Scottish League One: Three things we learned as Edinburgh stay strong at the summit
Let’s look at the three talking points as we reach the end of the first quarter of matches in League One…
Results:
Airdrieonians 3 - 3 Queen of the South
Alloa Athletic 0 - 3 Dunfermline Athletic
Clyde 1 - 3 Montrose
FC Edinburgh 2 - 0 Kelty Hearts
Peterhead 0 - 4 Falkirk
Citizens build on midweek win with victory over Kelty to remain top of the pile
Goals from Danny Handling and Callum Crane was enough for FC Edinburgh to remain two points clear at the top of the table in a comfortable win over Kelty Hearts at Meadowbank.
Handling opened the scoring for the hosts in the sixth minute before Crane doubled their advantage with 20 minutes remaining, putting the game out of sight.
It is now three wins on the trot for Alan Maybury’s side, who have only lost once in their last six league matches. Meanwhile, the visitors remain second-bottom, however, they have the opportunity to leapfrog Clyde when Queen of the South visit New Central Park on Tuesday evening.
Next Saturday, first meet second as Edinburgh are on the road to Dunfermline in what will be a serious test to their credentials as league leaders, while it’s the second home match in a week for Kelty as they welcome Clyde- a game which is arguably a six-pointer for both teams.
FC Edinburgh manager, Alan Maybury: “It’s never easy and an example of that is in the first-half when we gave the ball away, and there’s seven or eight players fighting to make sure they [Kelty] didn’t get a shot- which shows where we are at the moment. In the second-half, we weathered the storm and got chance after chance, but I never felt they threatened us.”
Dunfermline ease past in-form Wasps as the only unbeaten team in the SPFL
Dunfermline made a step in the right direction in their mission to reclaim top-spot with victory away to Alloa Athletic in Clackmannanshire.
Aaron Comrie was first on the scoresheet for the Pars after 30 minutes before Matthew Todd added a second on the brink of half-time. Craig Wighton tripled the visitors advantage in the 79th minute as James McPake’s charges made it back-to-back wins for the first time since early August.
However, defeat for the Wasps inflicts their first loss in four league matches as they slip to sixth.
The Pars have a perfect opportunity to return to the league summit next weekend as they welcome incumbent leaders Edinburgh to East End Park, while Alloa visit Airdrieonians at the Excelsior Stadium.
Alloa Athletic manager, Brian Rice: “I thought the first-half was tough and we didn’t really start the game. I was hoping to go down a goal at half-time and make a few changes, but then we lost a poor second goal, which we should’ve defended better. In the second-half, we got going, made a few chances, but Dunfermline took theirs and we didn’t.”
Dunfermline Athletic manager, James McPake: “It was a good result with three good goals. The fans deserved a performance and they got it. We’ve been asking the wingbacks, when playing that shape to get in at the back post. For some reason, they don’t want to do it, but Aaron did today and you get your rewards.”
Airdrie and Queen’s in six-goal thriller as Diamonds slip out of the top four
Gavin Reilly ultimately rescued a point for Queen of the South in a dramatic match against Airdrieonians, where four goals were scored before half-time and two after five minutes.
Josh Todd broke the deadlock with three minutes on the clock, however, the hosts replied almost immediately with Calum Gallagher’s equaliser 120 seconds later. Callum Fordyce put the home side in front nine minutes later and while they looked certain to have the advantage at the interval, Harry Cochrane popped up with the leveller in the 42nd minute.
The Diamonds regained their lead shortly after the hour, courtesy of Callum Smith’s strike, but it wasn’t long until Reilly brought it back to equal terms in the 63rd minute.
Cammy Ballantyne was dismissed for the home side after picking up a second yellow with 12 minutes of normal time remaining.
The result means it is three games unbeaten for the Doonhammers who remain seventh. The Dumfries club are still yet to set the heather alight and prove themselves as serious promotion contenders. However, the opposite can be said for the Diamonds with the Lanarkshire side on a three game winless run. Having been a point behind top-spot four weeks ago, they now find themselves fifth.
Next weekend, Airdrie are at home to Alloa, while Queen’s visit Kelty Hearts in midweek, before welcoming Peterhead to Dumfries.
Airdrieonians player-manager, Rhys McCabe: “The frustrating part is over the past two games we have gifted all seven goals and we could’ve stopped the goals with the basics of football. The sending-off late on makes it a bit frantic, you’re still trying to gamble and make sure we aren’t too open at the back. Overall, a point to build on, but room for improvement.”
Elsewhere, Falkirk climbed into the promotion play-off positions with a routine victory over Peterhead. Montrose ended the week with two wins in four days after a late comeback saw them get the better of 10-men Clyde.
Scottish League One Table: As It Stands