Lewis Martin might have been Dunfermline’s saviour but he left Forthbank in a dismayed mood as the Fifers fell further behind trail-blazers Stranraer.
The Scotland under-19 defender fired home the equaliser two minutes into stoppage time, just when 10-man Stirling looked set to wrap up their first home league win of the campaign.
Five games without a win in league and cup competition, manager John Potter’s side are 10 points adrift of Stranraer, slipping into fifth, but do have a game in hand.
Yet it all looked positive enough when Allan Smith’s drive put them ahead just minutes before the interval after Stirling striker Lewis Coult’s straight red for a tackle which floored Martin.
Stirling did not allow that double set-back to upset them.
Instead of feeling sorry for themselves they threw everything they had at Dunfermline, playing a lot better than their league position suggests.
Goals from captain Chris Smith and Craig Wedderburn put them 2-1 ahead with 11 minutes left.
But Martin salvaged something from a difficult afternoon for his team-mates, rifling the leveller into the roof of the net shortly after Stirling had survived a frantic late bombardment.
“We were 1-0 up at half-time they were down to 10 men and should have finished it. While we tried to move the ball we did not have that pass to go forward,” said Martin after bagging his second goal of the season.
“We got the goal in the end so that is a point, but we should have been going away with three.
“Defensively we did not do well, and going forward we didn’t do well either.
“It was just one of those days. In the second half we were poor and didn’t do what we are capable of.
“We have not won in a while, although the wins will come. We just need to do the right stuff. We need to lift our game, score goals and not defend like we did today. We will work hard together as a team and see what happens.”
Boss Potter said: “That was an unacceptable performance. In the first half I thought we are okay without being brilliant.
“We again had enough chances to be two or three in front but didn’t do it.
“We got one up against 10 men, but the second half was unacceptable.
“They didn’t do what they were told.”