An eight-goal Paisley thriller ended with a deserved share of the points as St Mirren drew 4-4 at home to leaders Falkirk.

The visitors were three goals up at the interval thanks to a glorious effort from Mark Kerr and a double from Lee Miller.

On the resumption Saints moved into top gear and, following Richard Robb's opener on 53 minutes, Martin Cameron became the home hero with an inspired hat-trick - the third from the penalty spot - although Miller had also bagged his hat-trick goal by that point for Falkirk.

Inverness Caledonian Thistle maintained second place with a well-deserved 2-1 home victory over St Johnstone.

Saints made a bright start and Thistle goalkeeper Mark Brown produced a superb save from Mark Reilly in the third minute.

The Jags were quick to react and Alan Main threw himself full length to turn away a 20-yard piledriver from Roy McBain.

Dennis Wyness broke the deadlock when a corner from Barry Robson got the visitors' defence in a tangle on the stroke of half-time.

Richard Hart extended the lead when he got on the end of a defence-splitting pass from Robson after 61 minutes.

Chris Hay reduced the leeway with a penalty after being tripped by Ross Tokely three minutes from the end, but it was too little too late.

Clyde wasted a host of second-half chances as 10-man Ayr held on for a point in a 1-1 draw at Somerset Park.

Pat Keogh blasted the visitors in front after 19 minutes following great work by Leigh Hinds.

Ayr responded three minutes later when Eddie Annand rose to power home an inch-perfect Paul Sheerin cross.

The game erupted when Ayr's Neil Murray was sent packing for appearing to throw a punch at Clyde's John Fraser.

The Bully Wee should have secured the points with Hinds, Fraser and Paul Kane all going close.

Ayr's best chance was a Sheerin rocket which flew just past the post late on.

Queen of the South were deserved 2-0 victors against Ross County as they gained three precious points in their bid to pull away from the relegation area.

It was their first-ever win over the Highland outfit.

They went ahead in 11 minutes when Steve Bowey sent in a cross for Derek Lyle to sweep into the net, and should have gone further ahead when Joe McAlpine hit the ball over the bar from six yards.

The game was held up for 10 minutes just before the interval when the referee was carried off after being hit by the ball, and was replaced by a lineman.

Queens increased their lead four minutes after the interval when Peter Weatherson hit the bar and Lyle was on the spot to net the rebound.

County put in a late rally but just could not pierce the Queens defence.

And Alloa secured three points at Arbroath with a battling 1-0 win thanks to a Ross Hamilton header 10 minutes into the second half.

Arbroath had gone closest in the first half when Craig Feroz sprinted the full length of the pitch and should have scored, but goalkeeper Jimmy Evans made a great save.

At half-time things looked to favour the home team as the visitors had failed to take advantage of a strong wind at their backs, but after the restart Arbroath did not have the same assistance as the wind had dropped to nothing.

Arbroath went close early in the second half when Feroz cracked a powerful drive which forced Evans into another fine save.

Soon afterwards, Gareth Hutchinson almost scored when he found space on the right of Arbroath's area but sent his shot wide.

Then the Wasps scored their winner. Richard Walker combined with Max Christie before crossing to Ross Hamilton, who jumped high to head the ball beyond Craig Hinchcliffe.