Todorov helps turn the tide to rescue Pars

DUNFERMLINE produced a stunning late comeback to haul themselves level with Ayr United in the dramatic race to avoid the nerve-jangling relegation play-offs.

With Queen of the South now almost doomed at the bottom, these two sides are now on the same points, goal difference, goals scored and goals conceded after a remarkable afternoon that leaves the Championship status of both still firmly on the line.

Aaron Muirhead’s first-half penalty gave Ayr a deserved lead as the Pars struggled to cope with the magnitude of this head-to-head encounter. At that point, the visitors were six points clear of their hosts with two games remaining.

However, a free-kick from Reece Cole 11 minutes from time and a stunning drive from fellow substitute Nikolay Todorov just seven minutes later turned the game — and the fight to escape second-bottom — on its head. ‘We want to play nice, attractive football,’ said Dunfermline manager John Hughes.

‘But until the end of the season if we win ugly we will take it — and I think that’s what happened.

‘It’s going to go right to the wire. It wasn’t the greatest but we’ll still take it.

‘I think we got out of jail a bit, but we showed plenty of character in the second half. We got our reward.’

Tomi Adeloye could have had a hat-trick but contributed when he was hauled over by Coll

Donaldson for the penalty that Muirhead despatched expertly for the lead 10 minutes before half-time.

However, a nervy Dunfermline tinkered with shape and personnel after the break and their finishing 3-3-4 formation paid dividends when Cole and Todorov sent East End Park into raptures.

‘I’m absolutely gutted and angry,’ said Ayr manager Lee Bullen, whose side travel to bottom-club Queen on the South on Saturday.

‘With 11 minutes to go we had almost secured our Championship status. Now, we’ve got to fight the fight and see where we go.’