Rovers victory ensures title race goes to final weekend

Raith Rovers did all they could to put pressure on Ayr by winning 3-0 at Stranraer on Saturday and sitting top of the table before the Honest Men’s game at Alloa kicked off.

Euan Murray, pictured, headed the Kirkcaldy side into the lead after only five minutes and right on the stroke of halftime Liam Buchanan nodded in a Dario Zanatta cross. Lewis Vaughan wrapped things up 12 minutes from the end from close range. Manager Barry Smith said: “We have taken our challenge to the last day of the season and that is all we could have hoped for before kickoff. We went out with a purpose and the players deserve credit for the way they went about things.”

Stranraer manager Stephen Farrell said: “We had been playing for a cause in the last few weeks and that was to get into the play-offs. That cause went last weekend and it affected us.”

Arbroath kept hold of third spot with a 2 – 0 win over Airdrie at Gayfield. Danny Denholm tapped in the opening goal midway through the first half and Colin Hamilton flicked home a corner just before the hour mark to keep Alloa at bay.

Who will go down will also be decided next weekend after Albion Rovers ended a sevengame losing streak by seeing off visitors East Fife 1-0 and opening a two-point gap on bottom side Queen’s Park. Sean Higgins headed in a Scott Mclean cross within the first minute and Daniel Baur went close to a second after halftime with a shot that cracked off the underside of the bar. Queen’s Park hit back to earn a 1-1 draw at Forfar where Loons striker Ross Maciver took advantage of a mistake by visiting goalkeeper Michael White to slot his side into the lead after 13 minutes.

The Hampden side, who were facing automatic relegation in the face, grabbed a lifeline when Luke Donnelly sidefooted home midway through the second half.

The hosts lost Andy Munro to a red card eight minutes from time, but Queen’s could not make their numerical advantage tell.