Fifers tie it all up in impressive first half
EAST FIFE 3 LIVINGSTON 1
A THREE-GOAL first-half East Fife blitz tamed the Livi Lions.
Livi, who went into the game as joint leaders of League One, had no answer to a ruthless attacking display by Gary Naysmith’s men.
After five minutes, Liam Kelly blocked Jamie Insall’s strike and Mark Lamont saw his rebound also blocked.
Insall broke the deadlock when he raced onto a Mark Hurst clearance and lobbed Kelly.
The Fifers then netted a second soon after when Kevin Smith’s headed cross was slammed into the back of the net by Chris Kane.
The hosts got a third on 33 minutes. Smith fired another long, high ball into the box which should have been Kelly’s to come and claim. Instead, he was muscled in the leap by Insall with the ball dropping at the feet of the Fife striker who provided the finish.
The visitors pulled one back shortly before the hour when Liam Buchanan cut back to Josh Mullin to tap in.
In the closing stages, Livi’s Mikey Miller was shown a straight red for a foul on Pat Slattery. He was followed down the tunnel by Alan Lithgow after he lashed out at Insall.
BRECHIN CITY 2 PETERHEAD 1
PETERHEAD grabbed the opener in the 32nd minute when former City striker Rory McAllister slotted the ball home from close range.
Darren Dods’ men hit back just before the break when Ally Love blasted the ball into the roof of the net after an Andy Jackson drive had been parried into his path by keeper Graeme Smith.
Peterhead totally dominated after the break but Brechin hit back to grab the winner six minutes from the end when Jackson kept his composure to lob Smith.
AIRDRIEONIANS 0 ALBION ROV 2
THE Monklands derby started with Albion Rovers taking an early lead.
A Scott McBride corner along the ground in two minutes was totally missed by Sean Mcintosh and Paul Willis had an easy task to send the ball into the net from inside the six-yard box.
Rovers were then held at bay by some fine goalkeeping form Rohan Ferguson.
With 12 minutes of the second half remaining, the visitors doubled their advantage when Mark Ferry drilled a low 25-yard shot into the net.
Any chance the Diamonds had went when Iain Russell picked up a second yellow card in the match for alleged simulation in the box and referee Crawford Allan sent him off.
STENHOUSEMUIR 2 ALLOA 2
ALLOA opened the scoring inside the third minute. Kevin Cawley hit a hopeful cross-cum-shot in from the right and Fraser Kerr sliced over Colin McCabe into his own net.
Stenny gave as good as they got for the remainder of the half but, following the restart, the Wasps went for the jugular and after Greig Spence went close twice they doubled their advantage in the 50th minute.
Spence rounded home keeper Colin McCabe and, when Kevin Cawley dummied his cutback, Jim Goodwin fired home from 12 yards.
Goodwin’s contribution was brought to an end four minutes later when he was adjudged to have elbowed Jamie McCormack in the face and referee Craig Napier had no hesitation in producing a red card.
The home side set up a nervous finish for the table toppers when Alan Cook found Willis Alves Furtado in the inside left channel and the Frenchman fired across goal and in at the back post.
The Wasps spurned a couple of opportunities and were made to pay the price when, two minutes into time added on, Cook crossed to the back post and Oliver Shaw volleyed home the leveller.
QUEEN’S PARK 0 STRANRAER 2
STRANRAER were denied the lead twice by fine saves from home goalkeeper Willie Muir but the shot-stopper was at fault when the Blues finally got their noses in front.
Muir finger-tipped a Craig Malcolm drive from the edge of the box over the bar on 14 minutes and he excelled again 23 minutes later when he leapt to his right and pushed away a net-bound Steven Bell header.
However, soon after, Muir let a Craig Thomson cross squirm from his hands and Liam Dick volleyed the loose ball home from six yards.
Cameron Belford denied Queen’s a leveller on 54 minutes when he blocked a Dario Zanatta header.
Within a minute, the hosts were down to 10 men when Darren Miller was red-carded for a trip on Kyle Turner.
Willie Gibson fired the resultant free-kick an inch wide.
A second Stranraer goal came on 63 minutes when Malcolm headed in a corner from Gibson.