St Johnstone’s five-star performance stretches lead at top of the Championship

Jamie Gullan scored twice as St Johnstone stretched their lead at the top of the Scottish Championship to five points with a thumping 5-0 win over Morton.

Josh McPake fired them in front after 12 minutes with his 14th goal of the season.

Sam Stanton doubled the lead in the 24th minute and Gullan tucked in a third six minutes before the interval.

Gullan then curled in a second-half free-kick and Adama Sidibeh added number five as St Johnstone remained unbeaten at McDiarmid Park with six wins and four draws from their 10 home matches.

Second-placed Partick Thistle are also undefeated at home but they were held to a goalless draw by Raith Rovers, who had Josh Mullin sent off midway through the second half for two quickfire bookings.

Arbroath, in third, were 2-0 winners at basement club Ross County.

Jacob MacIntyre put them ahead in the 33rd minute and Taylor Steven’s shot from the edge of the box sealed the victory seven minutes from time.

Two goals from Josh Fowler helped Queen’s Park to a 3-0 victory at fellow strugglers Airdrie.

Fowler struck in time added on at the end of the first half when he tucked in a cross from Seb Drozd.

After the break Fowler converted another Drozd cross and Henry Fieldson tapped in a late third.

Ayr held off a second-half fightback to win 3-2 at Dunfermline.

Goals from Mark McKenzie, Anton Dowds and Leon King put the visitors 3-0 up at half-time.

Kieran Ngwenya’s header pulled one back and two minutes later the defender crashed in a second from the edge of the box, but the Pars were unable to find an equaliser.