PARS 1 Arbroath 1

MALACHI FAGAN-WALCOTT'S first Dunfermline goal was not enough for three points as bottom side Arbroath fought back for a share of the points.

The on-loan Cardiff City defender's first half header put James McPake's men in the driving seat, but Thomas O'Brien's equaliser early in the second half earned Jim McIntyre a draw on his return to East End Park.

Athletic, who struck the woodwork in stoppage time through new signing, Chris Kane, saw their winless run extended to nine games as they remain second bottom of the table.

They stay six points head of Arbroath, and only behind Inverness Caledonian Thistle on goal difference, whilst Queen's Park, in seventh, are two points clear.

McPake, whilst disappointed with the result, felt his team's efforts were like "night and day" from their previous two games, and felt their performance was much more like his side.

"The last two performances, I think I've been pretty honest coming out and saying, maybe the Queen's Park for 60 minutes, we competed in the game at least, but after that we didn't deserve anything," he said

"I think we did enough to win that game. In terms of clear-cut chances today, it was much more like us, in terms of the chances we made. I thought Chris Kane made a difference.

"Common theme - set plays again. We concede a really poor goal from a set play, and we threw everything at them in the end.

"Credit to them, they defended really well, and with a bit of fortune at the top end of the pitch late on, we would've come away with three points.

"In terms of performance-wise, it's night and day. It's not the result we wanted, of course it's not, but I think you could see the difference in the fans, just getting behind the players throughout the full game, because they could see the players were giving them everything this week.

"I think we certainly did enough in that game to win it, but, we speak every week, that you've got to do the basics. For me, the most important basic in the game is defending your own box, and unfortunately, that cost us today."

There were two changes to the Pars starting line-up from last weekend's loss to Queen's Park.

Kane was brought in for an immediate debut, whilst Fagan-Walcott returned from a knock, in place of Joe Chalmers and Paul Allan, who dropped to the bench.

The visitors, who went into the game without a goal in their last five matches, four of which they lost, whilst drawing the other, had ex-Par, Ryan Dow, in their side as they sought to close the gap between themselves and their opponents to just three points.

After the Spiders defeat, McPake stated that there may needed to be a change of shape, or personnel, and he appeared to do both.

Dunfermline looked like they started in a 4-2-3-1, with Aaron Comrie, Xavier Benjamin, Fagan-Walcott and Josh Edwards in a back three, with Chris Hamilton and Ewan Otoo protecting, and Michael O'Halloran, Ben Summers and Lewis McCann playing behind Kane.

Early on, the on-loan St Johnstone man showed what he can bring to the side.

With his back to goal, inside the Pars half, he took the ball in, laid it on to McCann, who sent it wide for O'Halloran, who drove towards the box, but saw his shot blocked.

You could see the hosts trying to pick the right passes, only for them not to come off, but it was they who grabbed the all-important breakthrough in the 18th minute.

After Summers was brought down midway inside the Arbroath half, Edwards whipped a delightful ball towards the far post where Fagan-Walcott was waiting to loop a header beyond goalkeeper Max Boruc.

The roar that greeted that goal gave an indication of the relief felt around the ground - and they should've been two up seconds later.

Comrie chipped a fine ball behind the away team's defence for O'Halloran to chase, who seemed to have an easy task when Boruc slipped and fell on the turf.

However, his effort was deflected behind by the keeper for a corner, in a huge let off for the visitors.

Dunfermline continued to press, with Otoo sending a header at Boruc from another Edwards delivery, but Mark Stowe attempted a speculative volley from the left-edge of the Pars box for Arbroath, but it was never troubling Deniz Mehmet.

McCann then forced Boruc into a smart stop down at his right-hand post, before Benjamin lashed over from six yards as the ball bobbled around the Lichties box from a corner, as the hosts tried to turn the screw, but just one goal separated the teams at the break.

At half-time, Benjamin was replaced by Allan for the Pars, whilst Arbroath sent on Adam Mackinnon, Kyle Robinson and Innes Murray for Jess Norey, Leighton McIntosh and Stowe, but it was Kane who had an early chance after the restart.

Summers did well to slide a pass through for him but Boruc raced from his line to narrow the angle and block the striker's shot.

However, disaster struck for the hosts seven minutes into the second half when they conceded an equaliser.

After Dow's shot had been blocked behind for a corner kick, Dunfermline's defence went to sleep as they allowed O'Brien all the space in the world to head home, unmarked, from the subsequent delivery from eight yards.

That goal rocked Dunfermline, who soon sent on Brad Holmes for Summers, but Kane tried to get them back in the lead with an audacious attempt from long range after Boruc cleared the ball to him, but his effort went over the bar.

O'Halloran then fired into the side net from a Comrie pull back as the Pars, encouraged by the crowd, went in search of another goal to retake the lead.

Kane was almost through but slipped before he could get the ball under control, after O'Halloran had an attempt blocked, while Holmes headed wide from Edwards' cross, but the offside flag went up in any case.

Arbroath, though, threatened at the other end - Fagan-Walcott did brilliantly to block from substitute Robinson, whilst Colin Hamilton, under pressure, headed wide from a Dow corner.

At the other end, Holmes saw shot deflected over the bar, with Fagan-Walcott heading O'Halloran's corner over, whilst Mehmet made a big stop to deny Craig Slater.

As the game moved into stoppage time, Otoo headed wide after Allan did well to pick him out, before a Holmes shot that was deflected wide led to Kane striking the upright from the resulting corner.

However, Dunfermline couldn't find a winner and, although they ended a run of two successive defeats, they're now nine without a win and stay second bottom of the division.

Lichties boss McIntyre, who led the Pars to the 2011 First Division title, said: "The last two weeks have allowed us to get some players back, which is much needed.

“It was nice to have a bench to choose some substitutes, and we needed them today. Conditions were heavy and we’ve got a number of players who haven’t played for a couple of months.

“I knew we were going to have to make some substitutions. I didn’t plan on making them at half-time, but I just felt we needed it.

“I thought it was an even game to start with but clearly the goal changes things and Dunfermline get their tails up.

“It took us 10 or 15 minutes then to get a grip again.

“In the second-half we came out with good intent and scored a good goal, and could have scored another one.

“Then, it was a wee bit a case of hanging in at the end, with Dunfermline having a couple of really good opportunities.

“But, over the piece, we deserved a point.

Dunfermline: Mehmet, Fagan-Walcott, Hamilton, Benjamin (Allan 45), Comrie, Edwards, Otoo, Summers (Holmes 60), O'Halloran, Kane, McCann.

Subs not used: Chalmers, Moffat, Fenton, T. Sutherland, Young, Little.

Goal: Fagan-Walcott (18).

Booked: Benjamin (21), O'Halloran (26), Kane (62), McCann (72).

Arbroath: Boruc, Stewart, Hamilton (Walker 90), Teale, O'Brien, Norey (Mackinnon 45) (Bird 90), Slater, Gold, Dow, McIntosh (Robinson 45), Stowe (Murray 45).

Subs not used: Walker, Dunnwald-Turan, Lyon, Gaston.

Goal: O'Brien (52).

Booked: Norey (27), O'Brien (34), Hamilton (90).

Referee: Craig Napier.

Attendance: 4,743.