Arbroath moved back up to third in the Championship after a dramatic late winner sealed all three points against Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park.
Barney Stewart climbed off the bench to fire the Pars ahead in the second half, but Brooklyn Kabongolo headed home twice, his first goals for the club, to snatch the points in a 2-1 win.
There were two changes made to the Arbroath line-up after last weekend’s Scottish Cup victory, with Ryan Flynn and Taylor Steven coming into the side. Harry Cochrane was out, with David Gold dropping to the bench.
Chris Kane went close in the opening few minutes with a vicious drive from the edge of the area that had to be pushed behind by Aidan McAdams.
However, it would take until midway through the half before either side had a real chance and Arbroath really should have been in front. Ryan Dow did well to turn inside before sending Jacob MacIntyre through on goal, but the winger took too long to make his mind up and was thwarted by Billy Terrell.
Findlay Marshall will feel he should have done better with a snapshot after a long throw-in, while Steven had a couple of half chances, one that fizzed just past the post, but that was about it in the remainder of an uneventful first half.
It was the St Johnstone loanee who had the first shot on goal after the break as well, this time connecting well with his strike, but seeing Terrell parry it to safety, before Matty Todd saw his low ball across goal somehow evade everyone and go out to safety.
Former Arbroath midfielder Chris Hamilton then had an even better chance to give the Pars the lead after a free kick from the left resulted in an almighty scramble, with the home captain sending his shot wide.
On the hour mark though, Dunfermline did move in front. Robbie Fraser’s header at the back post was brilliantly kept out by McAdams, but the danger wasn’t cleared, and the ball was eventually looped into the corner by the head of substitute Stewart.
Andy Tod sent a strong effort flying off target almost immediately after as the home side looked to end the game, but to their credit, Arbroath stuck at it and were rewarded with an equaliser 15 minutes from the end.
After some neat football, the ball was worked out wide to Craig Watson and he sent a perfect cross in to the box for Kabongolo to head home his first goal since joining on loan from Livingston.
Just as the game looked set to end in a draw, Dapo Mebude managed to force a corner which Dow sent into the middle perfectly for Kabongolo to nod the ball beyond Terrell from close range and send the travelling Lichties behind the goal into raptures.
Dunfermline Athletic: Terrell; Chilokoa-Mullen, Abdulai (Otoo, 14), J. Tod; Todd, Hamilton, Amade (Oakley-Boothe, 69), Fraser; Kane (Stewart, 57), Bray (Caceres, 69); A. Tod
Arbroath: McAdams; Watson (Muirhead, 80), Kabongolo, O’Brien, Wilkie; Marshall, Flynn; MacIntyre, Steven, Dow; Reilly (Mebude, 80)
Attendance: 4900 (168 Arbroath)
