Malcolm's treble books Ayr's place
Craig Malcolm fired in a 19-minute hat-trick either side of the half-time interval to secure Ayr's play-off place as they thrashed East Fife 4-1.
The hosts have been in the League One top four all season and finished among the leading quartet at its culmination thanks to Malcolm's hat-trick and a further strike from Brian Gilmour.
East Fife will go into the play-offs with three sides in League Two after finishing second bottom, but they at least have another chance after bottom-of-the-table Arbroath were relegated outright courtesy of their defeat at Airdrie.
After Craig Johnstone had hit the bar for the visitors early on, Ayr took the lead three minutes before the break when Malcolm's lobbed finish gave them a half-time lead.
And the striker picked up where he left off after the break, with two-close range finishes completing his hat-trick.
Malcolm set up Gilmour for Ayr's fourth before Liam Buchanan headed in a consolation for East Fife eight minutes from time.
Source: PA
