Raith Rovers recorded a rare victory, only their second of the current season, when they overcame St Mirren at Starks Park. The win ended a run of seven consecutive defeats for the Kirkcaldy side.
Saints were first to threaten when, after seven minutes, midfielder Mark Crilly fired in an angular shot which slipped narrowly over David Berthelot's crossbar, and the Paisley side again came close 12 minutes later when Stuart Kean set up Simon Lappin, whose low effort trundled wide of the right-hand post.
An unfamiliar Raith side, packed with inexperienced youngsters, was having difficulty breaking down the solid Saints defence, but the visitors almost gifted them a goal midway through the first half when goalkeeper Craig Hinchcliffe misjudged his kick- out after a pass-back from Andy Millen. The poor clearance, however, seemed to catch Rovers' striker Craig O'Reilly by surprise and the youngster failed to take advantage.
St Mirren's best chance of the first half occurred just before the break when Brian McGinty's header fell to Crilly, whose close-range effort was saved by Berthelot.
Raith broke the deadlock on the hour when Darren Brady glanced his header thorugh the hands of Hinchcliffe following a precise cross from Paul McMullan, and they increased their lead three minutes later when John Martin finished off a low cross from O'Reilly.
Saints were reduced to 10 men late on when John Baird, who had been on the field for only eight minutes, was shown a straight red card by referee Cammy Melville after a two-footed lunge at Brady.