Scottish football play-offs ignited by former Rangers and Hibs man amid six-goal first-half thriller up north

Veteran forward Jamie Murphy scored a crucial goal for Ayr United as they seized the advantage in their Premiership play-off quarter-final against Partick Thistle.

Murphy glanced home a header on 55 minutes at Firhill to give Ayr a 1-0 win over Partick ahead of the second leg back at Somerset Park on Friday night.

The Honest Men will now be favourites to set up a semi-final clash against Livingston next week, with the winner of that tie moving on to face the 11th-placed Premiership team in the final.

Jamie Murphy netted the winner for Ayr against Partick at Firhill. | SNS Group

The play-offs are often built up as dramatic encounters, but the first half in Maryhill failed to live up to that billing as referee David Dickinson booked five players in a tempestuous 45 minutes in which neither side shone.

The second half was more entertaining, with Ayr making the breakthrough ten minutes in. It was 35-year-old Murphy who showed his intelligence, with the former Motherwell, Rangers and Hibs man timing his run perfectly to nod a Connor McLennan cross beyond the Thistle goalkeeper David Mitchell.

Thistle came close to equalising in stoppage-time, but player/caretaker manager Brian Graham's header drifted just wide of the post in a match that saw nine yellow cards in total.

Diamonds sparkle at Ochilview

On a busy night of play-off action, Airdrieonians were comprehensive winners over Stenhousemuir in the first leg of their Championship semi-final away at Ochilview. Lewis McGrattan netted a first-half double and then Chris Mochrie added a third in the second period and while Stenny did score a consolation through Matthew Aitken's 89th-minute penalty, the Diamonds have a strong 3-1 lead going back to Lanarkshire at the weekend.

The other Championship play-off semi-final was a far cagier affair, with Queen of the South and Cove Rangers drawing 0-0 at Palmerston Park ahead of the second leg on Saturday at the Balmoral Stadium.

Tommy Muir scored twice for Annan at Elgin. | SNS Group

In the League One play-offs, Elgin City and Annan Athletic served up a first-half thriller at Borough Briggs, with six goals scored. Annan went into the interval 4-2 ahead thanks to strikes from Tommy Muir (2), Tommy Goss and Max Kilsby, with Elgin netting through Ryan Sargent and Jack Murray.

The second half was far tamer, but Annan will not complain going into the second leg at Galabank.

Edinburgh City hold a slender advantage going into the second leg of their League One semi-final play-off after on-loan Hibs striker Malik Zaid scored a 77th-minute winner to defeat East Fife 1-0 at Meadowbank Stadium.