By Jim Davie

AUSTRALIAN DEFENDER Andy McDermott was given one final chance to put himself in the shop window when team mate Scott Wilson called-off with flu just a couple of hours prior to Dunfermline’s game with Livingston at East End Park on Saturday.

The young Aussie’s contract expired yesterday and the former QPR and West Brom player did his chances of attracting another club no harm at all with an excellent display at the heart of the Pars’ defence in the 2-2 draw against the West Lothian outfit.

He played an unfamiliar role in the middle of a back three as Dunfermline twice came from a goal behind.

However, McDermott revealed that the ‘worst case scenario’ had happened and that he had now begun the search for employment.

“I’m in the market place looking for another job at the moment,” said the 24-year-old. “My contract’s now up.

“This is what I thought would be the worst case scenario, but I’ve been able to play half a dozen games, playing with the for sale sign on my back, if you like.

“I was happy enough to sign a 10-week contract at Dunfermline and I’ve come to the end of it now.

“The club had an option to take up which they haven’t done so I’ll just get on with it and move on.

“There’s no animosity on my part. We’re all professionals and that’s just the way football is.

“I’ve enjoyed it here and the standard of football is good. I’ll be talking to my agent next week and we’ll see what we can come up with.

“I’ve played five or six games now so people will have noticed me.

“I’ve nothing definite in mind for the future, but the transfer window’s only been open a couple of days so we’ll just see what happens in the next week or so then my wife and I will make a decision about whether or not to stay in the country or head back to Australia.”

If, as looks likely, this was indeed McDermott’s last game for the Pars, then at least he will be able to look back on a thrilling encounter that warmed the frozen supporters of both sides.

Sadly, only 5115 were there to witness it. Whatever happened to the myth of big New Year crowds?

A lively Livingston side dominated the early part of the game, taking the lead on 14 minutes when man of the match Lee Makel squared for David McNamee to net.

The Pars struggled to contain their visitors but were thrown an unexpected lifeline when Oscar Rubio inexplicably handled a Barry Nicholson corner and Nicholson himself netted the resultant penalty.

The home side were much more fluent in the second half but Livingston substitute David Fernandez, who had been on the park only four minutes, presented Makel with an excellent opportunity which he despatched past Pars’ keeper Derek Stillie.

It could have been all over for the home side when Makel’s free kick beat Stillie but the ball crashed off his left hand post and was scrambled away.

It was another sub, Dunfermline’s Noel Hunt, who helped restore parity 11 minutes from time when his flick-on found Stevie Crawford, the Scotland internationalist running on and slotting the ball low into the corner.

“The draw seemed a fair result,” observed McDermott.

“I thought first half we didn’t get close enough to them, we didn’t press them hard enough.

“In the second half I felt we dominated up until they scored the second goal.

“I don’t think they had too many chances and Derek (Stillie) didn’t have too much to do.”

As he was last week, Dunfermline head coach Jimmy Calderwood was puzzled by his side’s slow start to the game.

“That’s been the story of our season,” he mused.

“The only two games where we’ve started well were Rangers and Hibs.

“We found it difficult building from the back and in midfield we weren’t as sharp as we usually are.

“Livingston dominated the game. We looked very, very nervous.

“Although (Livingston skipper) Stuart Lovell complained about the pitch it looked as if they were enjoying it.

“They were passing the ball about well and we couldn’t get close to them at all.

“They deserved their lead and we got a break with the penalty to be honest.

“We got it sorted out in the second half and we started winning second balls, winning tackles and getting close to them.

“In the end we could have nicked it but I don’t think we deserved any more than we got.

“All credit to Livingston, they played well and I thought we only played well for about 25 minutes.

“When we played those 25 minutes we showed what we could do.

“We got the crowd lifted because we’d done nothing to lift them before that.”

Injury, suspension and illness had cost Calderwood three of his most valuable players. As well as flu victim Wilson, captain Scott Thomson was suspended and striker Craig Brewster was out with the shoulder injury sustained at Firhill last week.

“They’re not exactly our lesser players,” bemoaned the Pars’ head coach, “but hopefully we’ll have them all back next week.”

Livingston boss Davie Hay seemed pleased enough with the point gained at East End Park.

“When we went 2-1 up I thought we could have gone on to win, but to be fair to Dunfermline they threw caution to the wind a wee bit and got the equaliser and probably over the piece the draw was correct,” he said.