HAMILTON scored a dramatic winner three minutes into stoppage time - when Jason Scotland, who came off the bench, fired home - to stay within one point of Dundee at the top of the SPFL Championship table.

Unbeaten against Raith Rovers in their three meetings this season, the hosts were rightly brimming with confidence, beginning the evening defending a six-game unbeaten run, which began with a 4-2 victory over their visitors the last time the two clubs met.

Mikael Antoine-Curier passed up a glorious chance in 32 minutes when Crawford sent him clear, but the striker's shot was blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Lee Robinson.

The hosts carved out another opening four minutes later when Darian Mackinnon drifted past midfielder Fraser Mullen to set up Frenchman Tony Andreu, but he clipped the ball wide from eight yards.

Three minutes from the break, Devlin must have thought he had gifted Raith the lead when he slipped at the vital moment to let John Baird race through, but he shot wide with the goal gaping.

Then, Baird atoned when he ran on to a terrific ball from Calum Elliott to drill the ball low past Kevin Cuthbert to give the Fifers the lead.

But the Lanarkshire side scored twice in three minutes to go in front. First, Antoine-Curier linked with Andreu, whose 18-yard shot took a wicked deflection off of Jason Thomson and flew past Robinson. Three minutes later Longridge's cross from the right was headed home at the back post by James Keatings.

Raith raced to the other end and were level within a minute when Baird got his second of the night from an acute angle.