DUNFERMLINE Athletic pulled off a stunning escape to keep alive their chance of retaining their Irn-Bru First Division status, winning in extra time against a Forfar Athletic side that finished with eight men.

Trailing 3-1 from the first leg at Station Park on Wednesday, the Fife club, thrown into the relegation battle after a 15-point deduction for going into administration, suffered a further setback when goalkeeper Michal Hrivnak dropped an Iain Campbell corner into his own net after six minutes and frustration when Stephen Husband then missed a penalty.

However, Jim Jefferies' side battled back to book their place in this week's play-off final, where they will face Alloa Athletic, as the visitors picked up three red cards. "It was one tremendous performance given how the game started," said manager Jefferies.

"To go 1-0 down was a sickener, to then miss a penalty was even worse because you're thinking, 'here we go'. But credit to our boys. Forfar may have caused their own downfall but we still had to take advantage of it."

The first dismissal came after only 15 minutes, with Mark McCulloch receiving his marching orders from referee Stevie O'Reilly for hauling down Allan Smith.

Husband sent the spot kick wide but Dunfermline were level after 36 minutes when Forfar defender Mick Dunlop knocked the ball into his own net. Dick Campbell's side were reduced to nine men when Dunlop was dismissed for a high lunge on Alex Whittle after 54 minutes.

Campbell and Dunfermline coach Neil McCann clashed in the aftermath and were both sent to the stand. Ryan Thomson found the composure to put the hosts ahead with a 20-yard strike with half an hour remaining as Forfar began to lose their way.

With seven minutes of regulation time remaining, Ross Millen made it 3-1 when he converted a penalty after Omar Kader was penalised for handling Craig Dargo's flick-on. Forfar full-back Campbell, the manager's son and a former Dunfermline player, lost the plot in the wake of the hosts' third goal, collecting two silly bookings.

With the aggregate score at 4-4, the tie went to extra time. Forfar, despite their badly depleted ranks, held out for 12 minutes but Smith gave Dunfermline the advantage for the first time in the tie when he netted from just inside the area.

Husband sealed Forfar's fate with a double in the second half of extra time, firing home a fine 25-yard drive and then sending a low shot past visiting goalkeeper Darren Hill from 12 yards.

Station Park manager Campbell, a former Dunfermline player who also had a spell in charge at the Fife club, said: "I was very impressed with Dunfermline's young laddies, they stood up better than my players."

On the red cards, an irked Campbell added: "I'd get sent off in a warm-up these days. Three critical decisions went against us. How can you put us down to eight men? It makes a laughing stock of the game."

Alloa host the first leg of the final on Wednesday with the return at East End Park next Sunday.