Dundee have secured the services of highly-regarded midfielder Lyall Cameron on a new two-year deal.

The homegrown 20-year-old was instrumental in the Dens Park side winning the cinch Championship this season, scoring 14 goals and being named the club’s player of the year.

There were fears among supporters that Dundee may lose their prized asset as his previous deal expired this summer and he had been linked with other clubs, but the Dark Blues have moved to tie him down until 2025.

Dundee are currently searching for a new manager after Gary Bowyer left earlier this week, just days after securing the team’s return to the Premiership.

Partick Thistle have announced the death of manager Kris Doolan’s father.

The Maryhill club confirmed that Lawrence Doolan died on Thursday morning.

The news comes the day before the Jags face Queen’s Park in the second leg of their Premiership play-off quarter-final.

Doolan’s side beat the Spiders 4-3 in the first leg on Tuesday night at Firhill.

A statement on the club’s website read: “All at Partick Thistle FC are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lawrence Doolan, the father of first-team manager Kris Doolan, this morning.

“We know every Partick Thistle supporter and all connected with the club will join us in sending their love, thoughts and condolences to Kris and his family at this difficult time.”

Manager Gary Bowyer and assistant Billy Barr have left Dundee just a few days after winning the cinch Championship title.

Bowyer took charge at Dens Park last summer and secured promotion back to the Scottish Premiership at the first time of asking following victory over rivals Queen’s Park on May 5.

The former Blackburn and Salford boss has been linked with a move back to another of his old clubs, Blackpool, who have been relegated to League One.

In announcing Bowyer’s departure, Dundee said certainty was needed as the club headed into the summer, with technical director Gordon Strachan set to oversee the recruitment process for a new manager.

“Dundee Football Club can confirm the departure of manager Gary Bowyer and assistant Billy Barr,” a club statement read.

“Gary helped the club achieve its objective of an immediate return to the cinch Premiership and we are grateful to him for leading us to the cinch Championship and automatic promotion.

“Now is the time for certainty as we enter a critical summer of work in the transfer market and on the training ground, to ensure the first-team squad is ready to compete in the Premiership and remain in the top division.”

Dundee managing director John Nelms added: “Given the importance of the weeks and months ahead, I felt it was necessary to ensure we are all aligned on the direction needed to ensure the club is ready for its return to the Premiership.

“On behalf of everyone at the club, not least our fans, we wish Gary the best for the future and reiterate our thanks for his achievements in the past year.”

Airdrie hit five first-half goals before bouncing back from a red card for their goalkeeper to thrash Falkirk 6-2 in the first leg of their cinch Championship play-off semi-final.

Falkirk finished one place above Airdrie in second spot in League One but John McGlynn’s side suffered a disastrous opening period in Lanarkshire.

Gabby McGill hit the crossbar not long before setting up Justin Devenny to fire an eighth-minute opener and the Diamonds were three up inside 16 minutes after player-manager Rhys McCabe smashed in a free-kick and Callum Smith netted after charging down a clearance and playing a one-two with McGill.

Former Bairns defender Aaron Taylor-Sinclair headed his first Airdrie goal in the 31st minute and 10 minutes later he flicked a corner into the path of Callum Fordyce to make it 5-0.

Falkirk pulled one back in the 61st minute when Coll Donaldson headed home and they got a further lifeline four minutes later when Airdrie keeper Josh Rae was sent off for bringing down Rumarn Burrell.

Substitute goalkeeper David Hutton came on and immediately had to pick the ball out of the net when Kai Kennedy’s free-kick was deflected past him.

But there was more drama to come. Falkirk forward Jordan Allan was sent off in stoppage-time for a foul on Hutton and McCabe netted a penalty at the other end after Ben Stanway was brought down in the box.

Substitute Luke Donnelly grabbed the only goal of the game to give Alloa a slender advantage in their cinch Championship play-off against Hamilton.

Donnelly came off the bench after just 25 minutes following a serious-looking injury to Adam King, who went down off the ball and was taken off the pitch on a stretcher after receiving treatment.

