A POINT at Airdrieonians may not have been what Dunfermline were looking for but their manager felt it was a "performance to build on".
James McPake also believed it was a much-improved defensive display, epitomised by captain, and man of the match, Chris Hamilton, than they've shown in recent weeks.
However, they headed away from North Lanarkshire still second bottom of the Championship standings - only their opponents, on goal difference, are below them - and with just one victory from eight league games.
"We've won one league game. You win that against Raith, and it jumps out, 'is that your season kick-starting?', McPake said.
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"We know where we are in the season but, for me, it's the performance, and the consistency in the performance over the course of the season that really gets you going - not kick-starting it with a win.
"We could have won that game 1-0 but there would still have been a lot of things we weren't quite happy with, certain things we were, but it's a performance to build on. That's the important thing.
"It is a point, we wanted three. We want to go and win that cup game next week (against Kelty).
"It's another chance to get out and get minutes into players, we know that, certain ones that haven't been playing too much.
"It's a better performance and, defensively as a team, it's a better performance, in my opinion, than what we've shown probably in the last three or four weeks."
The Pars will have a break from league action this weekend when they host high-flying, League One table-toppers Kelty Hearts in an SPFL Trust Trophy derby, but there will be a sense of frustration they're not going into it on the back of a morale-boosting victory.
Chris Kane's first half spot-kick, awarded after Aaron Comrie was taken out in the box by Airdrie keeper, Murray Johnson, had them on course for three points.
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However, midway through the second period, Mason Hancock stole in unmarked at the far post, after Ben Wilson flicked on Adam Frizzell's cross, to nod home the equaliser from close range.
"They were chasing the game and the game's always going to be stretched then," McPake observed.
"Then it looks like there's big spaces. I don't think there was.
"In maybe the first hour, I felt the problems they were causing us were by going very direct, up to their big striker and playing off him, but we dealt with that. We were really comfortable with that.
"I thought Hammy (Hamilton) and Tommy (Fogarty) were excellent in that. We defended the box really well.
"Obviously, the goal comes, and I've not seen it back, but it comes through a throw-in and they get the overload at the back post. It comes off Aaron, I think, or their striker, and falls into Hancock's path.
"Look, it’s a brave header for him, but, on the whole, we dealt with their physicality.
"It's not what you normally associate with an Airdrie team. That might be down to injuries or what not, but they were very direct, probably as direct a team as we've faced.
"I'm really pleased because I felt we handled that side of it."
Matty Todd curled wide and saw a shot deflected past the post in the early stages for Dunfermline, who also saw Kane head over the bar from a Joe Chalmers corner, before they took the lead.
The former St Johnstone forward confidently stroked home his first goal of the season when Johnson took out Comrie, after he had been played through thanks to a lovely pass from Craig Wighton.
Almost immediately, Deniz Mehmet pushed away a Frizzell drive at the other end, before Johnson, with what appeared to be his face, denied Kane and Athletic a second goal.
Fogarty headed over the Airdrie bar, whilst Gavin Gallagher, twice, drove wide for Rhys McCabe's men as they trailed at the break.
After half-time, Todd sent a shot over, and a Wighton half-volley was held by Johnson, but the Pars couldn't find a second goal and were punished through Hancock's leveller.
Substitutes Josh Cooper and David Wotherspoon both had efforts for the Pars, as did Frizzell for Airdrie, but it finished honours even.
"I think when you go 1-0 up and you're on top for large spells in the second half, you feel like you can get that second goal," skipper Hamilton said.
"Then, you lose a goal and we draw the game, I think there's always a bit of frustration. We felt the game was there for us if we got that second goal, so, frustration, but I think the overall performance was good, positive, a lot of positives to take.
"Like I say, when we were on top if we managed to get that second goal, with the chances that we had, then we'd definitely go on to win the game.
"But, we never, and then they got a goal back and then it seems like it's a frustrating one, but I thought there were a lot of positives."
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