Head man Wighton as Pars extend lead
DUNFERMLINE 1
Craig Wighton gave leaders Dunfermline a huge victory at the home of their arch-rivals.
A crowd of 7,279 packed Falkirk Stadium, but most left disappointed as the Pars grabbed all three points.
It was a tame first half that became bogged down in midfield.
Stephen Mcginn swiped a shot well wide of the Dunfermline goal and, at the other end, Nicky Hogarth had to be alert to slap away a cross from Josh Edwards, but chances were few and far between.
The Pars finished the first half stronger and Hogarth reacted well to keep out Aaron Comrie, then Chris Hamilton headed over from a corner.
Wighton headed the visitors in front from a Joe Chalmers corner after 60 minutes as the Pars made the breakthrough.
Liam Henderson had a great chance to equalise four minutes later, but headed over from another corner.
Falkirk piled on the pressure in the closing stages and won a handful of corners, with Dunfermline on the ropes, but the Fife side held as they extended their lead at the top to six points.
MONTROSE 3 PETERHEAD 0
In a hard-fought match at Links Park, Montrose just had the edge against bottom side Peterhead, but this was never as easy as the final score might suggest.
Although both sides had chances, this game looked for a time as if it might end goalless. The breakthrough for Montrose came in the 56th minute when a cross from the left by Mark Whateley was deflected into his own net by Ryan Strachan.
Peterhead worked hard and always looked dangerous, but the Gable Endies secured the points in bizarre fashion on 78 minutes when they added to their tally through David Wilson, who deflected the ball into the net for a second own goal.
A Montrose player finally got on the scoresheet in the final minute
of regulation time when Craig Brown broke clear on the left and unselfishly squared the ball to fellow-substitute Matthew Wright to stroke the ball past Peterhead keeper Tom Ritchie.
FC EDINBURGH 0 QOS 3
Queen of the South ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at second-top FC Edinburgh.
The visitors enjoyed the lion’s share of possession in the opening 45, with Edinburgh goalkeeper Robbie Mutch making a couple of useful stops.
Lewis Gibson drew a foul from Robbie Mcintyre inside the penalty area, but Connor Murray blazed his spot-kick high over the crossbar, much to the dismay of his team-mates.
However, the Dumfries outfit continued to press and got their rewards with the last kick of the first half, Gibson’s ball into the box deceiving everyone, including Mutch, as the ball nestled into the bottom corner.
Ruari Paton clinically headed home Queens’ second from a Gibson cross eight minutes after the restart and substitute Lee Connelly rounded off a fine afternoon with a cool finish.
KELTY HEARTS 1 ALLOA 1
Both sides missed early chances with Kelty’s Kallum Higginbotham firing inches past the post in the sixth minute and, 60 seconds later, Kevin Cawley did the same at the other end.
It was the visitors who got the break after 26 minutes when Daniel Church fastened on to a through ball from Murray Miller and shot past Darren Jamieson.
Kelty came out for the second period full of running and Jamie Barjonas’ shot was saved after four minutes, Soon after, Kallum Higginbothan hit the post and Barjonas had another shot stopped with a save from William Muir.
The breakthrough for the Maroon Machine came in the 56th minute when Alfredo Agyeman headed home the equaliser.
Three minutes later, Luke Donnelly was just off target for the visitors with a long-range looping shot. Jamieson came to the rescue in the 73rd minute when he got to a shot from Scott Taggard, and Alloa’s Luke Donnelly’s shot three minutes later skimmed the bar.
Two minutes from time, Higginbotham almost clinched it for Kelty, but his shot was blocked.
CLYDE 0 AIRDRIEONIANS 1
Clyde’s Neil Parry was the first keeper in action on 10 minutes, gathering Calum Gallagher’s header from Cammy Ballantyne’s cross. Gallagher went close again when he got on the end of a Jamieson pass and curled a shot just over.
Jamieson was next to try his luck with an effort from 20 yards, but Parry was equal to it before Charlie Telfer fired over from 16 yards.
The Bully Wee responded with efforts from Morgaro Gomis and Ray Grant, but both were off target.
Dean Lyness made his first save of the match shortly after the restart when Ross Cunningham let fly from 14 yards.
At the other end, Callum Fordyce’s 20-yarder fizzed inches wide.
But the breakthrough finally came when Lewis Jamieson was upended in the box by Jon Craig. The Airdrie striker saw his penalty saved by Parry, but followed up to tuck away the rebound.
Cunningham and Grant went close as the Bully Wee pushed for a leveller in the dying minutes of the game.