Ayr United 3 Pars 3

DUNFERMLINE keeper Deniz Mehmet was taken off after a lengthy stoppage late on during their draw at Ayr United this evening.

With four minutes of the match remaining at Somerset Park, having already gone down to receive treatment, the 31-year-old needed further attention after clearing a ball from his penalty area.

After a near nine-minute delay, he was taken off the field in a stretcher and to a waiting ambulance, with manager James McPake reporting that he felt dizzy.

Speaking immediately after the final whistle, he, thankfully, provided positive news on Mehmet's condition, explaining: "He's a bit more alert now.

"He's out the back in the ambulance. They're just doing his obs and monitoring him at the minute, so our best wishes to him.

"It was pretty scary for everyone, not least him and his partner, who will obviously be hearing it as well.

"He seems ok at the minute but we'll do everything we can as a football club to get the checks done and make sure he's ok.

"He was feeling dizzy.

"It wasn't great to see at the end, and our best wishes, from everyone, are with big Den."

That incident overshadowed the final game of the season, in which Dunfermline, who finished sixth, let slip a two-goal lead in the second half to draw.

Mark McKenzie had given the Honest Men a 21st minute lead, before a double from Chris Kane in the space of seven minutes, taking his tally for the club to five since signing on loan from St Johnstone, turned the contest around.

Josh Edwards added a third in first half stoppage time and put the Pars on course to leap above Greenock Morton, who lost at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, and finish fifth in the table.

However, substitute Lucas McRoberts gave Ayr hope in the 68th minute before Anton Dowds levelled five minutes later for Scott Brown's men, meaning Dunfermline had to settle for a sixth-place finish due to Morton's superior goal difference.

That, however, was pretty irrelevant at time-up, with McPake continuing: "It isn't nice and it's not nice for either team, when you see one of the players like that, or the fans. It's just a bit of a low moment really in the game, and just all of our thoughts are with Deniz."

"I think even the result now and the performance just goes away. All we're caring about at the minute is big Den.

"He's talking away, he's saying he wasn't feeling great in the game. He's now speaking but the initial three or four minutes there weren't great."

Pars boss McPake made five changes to his team that secured their Championship status with a draw against Inverness on Saturday.

Kyle Benedictus and Malachi Fagan-Walcott missed out completely, whilst Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Chris Hamilton and Matty Todd were named on the bench.

Joe Chalmers, who captained the side, Michael O'Halloran, Miles Welch-Hayes, Rhys Breen and Brad Holmes came in for starts, with question marks surrounding the future of several Athletic stars.

The loans of the likes of Welch-Hayes, Holmes, Owen Moffat and Kane are set to come to an end, whilst Paul Allan, and subs Alex Jakubiak and Max Little, are out of contract.

There has also been speculation linking full back Edwards with clubs south of the border, whilst McPake said it would be a "big summer" ahead at East End following the Caley match.

Before then, the Pars had pride to play for against the Honest Men, as well as determining their finish position.

Ahead of kick off, they sat sixth, one place and point above their opponents, and one spot and point behind Greenock Morton, who travelled to Inverness.

A win for the visitors, and failure by Morton to do so, would see McPake's side finish fifth but, perhaps understandably, there wasn't too much to write home about early on.

Jamie Murphy side-footed wide for Ayr early on, before Brad Holmes had the sting out of a long-ranger taken out of it with a deflection, but there wasn't much for the crowd to get excited about - until the 21st minute.

A slide-rule pass in behind Sam Fisher saw McKenzie race on to it.

As Mehmet came off his line in an attempt to cut it out and gather, the Honest Men's number 22 beat him to the ball, went round him, and had the simple task of slotting into the empty net.

Dunfermline, though, were unfortunate not to equalise four minutes later when the offside flag denied them.

Fisher switched play wide left for Edwards, who gathered and race forward, twisting his way into the box.

He sent an effort towards goal, which appeared to be going wide of the far post until Holmes touched home, but the assistant referee signalled that the goal should be chalked off.

Mehmet had to be alert to beat away a decent effort from Dowds but, when the next goal came, it went Dunfermline's way.

Musonda was at fault, attempting to play a ball back to keeper, Josh Clarke, but underhit his pass.

The ever-alert Kane latched onto it and, in confident fashion, sent a low shot into the net from around 18 yards.

That sparked a superb Athletic turnaround, in which they would net three times in 10 minutes.

With three minutes to go before the interval, Kane utilised all his experience to guide a dangerous Owen Moffat ball into the far corner to put them ahead, before Edwards rifled home in stoppage time with a fine strike after Allan's corner was cleared into his path.

The home side to to respond in the early stages of the second half, with Logan Chalmers and Murphy having efforts at goal, before the former unleashed a ferocious drive that crashed off the underside of the bar from around 25 yards.

It was a fabulous strike, and very unfortunate for the Ayr man, before substitute Kane Ritchie-Hosler saw a lovely finish for Dunfermline ruled out by another offside flag.

A raft of substitutions followed in the 65th minute and, three minutes later, one of Ayr's replacements netted.

Moments after a home fan had shouted "this is rubbish", which drew a glare from home boss Brown, McRoberts slotted in from close range, from low cross from the right, to bring the Honest Men back to within one goal.

That goal going in drew another look from Brown to the Main Stand, but he was fortunate a minute or so later to watch Breen head just wide from a corner at the other end.

However, with 17 minutes to go, the Honest Men dramatically pulled level.

Another of their substitutes, Francis Amartey, did the hard work, creating space on the left before playing a low ball into the feet of Dowds who, on the turn, sent a fine finish beyond Mehmet from 12 yards.

Suddenly, it was set up for both teams to find a winner, and Chalmers had a low drive held by Clarke, before Ritchie-Hosler curled over for the Pars.

However, the end of the contest became irrelevant when Mehmet, after sitting down inside his area, went down again after making a clearance.

After a near nine-minute stoppage, as the keeper received significant medical assistance, he was stretchered off to overshadow the end of Dunfermline's season.

Ayr United: Clarke, Stanger, Sanders, McGinty (Tomlinson 45), Musonda, Dempsey, McHugh (Willoughby 84), McKenzie (McRoberts 65), Chalmers (Smith 84), Murphy (Amartey (65), Dowds.

Sub not used: Albinson.

Goals: McKenzie (21), McRoberts (68), Dowds (73).

Booked: Sanders (70).

Pars: Mehmet (Little 90), O'Halloran (Ritchie-Hosler 33), Welch-Hayes, Breen, Fisher, Edwards, Chalmers, Allan (Hamilton 65), Moffat (Jakubiak 65), Kane (Wighton 79), Holmes (T. Sutherland 65).

Subs not used: Todd, McCann, Tod.

Goals: Kane (35, 42), Edwards (45).

Referee: Willie Collum.

Attendance: 2,748.