Pars fight back to claim draw at Hibs

Dunfermline battled back from two goals down to claim a draw in a match they could easily have won. 

It looked like being a long evening when Martin Boyle and a Jason Cummings penalty put Hibs on easy street. 

But Paul McMullan quickly pulled one back and Kallum Higginbotham's fierce finish dragged them level. 

They showed grit and determination to fight back from 2-0 and Allan Johnston's men had the better chances to win.

They looked desperate to atone as, with no game last Saturday, Pars had been left to stew over that Scottish Cup exit against Accies and missing out on a money-spinning tie at Ibrox.

Amid all the ire over the Hamilton penalty - and it's still annoying as it was a blatant dive and outside the box - Athletic's own mental block about converting from 12 yards has been overshadowed. 

And facing the toughest fixture in the Championship, away to the runaway league leaders, they were going to need to show their fortitude and character.

The hope was that, after the exertion and emotion Hibs used in their midweek cup win over Hearts, they'd have little left in the tank and wouldn't have the same intensity against Dunfermline. 

No such luck in the early stages.

Hibs looked far sharper from the off and inside a couple of minutes Dunfermline were happy to see an offside flag as Grant Holt threatened. 

Jason Cummings then stole into the box and threaded a pass through to John McGinn but his effort from the edge of the area was blocked. 

But the opening goal wasn't far away and in the sixth minute Hibs showed their attacking menace. 

Andrew Shinnie broke forward, slipped a pass left and when the cross was whipped in by Cummings, Martin Boyle was all alone at the back post to sent the ball into the net. 

With their tails up, the leaders were hungry for more but Shinnie, who tricked his way to the bye line, was greedy and went for goal when the pass was a better option. 

It was 2-0 in the 24th minute when Boyle was far too quick and smart for Jason Talbot. 

He got down the full back's blind side and was clever enough to stop when he was in the box and invite the contact which sent him to the ground. 

No real argument with a penalty this week and Cummings sent Sean Murdoch the wrong way from the spot. 

It looked a very long way back but Dunfermline immediately responded. 

Nicky Clark's pass should have been cut out by David Gray but his slip opened the door and McMullan confidently found the bottom corner to throw Dunfermline a lifeline. 

Hibs were rattled and they almost conceded another when the on-loan Celtic midfielder strode forward in search of his second goal. 

The space opened up and he let rip from 25 yards but Ofir Marciano tipped it over the bar. 

Aside from a dismal performance against Falkirk, Johnston's men have been in decent form with just that one defeat in 90 minutes from their last 14 matches. 

That's included a few draws though and they were targeting a first league win since January 7th down at Ayr. 

Their last win at Easter Road was in 2011 when ex-Jambo Austin McCann netted the only goal and they looked capable of getting back into the match when McMullan,the Pars main man, won a free kick on the edge of the area. 

He took the kick himself but clipped the top of the wall and the home side hoofed the ball clear. 

Next goal was going to be all important and 29 seconds into the second half, Pars got it. 

Michael Moffat's lofted cross evaded Clark in the middle but it fell to Higginbotham and he rifled a half volley back across Marciano and into the corner of the net. 

It was a brilliant goal and game on. 

Hibs looked all at sea and the turnaround should have been complete in the 52nd minute when Athletic missed two golden opportunities to take the lead. 

Higginbotham showed his skill and Geggan got the break of the ball to race into the box and his cut back was thumped against the bar by Moffat. 

The rebound fell to Clark and he swivelled and pulled the trigger but only Marciano's outstretched leg stopped the ball hitting the net. 

It began to unravel for Hibs and Neil Lennon must have wished he could give his team another rocket. 

McMullan again posed problems and was penalised for his honesty when he stayed up after a challenge on the edge of the box looked to impede his progress. 

He then played his part in another glorious chance as Higginbotham and Moffat combined to clip a clever ball into the wide man's path. 

McMullan smartly juggled the ball over the defender's head but rather than go for goal from a tight angle he hammered the ball across goal and it hit Clark and went over the bar. 

The Edinburgh side weren't finished with Darren McGregor  forcing Murdoch to tip a header over the bar and then look sharp to get down to a speculative Shinnie effort. 

Clark fizzed a shot wide after Talbot's raking pass picked him out on the right but Pars were pushed back as Lennon's men started to regain control. 

There was an unbelievable escape for Hibs in the 72nd minute when Moffat dinked a delicious cross into the box and from yards out, Clark's downward header was stopped by the keeper's leg. 

It didn't look like the Israeli knew much about the save but the feeling persists that Clark should have made certain from close range. 

McGinn drove the home side forward again and Pars keeper had to get down quickly to smother his low drive from 25 yards. 

Tempers frayed with Lennon spoke to by the ref after Geggan and Lewis Stevenson talked handbags after a coming together. 

Hibs pressed in the closing stages, a period when the Pars have conceded of late, but it finished even.