Partick Thistle made up ground on the Scottish Championship leaders after thrashing struggling Arbroath 4-0.

Third-placed Partick were ahead after 12 minutes through striker Brian Graham, who latched on to a ball from Aaron Muirhead and rounded goalkeeper Derek Gaston before slotting home.

Graham had a great chance to double Partick’s lead after 41 minutes but was well denied one-on-one by Gaston.

The hosts did get their second six minutes after the break as Aidan Fitzpatrick fired past Gaston from inside the area.

Tomi Adeloye ended Arbroath’s resistance with two goals in as many minutes in the closing stages, firing in a first-time strike for his opener before latching on to Harry Milne’s pass and finishing smartly.

The visitors are bottom of the table after extending their winless run to four matches.

Inverness leapfrogged fellow strugglers Ayr in the cinch Championship table after a 3-1 victory at Somerset Park.

The visitors went ahead in the 29th minute when Billy Mckay took advantage of a defensive error to net his ninth goal of the season.

Inverness made sure of the points early in the second half as Morgan Boyes scored twice in the space of eight minutes.

Ayr pulled a goal back in the 65th minute when Logan Chalmers lashed home, while Cameron Harper hit the crossbar for Inverness late on.

George Oakley’s hat-trick extended Morton’s unbeaten run in the cinch Championship to seven games after a dramatic 3-2 win at Dundee United.

Morton made a bright start and were two goals ahead after 36 minutes thanks to Oakley’s first-half double.

United reduced the deficit almost immediately through Kai Fotheringham’s header and Louis Moult equalised for the hosts from close range just before half-time.

Dundee United, who remain second in the table, had Craig Sibbald sent off in the 88th minute and were made to pay as Oakley completed his treble.

Rock bottom Queen’s Park gave their cinch Championship survival hopes a boost with a 2-1 win over Dunfermline.

Ruari Paton’s fine strike and Dom Thomas’ deflected effort gave them victory, despite Ben Summers pulling a goal back late on, to move level on points with fellow strugglers Arbroath.

Paton thought he had opened the scoring in the first half only for his effort to be disallowed for offside against Cameron Bruce in the build up, although replays showed he was clearly onside.

The striker did net after 55 minutes when he drilled in low from the edge of the box and Thomas’ strike doubled the lead with 11 minutes left, only for Summers to make it a nervy finish.

Daniel O’Reilly scored twice as Raith Rovers stayed clear at the top of the Scottish Championship with a 2-1 derby victory away to Dunfermline.

When Dunfermline failed to clear Josh Mullin’s cross, O’Reilly fired the visitors in front with 11 minutes gone, but Ben Summers brought Dunfermline level with a superb solo goal, his first at senior level, seven minutes before half-time.

Six minutes into the second half, O’Reilly headed home from a corner and this time the hosts could not find a response.

The win keeps Rovers three points clear of Dundee United at the top of the table.

Louis Moult bagged a brace as Dundee United’s promotion push in the cinch Championship continued with a 3-0 victory at Arbroath.

After a slightly delayed kick-off due to congestion at the Gayfield Park turnstiles, Moult – having already gone close with a shot narrowly wide – put the visitors in front in the 38th minute, slotting in a finish teed up by Tony Watt’s cut-back.

Mark Stowe put an attempt just over for Arbroath moments later, before United doubled their advantage three minutes into the second half via Glenn Middleton’s lofted effort.

Five minutes later the Terrors, and Moult, had another as the former Motherwell striker headed in from a Kai Fotheringham cross for his eighth league goal of the season.

The result left Jim Goodwin’s side three points behind table-toppers Raith Rovers, who won 2-1 at Dunfermline, while Jim McIntyre’s Arbroath stayed second bottom.

Partick Thistle bounced back to winning ways by beating Queen’s Park 3-2 in the cinch Championship.

Harry Milne converted Aidan Fitzpatrick’s cross after 27 minutes to open the scoring, but bottom-placed Queen’s Park quickly levelled through Ruari Paton’s close-range finish.

Fitzpatrick restored the home side’s lead straight after the break and Lewis Neilson’s header five minutes from time gave the home side some breathing space.

Parton scored his second from a delightful free-kick in the final minute, but third-placed Partick held on for a first win in three games.

Robbie Muirhead’s hat-trick secured Morton a comfortable 3-0 victory over Ayr at Cappielow.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring when he headed home Cameron Blues’ cross from close range in the 35th minute.

His second came after the break, when he raced down the left flank before rifling a right-footed effort past Robbie Mutch.

Muirhead capped off an inspired afternoon with a third from the edge of the penalty area, firing home a left-footed finish into the bottom-right corner.

The result created some breathing room between the winners and their opponents, who entered the contest level on 19 points.

Airdrie earned back-to-back cinch Championship victories with a 2-0 win against Inverness.

