Dunfermline’s faltering promotion bid is in need of rapid resuscitation after they dropped another two precious points at East End Park.
The Pars have now played the same number of games as first division leaders Raith Rovers and are five points behind their Fife rivals.
This was a lacklustre performance from Jim McIntyre’s men their second in four days and since the turn of the year they have only won two out of nine league games.
It could have been even worse for Dunfermline as they had gone behind to an Andy Barrowman second half goal, and it took a late Andy Kirk penalty to salvage a point. McIntyre admitted, “We didn’t play well and didn’t deserve to win.
“We’ve got to stand up and be counted and keep doing the things that have won us games in the past. Time will tell if this is a good point or not. We’re still up there but we know that what we produced tonight wasn’t good enough.”
His opposite number, Jimmy Calderwood, said, “I feel we deserved all three points. Dunfermline are going for the championship and we more than matched them. It says a lot about how much we’ve improved that we’ve come to East End Park and are disappointed to only get a draw.”
The County manager, who has seen the Dingwall club unbeaten in five games since he was appointed, added, “We should be in the top half of the table but we are not. The players have to ask themselves questions and look in the mirror in the dressing room.
“I am not saying we would be as high up as Dunfermline but we would be higher than we are.”
There were three casualties from the Pars team which suffered a shock loss at home to Morton on Saturday Chris Higgins, Steven McDougall and Pat Clarke. The trio all dropped to the bench and they were replaced by Kevin Rutkiewicz, Joe Cardle and Kirk.
By contrast, County enjoyed one of their best results of the season last time out, a victory over Falkirk, and Calderwood made just one change to his starting line-up, replacing Jason Marr with Jonathon Flynn. The confidence that the visitors had gained from that win showed in the early exchanges.
After a good passage of play they were the first to register a shot at goal eight minutes in, but Michael Gardyne’s right foot effort from 18 yards out was sliced wide of the target. Three minutes later the County midfielder came even closer to finding the net.
He raced beyond the Pars backline to latch on to a Flynn through ball and forced an excellent reflex save out of Chris Smith with a crisp first time shot. The rebound came back to Gardyne but his shot-cum-cross from an acute angle was headed clear.
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Dunfermline were struggling to get into their stride and they had to wait until the 25th minute for their first opportunity. Gary Mason did well to steal the ball off Stuart Kettlewell and the midfielder was brought down by Paul Lawson before he could get away a shot.
A free-kick was awarded around 20 yards out but was wasted by Kirk, who blasted it straight into the defensive wall. On the half-hour mark, County should have broken the deadlock when Gardyne drilled a low cross from the left across goal. Kettlewell had timed his run between the two Dunfermline centre-backs to perfection, but he scooped his shot on the slide over the bar from six yards out.
The away side kept the pressure up and on 36 minutes Rutkiewicz had to make a brave last ditch tackle to thwart Gardyne. Three minutes before the break, Cardle broke down the left and fed Kirk, who hit the byeline. The Irishman delivered a ball to the near post but keeper Michael McGovern was quick to react and cut it out.
The Pars started the second half better than they had the first and on 54 minutes a David Graham shot from the edge of the box took a deflection off Flynn and scraped past the far post, with McGovern beaten. From the ensuing corner Rutkiewicz rose highest but his downward header lacked power and direction.
Just after the hour a borderline offside decision denied Barrowman as he was homing in on goal after being put through by Mark Fitzpatrick. County made the breakthrough on 67 minutes and keeper Smith would have to take the blame.
Brittain hoisted a hopeful cross in from the left and Smith decided to charge off his line to meet it. By the time he got there he was punching fresh air however, and Barrowman directed a looping header from 12 yards into an unguarded net.
McIntyre’s response to going a goal down was to send on Clarke for Liam Buchanan, who had struggled to make an impact on the game. Calderwood also made a substitution, with Jason Marr replacing Steven Milne.
The game was nearly put beyond Dunfermline on 77 minutes when a Brittain free-kick smacked Smith’s right hand post. The home side were level on 80 minutes, though, when Marr was adjudged to have tripped Kirk in the box. He took the penalty himself and made no mistake.
In stoppage time Clarke had a great chance to snatch all three points but his attempted lob was overhit. Rutkiewicz and Lawson were the only men to be booked.
Attendance-1699.
Dunfermline-Smith, Woods, McCann, Mason, Rutkiewicz, Keddie, Graham (McDougall 77), Hardie, Buchanan (Clarke 68), Kirk, Cardle. Subs not used-Higgins, Thomson, Patterson.
Ross County-McGovern, Miller (Vigurs 88), Fitzpatrick, Lawson, Boyd, Flynn, Milne (Marr 68), Kettlewell, Barrowman, Brittain, Gardyne. Subs not used-Wood, Smith, Malin.
Referee-Steven McLean.