Out of our hands now This was our most important game of the season and a tough one at the best of times. No major changes from the defeat at home to Raith Rovers although Aaron Doran had twisted his knee and is done. Sean McAllister started and Billy Mckay captained the side with Devine and Lawal on the bench. Dunfermline are safe in no mans land but will want to end their season with a flourish at home. Kane stated up front for the Pars with Jakubiak and O'Halloran on the bench. Surprise surprise it ended all square after goals from Benedictus and Inverness substitute Aribim Pepple who saved Billy Mckay's blushes after the striker once again failed to strike from the spot. Alas, Queens Park ensured Arbroaths tools stayed on the floor with a 5-0 thrashing of the Smokies. A must win next week or it's the play-offs for us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The penultimate game of the season, unless we drop into the play-off games, kicked off on a bright afternoon at the KDM Group East End Park with Dunfermline getting the game underway and Kyle Benedictus booked within two minutes. It was a cagey opening littered with fouls. First serious attempt in the game came from Chris Kane after twenty minutes when he was denied by Ridgers from close range and moments later the big keeper also saved from Paul Allan as he shot from outside the box. Owen Moffat looked lively and his shot from left side of the box was saved down low by Ridgers with Kane looking to snap up any loose ball. Fifteen minutes before the break and the hosts were getting on top but a James Carragher header reminded them that the visitors were still in the game, Mehmet tipping over for a corner. Five minutes before the break Alex Samuel was denied by Mehmet. Two minutes later Benedictus opened the scoring after he latched onto a ball bouncing around the Inverness box to head home. Allan shot over on half time and a stoppage time corner for Inverness came to nothing. Half time at EEP and news filtering through that Queens Park are thrashing Arbroath 3-0. Meh! HALF TIME: 1-0 No changes at the break as the visitors restarted the game and Mathew Todd saw an effort from the right saved by Ridgers at the expense of a corner five minutes in. Ooooft! Out of the blue, penalty to Inverness conceded by Moffat with a hand ball. Taken by Billy Mckay and as at Inverness, saved by the keeper. FFS!!! Todd fired well over as the Pars looked for a second goal with half an hour left for Inverness to salvage something from a shocker of a season, Sean McAllister shot wide from inside the box. With twenty minutes left Aribim Pepple replaced Savage and Jakubiak replaced Kane. Substitute Pepple pulled Inverness level in the 75th minute from six yards, his first goal for the club in 13 limited appearances, and moments later Roddy MacGregor replaced spot kick sinner Billy Mckay. Pepple was denied a second by Mehmet and McAllister had one deflected into the keeper as Inverness went for broke. Dunfermline made it an edgy finish with three corners in quick succession but it ended all square, the fourth draw between the sides this season. FULL TIME: 1-0 It ended in disappointment for the 319 visiting fans with news that Queens Park had hammered Arbroath 0-5. To rub salt into the wounds, Sheridan and Welsh were amongst the scorers. It's out of our hands now, but it's a must win next Friday and hope Queens Park falter. Inverness play Morton and Queens play Airdrie. I'm not convinced that Billy Mckay was the right man to be taking that penalty, his second failure from the spot in successive games against the Pars. Pos Team Pld W D L F A Pts Big night next Friday 1. Dundee Utd 35 21 9 5 69 22 72 2. Raith Rovers 35 19 9 7 53 42 66 3. Partick Thistle 35 14 13 8 62 50 55 4. Airdrieonians 35 15 7 13 44 42 52 5. Morton 35 12 9 14 42 43 45 6. Dunfermline 35 11 11 13 40 45 44 7. Ayr United 35 12 7 16 50 58 43 8. Queens Park 35 10 10 15 48 56 40 9. Inverness CT 35 9 12 14 38 39 39 10. Arbroath 35 6 5 24 35 84 23 Date: 27/04/2024 Venue: East End Park Attendance: 5317 Referee: Alan Muir Dunfermline: 1 Manager: James McPake Lineup: Mehmet; Fisher, Benedictus, Edwards, Fagan-Walcott, M Todd (A Tod 62), Moffat (McCann 78), Allan, Hamilton, Ritchie-Hosler (Welch-Hayes 78), Kane (Jakubiak 69) Subs (not used): Little; Holmes, Breen, Chalmers, A Tod, O'Halloran Scorers: Benedictus (41) Booked: Benedictus (2), A Tod (90+1) Sent Off: none Inverness CT: 1( B Mckay penalty missed 55mins ) Manager: Duncan Ferguson Lineup: Ridgers; Carragher, Boyes, Savage (Pepple 70), Longstaff (Lawal 79), Kerr, Anderson Harper, McAllister, B Mackay (MacGregor 76), Alex Samuel Subs (not used): C Mackay; Duffy, Devine, Austin Samuels Scorers: Pepple (75) Booked: Carragher (24) Sent Off: none a