Second & Third Division: Late leveller leaves Arbroath disappointed

ONLY one game in the Second Division managed to beat the weather and, just when it looked like hosts Arbroath would be in the perfect frame of mind for Wednesday’s Scottish Cup visit of Celtic, visitors Stenhousemuir struck to secure a 2-2 draw.

Bryan Hodge set Darren Smith up to give the Warriors the lead after three minutes but Steven Doris quickly replied when he shot past Callum 
Reidford. Stuart Malcolm headed Arbroath into a second half lead but, right at the death, 
Stewart Kean knocked in a low Smith cross to level. Gayfield player/manager Paul Sheerin said: “It is disappointing. The Celtic game is huge but I don’t believe it was a distraction.”

In the Third Division, Elgin made life difficult for themselves before emerging with a 2-1 win over visitors Clyde. The Moray men scored an own goal and also saw their captain David Niven sent off.

Mark Nicolson headed a cross from the visiting John Kane past his own goalkeeper on 30 minutes before City levelled when Pat Scullion’s clearance cannoned off Stuart Leslie and flew past Clyde goalkeeper Jamie Barclay.

Niven then picked up his second yellow card just before the hour mark before the ten men rallied and scored the winner nine minutes from time through Craig Gunn, with Leslie also claiming the strike.

Queen’s Park moved into third with a 3-2 success at Annan that was more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests. The Spiders opened the scoring on 25 minutes when Peter Bradley was fouled and Tony Quinn scored from the penalty spot with a second added three minutes after the break through Tony McParland. Aidan Connolly then netted from close range to make it 3-0 with Annan’s Andrew Donley and Michael Daly scoring consolation goals in the last minute.

Berwick and Peterhead drew 1-1 at Shielfield with Scott McLaughlin scoring for the Blue Toon and Darren Lavery replying after a mistake by visiting goalkeeper Graeme Smith.