Gallagher goal has Diamonds sparkling
East Fife were facing the league leaders for the second week in a row, having travelled to meet then table-toppers Queen’s Park seven days previous.
Airdrie took just four minutes to seriously test the Fife goal, Kerr Mcinroy’s half-volley pulling an excellent save out of Jude Smith.
It was all Airdrie in the opening stages and Calum Gallagher was the next to go close with an effort which drifted wide.
Smith, in the Fife goal, was seeing plenty of action and he kept the scores level with a magnificent save from Callum Smith’s close-range header.
East Fife’s best chance came on the half-hour mark when Scott Mercer picked out Liam Watt inside the box. Watt, though, couldn’t get a clean connection on his shot.
The Diamonds were well worthy of their lead when they scored on 35 minutes, Gallagher getting in behind the Fife defence and beating Smith.
The hosts were unlucky not to pull level when Kyle Connell’s drive was beaten away by Max Currie.
Connell appeared to be the home side’s best chance of grabbing an equaliser and he was again unlucky with a long-range drive which sailed wide.
With 10 minutes to go, East Fife’s Kieran Millar picked up his second booking and was sent off.
COVE 3 PETERHEAD 0
Cove won this derby between the two former Highland League sides to keep the pressure on Airdrieonians at the top.
Cove’s Mitch Megginson struck the bar in the 17th minute, then it took a good stop from Brett Long to keep former Blue Tooner Rory Mcallister out and secure a goalless first half.
Early in the second period, Megginson picked up a Rory
Mcallister corner and rounded the keeper only for his effort to be cleared off the line by Flynn Duffy.
Four minutes after the restart, Cove’s Ryan Strachan netted from close range from an Iain
Vigurs corner. They doubled their lead when Jamie Masson fed in Megginson and the skipper finished well.
Peterhead took until the final moments to register a shot on target as Derek Lyle then Grant Savoury were denied.
Deep into injury time, Megginson fired in a penalty to increase the margin of victory after a foul by Brett Long.
DUMBARTON 0 FALKIRK 3
Michael Ruth’s opening goal for Falkirk after nine minutes was the first of a procession of chances they created.
After 11 minutes, he saw off a weak challenge to reach a long ball and cut inside to finish.
Despite opportunities falling the way of Aidan Nesbitt and Charlie Telfer, it remained 1-0 at half-time, but the Bairns’ domination counted for more after the restart.
Eight minutes into the second half, Nesbitt headed home a corner unchallenged to end the game as a contest.
Telfer was then denied by a fine save, but was not to be denied his
goal, making it 3-0 with a clinical finish with 20 minutes left after the ball was cut back.
ALLOA 2 MONTROSE 2
Alloa dominated play early on, with chances falling to Steven Boyd, whose right-foot shot was saved by Aaron Lennox in the Montrose goal.
Euan Henderson’s shot from the centre of the box was then blocked, with Kevin Cawley coming close with a header from close range that went past the post.
In the 53rd minute, Mark Durnan outjumped the Montrose defence to head home a Steven Boyd cross from close range. Durnanthen scored again on 64 minutes, connecting with a Steven Boyd cross to headed past Lennox.
The visitors fought back and scored in the 77th minute when substitute Craig Johnston connected with a Paul Watson cross and fired the ball past David Hutton in the home goal.
The Gable Endies pressed for the equaliser, and that came in the 90th minute when Matthew Allan, from six yards out, fired the ball past Hutton.
QUEEN’S PARK 0 CLYDE 0
With three minutes gone, a goalmouth scramble presented opportunities to Luis Longstaff, Louis Longridge and Luca Connell, but Clyde defenders formed an effective barrier to Neil Parry’s goal.
On 26 minutes, a deep Longridge cross found Liam Brown and his volley looked netbound until Parry clawed it away.
Clyde should have taken the lead on 39 minutes, but Morgaro Gomis blazed his eight-yard shot over.
Five minutes into the restart, Stuart Morrison met a Longridge
corner, only to see his fierce header hit the bar.
The Bully Wee were awarded a penalty on 55 minutes when Morrison tripped Goodwillie, but the former Scotland striker sent the spot-kick sailing over the crossbar.
The bar saved Clyde again with 15 minutes left when a free-kick from Connell picked out Michael Doyle, with his header suffering the same fate as Morrison’s.
Doyle came close again on 86 minutes, but his glancing effort flashed wide.