Dunfermline 0 Falkirk 1: Bairns off the bottom

It was a classy goal 15 minutes from time, with Zak Rudden flicking into the attacker's path for the finish in front of an expectant and desperate away support, but a freakish win.

Falkirk's goal led a charmed life in the second half, after Harry Burgoyne had saved a first half penalty, the woodwork around him was struck several times before and after Davis Keillor-Dunn's goal gave the Bairns the lead they'd hold for three much needed points.

But the Bairns will take it. They'll take whatever help they can get, but this win helps themselves and their relegation predicament no end.

The first half was cagey with limited chances.

Falkirk played it long, despite going in a more adventurous 4-4-2 formation with Aaron jarvis joining Zak Rudden in attack.

The englishman was involved with tussles on and off the ball with Danny Devine , putting himself around, but chances for the duo were limited with long hopeful balls lumped forward for one to hold up for the other.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Dunfermline Ath v Falkirk matchday blogDemi Petravicius was a peripheral figure on the left with more of Falkirk's play funnelled up the right and Ross MacLean when the ball was being moved on the deck, but few chances were created by the visitors, backed with a typically large support.

In front of them in the first half was Harry Burgoyne and they watched the Englishman push away a Bruce Anderson penalty kick after 19 minutes.

They roared as the spot-kick was parried out for a corner after Cairan McKenna's wild swing at a clearance caught the on-loan Aberdeen man who tumbled and took the kick himself, poorly, despite the offer of James Craigen to strike against his former club.

McKenna had a difficult 45 against Anderson, slipping several times and giving anderson two chances to test Burgoyne, one he took and saw saved, again.

It was the pivotal moment in a poor first half but after the break Rudden tested Scully early in front of the away end and Falkirk made two attacking changes with Nikolay Todorov replacing Jarvis and Davis Keillor-Dunn on for the quiet Lithuanian Petravicius.

The attakcing impetus didn't catch on though and it was the Pars who went closest to the first goal as captain lee Ashcroft nodded a Jackson Longridge cross across the flat-footed Burgoyne and off the inside of the post before Jordan McGhee booted the ball to safety.

The Bairns goal was leading a charmed life. Myles Hippolyte, just on, struck the crossbar via a series of deflections though it was also offside, and then William Edjenguele gave Harry Burgoyne a hospital pass about eight yards from goal that the keeper scrambled clear only for Kallum Higginbotham to shoot with an effort deflected over by Paul Dixon

At the same moment Alloa were being blown ahead against Queen of the South with a freak goal and then Falkirk got one of their own.

After surviving that crazy spell, the Bairns took the lead through a clever flick from Zak Rudden into Keillor-Dunn's path and the on-loan Ross County man bundled into the box and tucked the ball under Ryan Scully to give the Bairns the lead and a chance of escaping this malaise.

But they almost orchestrated their own downfall too.

The post was again struck, this time by Ciaran Mckenna chesting the ball backwards and the rebound fell kindly for Myles Hippolyte to blast at goal - but he hit McKenna too. Then Higgoinbotham's follow up was stopped and still Dunfermline couldn't beat Burgoyne in another fantastical skirmish at the back for the Bairns.