Josh Cooper's penalty earned Dunfermline a point away to Ayr United in a 1-1 Championship draw at Somerset Park on Saturday. The result leaves Neil Lennon's side sixth in the table on 13 points from eight games, nine points adrift of leaders Stenhousemuir.
Cooper converted from the spot after 54 minutes to give the visitors the lead. The advantage lasted just five minutes, as Kevin Holt equalised for the hosts with an assist from O. Whyte.
Both sides made changes during a physical encounter that saw six yellow cards. Dunfermline's A. Amade was booked in the 39th minute, with O. Adams, O. Shaw and D. Lobban also receiving cautions. Ayr United's R. Lyon and O. Whyte were shown yellow cards as well.
Ayr United assistant manager Brown Ferguson acknowledged his team's resilience. "It was a very difficult game," Ferguson said. "We were up against a really good opponent who were very good, especially in the first half."
Ferguson added that his side showed determination to defend their box well. He said the group's togetherness was key to securing a point.
Dunfermline now turn their focus to a home fixture against fourth-placed Livingston this Saturday. The Pars will look to improve on a 2-0 defeat from the last meeting in August.
The point extends Dunfermline's recent run to just one defeat in their last five Championship matches, a sequence that reads two wins, two draws and one loss.
