head Craig Brewster, the veteran's header sailing just wide of the post. Brewster's header, the last real Pars attempt of the first half.
For the second game running Davie Hay felt the need to change his team at half-time when he brought Darren Young on for the, at times, erractic Ritchie Byrne. This change pushed captain Thomson into the left back slot with Young joining Mason in the middle of the midfield. This failed to inspire any kind of comeback from the Pars in what was another very poor 45 minutes from Davie Hay's side.
Six minutes into the second half Gary Dempsey - still searching for his form and his fist touch! - fired in a decent effort which was comfortably saved by ICT number one Mark Brown, the keeper cutting a lonely figure in a goalmouth very rarely troubled by the Pars attack. Four minutes later, in the 55th minute, Scott Wilson - having a nightmare at the back - picked up a yellow card after protesting against a poor decision from referee Tom Brown, yet another SPL referee who appears to be consistent with his inconsistency.
In the 66th minute ICT's tricky midfielder Juanjo saw his right-footed drive blocked by Scott Thomson when a goal seemed likely. The Spaniard - tearing the Pars defence to shreds - didn't have to wait long for the glory however. Four minutes later JUANJO dispossesed Darren Young in the midfield before sending the ball out wide to Barry Wilson. The winger managed to shrug off a weak challenge from Scott Thomson before sending the ball into the Pars penalty box where it was met by the Spaniard who calmly placed the ball into the corner of the visitor's net.
Hay - once again observing from the stand - saw the need to change things around, bringing on Simon Donnelly for the very ineffectual Noel Hunt in the 72nd minute and replacing a very tired Craig Brewster with Billy Mehmet only three minutes later. With Mehmet trying his best to unsettle the Caley defence, the Pars support saw their team go close a with a Nicholson effort eight minutes from time and a delicate Darren Young chip a minute later.
However with the Caley team appearing to sit back and settle for their 2-0 lead, the Pars offered very little to suggest that they could trouble Mark Brown in the Caley goal and the game frittered out to a finish capping an altogether diabolical performance by the Pars.
Its somewhat doubtful that Davie Hay's seat in the stand makes for more pleasant viewing than the rest of us Pars fans so Hay must have witnessed yet another inept display from a team packed full of talent and ability.
Two draws and one defeat from Hay's first three games in charge is simply not good enough!
Going into next Saturday's game - with all agendas against a certain manager aside - against an Aberdeen team with two very decent results already under their belt the future does not look bright. We continue to rely far too much on an a - nowhere near fully fit - Craig Brewster who can only deliver if he is given the service, service which was greatly lacking against Caley Thistle.
And where has our passing game gone?! The Pars are without a doubt the best passing side in the league, so why then have they resorted to the long ball style? When the Pars pass the ball on the ground they can rip teams open, but the players seem to want to go for the long ball option time after time!
All the newspaper stories will be about the historic first SPL win for ICT, and rightly so, but should the Pars be losing to a far inferior Inverness Caley Thistle side?!
Come on Davie time to get it right and quick!!!
Man of the Match - ANDRIUS SKERLA - The only bright spark in a dire Pars performance.
PARS - Stillie, Shields, Byrne, (Darren Young H/T) Wilson, Skerla, Nicholson, Dempsey, Thomson, Mason, Hunt, (Donnelly 71), Brewster, (Mehmet 75).
SUBS NOT USED - Langfield, Lyle, Labonte, McKeown.