TEN-MAN Dumbarton earned a crucial point at home to Falkirk courtesy of a Garry Fleming's last-minute penalty

The Sons left it late to snatch a 1-1 draw with the second-placed side — a result which moves them five points clear of Livingston in the Scottish Championship relegation play-off spot.

They did so with 10 men for the last half-hour after Mark Docherty was controversially sent off by referee Andrew Dallas for a handball inside the area.

John Baird tucked away the resultant spot-kick to give the visitors the lead on 65 minutes.

However, a foul on Christian Nade by Bairns goalkeeper Danny Rogers in the 93rd minute presented Fleming with the opportunity to grab his fifth goal of the season and nick what could prove to be a vital point for Dumbarton.

Falkirk, who went into the match on the back of a five-game unbeaten run, controlled the majority of the play and almost had the lead inside the opening 60 seconds.

Frazer Wright had to stretch to deal with Kevin McCann’s dangerous cross and was relieved to see his clearance trickle just wide of the bottom corner.

The home goalkeeper Jamie Ewings then had to react well to save Lee Miller’s goalbound effort in the third minute before Baird picked out Blair Alston inside the box moments later but the 23-year-old could only find the side netting.

A series of goalscoring opportunities came and went for the visitors in the opening 20 minutes with Baird and Alston squandering further chances to make the breakthrough.

The Sons, who offered little going forward in the first half, were celebrating what they thought was a legitimate goal by Nade who had tapped into an empty net after Rogers parried Jordan Kirkpatrick’s shot but the goal was chalked off for offside.

Falkirk again went close to taking the lead but Vaulks blasted his close-range effort over the crossbar.

David McCracken then connected with Alston’s corner and glanced a header narrowly over the bar as the teams headed into the break on level terms.

Dumbarton began showing more intent in the second period as Fleming became more involved, however, his driven effort went well wide of Rogers’ goal.

The deadlock was broken just past the hour mark after Baird latched on to a loose ball in the area and saw his flicked attempt blocked by what the referee perceived to be Docherty’s hand.

After being made to wait by Dumbarton protests about Docherty’s dismissal, Baird stepped up to thunder the ball high into the net and gave the Bairns a deserved lead.

Feeling aggrieved, Stevie Aitken’s men went in search of an equaliser and almost found it when Fleming lofted a fine pass over the Falkirk defence for Nade but the Frenchman shot straight at the feet of Rogers with 20 minutes remaining.

Dumbarton had another goal ruled out for offside on 81 minutes.

Gregor Buchanan got on the end of substitute Calum Waters’ free-kick to head the ball in, only to see a debatable flag go up.

The equaliser came after Rogers elected to come out and punch a cross.

Sons striker Nade was in the way and the goalkeeper could not stop himself from clattering the forward and giving away a spot kick. Fleming was calmness personified and swept the ball into the bottom corner.

to ensure Dumbarton pulled themselves five points clear of the drop zone with eight games remaining this season.

Dumbarton: Ewings, Docherty, Saunders, Buchanan, Cawley (Walsh, 74), Barr, Fleming, Nade, Lindsay (Heffernan, 78), Wright, Kirkpatrick (Waters, 67).

Unused subs: Brown, Taggart, McCallum, Hopkins.

Falkirk: Rogers, Leahy, McCann, McCracken, Vaulks, Alston, Baird (McHugh, 80), Sibbald (Hippolyte, 76), Kerr, Miller, Watson.

Unused subs: Dogan Mehmet, Smith, Taiwo, O’Hara, Gallacher.