The Scottish league title race took another dramatic twist at East End Park today.

Celtic were only seven minutes away from securing their first championship in 10 years after Simon Donnelly's 35th-minute goal.

But Dunfermline substitute Craig Faulconbridge stunned the travelling Celtic support by grabbing an equaliser in the 83rd minute.

Faulconbridge's intervention was bizarre. He is currently on loan to Dunfermline from English Premiership side Coventry.

It was a bitter ending for the Celtic fans who had gathered in the Kingdom of Fife in the hope of seeing their team crowned champions.

Rangers' 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock yesterday opened the door for Celtic to claim their first title since 1988, but now it will go to the last day of the season with Celtic entertaining St Johnstone and Rangers travelling to Dundee United.

Celtic head coach Wim Jansen decided to go for a front-line partnership of Donnelly and Henrik Larsson. Harald Brattbakk was on the bench but there was not even a place in the squad for Scotland striker Darren Jackson.

Dunfermline, their Premier Division status secure, battled hard and refused to be overawed by the high-flying visitors.

Celtic, however, started the game at a frantic pace and in the 12th minute Donnelly got away from Jamie Squires only to send the shot into keeper Ian Westwater's body.

Marc Rieper then saw a header cleanly taken by the Dunfermline No 1.

Westwater did superbly well on the half-hour to block Donnelly's shot after Larsson had released him with a clever pass over the top of the Dunfermline line.

But Donnelly eventually made the breakthrough in the 35th minute with his 16th goal of the season.

Larsson knocked the ball through and the Scotland striker scampered away to smash the ball into the corner.

Westwater then tipped away another effort by Donnelly after Tom Boyd had played the ball across.

Dunfermline keeper Westwater was preventing the visitors from getting a second, but the home side were struggling to cope with the wave of Celtic attacks, although Andy Todd advanced up front to knock a header just over the bar.

Celtic retaliated and Alan Stubbs headed narrowly over the top after Phil O'Donnell had floated in a corner.

Larsson was only inches away from extending Celtic's lead when he raced clear only to see his shot strike the outside of the post.

Celtic's Swedish star was denied a clear penalty in the 75th minute when he was hauled back by Craig Ireland but referee John Underhill waved play on.

Then, with seven minutes to go, the away side were caught on the break when Larsson conceded a free-kick on the right.

Scott McCulloch swung in the free-kick and Faulconbridge sent a looping header over stranded keeper Jonathan Gould.

Celtic besieged the Dunfermline goal in the last few minutes of the match and sub Morten Weighorst saw a header cleared off the line by McCulloch.

The point takes Celtic's tally to 71, two clear of Rangers but with everything still to play for on the final day.

Teams:

Dunfermline: Westwater, Shields, McCulloch, Tod, Ireland, Huxford, Britton (Faulconbridge 77), Squires, Smith, French (Petrie 70), Millar (Bingham 70).

Booked: Ireland, McCulloch, Millar.

Goals: Faulconbridge 83.

Celtic: Gould, Boyd, Annoni, McNamara (Brattbakk 86), Rieper, Stubbs, Larsson, Burley, Donnelly, Lambert, O'Donnell (Wieghorst 87).

Subs Not Used: Blinker.

Booked: Annoni.

Goals: Donnelly 35.

Att: 12,866

Ref: J Underhill (Edinburgh).