Lewis Vaughan scored a hat-trick as Scottish Championship leaders Raith clawed back a 4-4 draw against 10-man Ayr in a thrilling contest.

Aiden McGeady opening the scoring in the 28th minute, slotting the ball into the bottom corner to hand Ayr the lead, but Raith responded a minute later when Sam Stanton went around the goalkeeper to roll the ball home.

Ayr were soon reduced to 10 men when Sean McGinty was sent off in the 43rd minute and Vaughan quickly took advantage to put Rovers in front two minutes later with a header into the top corner.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the Honest Men equalised 10 minutes into the second half when Ben Dempsey fired home from outside of the box and Logan Chalmers put them back in front in the 63rd minute, only for Vaughan to level in the 81st minute from the penalty spot.

The drama continued as Ahkeem Rose restored Ayr’s lead four minutes later, but Vaughan had the final say with a goal in stoppage time to salvage a point for the leaders.

Raith fought back to edge a seven-goal cinch Championship thriller at home to Partick Thistle to move top of the table after extending their unbeaten league run to eight matches following a topsy-turvy 4-3 win.

November signing Daniel O’Reilly headed Sam Stanton’s cross home following a corner for his first goal for the club after 13 minutes but the next six goals were to come after the break.

Dylan Easton doubled Rovers’ lead at the start of the second half as he picked out the bottom corner but an own goal from O’Reilly reduced the deficit as he got the last touch on Kerr McInroy’s free-kick.

Brian Graham fired home a penalty to put the visitors level just before the hour mark and Blair Alston put the Jags ahead for the first time as he slotted the ball home at the far post 10 minutes later.

But Raith were not done yet and they scored two goals in quick succession as first, Callum Smith’s curling effort found the bottom corner, while Stanton fired Smith’s assist home with eight minutes remaining to clinch maximum points.

Jamie Gullan’s penalty four mintues into time added on earned Raith a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Inverness.

The home side had led thanks to Billy Mckay’s goal just after the hour, but Lewis Vaughan’s late equaliser and Gullan’s even later penalty turned things around.

Caley went ahead when Mckay met David Wotherspoon’s 61st-minute cross with a terrific header.

But the visitors hit back four minutes from time when Vaughan flicked the ball over a defender and finished.

And there was still time for Gullan to win it from the spot, with the home side having no chance to respond.

Ross Millen came back to haunt former club Queen’s Park with a late winner as 10-man Raith edged a topsy-turvy 3-2 Scottish Championship match at Hampden Park.

Lewis Vaughan broke the deadlock for the visitors six minutes before the break as he slotted Aidan Connolly’s assist into the bottom corner.

Just after the hour mark, Euan Murray was sent off for Raith for a foul on Ruari Paton.

With 20 minutes remaining, Queen’s Park made their advantage count as they equalised through Jack Turner’s fifth goal of the season in all competitions and – four minutes later – the hosts turned things around thanks to Paton’s close-range strike.

But Raith hit back with two late goals from Jack Hamilton and former Spiders defender Millen to steal maximum points.

Callum Smith struck a late winner as Raith staved off a determined Morton fightback to claim a 3-2 victory in the Scottish Championship.

Rovers made a flying start, scoring twice inside the opening 15 minutes to leave their opponents on the back foot.

Jack Hamilton’s close-range shot opened the scoring before a Lewis Vaughan penalty made it 2-0 following a foul by Darragh O’Connor.

Morton needed a quick response and it duly arrived through a 17th-minute header from Robbie Muirhead and the visitors had more to celebrate when Robbie Crawford equalised after 71 minutes.

Back came the home side, though, in a thrilling contest as Smith’s goal five minutes later secured all three points.

Two goals in the final seven minutes saw Raith rescue an unlikely point in a 2-2 Scottish Championship draw at Partick Thistle.

The hosts looked to have the points sewn up by the interval as Jack McMillan put them ahead in just the fifth minute, when he converted the rebound after Kerr McInroy’s shot hit the crossbar.

Aidan Fitzpatrick added a second on the stroke of half-time when he fired home from McInroy’s cross.

Raith left it late and began their comeback in the 83rd minute when Dylan Easton fired home.

Anton Dowds then hit the post for Thistle – which could have wrapped up the win – but instead, Kieran Mitchell’s 89th-minute equaliser proved decisive as Rovers left with a point on the opening day.