Queen of the South stretched their winning run to six league games after a 3-0 win at bottom-placed Albion Rovers.
The Cliftonhill Park pitch was not the best but Queens eventually overcame a stubborn Albion side to extend their lead at the top of the Second Division to 17 points.
Albion had a gilt-edged chance in the first half to take the lead but Tony Stevenson put his penalty kick over the crossbar before Nicky Clark claimed his 25th goal of the season to head home after 40 minutes. Queens won a penalty of their own after the break and although Ryan McGuffie`s spot-kick was saved Derek Lyle was on hand to volley in the second. The victory was sealed after 76 minutes as a breakaway allowed Derek Young to slot past the Albion `keeper.
Derek Young: "It was just good to get a goal. It was a horrible game but we got through and kept a clean sheet. We knew if we kept playing away we`d get the result. Thankfully they missed their penalty, I don`t think it was a penalty to be honest but they`ve given it but we`ve carried on from there and got a decent result."
Queens manager Allan Johnston was pleased with the display despite the troublesome playing surface.
"It`s a difficult place to come, obviously you could see that the park wasn`t the greatest either – it was difficult to get the ball down and pass it – but I think we created enough chances to win the game.
"They`re fighting for their lives and there`s no easy games in this league but we eventually got a hold of the ball and created chances.
"When they got the penalty they came into the game for 10-15 minutes but the boys didn`t get too frustrated, they kept going and expected to go on and win the game."