That led to five minutes of added time in the first half, during which the ball broke for Donnelly who rifled home.

Reghan Tumilty almost hit straight back for the visitors, who are looking to preserve their place in the second tier after their ninth-placed finish, but saw his effort canon back off the crossbar.

It remained a tightly-fought match during the second half, with Quinn Coulson close to making it 2-0 when he was denied by the frame of the goal.

Gary Bowyer hailed the resilience of his Dundee players after they sealed a return to the cinch Premiership with a 5-3 win over Queen’s Park in Friday night’s Championship title shootout.

The Dens Park side edged a thrilling encounter at Ochilview to bounce back to the top flight at the first time of asking following their relegation a year ago.

“It was a magnificent effort from the players tonight,” Bowyer, who was appointed Dundee manager last summer, told BBC Scotland. “They deserve it, they’ve been brilliant all season.

“We only signed one permanent player and we’ve brought lads in on loan but the way they’ve stuck together and the resilience they have shown has been fantastic.

“Everybody said Dundee are favourites, Dundee should do this, Dundee should do that, but you’ve got to go out and do it. These lads went out and did it and I’m delighted for them.”

Bowyer went through a full range of emotions in a topsy-turvy first half that ended 3-3 before second-half strikes from Lyall Cameron and Luke McCowan gave Dundee a two-goal cushion over a Queen’s side who knew they needed a win to overhaul the Dark Blues at the summit.

“It was a fantastic start, then it wasn’t such a great start, and the goals we conceded were poor but we’ll let that go now obviously,” said Bowyer.

“It was just absolutely amazing the resilience they had and the way they fought. They kept coming back. The spirit and character they had was just brilliant.”

After seeing his players lift the Championship trophy at Ochilview following a pitch invasion by jubilant supporters, Bowyer is intent on making an impact in the top flight.

“The club have now got to stop being a yo-yo club and try and get established in the Premiership,” he said. “We’ll go and attack it next season. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done both on and off the pitch for that but that’s not for tonight.”

Queen’s Park slipped from second to third and must now come through six play-off matches if they are to win promotion, starting with a two-legged showdown with Partick Thistle.

Manager Owen Coyle admitted his side’s defending proved costly.

“Attacking-wise we know what we’ve got in our team but I think over the course of the season our Achilles heel has been defending situations and we certainly didn’t do that well tonight,” he said. “Congratulations to Dundee but the goals we gave away…

“There was so much to be pleased about but the bottom line is we’ve lost a game where we could have been champions.

“If we are to get to the Premiership this year we’ve got to do it through the play-offs. We’re hurt and disappointed but we’ll get the players lifted and we’ll go again.”

A goalless draw ensured Arbroath will play Scottish Championship football next season while Hamilton must try to do the same via the play-offs.

Accies began the day bottom of the table and staring at automatic relegation but a point lifted them above Cove Rangers on goal difference.

Instead, they will take on either Alloa or Airdrie in the League One play-offs as they attempt to secure second tier football again.

Chances were at a premium – Hamilton’s Daniel O’Reilly had a shot saved by Derek Gaston in the first half while in the second David Gold came close twice in quick succession for Arbroath, hitting the bar on the second occasion.

Scott Tiffoney struck a 68th-minute equaliser as Partick Thistle snatched a place in the Premiership play-offs with a 2-2 draw in their final cinch Championship match of the season at Raith.

Thistle took a 21st-minute lead through Darren Brownlie at Stark’s Park but Rovers pulled level before the break with a Lewis Vaughan penalty after handball by Ross Docherty.

The hosts went ahead through Scott McGill after good work by Kieran Ngwenya just before the hour but Partick quickly hit back.

Tiffoney claimed the crucial goal and ensured his side finished fourth in the table when he tucked home at the far post after Raith, who end the campaign in seventh, failed to clear.

