First Division: Chasing pack close in as Saints are frozen out

Published on Sunday 25 January 2009 22:11

WITH leaders St Johnstone idle and bottom club Airdrie United beating Dundee, only 14 points separate all ten teams. The Diamonds are now only one point short of the total achieved by Stirling Albion who finished bottom of the table last season.

The clash between St Johnstone and second-placed Dunfermline at McDiarmid Park was postponed because of frost, giving the chasing pack a chance to gain ground.

Partick Thistle remain in third place after a 2-2 draw at Palmerston Park against Queen of the South. The Doonhamers, on a run of 12 matches without victory, were ahead twice and also watched as Jonny Tuffey made a magnificent late save from a Neil Scally header.

Stephen Dobbie shot the Dumfries side ahead in 16 minutes with Thistle new boy Kris Doolan netting his first goal for the club when he headed home a minute later. Stevie Tosh restored the home side's lead when he rolled a second-half penalty past Tuffey after Paul Paton tripped Robert Harris.

Substitute Scott Chaplain shot the Glasgow side level for a second time with 15 minutes remaining to keep Ian McCall's team on the coat-tails of the top two.

Morton looked well on their way to their sixth home win of the season when they went two up on Livingston. However, two goals in the last ten minutes changed the game. Brian Wake slid in to open the scoring for the home side in 13 minutes and former Gretna player Ryan McGuffie glanced home a header three minutes later.

Livingston trialist striker Armand One hit the woodwork in the second half before Leigh Griffiths netted from close range to ignite their fightback.

Home defender Chris Smith then diverted a low Anthony McParland cross into his own net with his head with only three minutes remaining to make it 2-2. Morton manager David Irons said: "We were magnificent for the first hour and if we had grabbed a third goal we would have won."

Paul Di Giacomo's close range volley midway through the second half deservedly won the points for Airdrie United in their 1-0 win over Dundee. Diamonds manager Kenny Black said: "We are beginning to drag ourselves back into the teams above us. We have 14 games left and we will need to win at least six or seven of them to stay up."

Dundee manager Jocky Scott was critical of his side, saying: "We got exactly what we deserved which was nothing. I feel sorry for the supporters that turned up to watch that. We did not do them justice and overall we were poor, the players are good enough to do better and they know where I want to take this club."

Clyde, with new signing Gregory Tade in their ranks, got back to winning ways for the first time in a month with a 2-0 victory over a Ross County side who had won their last two league games. Willie McLaren opened the scoring just before half-time when he ran through on goal and slipped the ball under Derek Soutar with Ricky Waddell benefiting from McLaren's handy work to seal things midway through the second half.

Clyde manager John Brown said: "The whole team played well but Willie was exceptional and if he keeps playing like that he will not be here for long. We had a game plan to stop Ross County knocking the ball around us as they have in previous games." County manager Derek Adams was honest enough to admit: "Clyde deserved to win."