It was a familiar story of personnel changes for Reds’ head coach Bryan Craig as first-team regulars Ben Laing and Phill Smith were unavailable, but Colin Stuart returned to the side, meaning captain Garry Cockburn moved back to prop from hooker.
Charlie Hamilton joined brother Harry in the second row, while Charlie McLean was again among the replacements.
And despite a spirited second-half display, it was the first half performance that cost the visitors dearly, as they shipped six tries in the opening period to trail 40-5 at the break.
The Reds’ score came from prolific full-back James Ferguson, who backed up his hat-trick at home to Kirkcaldy last weekend with another fine try to get the visitors on the scoreboard just before the interval.
The conversion was missed, and after a disappointing opening 40 minutes, the Reds knew they had only pride to play for in the second half.
The Fife outfit, unbeaten and with a bonus point win in each of their matches this season, went through the half-century before the visitors struck back twice inside the final quarter, and Craig’s charges will feel they should have walked away with four-try bonus point.
Kyle Adams used his pace to maintain his impressive record of having scored in every game this season, before a wonderful offload from Reds’ replacement Alex Ferguson put his younger brother James through for his second try of the afternoon.
A fourth try seemed to be coming, and would have been reward for a much-improved Reds side, with Donald McKenzie and captain Cockburn to the fore in the forwards and back-row Armandt Pryor impressing on his cameo on the wing in the final 10 minutes, the big South African beating defenders seemingly at will.
But Howe held on to ensure the Reds would return over the Forth Road Bridge without a point and still at the bottom of National League 2.
Head coach Craig told Courier Sport: “Garry [Cockburn] led by example with some telling carries, and he was ably backed up by Armandt Pryor.
“We produced a great second half performance where we competed and asked questions of the league’s top side, after a shaky start where we again were our own worst enemy at times, gifting Howe at least three tries.
“There are definite signs of improvement over the last couple of weeks. We just need to keep up the hard graft at training but more importantly learning not to keep making the same mistakes week after week and I feel we will get our just rewards.”
Tomorrow (Saturday) provides Craig’s side with another stern test, as they take on third-placed Hamilton at Neilson Park.
That match will see the drawing of the club’s unique fundraiser, Poo In the Park, which is expected to take place at 5.30pm, while the new clubhouse will also be offiically opened by East Lothian Council provost, Ludovic Broun-Lindsay.