What looked like being a good day for Dundee United turned sour as they lost ground on Ross County in the Championship title race.
The Tangerines looked to be in control at 1-0 away to Falkirk but lost an equaliser with just six minutes to go when Ciaran McKenna levelled.
A few miles west in Glasgow, the Staggies stormed back to win 4-2 over Partick Thistle having been two goals down.
To add to United’s troubles, they lost two central defenders – Frederic Frans and Rachid Bouhenna – to serious injuries.
United, who did move level on points with second-placed Ayr thanks to Dunfermline’s victory at Somerset Park, had taken the lead through Cammy Smith’s goal after 49 minutes.
It was a tap-in, with full-back Jamie Robson taking most of the credit for his superb set-up play.
The Tangerines had made three changes to the side that won down at Queen of the South.
Into the side came Mark Connolly, Calum Butcher and Smith. Out went Bouhenna, Morgaro Gomis and Paul McMullan.
There was another excellent away support backing the Tangerines as the match kicked off.
On five minutes, United almost took the lead when Falkirk’s Jordan McGhee headed against his own bar before Pavol Safranko fired the rebound over.
There was an injury blow for defender Frans on 22 minutes, with the big Belgian staying on the ground after winning a challenge in the centre circle. Unfortunately, he had to be carried off and was replaced by Bouhenna.
The half-hour had been and gone before Falkirk had their first attempt on goal and even then the header from Davis Keillor Dunn didn’t trouble goalie Benjamin Siegrist.
There was an almight scramble in the Bairns’ box on 38 minutes, which only ended when keeper Harry Burgoyne gathered the ball.
Ian McShane’s 40th-minute freekick for Falkirk from just outside the area required a fine save from Siegrist, who used a finger to push it over the bar.
The match was crying out for a goal and United got it just four minutes after the restart.
It was a beautifully-crafted counter, which was scored by Smith and made by Robson, who worked a fabulous one-two with Safranko on the left before squaring the ball for his teammate to get a tap-in.
Just a couple of minutes later, Peter Pawlett blasted past the post after another good United break.
On 64 minutes, the Tangerines brought on Osman Sow for Safranko.
The Tannadice men lost another central defender on 68 minutes when sub Bouhenna suffered a head knock at a United corner and had to be replaced by Gomis. Butcher moved back to defence from midfield to cover.
They couldn’t hold out and conceded an equaliser with just six minute to go.
A freekick was played into the United box by McShane and Siegrist couldn’t get to it before McKenna, who nodded into the net off the post to make it 1-1.
