Rennie is perfect medicine for Montrose but

FALKIRK 0 MONTROSE 1

The Angus feelgood factor is still in full flow as newly-promoted Montrose outplayed Championship Falkirk. Paul Hartley’s men are in desperate need of some transformative magic or else it will be a long, hard slog for the Grangemouth side this season. It started well enough for the Bairns ands new signing Dylan Macklin was keen to impress after making the switch from rivals Livingston, stinging the hands of Allan Fleming with a well-struck effort from just outside the box after 15 minutes. The visitors took a shock lead three minutes later, however, as Terry Masson split the home fence, allowing Martin Rennie a clear passage on goal. The striker did not disappoint, lashing his effort past Leo Fasan. Deimantas Petravicius should have equalised on the half-hour mark after bullying his way into the box, but the Lithuanian winger was foiled by Fleming. Fasan produced a spectacular save with 20 minutes remaining as Ryan Ferguson seemed certain to extend Montrose’s lead from inside the box. Fleming was keen to extend the heroics at his end of the park, pulling off a cat-like save from substitute Kevin O’Hara.

AYR UTD 3 MORTON 1

Ayr’s Lawrence Shankland was in the mood right from the off and his curling free-kick from 20 yards after nine minutes was destined for the bottom corner before the keeper Ryan Scully dived to his left to save. Morton punished Ayr by taking the lead after 14 minutes. Michael Tidser lined up a freekick 25 yards out and his low shot skidded past on-loan Celtic youth keeper Ross Doohan and in off the post. Five minutes into the second half, Daniel Harvie flighted over a cross from the left and Shankland rose at the back post to head the equaliser. In 73 minutes, Shankland gave Ayr the lead when he beat Scully with a cross-cum-shot from the left as the inrushing Craig McGuffie raced in. Shankland completed his hattrick three minutes later when he raced on to a long ball to lob over Scully.

ANNAN 1 HAMILTON 0

Super sub Aiden Smith knocked SPL side Hamilton out of the Betfred Cup in the shock of the day. He was only on the field for 60 seconds when he fired home a corner from Ryan Sinnamon in the 60th minute to dump their more fancied opponents. Annan’s new striker Tommy Muir had a great chance in the 11th minute when the keeper parried a ball out and Muir skied his shot. Then, at the other end, Rakish Bingham saw his shot go high over the bar and he had another shot deflected past. Douglas Imrie’s shot from an acute angle in the 20th minute was touched out by Annan keeper Alex Mitchell.