:00:09. > :00:15.Good evening and welcome to Sportscene. That's unbelievable!
:00:16. > :00:27.It's a spectacular opening goal in the derby. The shot is a beauty! A
:00:28. > :00:34.chance. Is this a bit of history? It is! It's there! What a finish! That
:00:35. > :00:55.is it. The heavy rain and strong wind is
:00:56. > :01:04.having an impact. The Hearts versus Inverness game has been postponed.
:01:05. > :01:07.St Mirren versus Queen of the South is off...
:01:08. > :01:09.Good evening and a warm welcome after what's been
:01:10. > :01:11.Storm Desmond battered Scotland's football fixtures.
:01:12. > :01:14.But Sportscene survives - in shorter form this evening -
:01:15. > :01:17.with three matches that made it through the rain.
:01:18. > :01:20.With us in the studio tonight, windswept and interesting,
:01:21. > :01:23.Michael Stewart and Scott McDonald, who for once enjoyed a Saturday
:01:24. > :01:30.Dundee looking for their first home league win over
:01:31. > :01:46.Despite the lack of wins and run of draws, Paul Hartley selected the
:01:47. > :01:53.same 11 that started last Friday's game in Perth.
:01:54. > :01:58.Paul Quinn has a virus so hasn't travelled. Ryan Jack is fit again
:01:59. > :02:02.but is among the subs, the rest of the Aberdeen team picks itself.
:02:03. > :02:11.It's been a bright start to proceedings by the Dons. McLean goes
:02:12. > :02:15.down. Rooney claimed it should have been an advantage, but it might have
:02:16. > :02:25.been getting away from him anyway. Kenny McLean. Not bad. It might have
:02:26. > :02:26.been going past in any case, but Scott Bain didn't know that. He made
:02:27. > :02:37.sure. These were very exciting games last
:02:38. > :02:46.season. Aberdeen had the better of it. It's a Dons corner. The one
:02:47. > :02:54.Dundee success against Aberdeen last season was in the Scottish Cup. It
:02:55. > :03:04.was fired in to McGinn and Scott Bain did enough. Bain has dropped
:03:05. > :03:06.it. Taylor. The keeper recovers. These are testing times for the
:03:07. > :03:16.Dundee rear guard. Real pressure from Aberdeen. It is
:03:17. > :03:24.Hayes' ball in, Taylor, to McGinn! It's pressure that pays off for
:03:25. > :03:29.Aberdeen. McGinn has been superb in the game so far. He was the catalyst
:03:30. > :03:33.against Ross County last week. He's got the Dons off and running at Dens
:03:34. > :03:48.Park. Taken away from Low, away from
:03:49. > :03:49.McGinn, good play by Niall McGinn. This is Aberdeen at their swaggering
:03:50. > :04:09.best. That's good play from Stewart. He's
:04:10. > :04:15.found Low. He's brought it back for a free kick here, Shinnie and
:04:16. > :04:17.Considine - it might have been inside, you know. It's Low's free
:04:18. > :04:19.kick. He left Aberdeen in the summer. He
:04:20. > :04:37.will be keen to make an impression. McGowan has been pickpocketed by
:04:38. > :04:43.another St Mirren man in Kenny McLean. Rooney. McGinn. Aberdeen are
:04:44. > :04:56.probing. Hayes. Rooney! It's two. This is great build-up from
:04:57. > :05:00.Aberdeen. What a good ball in by Johnny Hayes. He's been putting them
:05:01. > :05:07.on a plate for Adam Rooney for years. He does so again. Rooney is
:05:08. > :05:11.up to 11. Aberdeen haven't won away from home since that superb victory
:05:12. > :05:17.at Tynecastle in September. That's Hayes. 2-0 up and looking for a
:05:18. > :05:29.third before half-time. At the moment, they are looking a certainty
:05:30. > :05:36.for the three points. It was Rooney who attacked it. No corner.
:05:37. > :05:42.Nice flick by Stewart to Hemmings. Low.
:05:43. > :05:52.Low goes himself. There hasn't been too much for the Dundee supporters
:05:53. > :05:58.to get excited about in this first half. Nicky Low trying to provide
:05:59. > :06:02.them with something. Stewart is going to get on to this now.
:06:03. > :06:18.He will be disappointed. He can be so lethal with that left foot.
:06:19. > :06:25.Stewart against Shinnie. Loy. Gets the break.
:06:26. > :06:32.They are seeing more of the ball in the final third and that will give
:06:33. > :06:49.encouragement to Paul Hartley and his players. Five without a win on
:06:50. > :06:51.the road for Derek McInnes. Pawlett, the half-time sub. McLean over the
:06:52. > :07:01.bar. Pawlett's initial effort was saved
:07:02. > :07:06.by Bain and right on a plate for McLean. Might have been slipping at
:07:07. > :07:15.the time - he was, to give him the benefit of the doubt.
