Dundee United 1 PARS 1

DUNFERMLINE extended their unbeaten run to four games but were pegged back by Dundee United at Tannadice this afternoon.

Declan McManus struck the post for the Pars in a scoreless first half - that also saw Lee Robinson look smart to deny Jamie Robson and Scott Fraser - but Nicky Clark's 17th goal of the campaign put the Pars ahead in the 52nd minute.

But a bizarre goal from Scott McDonald, where he blocked an attempted James Craigen clearance in front of his own goal and saw it roll into the net from seven yards, levelled matters moments later.

The result leaves Dunfermline still in fifth place in the Championship table but they are two points behind United in fourth, and three adrift of Morton in third.

It was a fair outcome in a game where both teams had chances to win but, ultimately, didn't do enough to earn three points.

Athletic went into this game on the back of a three game unbeaten run, yielding two wins, and having kept three successive clean sheets.

The hosts, by contrast, had only won once in their last seven in the Championship and were beaten at home by another play-off challenger, Queen of the South, on Tuesday night.

A win for Johnston's team would've lifted them above United and into a top four place - although the Arabs have three games in hand - but they went into it with a wretched record against their opponents.

Not since August 2011 had Dunfermline registered a Tannadice win, when Paul Burns scored in an SPL clash, and they had not tasted a win against the Taysiders in 12 meetings in all competitions since.

Johnston retained faith with the side that dispatched Brechin City on Tuesday night but, by contrast, Csaba Laszlo made six changes to his Dundee United side.

Among those coming in was ex-Rangers defender Bilel Mohsni, who was making his debut, while former Pars loanee Paul McMullan dropped to the bench.

The changes almost had an immediate impact as Robson, one of the half-dozen brought into the home ranks, skipped excellently away from Callum Morris and into the box.

He tried to find Lee Robinson's bottom left corner but the keeper got down well to push it away, before Lewis Martin threw his body in the way of Anthony Ralston's follow-up.

United had started strongly in the opening 10 minutes but, with just over a quarter of an hour gone, the visitors came desperately close to taking the lead.

McManus, who had struck the woodwork in two of his last three games, was unlucky once more.

A good move saw the ball worked to James Craigen on the right, who cut the ball across for Clark to knock-on to his team-mate, whose right footer struck the inside of Harry Lewis' left-hand upright.

There was some concern in the 25th minute for Tom Beadling, who went down in a heap under a strong Stewart Murdoch challenge, but he was able to recover and watch McManus send a dipping 20-yard volley not too far over the top.

Dunfermline had been more than comfortable in terms of having the ball but they came close to falling behind twice in a minute just before the break.

Martin conceded a free-kick after fouling McDonald, who had charged down and chased onto the defender's clearance, allowing Fraser to curl a superb effort that Robinson did well to push over as it headed for the top corner.

From the resulting corner, Tam Scobbie's header was looking set to hit the net until the intervention of Clark to boot it off the line.

But, just seven minutes after the interval, Dunfermline opened the scoring with a marvellous goal.

A really well-worked move on the right saw Higginbotham take the ball and advance into space on the right in United territory and, with Ryan Williamson bursting a gut in support, picked out his team-mate.

He centred the ball to perfection to find Clark lurking inside the six-yard box for an easy tap in and his fourth goal in two games.

But, no sooner had they hit the front, Athletic conceded an equaliser in the most bizarre of fashions three minutes later.

There appeared to be little danger when Craigen shielded the ball in front of goal but, as he attempted to hook the ball off to the left, the ever-alert McDonald got his boot to the clearance and watched it roll in from seven yards.

Good work from Morris to deny McDonald the opportunity to shoot, and a Sam Stanton effort that fortunately flashed just wide of the post, prevented the visitors from falling behind as United tried to up the tempo.

But, with the clock entering the final 10 minutes, there was a decent opportunity for the Pars from a set-piece.

Higginbotham's driven ball wasn't collected by Lewis and, as it dropped loose, McManus connected but could only watch as it landed on top of the net.

At the other end, Craig Slater's centre after Beadling brought down Ralston saw Mark Durnan head over from eight yards before McMullan, on as a sub, drove a shot at goal that was deflected over.

At the other end, a Clark knock-back from a Higginbotham delivery to the far post was just behind the waiting McManus six yards out, but that was the final action as the points were shared.

Dundee United: Lewis, Murdoch, Scobbie, McDonald, Fraser, Stanton, Flood, Robson, Smith, Ralston, Mohsni.

Subs: Durnan, McMullan, Mikkelsen, King, Slater, Gillespie, Mehmet.

Pars: Robinson, Williamson, Martin, Morris, Ashcroft, Higginbotham, McManus, Clark, Vincent, Craigen, Beadling.

Subs: M'Voto, Wedderburn, Armstrong, Talbot, Ryan, Aird, Gill.