ROUND-UP

FIRST-HALF goals from Ben Dempsey and Sam Ashford sent Ayr United to within a point of second place, while leaving Hamilton Accies rooted to the bottom of the table.

The Honest Men opened the scoring after just 12 minutes from the spot after Daniel O’Reilly’s handball, Dempsey sending the ball into the right-hand corner.

A quarter of an hour later, it was 2-0, Ashford collecting Dipo Akinyemi’s pass and curling into the far corner.

Second-placed Dundee lost further ground in the title race as they were held to a goalless draw at Partick Thistle.

The Jags went close to snatching all three points in the fifth minute of stoppage-time but Danny Mullen fired over the bar from close range.

Raith Rovers hammered Cove Rangers 6-1 at Stark’s Park as goals from Esmael Goncalves, Lewis Vaughan (2), Ryan Nolan, Dylan Easton and Scott McGill left Paul Hartley’s eighth-placed side just a point clear of the drop zone.