Dunfermline Athletic struck in injury-time to salvage a draw against 10-man Arbroath.
Jay Bird gave the home side a first-half lead against an out-of-sorts Pars side.
But the striker was sent-off after the break and substitute Craig Wighton snatched a point for the East End Park side with a 91st-minute header.
Defender returns but DAFC injury woes continue
Rhys Breen was restored to the starting line-up for the first time since the end of October after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Given the absence of Sam Fisher due to the after-effects of the head knock sustained in the previous week’s 2-1 home defeat to Partick Thistle, Breen’s return was a boost.
There was another fillip for the visitors on the bench, with assistant-manager Dave Mackay well enough to take his place in the dugout following illness.
But the good news lasted just 24 minutes as Chris Hamilton, again anchoring the Pars’ three-man rearguard, took a boot to the face from Jay Bird and had to be replaced.
Six minutes before half-time, striker Lewis McCann pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring problem and limped off.
For Arbroath, skipper Thomas O’Brien resumed his place in the defence after suspension, with Darren Lyon dropping down to the bench.
Arbroath impress early
Buoyed by their victory over Inverness Caley Thistle, Arbroath started on the front foot.
Leighton McIntosh caused continual problems on the Red Lichties’ right flank and Deniz Mehmet had to look alert to repel his 18th-minute shot.
An O’Brien flick-on from Colin Hamilton’s corner then flew dangerously across the box as the home side sought the breakthrough.
Dunfermline were restricted to shots from distance as they struggled to get going in attack.
But Arbroath continued to look the more threatening.
Three minutes from the interval, Craig Slater’s cross from the right sparked panic in the Dunfermline defence but Jermaine Hylton could not get a shot away inside a crowded six-yard box as the visitors survived.
Breakthrough for the hosts
Arbroath could lay claim to having had the better of the opening period, and they got their rewards in first-half injury-time.
O’Brien directed a long ball forward for Bird to chase and he benefitted from the break of the ball off Pars defender Ewan Otoo.
Once he got a sniff of a chance, the striker eased himself away from Otoo and rattled a powerful shot into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Tactical reshuffle for Dunfermline
After giving his side 10 minutes of the second-half, and with only a Michael O’Halloran going abegging, McPake deployed a two-man strike-force with the introduction of Craig Wighton, and it was to prove crucial.
Still Arbroath continued to push for a second and in the 58th minute Bird outmuscled Breen but slapped his shot just past Mehmet’s left-hand upright.
Seconds later, the unmarked David Gold should have done better than nod a McIntosh cross wide.
Wasteful Dunfermline
The leveller should have come for Dunfermline, however, in the 66th minute.
Aaron Comrie scampered forward to combine with Alex Jakubiak and, despite being clear on goal, played in Wighton, who in turn found Owen Moffat.
But the former Celtic attacker’s precise effort rebounded off the post and Comrie woefully sliced the loose ball wide from close range.
With 18 minutes remaining, Bird again caused problems for the struggling Dunfermline defence but screwed his shot on the turn just past before having another deflected wide.
Bizarre red card
The match then exploded into acrimony as Arbroath were reduced to 10 men in the 74th minute.
Bird and team-mate Jermaine Hylton got involved in an altercation with each other and had to be separated by colleagues and opponents.
Both were shown yellow cards and, with Bird having been booked for his high boot on Hamilton earlier in the game, he was dismissed by referee Lloyd Wilson.
It was always going to be hard for the home side to hang on a man down.
And they eventually cracked in the 91st minute when Joe Chalmers’ corner from the right was nodded in by Wighton from close range.
Star Man: Leighton McIntosh (Arbroath)
Bird would have been a stick-on for the accolade had he not allowed the red mist to descend with just 16 minutes remaining.
The former MK Dons was a constant thorn in the side of Dunfermline but his red card blotted his copybook.
McIntosh was the other main threat for the Red Lichties and deserved to be on the winning side.
Arbroath (4-1-4-1): Gaston 6; Stewart 6, Steele 6, O’Brien 6, Hamiton 6; Norey 6; McIntosh 7, Slater 6, Gold 5 (Stowe 60 4), Hylton 5 (Dunnwald-Turan 88 3); Bird 5. Subs not used: Adams, Jacobs, Stowe, Lyon. Sent-off: Bird. Booked: Hylton.
Dunfermline (3-4-2-1): Mehmet 6; Comrie 6, Hamilton 4 (Chalmers 25 5), Breen 6; O’Halloran 5 (Wighton 56 4), Allan 6 (Summers 56 5), Otoo 6, Edwards 6; Todd 6, Moffat 6; McCann 4 (Jakubiak 39 5). Subs not used: Little, Sharp, Fenton, Sutherland. Booked: Jakubiak.
Referee: Lloyd Wilson.
Attendance: 1,910
