Pars 1 St Johnstone 1

ATHLETIC'S third pre-season friendly ahead of the new season ended in a draw with top flight St Johnstone this evening.

Craig Wighton opened the scoring to reward a bright opening by James McPake's side, but Graham Carey's stunner pulled the Premiership visitors level shortly before the half hour mark.

There were chances at both ends, with Lewis McCann unlucky to strike the post before the opening goal, and then to see the ball roll wide after he ran on to a pass and round keeper Ross Sinclair, but the Pars can be satisfied with their night's work.

In front of a crowd of 1,617, the home side started well, with Sam Fisher - who was taken off just before half-time with what looked to be a slight niggle - flicking wide for a header, before he knocked the ball just wide after he was picked out by the returning Matty Todd.

McCann, after Saints had lost possession in midfield to Wighton, who recycled the ball to his team-mate, struck the woodwork after checking in on his right foot, but a goal for Dunfermline was merely delayed.

With 13 minutes on the clock, Aaron Comrie supplied a fine cross from the right, which wasn't dealt with by the St Johnstone defence.

McCann tried to have a go, but the ball bounce off a defender into the path of Wighton, who sent home a well-controlled volley from close range.

Saints, though, responded in style in the 26th minute when Carey, after turning his opponent outside the box, let fly with a rocket from around 20 yards that flew beyond the helpless Deniz Mehmet and into the top corner.

Carey and Stevie May had chances before the break, and the interval saw trialist, Paul McGowan, and Miller Fenton, enter the fray in place of Wighton and Josh Edwards.

Carey continued to threaten, sending a volley and a free-kick wide, before May - despite claims of offside - sclaffed an effort off target after being played through.

Back came the Pars, with Sinclair blocking well from both Fenton and McCann, who almost won it late on.

McGowan slid a fine pass through for him to run in behind the Saints defence but, whilst he rounded the keeper, the ball agonisingly rolled wide before he could get on the end of it to slot home.

Pars assistant boss, Dave Mackay, said: "It was a decent game I thought for a pre-season game. It was played at a good tempo, a few decent challenges involved, so it was a good work out against a good side."

Pars: Mehmet, Comrie, Edwards (Fenton 45), Benedictus, Hamilton, Otoo, Wighton (Trialist 45), Todd (Tod 61), McCann, Breen (Chalmers 61), Fisher (Allan 43).