Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre praised late replacement Chris Smith after the goalkeeper helped secure a 1-1 SPL draw with Kilmarnock.

Smith has made a couple of errors in matches this season and was pitched into battle after on-loan Preston keeper Iain Turner suffered a back spasm in the warm-up.

The goalkeeper could do little about James Fowler's deflected effort which put Killie in front after 21 minutes.

Following Andy Kirk's equaliser after 44 minutes, the visitors had the better opportunities - Smith made a crucial save from Paul Heffernan in the second half - and McIntyre was pleased with his contribution on a bumpy playing surface.

The Pars boss said: "I thought Chris handled it really well. You can see the park, it was difficult tonight - any pass back it was like a bouncing bomb at times.

"There were a couple that were hard to deal with, but in the main I thought he was excellent and he made a fantastic save to keep us in the match also."

Although Dunfermline's search for a first home victory of the season goes on, the point saw the Pars move level with Hibernian at the foot of the standings.

"We wanted to win the game and get above them," McIntyre added.

"We didn't do that, but we picked up a point. It's important to see yourselves on the same points as another team rather than being stuck at the bottom.

"What we've got to do now is take that result and build on it."

McIntyre believes a draw was a fair result, after Kirk and Liam Buchanan missed opportunities in the second half.

"We had two fabulous opportunities one-on-one with the goalkeeper and Martin Hardie had a great effort," he added.

"Kilmarnock also had chances second half, so I think on the balance of play a point's a fair result."

Killie missed the opportunity to climb into the top six, moving up to seventh with the point, and boss Kenny Shiels was far from satisfied after a sixth draw of the season away from Rugby Park.

He said: "We've drawn six away from home. We've been so dominant in all of those games and we've ended up getting draws.

"We're creative. Every away game we're getting chances, but we're not finishing them.

"It's frustrating for a manager who sets his team out to attack away from home - and yet we've only scored eight league goals away from home.

"We have to look at the positives. We're playing against a team who are fighting for their lives and we matched their fight tonight.

"We deserved to win the game, but you don't always get what you deserve in football."