Mark McKenzie scored an 88th-minute winner as Ayr clinched second place in the Scottish Championship with a 2-1 victory over Inverness.

Josh Mullin gave the visitors the lead in the 34th minute after being played clean through and they held on to their advantage until eight minutes from time, when Nathan Shaw equalised.

A draw would have meant both teams missed the play-offs but a late winner would have secured a top-four finish for whoever scored.

And it was the visitors who got it as McKenzie proved to be the hero in the 88th minute by scoring from Daire O’Connor’s cross.

There was still time for a nervous moment when Austin Samuels had the ball in the net for Scottish Cup finalists Caley Thistle but it was ruled out for offside.

Cove Rangers were relegated from the Scottish Championship after losing 2-1 to 10-man Greenock Morton.

Jack Baird headed in a corner for Morton after only two minutes, and Robbie Muirhead thought he had doubled the lead shortly afterwards only for the offside flag to deny him.

Declan Glass then levelled with a long-range effort just before half-time, and Morton were reduced to 10 men four minutes after the break when Cameron Blues was shown a second yellow card.

Cove looked the more likely winners, with Brian Schwake denying Connor Scully, Tony Weston and Glass, but Muirhead let fly from 35 yards for the winner in the 73rd minute, condemning Cove to the drop.

There was ultimately disappointment for Morton, though, as they missed out on the play-offs on goal difference.

Dundee secured their return to the cinch Premiership with a 5-3 win over nearest challengers Queen’s Park in a breathless Championship decider at Ochilview.

A point would have been enough for the Dens Park side to claim automatic promotion but they ended their campaign on a high as second-half strikes from Lyall Cameron and Luke McCowan killed off the challenge of the brave Spiders following an astonishing first half in which six goals were shared.

Both sides went into the much-hyped showdown in unconvincing form, with Queen’s – aiming to get back into the top flight for the first time since 1958 – having lost four of their previous six matches and Dundee on a run of one win in five.

Any notion that a lack of confidence within both sides allied to the pressure of the occasion might lead to a cagey affair was emphatically banished by an incredible start that brought four goals within the opening 17 minutes.

Dundee signalled their intent in the third minute when Cameron shot just wide after being teed up by Alex Jakubiak on the edge of the box.

The same players combined just a minute later as the visitors took the lead when Cameron took advantage of a slip by Malachi Boateng inside the box and cut the ball back for Jakubiak to slot home from eight yards out.

The hosts tried to find a response and Dominic Thomas saw an inswinging free-kick from the right pushed behind by goalkeeper Adam Legzdins in the ninth minute.

The resulting corner led to an equaliser as centre-back Charlie Fox seized on a bouncing ball 25 yards out and unleashed a sensational dipping half volley that looped over Legzdins and into the net.

And Queen’s edged themselves ahead in the 12th minute when Connor Shields fired home a superb angled volley from the edge of the six-yard box after Grant Savoury’s shot had been blocked.

The frenetic start continued as Dundee levelled things up once more in the 17th minute when defender Lee Ashcroft volleyed in from six yards after Dan Sweeney headed McCowan’s cross back across goal.

The visitors almost struck again five minutes later when Barry Maguire crashed a shot off the crossbar.

Dundee restored their lead in the 34th minute when Zach Robinson forced the ball home from close range after Queen’s made a mess of trying to clear a Jakubiak ball across the box.

The first-half scoring was not finished, however, and Spiders defender Fox netted his second of the night in stoppage time when he powered home a header from another Thomas corner to make it 3-3.

Queen’s went close to taking the lead three minutes after the interval when Shields’ shot from just inside the box was brilliantly tipped behind by Legzdins.

But it was Dundee who took control of the title race in the 54th minute when Cameron kept his cool to tuck home a low shot from 15 yards out after good work by McCowan and Jakubiak to create the opening.

McCowan then sealed the deal in the 81st minute when he curled in a superb shot from just outside the box to consign Queen’s to the play-offs. The final whistle was greeted by a pitch invasion from jubilant Dundee fans.