Alloa’s Niang red-carded after 25 seconds!
The home side were reduced to 10 men in the first minute when they lost the services of Mouhamed Niang, who was shown the red card by referee Alan Muir for a foul on Shay Logan.
Although saddled with this handicap, Alloa pressed forward and Daniel Church came close with a right-footed shot from long range that went just wide.
Early in the second half, Rory Mcallister opened for the visitors when he headed home from close range after a Shay Logan cross from the right.
Both sides made double substitutions to freshen up the play and it was the home side who took advantage of the fresh legs when got a deserved equaliser on 76 minutes, Steven Boyd on hand to head home from close range past Stuart Mckenzie in the visitors goal.
Cove then pressed for the winner and it was their star striker Mcallister who hammered home a cross from substitute Leighton Mcintosh from close range with eight minutes left.
Then, in the closing minutes, the visitors sealed the points when they were awarded a penalty. Craig Howie fouled Mitch Meggison, and up stepped Mcallister to score from the spot for his hat-trick.
FALKIRK 2 EAST FIFE 1
Manager Paul Sheerin’s half-time gamble paid off handsomely as Falkirk rallied from a goal down to end the first quarter of the League programme in third place.
A dire sequence of four losses and one draw had shunted them down to sixth place in the league.
A major crisis appeared to be brewing when bottom-of-thetable East Fife took a 21st-minute lead after finding the net for the first time in four weeks.
Kieran Millar’s angled right-foot finish was one of four attempts on target for the battling visitors, with Chris Higgins and Kevin Smith also going close before half time.
Sheerin desperately needed to
do something and rolled the dice by swapping striker Aidan Keena for full-back Paul Dixon to form a two-man attack with Michael Ruth.
The switch worked perfectly as Ruth equalised on the hour mark with a low right-foot drive from outside the box before substitute Keena headed the winner on 74 minutes from Craig Mcguffie’s cross.
East Fife were still not finished and Aaron Steele hit the post late on, but defeat leaves them five points adrift at the bottom after Peterhead thrashed Dumbarton 5-0.
PETERHEAD 5 DUMBARTON 0
Peterhead sprang out the blocks and went one up on three minutes when Conroy poked home a cross from Ritchie.
With a strong wind at their back Dumbarton had the best of the first half and only good goalkeeping from Long kept the Blue Toon in front with good saves from Maclean and Pignatiello.
On the stroke of half-time, Brown nearly made it 2-0 for Peterhead when he produced a great save from Ramsbottom in the Dumbarton goal.
Peterhead ran the show in the second half with the wind at their backs and a close-range finish from Ritchie from a Mccarthy cross doubled the Blue Toon advantage.
Jason Brown then made it three with a finish from inside the sixyard box.
Josh Mulligan made it 4-0 with the pick of the goals, a powerful drive from a tight angle that went in off the post.
Scott Brown then dispatched a late penalty, a fitting end to his 200th appearance.
AIRDRIEONIANS 2 CLYDE 1
With so many sides on the same points, a win was essential for both clubs to climb the table.
It was Airdrieonians who deservedly took the lead on 10 minutes after dominating the early stages.
A cross from the right from
Craig Watson was met by Callum Smith inside the box and he struck an excellent volley into the net, well out of keeper Neil Parry’s reach, for the opening goal.
Although their passing play had Clyde on the back foot, the visitors levelled against the run of play in 32 minutes – and it came from the penalty spot.
A long ball into the Airdrieonians penalty box saw keeper Max Currie adjudged to have fouled Paul Kennedy, and up stepped David Goodwillie to send Currie the wrong way and score.
After the interval, the home side controlled the game and made a succession of chances. It was only some fine goalkeeping by Clyde keeper Neil Parry that kept the visitors on level terms.
However, the visiting backline were undone in 58 minutes when a weaving run by Dylan Easton into the box saw him pass to Calum Gallagher and he sent the ball into the back of the net.
Even after they had taken the lead, the Diamonds created chance after chance, but, time and again, were foiled by their former goalkeeper Parry.