Crawford hails clinical Pars as Nisbet chops down Thistle

Dunfermline striker Kevin Nisbet scored four times as the Pars racked up a 5-1 win over his first club Partick Thistle at East End Park to give Stevie Crawford’s side a welcome push away from the Firhill men, who remain bottom.

Nisbet grabbed his first from the penalty spot after just four minutes, the Jags losing Thomas O’ware to a red card following his push from behind on Greg Kiltie.

It got worse for Ian Mccall’s side on ten minutes when Lewis Martin slipped in the second, with Nisbet converting a second penalty midway through the opening half after he had been fouled.

The front man completed his hat-trick on 31 minutes when he drilled in from the edge of the box and Nisbet netted again four minutes into the second half from close range.

The Jags grabbed a consolation goal when Reece Cole cracked in a long-distance free-kick with 15 minutes left.

Manager Crawford said: “We had a disappointment last weekend at Stranraer in the Scottish Cup but the reaction from the players was good. It can be difficult against ten men when you are a goal up so early, but we were clinical.”

Inverness Caledonian Thistle took advantage of table-topping Dundee United’s trip to Morton being frozen off, and Ayr’s game with visitors Arbroath also failing to beat the freeze, to move into second spot thanks to a 2-0 success at Alloa.

Wasps defender Scott Taggart headed a Coll Donaldson cross into his own net seven minutes from the break and Aaron Doran smashed in a second right on half-time.

John Robertson’s side saw things out in the second half with ease after Alloa’s Liam Dick was dismissed for a crude challenge on James Keatings.

Dundee left the field at Dens Park to a chorus of boos after a bizarre ending to their 2-1 defeat by Queen of the South.

The Doonhamers had led from just before the half hour mark when Stephen Dobbie fired home from 20 yards.

Dundee fans were joyous in the third minute of injury time when Danny Johnston cracked in from 20 yards but just 11 seconds later Queens led again when their punt up the field from kick-off was missed by Jordan Forster and Dobbie lifted the ball above Jack Hamilton for the winner.