Dundee Utd 0-1 Dunfermline

Chisholm wants heads to stay up Leishman coy over full-time post

An 89th-minute own goal by Mark Kerr sent the Dunfermline supporters into raptures as they celebrated all but securing SPL status for another season.

It looked as though the game would finish goalless as the teams fought out a nervy contest.

But in the closing moments, Gary Mason brought about the crucial goal.

He latched onto Simon Donnelly's cutback and though he failed to make a clean contact with the ball, it hit Kerr to loop over Tony Bullock.

In a nervy opening, it took seven minutes for the first shot at goal to arrive.

Iain Campbell's free kick was heading for the top corner, but Bullock plucked it from the air.

United's first decent effort on goal saw Jim McIntyre flash a header just over the bar after some neat play between Mark Kerr and Mark Wilson on the right-hand side.

Dunfermline began to dominate proceedings and came close in the 34th minute, but Kerr managed to nod Scott Wilson's deep cross away from under his own crossbar.

The home side created the first chance of the second half, but Stevie Crawford's volley missed the target by a matter of inches.

The Pars had the ball in the net in the 51st minute but Derek Young's goal was immediately chalked off for a foul by Andy Tod on Paul Ritchie in the build-up.

United came within inches of taking the lead seven minutes later.

Jim Leishman cannot contain his delight at full time

Wilson's mis-hit shot from wide on the right bobbled around the box before falling for McIntyre, but his rushed effort cannoned back off the outside of the post and clear.

Derek Stillie kept his side level with a fantastic save to gather Barry Robson's header in the 63rd minute and McIntyre's attempt to clip the follow-up over the keeper was cleared.

Andrius Skerla and Stillie were involved in a terrible mix-up in the 71st minute, but the centre-half's poor headed clearance went over the bar.

The goalkeeper made amends for his role in the mistake by tipping over a Robson free-kick as it flew towards his net.

But Dunfermline won the points with a scrappy goal in the closing moments. Donnelly whipped a cross in from the right and it bounced off Kerr before hitting Mason and looping over Bullock.

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Dundee Utd: Bullock, Wilson, Kenneth, Ritchie (McCracken 86), Archibald, Duff (McInnes 75), Brebner, Kerr, Robson, Crawford, McIntyre.

Subs Not Used: Colgan, Samuel, Grady, Scotland, Robertson.

Booked: Archibald.

Dunfermline: Stillie, Skerla, Scott Wilson, Scott Thomson, Campbell, Mason, Darren Young, Makel, Craig Wilson (Labonte 90), Derek Young (Donnelly 67), Tod.

Subs Not Used: Langfield, Hunt, Mehmet, Dunn, Ross.

Booked: Mason, Campbell, Stillie.

Goal: Mason 89.

Att: 10,763

Ref: S Dougal