Deflection denies Methil men victory
The Fifers burst into an early lead when Mark Lamont’s cross was met by Kevin Smith to nod past Ross Stewart.
After Rovers’ Paul Willis saw a freekick crash off the bar, they levelled on 15 minutes. Calum Ferguson’s strike was trickling towards goal after he’d rounded Willie Muir and Jonathan Page could only help it on its way in his attempt to clear.
On the stroke of half-time, it was the Fifers who again grabbed the initiative. An excellent delivery from Lamont proved a nightmare to defend and Ross Dunlop put the ball past his own keeper.
Smith was inches away from putting East Fife 3-1 up when he raced in on goal only to send his effort wide.
Rovers got the equaliser when Ryan Wallace’s strike from distance caught a deflection and beat Willie Muir.
ALLOA ATHLETIC 4 PETERHEAD 0
ALLOA did not take long to go in front as Spence laid the ball off for Jordan Kirkpatrick to produce a finish into the corner after nine minutes.
The second goal arrived on 13 minutes when Kevin Cawley volleyed home from Greig Spence’s cross.
Peterhead fell further behind two minutes from the break when Kirkpatrick scored from 25 yards.
Substitute Isaac Lane put the game beyond doubt with a fourth goal after 69 minutes when he brought down a long ball and swept the ball beyond the goalkeeper.
LIVINGSTON 5 STRANRAER 1
LIVINGSTON opened the scoring with barely five minutes on the clock. Shaun Byrne strode towards the Stranraer defence before laying off to Scott Pitman to score from 25 yards.
Stranraer were hit with another screamer midway through the first half as Danny Mullen turned and blasted into the top right corner.
The Blues got back into things when Craig Malcolm slotted the ball across Liam Kelly.
The scores were almost level on the hour as Christian Nade, Scott Agnew and Kyle Turner went close.
However, any nerves were put to bed when home sub Liam Buchanan sent Belford the wrong way from a penalty after Mullen was brought down.
Buchanan got his second with four minutes left when he spun free in the box and fired into the bottom corner.
In injury time, Pittman smashed home his second after Liam Watt’s header came back off the crossbar.
BRECHIN 2 STENHOUSEMUIR 1
BRECHIN had a big claim for a penalty in 11 minutes when Andy Jackson went down in a tangle with keeper Colin McCabe but the referee said no.
Stephen Stirling then went close for Stenhousemuir when he shot just wide.
On 27 minutes, Willie Dyer forced a fine save from McCabe with a 30-yard piledriver.
Brechin opened the scoring in 35 minutes. Dyer fed Jackson on the left and his low cross was swept home by Alan Trouten.
The visitors missed a great chance to equalise soon after. Mark Gilhaney broke on the left and found Alan Cook but the attacker fell with the goal at his mercy and the chance was lost.
Brechin attacked at the start of the second half and Jackson had a shot saved, then Trouten lobbed wide from a great position.
Stenhousemuir drew level in 67 minutes. Brechin failed to clear a freekick and Colin McMenamin crossed for Fraser Kerr to tap home.
Brechin went back in front in 79 minutes. A Jackson shot was parried by McCabe and Ross Caldwell scored with his first touch after going on as a substitute.
COWDENBEATH 0 ELGIN CITY 1
ELGIN had a golden chance in nine minutes when the home defence got in a right fankle and let Scott Gunn clean through but Cowden keeper Dave McGurn made a fine save.
A minute later, the visitors threatened again when Daniel Moore fired a 22-yarder inches wide.
The home team at last got going in 16 minutes and Gary Glen and Fraser Mullen worked a good move which saw the striker fire Mullen’s cross in and Black saved well.
Shane Sutherland broke clear for City and his 25-yarder was only inches too high with 21 minutes on the clock.
City grabbed the lead in 50 minutes when Sutherland’s cross was bundled over the line by Chris McLeish.
Three minutes later, Gunn’s header from a Moore cross came back off McGurn’s right-hand post.
In 56 minutes, Kyle Miller’s shot looked to hit Keiran Stewart’s hand on the line but home appeals were turned down.