Cowdenbeath 1-1 Dunfermline Athletic

Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline battled out a draw in the Championship play-off final first-leg, with both goals coming from long throw-ins.

Andy Geggan's second-half header gave the visitors the lead in windy conditions at Central Park.

But Thomas O'Brien equalised when he met a Rory McKeown throw to nod home.

The Fife sides meet again on Sunday at East End Park to determine who will win promotion to the Championship for next season.

Cowdenbeath had the better of an opening spell that was littered with misplaced passes and heavy challenges, as both sets of players tried to stamp their authority on proceedings,

And Blue Brazil defender Darren Brownlie had the first chance but he could not keep his header down after rising well.

Ryan Thomson then had a clear sight of goal for the Pars following a slip by Brownlie, but the home defence closed ranks quickly and snuffed out the chance.

Dunfermline keeper Ryan Scully looked vulnerable at high balls into the box and Cowdenbeath tried to test him at every opportunity.

Alex Whittle was offering the visitors a decent outlet down the left and from his cross into the box, Thomson troubled goalkeeper Thomas Flynn, but his header dropped over the bar.

Andy Geggan grabs the opener for Dunfermline from a long throw-in

Fayssal El-Bakhtaoui had a fine chance but after breaking into the box he shot the wrong side of Flynn's left-hand post from a tough angle.

And just before the break, Cowdenbeath's top scorer Kane Hemmings had the best opening of the first half.

Nathan Wedderburn smashed the ball up-field from a Dunfermline corner and Hemmings outstripped the defence in a footrace, but his attempt was brilliantly saved by Scully.

Hemmings again looked to have broken clear in the first minute of the second half but he was hauled down, and from the resulting free-kick McKeown curled an effort just wide.

The opener arrived after 76 minutes, from a long throw-in, a tactic both sides had employed all night.

Danny Grainger launched the ball into the box and Geggan nodded beyond Flynn.

O'Brien went close to a leveller five minutes later but his shot from close-range slid wide, after a free-kick into the area.

The Cowdenbeath star's celebration was only delayed for a minute, though, as he got on the end of McKeown's long throw to head home.

Dunfermline's Callum Morris almost caught Flynn out seconds later with a header straight from Scully's clearance, but the effort from 18 yards went narrowly wide.

Neither side could find a winner and they go into Sunday's second-leg with the tie finely poised.