Ayr comeback stretches lead at top to eight points

Ayr United came from behind to defeat hosts East Fife 4-1 and record their eighth successive League 1 win.

Chris Duggan clipped the ball over the Honest Men’s goalkeeper Jordan Hart to open the scoring nine minutes from half-time but the visitors re-grouped and came out all guns blazing in the second half.

Michael Rose headed in his first goal of the season to level just before the hour mark and the centre-back thumped in a corner to put Ayr ahead with 18 minutes left. Craig Moore slid home the third before Lawrence Shankland wrapped things up when he shot home from 25 yards.

Somerset Park manager Ian Mccall said: “The first half was not great from us but we looked like scoring every time we went up the pitch in the second. It was a great day for the fans and for us as we were able to increase the gap on Raith to eight points.” Home manager Darren Young said: “No-one would have predicted that we would have lost 4-1 at the break as we were playing so well.”

Second-placed Raith slipped further behind as their meeting with Albion Rovers failed to beat the weather, as did the clash between promotion-seeking sides Alloa and Arbroath at the Indodrill Stadium.

Stranraer enjoyed a 3-0 success over visitors Forfar despite missing one of the two penalties they were awarded.

Jamie Hamill saw his firsthalf spot-kick saved by Marc Mccallum but, 11 minutes into the second half, Ryan Wallace netted from 12 yards after he had been brought down.

On-loan Hearts midfielder Angus Beith added a second for the hosts when he converted a Ryan Thomson knockdown with six minutes left before finding the corner of the net with a low effort in injury time.

Queen’s Park have pulled level on points with the Loons at the foot of the table after their 1-1 draw with Airdrie at Hampden. Visiting goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson had saved an early Luke Donnelly penalty, before Luke Watt fired the Diamonds ahead from a freekick with Adam Cummins heading an equaliser before the break.