LIONS FALL TO ALOUETTES ON FRIDAY NIGHT

MONTREAL - Back-up quarterback Adrian McPherson scored on a one-yard push with 1:24 left to play to give the Montreal Alouettes a 30-25 victory over the turnover-prone B.C. Lions in a wild CFL battle on Friday night.

Avon Cobourne rushed for a touchdown and starter Anthony Calvillo threw a TD pass to Jamel Richardson, while Damon Duval kicked two field goals for Montreal (6-3), which won a fourth straight game.

Buck Pierce, starting in place of injured Jarious Jackson, threw touchdown passes to Kahlil Hill and Rufus Skillern and ran one in himself for the Lions (4-5), who have lost three of their last four. The Lions turned the ball over five times in the game.

It was Montreal's first win in four tries against a West Division team this season, while B.C. lost to an eastern club for the first time in four games.

Rolly Lumbala fumbled and Eric Wilson recovered on the Montreal 42 for B.C.'s fifth turnover of the game midway through the fourth quarter, but Cobourne fumbled it right back to LaVar Glover at the B.C. 9.

A 50-yard completion to Geroy Simon set up a 19-yard TD pass to Skillern and a two-point convert on a pass to Paris Jackson gave the Lions a 25-22 lead with three minutes left to play.

But Montreal battled back and Ryan Phillips was called for interference in the end zone against Brian Bratton to give the Alouettes the ball on the one-yard line. McPherson came off the bench to run it in.

Phillips got a 20-yard objectional conduct penalty for arguing the call and Duval booted a single on the ensuing kickoff.

But Pierce brought the Lions back in again in pouring rain to the Montreal one-yard-line with four seconds remaining. Twice the Lions were stopped, but offside was called again Montreal. Then the Lions fumbled on their third try and the game was over.

Alouettes slotback Ben Cahoon waited until the first play of the fourth quarter before grabbing a 13-yard pass to give him at least one reception in 100 consecutive games. The last time he didn't make a catch was in August, 2002.

The Alouettes turned three B.C. turnovers - two fumbles and an interception - into 13  points to take a 15-10 lead at the half. They got another seven points off a turnover in the second half.

Ian Smart fumbled a punt and Dahrran Diedrick recovered on the Lions' two-yard line to set up Cobourne's touchdown 3:50 into the game. A punt single made it 8-0 at 11:41.

The Lions then mounted two impressive marches, the first leading to Paul McCallum's 34-yard field goal 32 second into the second quarter and the next an eight-yard TD pass to Hill.

B.C. was in Montreal territory again when Stefan Logan fumbled and Kai Ellis recovered at the Montreal 33. They led to an 18-yard Duval placement, while Mark Estelle picked off a Pierce pass to set up a 37-yard Duval boot with five seconds left in the half.

Pierce led another drive on his first possession of the second half that he finished by scrambling four yards into the end zone at 7:19 to regain a two-point lead.

But rookie Paul Waldu intercepted and ran the ball to the B.C. 36, setting up Calvillo's 24-yard TD pass to Richardson 59 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Calvillo's TD pass gave him 306 in his career, tied for third place all-time with Matt Dunigan.