Taitsending-off triggerskeltycomeback
HAMILTON 1 KELTY 1 Ten-man Accies lost ground in the battle at the top of League One after conceding late against Kelty Hearts.
It required a fantastic pointblank stop from Jamie Smith to deny Reece Lyon as Kelty created the first opportunity of what was a scrappy opening. Surviving a close escape appeared to jolt Accies into life and they forced a string a saves from Kyle Gourley in the away goal.
The hosts continued to threat and the underside of the crossbar came to Kelty’s rescue after Euan Henderson bulleted past the keeper but against the woodwork.
Lyon went close again in the early stages of the second half, before Gourley kept up his heroics at the other end by turning Henderson’s close-range effort behind.
The opening goal arrived on 62 minutes when Kevin O’hara’s deflected strike looped over the keeper and into the top corner.
Hamilton were reduced to 10 men on 79 minutes after Dylan Tait saw red and they paid the price minutes later as Craig Johnston nodded Jamie Walker’s cross beyond Smith to level.
COVE RANGERS 7 EDINBURGH CITY 2
Cove Rangers fans received an early Christmas present, with their side claiming seven of the nine goals netted at Balmoral Park.
City players arrived in Aberdeen to see a mini-snowplough clearing the pitch, but the onfield temperature quickly rose from kick-off, and Cove opened the scoring in the sixth minute. Mark Gallagher fed in Rumarn Burrell and he skated around Andy Mcneil before slotting into the untended net.
The lead lasted a minute, Robbie Mahon responding for City. He then passed up the chance to put the visitors in front from the penalty spot in the 36th minute, but Nick Suman turned his effort around the post.
That miss was compounded by second from Burrell right on the stroke of half-time following good work by Blair Yule.
Five minutes into the second half, Burrell repaid the compliment, setting up Yule for No. 3.
Ouzy See scored a stunner from the edge of the box to reduce the deficit to one, but, after Yule hammered home a cutback to make it 4-2, City’s heads dropped.
Brodie Devine then collected a second yellow card, which became a red.
Sub Kyle Connell took advantage of the extra space to net a late double either side of a looping header from Connor Scully.
ALLOA 2 MONTROSE 2
The home side dominated play from the start, with David Devine coming close with a close-range header that went wide.
Cameron O’donnell then fired in a left-foot shot from the centre of the box that was saved by Cammy Gill in the Montrose goal.
The Alloa strikeforce pinned back the visitors and Steven Hetherington, from the edge of the box, fired in a shot that Graham Webster blocked.
The Wasps took a deserved lead
when Steven Buchanan ran onto a perfect Cameron O’donnell and headed home from close range. Alloa pressed for a second goal and that came when Bobby Wales connected with a Steven Buchanan cross and fired in an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box.
The visitors rallied and they pulled a goal back when Ben Hermiston was on hand to head home from the centre of the box when he connected with a Michael Gardyne cross.# Montrose levelled when Blair Lyons fire blasted home a left-foot shot to share the points.
ANNAN 0 FALKIRK 3
Falkirk looked menacing in the opening stages and, in the sixth minute, Calvin Miller hit the bar with a left-foot shot from 10 yards.
Aiden Nesbitt fired over and Miller’s shot was blocked. Miller had two more good chances before the half-hour mark, but a free-kick went past and a header was stopped by Greg Fleming.
With five minutes of the half left, the league leaders went ahead when Coll Donaldson broke the deadlock with a 20-yard shot.
Two minutes into the second half, Ross Maciver had a chance to double the score, but his shot from the centre of the box went narrowly past.
In the 51st minute, Liam Henderson just missed the Annan upright with a close-in shot.
The pressure told in the 56th minute when Tom Lang doubled the score when he fired a shot into the top corner of the net.
Annan’s first real chance after the interval came on the hour when Wullie Gibson tried a longrange effort, but it was stopped by keeper Nicky Hogarth
In the 59th minute, Brad Spencer’s shot was stopped by Flemiing and then, in the 67th minute, The Bairns went three-up when Ross Maciver hit a 12-yarder past Fleming after Layton Bisland laid the ball off for him.
Maciver continued to be a problem for the home defence and, in the 80th minute, he had a chance from inside the box but shot straight at Fleming.
Alfredo Algyeman came close with an 82nd-minute drive, but the ball went narrowly past.
STIRLING ALB 1 QOS 1
Stirling were the better team in the first half and had an early goal ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Aaron Dunsmore fizzed a long-range effort just over the bar before the deadlock was broken in 26 minutes. Dale Hilson and Lewis Milne combined to set up Dale Carrick, who steered the ball home from close range for his sixth goal of the season.
Carrick missed a great chance to double Albion’s lead early in the second half when his shot was saved by on-loan Hearts keeper Harry Stone.
QOS came more into things and forced a number of corners. From one of them, Paul Mckay headed a 75th-minute equaliser past Blair Currie.
Stone made a superb stop late on to deny the Binos a winner, while, at the other end, substitute Craig Mcguffie sent a 25-yard free-kick just wide as it ended all square in wet and windy conditions.