Joe Cardle scored a hat-trick and Faissal El Bakhtaoui netted twice as Scottish League One leaders Dunfermline defeated mid-table Stranraer 6-1.

Dunfermline took the lead after 23 minutes when El Bakhtaoui fired into the top corner from 10 yards after Cardle had headed down a cross from Michael Paton.

Five minutes later Cardle's shot was blocked before Michael Moffat put the rebound over the bar. But Cardle was not to be denied just before half-time as he finished off a solo move with Dunfermline's second goal.

Three minutes into the second half Mark McGuigan pulled a goal back for Stranraer but three goals in five minutes put the home side well on top.

Brad McKay headed in Paton's cross and then El Bakhtaoui shot in his second of the game before Cardle also claimed his brace with a shot to make it 5-1.

Cardle completed his hat-trick with 18 minutes remaining from Ryan Wallace's pass.

Brechin's situation at the bottom of Scottish League One worsened after Rory McAllister's hat-trick lifted promotion-chasing Peterhead to a comfortable 4-1 victory.

McAllister netted his first in the 25th minute after converting from Shane Sutherland's cross and added his second on the stroke of half-time with a thunderous strike into the top corner.

Liam Watt pulled one back just after the hour mark, turning in Paul McLean's cross, but McAllister completed his hat-trick with 15 minutes remaining to restore Peterhead's two-goal advantage.

Sutherland then added gloss to the scoreline in the final minute to leave Brechin seven points adrift of ninth-placed Forfar following their third consecutive defeat.

Substitute Lewis Milne scored 11 minutes from time to lift Cowdenbeath to a 3-2 victory at Stenhousemuir.

Following a goalless first 45 minutes, in which neither side came close to breaking the deadlock, the Blue Brazil took a 51st-minute lead thanks to Ross Caldwell's first goal for the club, the striker latching onto a long ball from Declan McDaid before drilling home.

Declan Byrne doubled the visitors' lead four minutes later, converting from Dean Brett's pass, although they were pegged back by two quick-fire headed goals around the hour mark from Colin McMenamin.

Milne had only been on the pitch 12 minutes but he had the final say with his low strike helping Cowdenbeath remain three points above the Ladbrokes League One relegation play-off spot.

Steven Craig clinched a late 1-0 win for Forfar over Albion Rovers which gives them clear daylight above Scottish League One bottom-side Brechin.

Scott Martin's blazed effort over the bar from close range was the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock in a woeful first half.

Both sides continued to toil after the break and Albion went down to 10 men thanks to Scott McBride's second yellow card before Craig clinched the match in stoppage time.

Craig nodded in Michael Kennedy's cross as Forfar followed up their win over Cowdenbeath with another vital victory.

Forfar are now seven points clear of Brechin while Albion remain in the fourth and final play-off place, just a point ahead of Airdrieonians.

Craig Moore claimed a first-half winner as Ayr strengthened their hold on third place in League One with a narrow 1-0 victory over Airdrieonians at Excelsior Stadium.

The home side enjoyed a little more dominance in the first half with Jordan Thompson missing the target on numerous occasions, while, at the other end, Brian Gilmour's effort amounted to nothing before the visitors took the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Ayr defender Paddy Boyle provided Moore with the perfect cross and the Motherwell loanee made no mistake as he tucked the ball home from the centre of the goal for his ninth goal of the season.

The Diamonds tried to pull one back but Ayr stopper Greg Fleming blocked Jamie Bain's shot before Nicky Cadden fired wide as Moore headed over the bar in an attempt to add a second.