Ref made a wrong Kall with his cards Lenny bemoans decision
Neil Lennon insisted Pars hero Kallum Higginbotham should have seen red after he capped a stunning fightback.
Martin Boyle’s early finish and a Jason Cummings penalty had Hibs cruising towards a first league win in three.
But Paul McMullan and Higginbotham pegged them back as the league leaders were forced to rely on three blinding Ofir Marciano saves to avoid defeat.
Hibs boss Lennon said: “You’d need to tell me how Higginbotham stays on.
“I’m not one to get people sent off but he’s on a booking and then he lunged into Lewis Stevenson.
“I asked the ref John Beaton about it. He said he didn’t think the contact was enough but it looked a second yellow card to me.”
A red card would have robbed a stirring game of its stand- out player, although Lennon – who only has one fit centre-half after Liam Fontaine went off injured – defended Hibs’ loss of a two- goal cushion three days on from their Scottish Cup win over Hearts. He said: “Mentally and physically we were tired and I knew Wednesday had taken a lot out of them. Sometimes you need your keeper – he made two unbelievable saves and that’s a game we may have lost last year.” Hibs’ opener came five minutes in when Cummings fizzed a cross to the back post where Boyle arrived at pace to smash home on the half-volley. When Boyle was hauled down on the byeline by Jason Talbot in 23 minutes, Cummings’ 18th goal of the season from the penalty spot seemed to have his side in the comfort zone. Hibs skipper David Gray had other ideas though as his fresh air swipe allowed McMullan to bury a cool left-foot finish beyond Marciano.
That fuelled Pars’ belief and seconds after the restart they were level thanks to Higginbotham’s sizzling volley.
Hibs were all over the place and somehow escaped falling behind when Michael Moffat rattled against the underside of the bar off the keeper’s fingertips before Marciano stopped Nicky Clark’s rebound with his legs.
Clark then squandered a glaring chance to win it when his header from six yards out was too direct and Marciano saved with his right boot.
Dunfermline boss Allan Johnston said: “Our wide players Higginbotham and McMullan produced, our strikers were excellent too.
“As for Higginbotham, he knew what he was doing. He plays on the edge but I didn’t feel he was going to get sent off.”