Dunfermline can win League One on Tuesday night after coming from 2-0 down to rescue a point at the Falkirk Stadium.
Lewis McCann set up Craig Wighton to make it 2-1 – two minutes after Rumarn Burrell had made it 2-0 to the home side.
That added to Aidan Nisbett’s earlier goal but McCann made it 2-2 just before half-time with a thumping strike from the edge of the box.
It was another bumper crowd as 6,301 turned up for the latest instalment in this bitter rivalry.
The Pars can seal the league title with a win over Peterhead on Tuesday night with a win if Falkirk drop points against Montrose.
Key moments
Falkirk started in a more attacking formation than usual and dominated most of the first half.
In that time they raced into a two-goal lead through Nisbett and Burrell.
The closest the Pars came up until that point was a Lewis McCann header that went over the bar.
The towering striker was the spark that got Dunfermline back into the game.
First, he centred a cross that was deftly guided into the net by Wighton.
That goal came two minutes after Burrell made it 2-0 and just before half-time when he finished from the edge of the box.
Straight after that Wighton was a better control away from being in on goal and Matty Todd came within inches of connecting with a close-range free header.
🏁Pars fans during the first half ⏩ pic.twitter.com/4Nr2t7IkFA
— Craig Cairns (@craigcairns001) April 8, 2023
Falkirk again started better but Pars went closest first with Biran Kinnear falling back as he stopped Wighton’s tame effort creeping over the line following a penalty-box scramble.
Deniz Mehmet made his best save of the season but Burrell was flagged offside and Nisbett shot just wide after collecting a Kyle Benedictus clearance at the edge of the box, but Falkirk were unable to find a winner.
Player ratings
Dunfermline (4-2-3-1): Mehmet 6; Comrie 7, Benedictus 6, Otoo 6, Edwards 7; Hamilton 6, Chalmers 6; McCann 8, Todd 7 (Mochrie 7), Ritchie-Hosler 7; Wighton 7 (Todorov 6). Subs: Little, Macdonald, O’Hara, Allan, Fenton, McGowan, Mahon.
Star man
McCann’s assist and goal got the Pars back level and was a constant threat once he moved from right to left wing in the first half.
It was the 21-year-old’s ninth goal of the season and he wasn’t far away from going through on goal for a chance at his 10th before in the second half being replaced by Paul McGowan with around 10 minutes to go.
Manager under the microscope
Todd was the only change to James McPake’s starting XI after he recovered from a dead leg.
He started with a back four but during the first half switched Kane Ritchie-Hosler to the right and McCann to the left.
The latter came alive as a result but Ritchie-Hosler on that side gave the Pars a flexible formation, allowing Aaron Comrie to tuck in and make a back three at times, with Falkirk having moved to a front two.
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