Stranraer squandered the opportunity to move clear of an idle Forfar Athletic at the top by losing 2-0 to Stenhousemuir at Stair Park.
It was their first defeat in 13 games and they toiled from the moment Tom Walsh gave Stenhousemuir a 12th-minute lead.
There was no way back for the home side when Colin McMenamin added a second goal after 72 minutes. The only comfort for Stranraer is that they still remain top on goal difference from Forfar whose match at Peterhead was called off due to a frozen pitch.
In a dramatic match at Forthbank, Morton hit back from 3-1 down to bottom club Stirling Albion to win 4-3 and move to within two points of the summit.
Sandy Cunningham headed the home side in front after three minutes, but Joe McKee equalised with a low shot from 25 yards.
Ross McGeachie put Stirling back in front before Angus Beith, on loan from Hearts, made it 3-1 with a stunning free-kick after 59 minutes. Declan McManus pulled a goal back for the visitors and Morton then equalised when a Mark Russell shot was turned into his own net by Craig Wedderburn. McManus added his second to put Morton in front for the first time following three goals in seven minutes.
The drama, though, was not over as McManus was denied a hat-trick in injury-time when his penalty was saved by Lewis Coult, an outfield player, after Callum Reidford had been sent off for fouling McKee.
Airdrieonians brushed aside managerless Ayr United 3-0 with Bryan Prunty scoring twice.
He headed his first after eight minutes and added his second 12 minutes later to take his goal tally for the season to four.
Paul Slane, a substitute, was sent off for Ayr after a foul on Paddy Boyle and the scoring was complete when Jim Lister caught out the Ayr defence, the final touch coming off Ayr's Kevin McKinlay.
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