Scottish Championship REVIEW 22 Aug 2026: Dowds Double and Early Red Send Raith Top as Queen's Park Sink

Raith Rovers made home advantage count in emphatic fashion, beating Ayr United 2-0 after Ayr's Championship afternoon was wrecked inside five minutes. L. King saw red for the visitors in the 5th minute, and Raith made the extra man tell almost immediately: A. Dowds struck in the 9th minute and again in the 15th to have the game effectively settled before the quarter-hour mark. The win, correctly tipped by our model at 57%, moves Raith Rovers level on 7 points with Stenhousemuir and Partick at the top of the table after three rounds, while Ayr United sit fifth on 4 points.

Stenhousemuir's own perfect start continued at Lesser Hampden, where two second-half goals beat Queen's Park 0-2. E. O'Reilly put the visitors ahead four minutes into the second half and G. Buchanan added a second in the 84th minute. Our model had made the tie close, giving Stenhousemuir just 48%, but the result was enough to keep the promoted side top of the table on 7 points and goal difference, while Queen's Park remain bottom on 0 points from three games having yet to open their account for the season.

Livingston moved up to fourth with a 2-0 win at home to Dunfermline Athletic, book-ended by goals either end of the match: B. van Hoeven scored right on the stroke of half-time in the 45th minute and R. Muirhead added a second in the 90th. Our model had favoured Livingston at 61%, and the win leaves them on 6 points from three games. Dunfermline, who hold a wider all-time advantage over Livingston in Championship meetings between the clubs, drop to eighth on 2 points after two draws and a defeat.

Morton's difficult start to life under Ian Murray continued as they lost 1-2 at home to Arbroath, leaving them second-bottom of the table without a win from three matches and a goal difference of minus four. J. Bonnar put Arbroath ahead in the 20th minute before D. Black levelled for Morton three minutes into the second half, but T. O'Brien restored Arbroath's lead in the 90th minute to take the points. Arbroath move up to sixth on 4 points.