Dunfermline extended their lead at the top of Scottish League One with a comfortable 5-0 victory over 10-man Stenhousemuir at East End Park.

Two goals in four first-half minutes around the half-hour mark got the hosts up and running.

The first came from Josh Falkingham, who fired Jason Talbot's free-kick into the bottom corner from just outside the area, before Michael Paton's own set-piece found the top right-hand corner of the net, his first goal of 2016.

Paton turned provider 10 minutes after the break as he picked out Faissal El Bakhtaoui on the right and the French striker slotted home his 24th goal for the Pars this season.

Substitute Ryan Wallace then scored twice either side of Colin McCabe's dismissal, the on-loan Celtic goalkeeper shown a straight red card in conceding a penalty for a professional foul on striker.

Wallace's spot-kick was saved by substitute keeper Jamie Barclay, but he still had time to fire home his side's fifth with 10 minutes remaining as the hosts recorded their fifth win on the bounce.

Jim Lister claimed a second-half brace as Airdrieonians returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Cowdenbeath at Central Park in Scottish League One.

The visitors started the strongest and got off to a great start as David Ferguson picked out loanee Jordan Thompson with the first real chance of the game after five minutes.

The 19-year-old Rangers midfielder fired Ferguson's cross into the top corner from just outside the box for his first goal for the club since joining last week.

Airdrieonians continued to dominate and came close to scoring a second with numerous chances from Nicky Cadden while second-half efforts from Ross Caldwell and Lewis Milne were the closest the home side came to an equaliser.

It was 2-0 after 69 minutes when Thompson's cross found Lister and the 35-year-old striker headed home, although moments later the Blue Brazil pulled one back through Milne.

But Lister fired his second of the match into the bottom-right corner with a little over 10 minutes remaining to seal all three points.

Rory McAllister's injury-time penalty extended Peterhead's unbeaten sequence in Ladbrokes Scottish League One following a 1-1 draw at Albion Rovers.

The visitors had trailed since the 16th minute following Alistair Love's close range finish from Michael Dunlop's pass.

Spas Georgiev was off-target from a similar distance while Peterhead goalkeeper Graeme Smith was forced to make smart saves from Love and Andy Barrowman to ensure there was just the one goal between the teams at half-time.

Peterhead steadily came back into the match in the second half although Scott Ross' off-target header was the closest they came until Scott McBride's handball in the first minute of added-on time, allowing McAllister to slot home as the Blue Toon extended their unbeaten run to 16 league matches.

Craig Pettigrew's second-half strike earned Stranraer a deserved win at home to Forfar in Ladbrokes League One.

Willie Gibson and Ryan Thomson went close for the hosts early on and Mark McGuigan saw a header saved from Pettigrew's cross, while at the other end Cameron Belford denied Andy Ryan just before half-time.

Pettigrew broke the deadlock just after the hour mark when his long-range drive was tipped over by Darren Hill, but from the resulting corner the full-back converted Gibson's delivery.

Ryan's free-kick was saved and Gavin Swankie went close late on as Forfar failed to find an equaliser and the Loons remain in the relegation play-off spot, with Brian Reid's side three places and 10 points better off.

Brechin moved to within a point of ninth-placed Forfar in Ladbrokes Scottish League One after a surprise 1-0 win over promotion-chasing Ayr.

Looking to build on their 4-0 rout of Forfar in midweek, the hosts started brightly in a half of few chances, with Liam Watt shooting over and player-manager Darren Dods heading straight at Ayr goakeeper Greg Fleming.

Graeme Smith was forced into action at the other end on the hour mark with the Brechin custodian fumbling an effort from Jamie Adams before tipping away Jordan Preston's strike.

They proved crucial interventions as Robert Thomson headed home from Watt's cross in the 74th minute, sealing back-to-back victories for rock-bottom Brechin.