Crawford keeps Dunfermline's European dreams alive

Dunfermline 1 Hibernian 1

Steve Crawford underlined his claim to be the best striker in the Scottish Premier League, other than a certain Mr Larsson, with a 13th goal of the campaign which allowed Dunfermline to hang on to third place.

Hibernian were poised to steal that honour from under the hosts' noses, thanks to the predatory instincts of Tom McManus, until the Scotland striker kept East End Park dreaming of finishing behind Celtic and Rangers at the prizegiving next May.

The more tangible reward that both clubs are pursuing is a Uefa Club place next season. The last time Dunfermline enjoyed European football was in 1969, when they reached the Cup-Winners' Cup semi-final, but the Fife club have more realistic ambitions these days. Yet, as always happens in such encounters between teams in close proximity, both cancelled each other out.

Dunfermline had the best of the first-half chances but Craig Brewster failed to finish a glaring opportunity after 26 minutes when he could not stretch to put in an inviting header across the face of goal after Lee Bullen had stolen in to meet a free-kick from Barry Nicholson.

However, if the opening period was simply cloaked in frustration, the second half came alive. John O'Neil almost fired Hibernian ahead in the 46th minute with a raking shot that skipped wide before a deft dip of the shoulder carved out another opening a few minutes later.

This time O'Neil drilled his shot across the face of the goal and shaved the far post, but the captain – who was only just back after breaking his collarbone in a sickening collision with advertising boards – underlined that he was back to his best.

It was little surprise that O'Neil should have a pivotal role when Hibernian broke the deadlock after 57 minutes. Gary Smith's free-kick sought out O'Neil on the edge of the box, who helped it on with his head for McManus to spin away from his marker and thrash a left-foot shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Brewster ought to have punished the club that allowed him to leave over a wage disagreement last summer by finishing off a fine cross from Jason Dair, but the striker volleyed over the bar from just six yards.

But when Dair next showed invention in the 66th minute, Crawford showed no such leniency. Dair's fine run down the left was matched by a low cross that simply begged the Scotland striker to finish it off with a side-foot volley beyond goalkeeper Nick Colgan.

Yet neither side were content to share the points. Hibernian's veteran forward Mixu Paatelainen struck the bar with a glancing header. But nothing could separate this pair.

Dunfermline 1
Crawford 66

Hibernian 1
McManus 57

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 7,515