Goals either side of half-time from Phil McGuire and Scott Booth gave struggling Aberdeen a priceless win over UEFA Cup hopefuls Dunfermline.

McGuire, recalled to the side in place of injured Kevin McNaughton, took advantage of a mistake from goalkeeper Derek Stillie to fire the Dons ahead in the 36th minute.

Dunfermline changed their tactics for the second half, but never had time to ease into a rhythm after Booth pounced early on to ensure the points remained in the north-east.

The out-of-sorts Pars were without influential striker Craig Brewster and also his young deputy Noel Hunt, who had scored three times in his last three outings.

Their absence allowed former West Ham youth player Billy Mehmet his second start for the club since arriving in Fife last summer.

Dunfermline created the first chance of the game, assisted by home defender Alexander Diamond, who misjudged his header back to goalkeeper David Preece.

His mistake allowed Mehmet to nip in and send the ball past Preece from the edge of the penalty area, but his effort went inches wide of the left-hand post.

Aberdeen manufactured their first real opportunity eight minutes later when Scott Morrison and David Zdrilic combined with a clearly pre-rehearsed free-kick.

Morrison feigned to hit the ball, but laid it off to the Australian, who then tried to catch out Derek Stillie with a deft curling shot to the top right-hand corner.

Unfortunately for the home side, Stillie - who is likely to leave East End Park in the summer after failing to agree a new contract - had enough time to adjust his position and palm the ball around the post.

Dunfermline passed up a great opportunity to take the lead in the 28th minute when Greg Shields and Mehmet combined well to set up Scotland striker Stevie Crawford.

The former Hibs man raced onto Mehmet's headed knockdown and got in ahead of Russell Anderson, but lofted the ball over the crossbar from six-yards.

Aberdeen took the lead nine minutes before the break.

Former Scotland Under-21 player McGuire, making only his second start in four months, did well to control Paul Sheerin's cross from the left and hit a shot on the turn.

The ball never gathered much pace, but it bobbled off the turf and somehow found its way past Stillie, who floundered around on the floor trying to get a hand to it, but watched helpless as it squirmed beyond him.

Lee Bullen came on in place of Gary Dempsey after the interval as Jimmy Calderwood altered his tactics in an attempt to get back into the game.

He switched from a flat back four to only having three central defenders, making room for an extra midfield player to combat the runs of Sheerin and Markus Heikkinen.

His alterations failed to spark life into the sluggish Pars, though, and they fell further behind seven minutes into the second half.

Chris Clark's corner fell perfectly for Diamond, who stood unmarked inside the area and had plenty of time and space to deliver a knockdown for Booth.

The one-time Scotland international bolted in front of his marker and had the simplest of tasks in poking the ball past the stranded Stillie.

Dunfermline's afternoon was further blighted in the 62nd minute when influential midfielder Barry Nicholson limped off and had to be replaced by Aaron Labonte.

Wilson went close for the Pars late on, but could not direct a cross from second-half substitute David Grondin on target.

That was as close as the Pars came to salvaging some pride, as Aberdeen stood firm and comfortably ran the clock down for a well-deserved victory.

Teams

Aberdeen Preece, McGuire (Tosh 77), Anderson, Diamond, Morrison, Clark, Heikkinen, Sheerin, Hinds, Booth (Prunty 71), Zdrilic (Foster 88).

Subs Not Used: Esson, Muirhead.

Goals: McGuire 36, Booth 52.

Dunfermline Stillie, Scott Thomson, Scott Wilson, Skerla, Shields, Nicholson (Labonte 62), Byrne, Dempsey (Bullen 45), Derek Young, Crawford, Mehmet (Grondin 57).

Subs Not Used: Ruitenbeek, Tod.

Booked: Dempsey, Scott Wilson, Skerla.

Att: 11,035

Ref: C Thomson (Scotland).