Inverness Caledonian Thistle back in the relegation play-off zone after failing to beat Dunfermline Athletic
Scottish Championship
Dunfermline Athletic 1
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Scorers - Dunfermline: Benedictus (43) Inverness: Pepple (76)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle are back in the relegation play-off zone after failing to beat Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park.
Kyle Benedictus gave Dunfermline Athletic the lead, but Airbim Pepple levelled midway through the second half for the visitors.
But Inverness couldn’t find a winner and dropped down to ninth as Queen’s Park moved one point above Inverness into eighth place after they hammered Arbroath 5-0 at Gayfield.
Inverness now host Greenock Morton on Friday with Queen’s Park facing Airdrie on the final day of the regular season.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle made two changes to the team that lost to Raith Rovers last week as Remi Savage in for Danny Devine. Sean McAllister in for Aaron Doran.
After a quiet first quarter for the game, Dunfermline created the first real chance of the match when Chris Kane was allowed to get on the end of a cross from the right wing which forced a good save from Ridgers. The follow up from Paul Kane was comfortably saved by the goalkeeper.
The Pars continued to have the better chances in the first half with Owen Moffat allowed to charge into the box and Mark Ridgers had to be aware to prevent the ball finding the net.
The visitors threatened to take the lead 10 minutes from half time when Remi Savage’s cross from the left wing found the head of James Carragher, whose header forced a great save from Deniz Mehmet to tip over the bar.
But the Pars took the lead just before half time when Benedictus was allowed a free header at the edge of the six-yard box to nod a Paul Allan cross from the right wing past Ridgers who had no chance of stopping.
Dunfermline should have doubled their advantage early in the second half when Owen Moffat played through Matty Todd with only the goalkeeper to beat.
But Ridgers stretched his left foot out to divert his shot wide of the left post to keep the deficit at one.
Inverness had the chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty just before the hour mark when Owen Moffat was found guilty of handball.
But Billy Mckay’s spotkick lacked power and despite heading to the bottom left corner, was easily saved by Mehmet.
However, Inverness equalised with 16 minutes remaining when Pepple pounced on a defensive mistake between two Dunfermline defenders in the box and fired home from close range.
But they couldn’t find a winner and Inverness Caledonian Thistle will now face Greenock Morton on Friday hoping results go their way to avoid the relegation play-off.
Dunfermline: Mehmet, Edwards, Benefictus, Hamilton, Ritchie-Hosler (Welch-Hayes 78), Todd (Tod 62), Fisher, Moffat (McCann 78), Allan, Kane (Jakubiak 71), Fagan-Walcott.
Substitutes: Little, Chalmer, Breen, O’Halloran, Holmes.
Inverness: Ridgers, Harper, Kerr, McAllister, Mckay (McGregor 79), Anderson, Longstaff (Lawal 81), Boyes, Carragher, Savage (Pepple 71), Samuel.
Substitutions: Mackay, Duffy, Devine, Samuels.
Referee: Alan Muir
Attendance 5317
