East Fife 0 Airdrie 2: Striker nets brace as Diamonds cut gap on league leaders

Airdrie made it 16 League One games unbeaten and heaped pressure on Cove Rangers with a comfortable 2-0 win at Bayview against East Fife.

The Diamonds dominated the early stages without creating anything too clear cut, with Calum Gallagher going close with an ambitious lob.

Dylan Easton then hit the bar from a free-kick as momentum built for away manager Ian Murray and Gallagher eventually put the Lanarkshire side in front before half-time, making it a brace after the break.

Stevie Crawford's team had fought back and Hearts loanee Finlay Pollock was denied a crucial goal by the post before the second away strike squashed their comeback charge.

Murray's side are still second in the third tier, but with first-placed Cove Rangers not playing until Sunday at Queen's Park, the gap has been cut to just two points with four games to go. East Fife are five adrift at the bottom.

Airdrie were missing key man Rhys McCabe as Josh Kerr came into the Diamonds defence following their 1-1 draw with leaders Cove last Saturday.

Remaining five points behind Peter Hartley's side with five to play, a victory at Bayview was paramount to their title ambitions, having already secured a promotion play-off spot.

They almost had an audacious opener through Gallagher after eight minutes. The striker noticed goalkeeper Jude Smith off his line and his effort from around 40 yards out flew narrowly over the bar.

Easton's curling a minute later wasn't quite as spectacular but his curling shot went wide. Ryan Blair perhaps could have done better with a home chance on 16 minutes as a warning shot was fired.

There were soon claims for a Diamonds penalty on 19 minutes with Smith coming out of his goal and colliding with Gabby McGill, but nothing was given.