QUEEN’S ROCKED BY SHOCK LOSS TO TOILING ARBROATH

CHAMPIONSHIP leaders Queen’s Park crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat to strugglers Arbroath at Ochilview last night. Owen Coyle’s men had been strong favourites to extend their four-point lead over Dundee at the top but were shot down by Dale Hilson’s 76th-minute goal. The 30-year-old striker twisted and turned his way through the Spiders’ defence before firing past Calum Ferrie and ending a five-match unbeaten run for Queen’s. Arbroath, meanwhile, have leapfrogged Cove Rangers into eighth place. The Spiders were left to rue a number of spurned chances — most notably, an effort from winger Dom Thomas which cannoned off the crossbar after nine minutes. Elsewhere, ten-man Inverness halted Partick Thistle’s recent revival with a 1-0 win at the Caledonian Stadium. The visitors had the best chance of the match in the first half when Brian Graham’s curled effort was superbly saved by Mark Ridgers. But it was Caley who were celebrating in the 50th minute as Jay Henderson robbed Darren Brownlie and fired in a superb cross which Nathan Shaw slotted home. The Highlanders were enraged six minutes later, however, when captain Sean Welsh was given a straight red card for a professional foul on Scott Tiffoney. Ayr United eased to a 3-0 win over visitors Cove Rangers. The Honest Men took a seventh-minute lead when Chris Maguire played Daire O’Connor through on goal and he slotted home. A mistake in the visitors’ defence allowed Dipo Akinyemi to make it two after 24 minutes. Maguire was the provider again with 15 minutes left when he cut back from the bye-line for Jayden MItchell Lawson to make it 3-0.