Dunfermline hauled themselves clear of relegation with a convincing 3-1 win over disappointing Motherwell.

The Fifers were in control for most of the game, confidently taming a late push by Motherwell that came too late to be effective.

Andy Smith, still in buoyant mood after his Scotland B debut in midweek, opened the scoring in 18 minutes with a typical opportunist goal.

Greig Shields drove the ball into the crowded box and Smith bravely pushed himself into the space to steer the ball over the line for his 26th goal of the season.

Motherwell hit back to equalise in 27 minutes when Eliphas Shivute steered a Willie Falconer shot on the rebound into the net, taking a cruel deflection off Andy Tod on its way.

But Dunfermline went ahead again in 31 minutes and after that seldom looked like surrendering the advantage.

Gerry Britton provided the ammunition with a drive across the face of the goal that Craig Ireland turned into the net.

Motherwell scorned good chances when headers from Stefan Lindqvist and Falconer proved easy catches for Ian Westwater and minutes after the break Falconer drove an Owen Coyle flick wide of goal. Minutes later Tod cleared a Tommy Coyne half-chance off the line.

Dunfermline weathered this brief storm to move 3-1 ahead in 54 minutes, Britton this time the marksman with a simple goal from close range when a Marc Millar cross that flew across the front of the goal was unchallenged by keeper Steve Woods and defender Steve Craigan.

Motherwell mounted a late rally which saw a Billy Davies drive tipped over and a Greig Denham header cleared off the line by Jim Squires and in the dying seconds Craig Falconbridge scorned a snip when his close-in shot was tipped over by Woods.

Four players were booked - Simo Valakari and Denham of Motherwell and Richard Huxford and Britton of Dunfermline.

Teams

Motherwell: Woods, Craigan, McMillan, Denham, Martin, Falconer, Valakari (Davies 61), Lindqvist, Coyne, Shivute (McCulloch 76), Coyle.

Subs Not Used: Ross.

Booked: Denham, Valakari.

Goals: Shivute 28.

Dunfermline: Westwater, Shields, McCulloch, Tod, Ireland, Huxford, Britton (Bingham 81), Robertson (Squires 50), Smith (Faulconbridge 80), French, Millar.

Booked: Huxford, Britton.

Goals: Smith 18, Ireland 31, Britton 54.

Att: 5,745

Ref: J Herald (Newton Mearns).