Play-off contenders bunching up beneath United after string of away wins

The nine Championship clubs who sit below runaway leaders Dundee United are bunched tighter together after Saturday’s four games produced wins for four away sides who all started the day lying lower than their hosts.

Second-placed Inverness Caledonian Thistle failed to make up any ground on the Tannadice men as they fell to a 1-0 defeat by Arbroath.

Bobby Linn was denied by home goalkeeper Mark Ridgers in the first half but the Gayfield winger was smiling two minutes into the second half when he teed up Luke Donnelly to score the winner.

Arbroath boss Dick Campbell said: “It was a great win for us, and we could have actually won by more.”

Ayr United have

still to catch fire under the guidance of player/manager Mark Kerr and their place in the top four is now under threat from a Queen of the South side who won 2-1 at Somerset Park. Callum Semple headed the Dumfries men into the lead after only four minutes from a Faissal El Bakhtaoui corner and it was 2-0 just before the hour mark when Stephen Dobbie, pictured, dusted himself down after being fouled to roll home a penalty.

Ayr got back into the game with 13 minutes left when Aaron Muirhead scored from the spot, but Kerr’s side were denied a late leveller when a Mark Mckenzie effort was ruled not to have crossed the line. Dunfermline blew their chance of re-entering the playoff zone when they went down 3-1 at home to Alloa.

The day started well for the Pars as Kevin Nisbet nodded home Ryan Dow’s cross on 20 minutes, but Adam Brown levelled instantly and Alloa led on 26 minutes when Kevin O’hara slotted in. Iain Flannigansealedthewasps’winmidway through the second half when he put a penalty past Ryan Scully after Liam Buchanan had been fouled.

Thomas O’ware came back to haunt former club Morton as he scored the winner for Partick Thistle in their 2-1 Cappielow success.

Alex Jones fired the Jags in front after five minutes when he converted an Osman Kakay cross, with Morton equalising from the spot after half an hour.

Kyle Jacobs was the scorer after Reece Cole had barged into the back of Reece Lyon, but it was O’ware who bagged the winner just after the hour mark when he nodded in a Cole corner.