Lewis McCann was the Dunfermline hero as the relegation-threatened Pars rescued a precious, richly-merited draw against Morton.
The Fifers looked destined to succumb to a devastating defeat when Iain Wilson, released by the East End Park club in January, returned to haunt his former employers with a first-half opener.
Dunfermline dominated possession, created a host of passable opportunities and saw a Kevin O’Hara goal disallowed — but ran into a Ton brick wall for much of the night.
However, McCann climbed from the bench to nod a Stevie Lawless corner beyond Jack Hamilton with two minutes left on the clock.
And there was even time for O’Hara to strike the post as John Hughes’ side came agonisingly close to pinching all three points.
88 | #DAFC v GMFC | 1-1
LEWIS MCCANN!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/VcUrQ15cNe— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) March 18, 2022
The draw sees the Pars remain bottom of the Championship, with four league wins all season, but they are now level with ninth-placed Queen of the South.
Atmosphere
While Dunfermline’s ‘Football for a Fiver’ promotion did not result in East End Park being packed to the rafters (the attendance was 4593) the teams emerged to a mighty racket courtesy of the Pars’ Section North-West supporters’ group.
Armed with flags, banners and percussions, they created an admirable wall of noise and colour.
Could the home side give them even more to sing about?
Wilson’s return
Dunfermline were forced to navigate an early scare, with a loose ball falling to Gozie Ugwu in the box. However, the former Pars striker saw his goal-bound drive blocked.
As the half progressed, the hosts dominated possession. Lawless and Liam Polwarth probed; O’Hara made dashing runs off the shoulder of Alan Lithgow; Dom Thomas looked threatening.
But clear chances were at a premium.
Indeed, Morton could have taken the lead when an in-swinging free-kick from Lewis Strapp evaded everyone and drifted inches wide of the post.
Dunfermline defender Coll Donaldson saw a close-range volley blocked as Hughes’ charges sought to convert their territorial advantage into concrete opportunities.
Polwarth then lashed a speculative shot over the bar.
The slickest Dunfermline move of the half saw Polwarth and Thomas combine to tee up the marauding Josh Edwards, only for Jack Hamilton to smother the left-back’s low drive.
And the hosts would pay for their profligacy on the cusp of half-time when Wilson surged forward and produced a trundling — if accurate — low shot which found the bottom-corner.
Questions will be asked of Dunfermline’s on-loan Leicester City stopper Jakub Stolarczyk, who either misjudged his positioning or slipped. Regardless, it should have been a simple save for the Poland under-21 kid.
Frantic finale
Cameron Blues, a goalscorer when Morton battered Dunfermline 5-0 in January, fired a shot wide as the second half commenced.
At the other end, a daisy-cutter by Joe Chalmers fizzed wide of Hamilton’s left-hand post.
Shooting into the stand named after the late, great Norrie McCathie, O’Hara sought to lead from the front as he headed a Thomas delivery narrowly over the bar.
Polwarth was the next to threaten, lashing a drive inches off target. The on-loan Kilmarnock man would then flash a header wide, sustaining a head knock in the process.
It was beginning to feel like another of those games for Dunfermline.
That sinking feeling was exacerbated when O’Hara finally rippled the back of the net from close-range — only to be flagged offside.
However, Dunfermline showed admirable persistence and belief to level in the dying embers, with McCann flashing home a clinical header.
O’Hara then struck the inside of the post in a grandstand finish.
However, the spoils would ultimately be shared.
