Second Division: Crawford departs East Fife and links up again with Nicholl

EAST FIFE have lost Stevie Crawford after a deal was struck last night taking the 37-year-old striker to First Division Cowdenbeath where he will link up with Jimmy Nicholl, his former manager at Raith Rovers. Crawford scored his last goal for East Fife on Saturday in the 4-3 defeat at Livingston.

The former Scotland player equalised on 72 minutes to make it 2-2 after the home team had gone 2-0 up in 12 minutes, Keaghan Jacobs scoring after 35 seconds and Liam Fox adding to that goal. Bobby Linn pulled one back after 28 minutes, pouncing on a mistake from goalkeeper Tony Bullock.

Crawford linked up with Jim Hamilton to score and the visitors went 3-2 up three minutes later when David Muir, who had just sent in an effort that struck both posts, scored. But they were left heartbroken when substitute Bobby Barr levelled on 82 minutes with a fine solo goal and Jacobs struck again a minute from time.

Livingston manager Gary Bollansaid: "We started well and then seemed to forget the game plan, but we came back well and the players deserve credit for that. We have kept hold of top spot and that is pleasing."

Second-placed Ayr United also won 4-3, to sit a point off the pace, in a bad-tempered game with Stenhousemuir. Mark Roberts scored from the spot after just six minutes when Gary Thom fouled Alan Trouten but the Warriors restored parity when they were awarded a penalty kick of their own. Ross Clark netted from 12 yards after home debutant Jim Lauchlan was penalised for holding in the box.

Trouten was dismissed just before half-time following a foul on Sean Dickson, but the ten men took the second half by storm and scored three times in the opening 18 minutes of the second period. McLaughlin corners were headed in by Lauchlan and Ross Robertson before Roberts added a fourth with a finely-weighted chip.

Simon Lynch marked his Stenhousemuir debut as a substitute by pulling a goal back before Ian Thomson reduced the deficit to just one goal. Stenhousemuir manager David Irons said: "Some of the players played better at 4-1 down than when the game was goalless."

Brechin City remain third following their 2-1 win at Dumbarton with on-loan Raith Rovers player Dougie Hill opening the scoring in the first-half with a header. In the second half the Sons' Martin McNiff was dismissed when conceding a penalty, but Rory McAllister missed from the spot. Craig Molloy did make it two with 18 minutes left with Mark Gilhaney pulling a goal back late on for the bottom side in the table.

Brechin manager Jim Weir said: "We made it difficult for ourselves by missing a penalty and losing a late goal."

Peterhead made it three wins out of four league games when they defeated Alloa 4-1 at Balmoor. Alloa went ahead through Stuart Noble's header but Dennis Wyness and Martin Bavidge had the Blue Toon ahead before half an hour.Wyness headed in a third goal in the second-half and substitute Conor Gethins sealed the win right at the death.