Dunfermline 2 Kilmarnock 2

AARON Comrie struck in the fifth minute of injury time to rescue a point for Dunfermline.

Killie had taken a second half lead through Callum Hendry, only for Dom Thomas’ cross-shot to somehow find the net and peg them back.

Tommy Wright’s promotion pushers immediately restored their lead through Oli Shaw and that looked to be enough until the Pars full back stole in at the back post and hooked the ball high past Zack Hemming.

Incredibly, given we’re in October, it was the first time the fans had seen their team score at home in the league.  

It was a frantic finish and the last minute strike will at least give them something to cheer on the way home.

This was the first match since the board gave Peter Grant the vote of confidence but Killie posed a considerable threat to his hopes of that elusive first league win.

Ominously, the Ayrshire men hadn’t lost an away game in the Championship, or even conceded a goal on the road, prior to rocking up in Fife with a sizeable and noisy support roaring them on.

Dunfermline, on the other hand, had played four Championship matches at home without hitting the net once.

That lack of confidence was reflected in the stands with plenty of empty seats at kick-off although the majority did stay to see that dramatic finale. 

There was just one change from the defeat to Queen of the South two weeks ago, which the manager admitted was an awful performance, with Kai Kennedy dropping to the bench to be replaced by Thomas.

There was just over a minute on the clock when Kilmarnock posted notice that they meant business with Comrie losing the ball and Hendry’s low cross just stolen from under Oli Shaw’s nose by Mark Connolly.

The full back almost made amends in the 14th minute.

A good move saw the home side pick their way through the defence with Craig Wighton finding Kevin O’Hara and the striker’s deep cross to the back post met by Comrie but he was on the stretch and just couldn’t get the ball on target.

A mix-up almost caught out Athletic in the 21st minute when they lost possession cheaply and Owain Fon Williams started coming for a ball but then realised he wasn’t going to make it.

Shaw lobbed it over him but it was a tight angle and the ball bounced harmlessly wide with some hard stares and recriminations in the Athletic rearguard.

With Grant making sure the foundations are right, he has largely fixed the leaky defence but now Pars don’t know whether to stick or twist.  

Commit too many men to the attack and they risk being caught on the counter attack.

But when they did venture forward they seldom looked like scoring in the first half, with not enough numbers and too much emphasis on the strikers making something out of nothing.

O’Hara almost did that, hooking a shot over his shoulder but it lacked the power to trouble Hemming.

He almost opened the scoring with a stunning effort moments later though.

Picking up the ball in the inside left channel, you could tell he wanted it on his right foot and chopped inside the defender before swerving a shot towards the top corner with the keeper at full stretch to keep it out.

There was good reason for Athletic to be stout in defence, and the back four were excellent as Tommy Wright’s men slipped through the gears easily and came forward in waves.

Ex-Par Fraser Murray sent in a dangerous ball that Josh Edwards had to head clear under severe pressure and the defender made another vital interception after Stephen McGinn lifted a free kick into the box.

Vytas Gaspuitis then stepped out to block Blair Alston’s drive.

Rory McKenzie’s devilish cross was just begging for a touch from Shaw but Connolly put him under pressure and the ball whistled across goal with no takers.

Thomas was up against his old side and a swift Dunfermline counter attack in 51 minutes gave him a look at goal.

After O’Hara and Wighton did the spadework, the wide boy jinked inside and smashed a left foot shot that had plenty of power but lacked accuracy.

You couldn’t fault Dunfermline’s work rate, they chased lost causes and forced the keeper into hurried clearances with their constant harassment, but they lacked inspiration, a spark of creativity or slice of luck.

They even had Dan Pybus playing through illness, with the manager admitting the midfielder was sick on the pitch but kept going. 

Dunfermline had the ball in the net in the 62nd minute, Connolly thundering in a header off the bar from Thomas’ corner, but ref Greg Aitken penalised the defender for climbing on Dylan McGowan and gave a foul to Killie.

The game swung cruelly away from Athletic in a matter of seconds.

They looked certain to score in 66 minutes when Kilmarnock gifted the ball to Wighton and he strode forward, unselfishly slipping the ball to Kennedy who had just Hemming to beat but smacked the ball against the keeper’s legs.

It was to be another sub who had the telling impact though and he was wearing purple. Chris Burke’s shot was cleared off the line and from the resulting corner Hendry bundled the ball in at the back post in the 67th minute.

Pars got back into the match in fortuitous fashion when Thomas’ ball in from the right flank in 73 minutes was missed by everyone and nestled in the bottom corner.

The Dunfermline fans had seen their team score at home in the league for the first time this season - and we're in October - but that elation turned to despair as Wright’s men immediately hit back.

Shaw got loose on the left edge of the box, after the break of the ball following a fine Ryan Dow tackle, and as Fon Williams raced out the striker rolled the ball underneath him for what looked like a 74th minute winner.

Dunfermline tried to rescue a point and in the 88th minute Wighton smashed a volley goalwards but he just couldn’t keep the ball under the bar.

But they grabbed a draw in the fifth minute of injury time when a cross slung into the box found Comrie at the back post and he hooked it beyond the keeper to send the home fans delirious.