Inverness CT 2 - 2 Dunfermline: Late show puts Pars level

Allan Johnston called on his Dunfermline side to get over the line and into the play-offs after Nicky Clark's 95th minute goal secured a vital point against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Dunfermlines Nicky Clark heads in a free kick to make it 2-2 with just seconds remaining . Photograph: Gary Hutchison/SNS

The Pars manager said: “Inverness know that they need to win their remaining games as well. It’s up to us to make sure we get the job, get the result we need and get into the play-offs.

“It’s a brilliant feeling to score in the last minute. We started the game well with Andy Ryan scoring a great goal and Lewis Martin does well to cut it back to him. After that Inverness get back into the game with a soft free-kick and it’s a great finish right in the corner. Second half, I don’t think we started well at all. For the opening 15 minutes they were the better team and got ahead in the game. We got ourselves back into the game and thankfully got that goal at the end.”

Clark’s late, late header rescued a draw for the Fifers just as Inverness seemed to be on their way to a sixth straight win after going ahead through goals from Joe Chalmers and Nathan Austin.

The result means Caley Thistle’s play-off hopes look slim. They now need six points from their remaining two matches and need Dunfermline to slip up against Dumbarton on the last day of the season.

Ryan put the Pars ahead after just 13 minutes as he smashed his effort past Caley Thistle keeper Mark Ridgers after meeting a cut-back from Lewis Martin.

Inverness were level though on 16 minutes as Chalmers’ free-kick flew past Lee Robinson from 25 yards.

Austin then put Inverness ahead straight after the break with an incredible solo goal, picking up the ball from 40 yards before slotting it past Robinson in the Dunfermline goal.

Inverness almost had a third two minutes later when Carl Tremarco’s header from a Liam Polworth corner went narrowly wide.

Daniel Mackay then had the chance to settle the game in Inverness Caley Thistle’s favour with ten minutes left when he found himself free in the box after a wonderful ball by Aaron Doran, but the winger put his chance past the post.

Dunfermline began to exert some late pressure and their efforts were rewarded when Clark glanced home a delightful free-kick from Joe Cardle with just seconds remaining.

It was a crushing late blow for Inverness manager John Robertson who bemoaned his side’s failure to see the game out. “We showed our naivety,” he said. “The goal is disappointing – we told them to run it to the corner flag because are they going to score from our corner flag with a minute to go?”