Fifers are out-foxed as Charlie heads leveller
EAST FIFE 1 QUEEN’S PK 1
East Fife and their visitors shared the points at Bayview on an afternoon where neither side could claim to have done enough to win.
The hosts took a deserved lead on eight minutes when Liam Watt picked up Sean Brown’s pass on the edge of the Queen’s Park box before sending an unstoppable drive beyond Willie Muir.
East Fife stayed on the front foot and almost made it 2-0 when Kevin Smith raced in behind the defence and tried his luck with an effort which dropped over the bar.
It took the visitors 25 minutes to fashion a shot at goal, but Thomas Robson’s free-kick was easily held by Scott Gallacher.
Queen’s Park took just a minute after the restart to pull level, Charlie Fox heading home Liam Brown’s corner.
Despite QP possession at the start of the second half, the Fifers stood firm.
They were almost breached on 69 minutes when Lewis Moore scampered clear only to lash his shot high and wide.
At the other end, Pat Slattery had a sight of goal, but couldn’t beat Muir.
COVE 1 FALKIRK 1
The build-up to this game was dominated by the Falkirk Covid controversy that saw them playing “under duress”.
Craig Mcguffie and Mitch Megginson were amongst those trading efforts at either end during a bright first period, but few could complain that the two teams went in at the break all-square.
Callumn Morrison almost opened the scoring in bizarre circumstances when his corner came back off the post.
Twenty minutes into the second half, Aidan Nesbitt had Paul Sheerin’s men in front. He controlled Morrison’s cross then drilled his shot high past Stuart Mckenzie.
Cove boss Paul Hartley responded with some attacking switches, moving to two up top and putting some pressure on the visitors’ goal. Blair Yule went close before a couple of the subs combined to great effect on 78 minutes. Connor Scully’s clever throughball found Rory Mcallister, who applied the composed finish.
PETERHEAD 2 ALLOA 0
Peterhead edged in front after just eight minutes, Niah Payne showing incredible pace to burst past his man on the righthand side before centring for Russell Mclean to score with a first-time finish from six yards out.
The hosts looked the far sharper during the first half-hour and David Hutton needed all his frame to push over Simon Ferry’s scooped effort.
Alloa had eight of their summer signings in the starting line-up, but had really failed to gain much of a foothold.
Barry Ferguson made two changes at the interval, but it did little to turn the tide as Adam King had to nod Andrew Mcdonald’s header off the goal-line.
The second goal came just after the hour with a role reversal, this time Mclean’s burst and supply into the sixyard box being finished off by Payne.
The Englishman came close again soon after, cracking a drive into the hoardings after another feed from Mclean.
AIRDRIEONIANS 0 MONTROSE 3
Montrose scored after 10 minutes when Lewis Milne took advantage of the space given to him on the left to send over a cross. Terry Masson raced into the box on his own and sent the ball beyond keeper Max Currie.
Five minutes after the restart, Montrose doubled their lead when Lewis Milne took full advantage of the retreating home defence and the absence of any challenge to waltz through their back line and drill a 20-yard shot into the net for the second goal.
It was all over for Airdrieonians with 16 minutes remaining. Substitute Blair Lyons cut into the box from the left-hand side and was brought down inside the penalty box by Josh Kerr, with the referee pointing to the spot. Up stepped Graham Webster to blast the ball into the net past Currie and complete the scoring for a very deserving Links Park side.
CLYDE 0 DUMBARTON 3
It was the worst possible start for Clyde – and a personal nightmare for Conrad Balatoni, who sliced a clearance into his own net after just 11 minutes.
Stuart Carswell then fired wide as the Sons, who suffered four straight defeats in the League Cup, warmed to their task.
The Bully Wee struggled to create any clear-cut chances, but David Goodwillie almost brought them level with a left-footer that gave Sons keeper Sam Ramsbottom his first action.
The visitors were soon back at the other end doubling their lead when Ross Maclean poked home the rebound after David Mitchell parried Edin Lynch’s shot.
Aaron Splaine almost halved the deficit before half-time, but his effort sneaked just wide.
Gregor Buchanan put a shot inches wide from close-range before Maclean headed Lynch’s cross over as Dumbarton searched for the third on the restart.
Clyde responded with a series of shots, but a lifeline proved elusive.
Instead, Sons clinched the points 10 minutes from time when Connor Duthie fired an angled drive into the corner of the net.