East Fife withstood a nervous last 15 minutes to snatch a 2-1 win at Queens Park
that keeps them top of the Third Division.
The visitors began the contest at an electric pace and cruised into a deserved
two-goal advantage.
Imposing striker Kenny Deuchar headed in Ross Graham's delivery after 32
minutes and had a hand in the Fifers' second on the hour mark after heading onto
Graham who made no mistake with a fine finish.
However, David McAllam's stunning 25-yard drive after 76 minutes set up a
grandstand finish but the visitors held their nerve and claimed three important
points.
Promotion-chasing Albion Rovers kept up with the Division Three leaders thanks
to an emphatic 4-0 win at woeful East Stirling.
The visitors took just five minutes to take the lead when Jim Dick's precise
pass gave Jim Mercer the chance to cheekily lob goalkeeper Chris Todd from the
edge of the penalty area.
Half an hour later, Rovers doubled their advantage when Mark Yardley converted
Jered Stirling's pinpoint free-kick.
It was all one-way traffic and five minutes into the second half the points
were Albion's as Mercer grabbed his second goal with a curling drive from 25
yards.
After Chris Silvestro and Todd Lumsden had hit the woodwork, the rout was
completed after 85 minutes when substitute Charles McLean fired home from close
range.
Steve Nicholas bagged a brace as Stirling ran out convincing 4-0 home winners
over hapless Elgin.
Albion broke the deadlock in the 17th minute when Nicholas raced into the area
and sent the ball across goal to allow David O'Brien the easiest of strikes from
close range.
Eight minutes later, the home side doubled their advantage when David
McGeown's fine cross was headed into the net by Ian Morris.
A minute before the break Stirling grabbed their third goal from the penalty
spot when David Ross upended Robert Dunn, and Nicholas despatched the resulting
spot-kick.
Nicholas grabbed his second goal and his side`s fourth in the 59th minute when
he burst forward from a Morris pass and coolly slotted the ball past goalkeeper
Martin Pirie.
Peterhead leapfrogged Morton in the table with a well-deserved 3-1 victory
thanks to Ian Stewart's second hat-trick in as many games.
Stewart put his side into the lead after half-an-hour when he expertly clipped
the ball over advancing goalkeeper Craig Coyle.
And a minute before half-time, Stewart added his second with a precise
back-post finish from the tightest of angles.
Morton pulled a goal back after 53 minutes when substitute Warren Hawke headed
high into the top corner.
But Peterhead were not to be denied and Stewart
grabbed the decisive third after 81 minutes with a deft finish from six yards.
Gregor McKechnie's injury-time strike denied 10-man Gretna three points in the
dramatic 2-2 draw with Montrose.
The home side started brightly and it was no surprise when Gretna opened the
scoring after three minutes when Graeme Thompson headed into his own net
following intense pressure from Mike Galloway.
Another defensive mistake gifted Gretna a second in the 22nd minute when
Graham McCheyne failed to control a simple pass and Brian Fairbairn capitalised
with a low drive past goalkeeper Gary McGlynne.
The visitors battled back positively though, and halved the deficit when
McKechnie's hook shot somehow found its way past the unsighted David Mathieson
at the start of the second half.
Gretna squandered several gilt-edged chances and were left to pay the price
after substitute Stephen Skinner lost his composure with two minutes remaining
and was sent off for kicking Barry Donachie in the ribs.
Skinner's moment of madness was to prove damaging as McKechnie waltzed through
a static Gretna defence and slotted home in injury time to earn Montrose a share
of the spoils.
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