Dunfermline stayed firmly in the cinch Championship play-off hunt despite a late scare in a 3-2 win over rock-bottom Arbroath at Gayfield.

The visitors looked on course for a comfortable win after Ewan Otoo opened the scoring from the edge of the box after 24 minutes.

Paul Allan’s superb free-kick put the Pars further clear and Chris Kane’s effort on the stroke of half-time handed Dunfermline a 3-0 advantage at the interval.

But the visitors, heading into the game on the back of three straight losses and all but consigned to the drop, rallied with a brace from Scott Stewart either side of the hour mark.

And they came close to snatching an unlikely point late on when Leighton McIntosh fired a rising effort narrowly over the bar.