The hosts went close in the early stages when Charlie Telfer’s free-kick flew past a post and Mason Hancock had a low effort saved by Mark Ridgers.

The Inverness goalkeeper was called into action again to deny Gabby McGill from a corner and the hosts had another chance 10 minutes into the second half when Rhys McCabe’s curling effort went wide.

Airdrie eventually broke the deadlock in the 61st minute when Nikolay Todorov headed home from a corner to send them in front and Inverness had a chance to equalise in the 82nd minute when Cameron Harper’s shot was blocked by Callum Fordyce.

Fordyce then wrapped up the win three minutes later, heading home from Telfer’s free-kick for Airdrie to move fourth in the table.

Cinch Championship relegation-battlers Inverness fought out a goalless draw with Morton to keep themselves a point clear of the bottom two.

Caley – who had lost two of their previous three games – made a bright start as Max Anderson and Cameron Harper both had efforts on goal blocked before David Wotherspoon also went close.

Morton threatened when Steven Boyd’s 20-yard effort curled over the crossbar.

Inverness went close again early in the second half when Billy Mckay’s angled shot was saved by Ryan Mullen before Charlie Gilmour fired over.

Morton forward Robbie Muirhead sent his effort just wide and in stoppage-time, Caley substitute David Carson sliced a shot off target as both sides had to settle for a draw.

Arbroath goalkeeper Ali Adams came off the bench as a makeshift striker and scored a superb long-range goal to help secure a 2-2 draw at cinch Championship leaders Raith.

Raith, looking to extend their 11-match unbeaten run, took the lead in the 34th minute when Dylan Easton finished off a quick passing move.

Jack Hamilton looked to have put the game beyond the relegation-battling visitors when he headed in a second on the hour.

The Red Lichties, though, mounted a superb fightback in the closing stages, sparked by a fine effort from Adams.

The 32-year-old keeper had been sent on for his league debut just before the hour mark, but as an outfield player to replace injured defender Aaron Steele after the visitors – with only four players named on the bench – had used up all their other substitutes.

With 15 minutes left, the ball dropped to Adams around 25 yards out – and he spun to crash a half-volley soaring over Rovers keeper Maciej Dabrowski and into the top corner.

Arbroath earned a point when Leighton McIntosh slotted in a penalty in the 81st minute following a handball by Scott Brown.

Substitute Nikolay Todorov struck deep into stoppage time as Airdrie came from behind to win 2-1 at Scottish Championship bottom side Queen’s Park.

Queen’s Park, without a win in 13 games, took the lead from a penalty in the 34th minute. Jack Turner was brought down by Diamonds keeper Joshua Rae and Dominic Thomas slotted in the spot-kick.

Airdrie second-half pressure was rewarded when midfielder Mason Hancock headed in an equaliser from a corner in the 66th minute.

Just when it looked like the match would end all square, the Diamonds secured a first win in four league games when Bulgarian Todorov collected a long pass to fire home in the third minute of added time.

Arbroath goalkeeper Ally Adams came off the bench as a makeshift striker and scored a superb long-range goal to help secure a 2-2 draw at cinch Championship leaders Raith.

Raith, looking to extend their 11-match unbeaten run, took the lead in the 34th minute when Dylan Easton finished off a quick passing move.

Jack Hamilton looked to have put the game beyond the relegation-battling visitors when he headed in a second on the hour.

The Red Lichties, though, mounted a superb fightback in the closing stages, sparked by a fine effort from Adams.

The 32-year-old keeper had been sent on for his league debut just before the hour mark, but as an outfield player to replace injured defender Aaron Steele after the visitors – with only four players named on the bench – had used up all their other substitutes.

With 15 minutes left, the ball dropped to Adams around 25 yards out – and he spun to crash a half-volley soaring over Rovers keeper Maciej Dabrowski and into the top corner.

Arbroath earned a point when Leighton McIntosh slotted in a penalty in the 81st minute following a handball by Scott Brown.

Ayr fought back to draw 2-2 with Dunfermline in the cinch Championship after Alex Jakubiak had scored his first goals for the visitors.

Jakubiak struck twice within the opening nine minutes to put the Pars in command.

Ayr pulled one back four minutes before the break when Joe Chalmers failed to clear and Aiden McGeady swept home.

Skipper Frankie Musonda secured a point for Ayr by heading home George Stanger’s cross after 62 minutes.

Tony Watt’s 30th birthday hat-trick lifted Dundee United to a 3-0 victory over Partick Thistle at Tannadice.

The Jags had been unable to deal with a loose ball inside their six-yard box and it eventually made its way to Watt, who scrambled in and sent the opener into the top right corner just after the six-minute mark.

Captain Watt sent his second into the low corner to double United’s lead after 86 minutes and completed his hat-trick just three minutes later.

His big festive 3-0 came when he headed home Glenn Middleton’s cross to ensure his second-placed side are just two behind league-leading Raith Rovers.