Substitute Dougie Ramsay's 25-yard injury-time strike snatched a win for Motherwell at relegated Dunfermline.

Dunfermline's drop to the First Division was reflected by a crowd of just 3,532 at East End Park - the smallest gate for three seasons.

But those who stayed away missed an impressive debut from 18-year-old Steve Boyle.

The youngster scored a thunderbolt for the Pars from 25 yards with his left foot and later beat Andy Goram again with his right foot from almost the same distance only to be denied by the crossbar.

Both sides fielded a number of youngsters but for most of the first half Motherwell looked as if they were suffering from end-of-the-season blues.

The home team coped better with a troublesome gale force wind and Goram was in trouble on a number of occasions before Boyle scored his goal in the 20th minute.

Dunfermline were on top in the first half but there were ominous signs, when Motherwell attacked, of the shakiness in the home defence that had been so evident in recent games.

After the break Motherwell were a different side. In the 46th minute Lee McCulloch had Pars keeper Lee Butler at full stretch to palm away his header at the far post.

On the hour Butler was lucky to be in the right position to clutch a McCulloch header from three yards.

In the 76th minute Don Goodman finally grabbed an equaliser for Motherwell. He picked up a long forward ball and went through on his own to lob the ball over the advancing Butler.

Motherwell looked likely to snatch a winner and Ramsay, who had come on for Steve McMillan in the first half, obliged.

Dunfermline boss Dick Campbell attacked Premier League managers for claiming that four of his players - Andy Todd, Andy Smith, Greg Shields and Dave Graham - would be looking to play Premier League football next season.

"They should learn to look after and talk about their own players," snapped Campbell.

"I promise fans that these four named players will be playing for the club at the beginning of next season."

Campbell admitted that the Pars' performance underlined why they had gone down, and added: "I am releasing 12 players tomorrow and I already have my eye on a number of players I will be signing for the start of the new season."

Motherwell boss Billy Davis said: "We indulged too much in short passing in the first half and paid the penalty. We broadened it out in the second half and it produced the necessary goals.

"I'm so pleased that our new player Don Goodman finally broke his duck and I look forward to him scoring many goals next season."

Teams

Dunfermline: Butler, Shields, Huxford, Ireland (Squires 66), Johnson, Boyle (Petrie 68), Dolan, Thomson, McGroaty, Smith,Coyle (Graham 83).

Subs Not Used: Westwater, Nish.

Booked: Smith.

Goals: Boyle 20.

Motherwell: Goram, McGowan, Craigen, Matthaei, McMillan (Ramsey 25), Nevin (Gower 64), Valakari, Nicholas, McCulloch, Adams, Goodman.

Subs Not Used: Woods, Doherty, Lasley.

Booked: Matthaei.

Goals: Goodman 76, Ramsey 90.

Att: 3,532

Ref: J Mccluskey (Stewarton).