It is often said that not knowing when you are defeated is a sign of champions.
Dunfermline will be disappointed to again drop points at the KDM Group East End Park – for the sixth time this season – in Saturday’s 1-1 with Airdrie
That’s despite their unbeaten home record in all competitions this season and their astonishing comeback against the Diamonds the week before.
One of the takeaways from that recent double-header is that the Pars do not know when they are beaten.
It would be some feat to not lose another game between now and the end of the season but as it stands James McPake’s side have gone behind in eight matches and lost just once.
Back from the brink
The only side to take all three points from the Pars was Montrose back in October.
In the other seven they have rescued 11 points – two wins and five draws.
Dunfermline have come back from 1-0 to take a point against Falkirk, Queen of the South, Clyde and Airdrie.
In that latter fixture they had what seemed a perfectly legitimate goal ruled out.
Rhys Breen’s disallowed goal:
On Christmas Eve they went behind around the hour to Kelty Hearts but after a triple-substitution turned the game on its head through a Tam O’Ware own goal and Lewis McCann’s winner.
McCann’s goal against Kelty:
They also came back from 2-0 down to take a point against Clyde and recently came back from the dead to beat Airdrie.
A Robbie Mahon own goal made it 3-0 to the Diamonds not long into the second half and it caused some of the travelling fans to leave – “I don’t blame them,” McPake told Pars TV after the match.
They missed the end of what was the game of the season – Kyle Benedictus’ penalty, a brace from Matty Todd and a winner from supersub Nikolay Todorov sparked wild celebrations.
🎥 Watch all 4 of #DAFC's goals from yesterday's 4-3 win over Airdrieonians.
Full Highlights Later! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/A0RkELB1Bx
— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) February 12, 2023
The late show
The record from losing positions is down, in part, to the number of late goals Dunfermline score.
The Pars have scored 11 of their 40 league goals in the final 15 minutes and 12 in the 15-minute period before that – meaning 57.5% of their goals come in the final half hour of games.
Of course, the ideal is to not go behind in the first place and 13 clean sheets in 24 League One matches has been key to their success so far.
As well as this they have only failed to score in two matches: the loss to Montrose and a 0-0 draw against Kelty early in the campaign.
With the first goal being so important in football it says a lot that, when they do go behind, Dunfermline have dragged themselves back so many times.
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