Dundee United 2 PARS 1, Premiership play-off quarter-final, second leg. United win 2-1 on aggregate.

A SECOND HALF fightback by Dundee United broke Dunfermline's hearts and ended their promotion dreams at Tannadice tonight.

Allan Johnston's side will not make the step up to the top flight from the Championship this season after Sam Stanton's 70th minute winner clinched the Tangerines a play-off semi-final next week.

It looked like the Pars were going to finally ended their United hoodoo - now stretching to 15 games - when Declan McManus gave them a first half lead.

McManus missed a one-on-one with Deniz Mehmet while Nicky Clark hit the bar with a header before half time in an opening 45 minutes Athletic dominated, but they were made to pay for those opportunities after the break.

Scott McDonald poked United level after substitute Thomas Mikkelsen headed on a 57th minute corner, before Stanton weaved his way into the box and poke the ball beyond Lee Robinson for the winner.

It was a cruel end to a magnificent run from the Pars - they were 10 games unbeaten before tonight - and a tie that they controlled for long spells.

United manager Csaba Laszlo was quick to praise Johnston's team after the game but that will be scant consolation to him or the magnificent 2,000 plus travelling fans inside Tannadice.

Dunfermline will now be left to lick their wounds and plan for next season, with futures over the manager and a number of out-of-contract players hanging in the balance, but for now they will simply be trying to digest the bitter disappointment of this game.

The big news for the Pars was that Lee Ashcroft was available to take his place in the starting line-up after the club lodged an appeal against his red card in Tuesday's first leg.

Ryan Williamson was also declared fit to start despite hobbling off with a leg injury late in the game, but Andy Ryan missed out with a hamstring injury, handing McManus a start in attack.

For the hosts, ex-Par Paul McMullan and Stanton were brought into their starting line-up, with Mikkelsen and Grant Gillespie dropped to the bench.

The teams emerged to a crackling atmosphere, with the Athletic contingent in particular in fine voice, but within 20 seconds McMullan had beaten Williamson to the ball to run in on goal.

Fortunately, he couldn't do much with the effort but the home side were to probe down the left in the early stages, with one such raid leading to a seventh-minute corner that found Bilel Mohsni at the far post, but he couldn't find the target under pressure.

At the other end, Kallum Higginbotham's cross was won well at the back post by Fraser Aird, who drilled the ball low across the area.

There were no takers for the visitors, but Higginbotham's return ball broke to James Craigen, whose shot riccocheted out for a goal kick.

But, in the 14th minute, Dunfermline took the lead.

Aird was again the architect, breaking on the left and crossing to the near post where McManus showed a predator's touch to turn it home for his 13th goal of the season - and first since January's Scottish Cup loss to Morton.

It was breathless stuff all of a sudden and, almost immediately, United were up the other end with a good chance of their own.

Anthony Ralston was at the heart of it, breaking forward on the right before playing it towards McDonald at the near post, but he could only hit the side net.

There was another opportunity for the Pars when Higginbotham found the run of Williamson, who squared the ball to Nicky Clark, but he couldn't quite keep the ball down as it spooned over the bar.

Dunfermline were playing well, snapping into United and looked quite composed on the ball, and they should've doubled their lead 10 minutes from half-time.

A slide-rule pass sent McManus clear and, while he and everyone in the ground waited for an offside flag, it didn't come.

He advanced on goal but, while Deniz Mehmet deserves credit for standing tall and saving well, McManus should have scored.

They were almost instantly made to pay for that when United broke forward.

Williamson did well to halt McMullan's advances at the edge of the box but the loose ball fell for Scott Fraser, who fortunately tugged his shot narrowly wide.

McMullan pulled an effort wide while Jamie Robson was blocked out well by James Vincent as a lacklusture United tried to rally, but Athletic were inches away from a second right on half-time.

Lewis Martin did superbly to beat McMullan to a loose ball and release Aird.

Not for the first time, his cross was right on the money as it found the head of Clark, but he could only watch in agony as his superb header rattled the crossbar.

United, sent out early by a no doubt fuming Csaba Laszlo, swapped McMullan for Mikkelsen at the break but it was Dunfermline who again began positively.

Great tenacity by Martin saw him win back possession at the edge of the area before finding McManus, whose shot lacked power, before Aird had an ambitious go from distance but failed to trouble Mehmet.

But, 12 minutes into the second half, United struck back with a barely deserved equaliser.

A corner from the right was headed towards goal by Mikkelsen and, in a crowd of bodies, McDonald was there to turn it home from close range.

In the midst of that, Mehmet seemed to pick an injury - seemingly by celebrating - and had to be replaced by Harry Lewis in the 63rd minute.

The game was full of drama and, just after Callum Morris had denied Stanton with a brilliant block, Dunfermline came so close to regaining the lead.

It was another delightful ball in by Aird, his cross finding McManus only for Lewis to react superbly to push header out for a corner.

The game was swinging from end to end and Stewart Murdoch had a great chance for the Arabs in the 69th minute from another set-piece but could only head over.

Then, with 20 minutes to go, disaster struck.

It was good play by Stanton, who wriggled his way beyond some tired-looking Pars tackles, and into the box before poking the ball beyond Robinson.

M'Voto then was sent on for the final quarter of an hour, up front, in place of Higginbotham as the Pars desperately tried to find a route back into the game.

Fraser tested the palms of Robinson as the home side looked for a killer third goal before Joe Cardle was thrown on for Craigen.

A long ball sent McManus haring after it and the striker did well to reach it first, check inside in the area, but his effort was blocked before United eventually hacked it away.

But, try as they might, Dunfermline couldn't find a leveller and were left to rue a missed opportunity - and face another season in the Championship.

Dundee United: Mehmet, Murdoch, McMullan, McDonald, Fraser, King, Stanton, Flood, Robson, Ralston, Mohsni.

Subs: Durnan, Mikkelsen, Edjenguele, Slater, Gillespie, Smith, Lewis.

Pars: Robinson, Williamson, Morris, Ashcroft, Martin, Higginbotham, Vincent, Craigen, Aird, McManus, Clark.

Subs: M'Voto, Wedderburn, Cardle, Armstrong, Talbot, Paton, Gill.