Falkirk 1-1 Dunfermline Athletic

Kallum Higginbotham scored but was then sent off

Falkirk are still seeking their first win under manager Paul Hartley after drawing with nine-man Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Championship.

The visitors took control early on and, when Nicky Clark was brought down by Cieran Dunne, Kallum Higginbotham scored from the penalty spot.

But Higginbotham picked up a second booking after 56 minutes.

That inspired Falkirk and Jordan McGhee scored from a free-kick before Declan McManus was sent off in stoppage time.

The visitors knew a win could have taken them to the top of the league if results elsewhere had gone their way and they were much the stronger in the opening exchanges.

Joe Cardle sent an overhead kick just over and McManus was close to capitalising on a short pass-back by Aaron Muirhead before Robbie Thomson raced from his goal to clear.

After Dunne bundled into Clark, Kallum Higginbotham sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to give the Pars the lead.

The scorer found his way into referee Craig Thomson's book after a reckless challenge on Muirhead.

And, when he clashed with Louis Longridge early in the second half, Thomson issued the midfielder a second yellow followed by a red.

Up against 10 men, the home side began to take control, but their equaliser came from a set piece.

McGhee curled a free-kick around the visitors' wall and into the bottom corner of goalkeeper Sean Murdoch's goal.

Tackles were flying in and referee Thomson was a busy man as McManus and McGhee found their way into the book.

When McManus reacted to a challenge by Muirhead, the man in the middle had little option but to issue the Pars striker with his second yellow and a red.

Deep into stoppage time, the Bairns' Nathan Austin had a header that came back off the inside of the post.

Dunfermline held on for a point but slip to fourth place in the table, with Falkirk now four points behind Dumbarton in second bottom.