:07:16. > :07:24.A good run by Holt, didn't have the end product.
:07:25. > :07:35.Four 1-1 draws in a row for Dundee. That won't be happening today.
:07:36. > :07:42.Pawlett! Close. Went for power. He screws it off the bar.
:07:43. > :07:48.Pawlett has his head down. He's looked lively since replacing McGinn
:07:49. > :07:58.at the break. He is away from McPake. Good run. He has tested Bain
:07:59. > :07:59.again. Both came through the Pittodrie youth system about the
:08:00. > :08:12.same time. Dundee, if they are going to get
:08:13. > :08:21.back into this, they need a goal here, you feel. Hemmings. Ward takes
:08:22. > :08:30.no chances with it. They have left themselves with too much work to do,
:08:31. > :08:32.you feel. Hemmings. Still Hemmings. Still... He's come closest, that's
:08:33. > :08:51.for sure. Nikki Low -- Nicky Low scored
:08:52. > :08:56.Aberdeen's second in the Cup Final. The horse has bolted for Hartley and
:08:57. > :09:00.Co. I don't think we started well enough. Give credit to Aberdeen,
:09:01. > :09:05.they started quicker than us. We knew that anyway. I felt that we
:09:06. > :09:09.just didn't perform, we were off the mark in terms of it defensively as a
:09:10. > :09:13.team and offensively as a team. We didn't pass the ball well. We didn't
:09:14. > :09:18.defend well. We didn't stop the crosses coming in, we gave away too
:09:19. > :09:22.many set plays. It's tough enough without the conditions, both sets of
:09:23. > :09:27.players had to endure that, an energy-sapping pitch. I thought the
:09:28. > :09:32.energy we showed, the eagerness to get after the game, the start in the
:09:33. > :09:35.game was vital, and I thought that was evident in getting us the two
:09:36. > :09:42.goals, I thought we imposed ourselves on the game. Terrific win
:09:43. > :09:46.for Aberdeen. A fine run in the league at Dens Park continues. A
:09:47. > :09:51.quick mention of Dundee. Seven games without a win, Scott. You play
:09:52. > :10:00.yourselves at Fir Park next weekend, can you see them getting dragged
:10:01. > :10:05.into that battle at the bottom of the table? We hope so. We are at
:10:06. > :10:09.home. Our fortunes have been changing under the new management.
:10:10. > :10:13.It's a game we look forward to, after the postponement this weekend.
:10:14. > :10:19.Look, we need points, as does quite a few down there. It is one - it is
:10:20. > :10:23.not a six-pointer or one that is a must-win. We'd like to win it! The
:10:24. > :10:27.form is not the best, seven games without a win, Dundee. But 1-0 down
:10:28. > :10:33.in this match, could they have had a penalty? Should they have had a
:10:34. > :10:37.penalty? Technically, yes, it is a penalty. You can understand why the
:10:38. > :10:42.referee has not given it. Low never gets into the box, he still falls
:10:43. > :10:50.outside it. You see that the referee is very close there, but it's
:10:51. > :10:53.understandable not seeing that. Technically, yes, a penalty. It
:10:54. > :10:59.would be harsh to criticise the referee there. You probably could
:11:00. > :11:04.say - we keep talking about this video technology, you know. Is it a
:11:05. > :11:09.possibility for things and incidents like that, not just for offsides or
:11:10. > :11:14.goal line, for incidents like that. Aberdeen moves to within four points
:11:15. > :11:19.of Celtic, four points ahead of Hearts. We will talk about title
:11:20. > :11:23.challenges next weekend, if Hearts - if Aberdeen can get a victory. What
:11:24. > :11:27.was going on with the Aberdeen corners? They were causing - they
:11:28. > :11:33.were looking to cause some confusion with the Dundee defence. Look,
:11:34. > :11:36.ultimately, it didn't come to anything, in these clips we have got
:11:37. > :11:40.here. As an attacking team, you don't want to be standing in there
:11:41. > :11:45.static, you want to be on the move, it gives you an advantage when you
:11:46. > :11:48.have a running jump. I think it is clearly trying to keep Dundee on
:11:49. > :11:53.their toes and get them thinking about what is going to happen. Cause
:11:54. > :11:59.a bit of chaos. This one comes back out to the second cross, they get
:12:00. > :12:02.the goal from it. Yeah. I don't think that specifically was anything
:12:03. > :12:07.to do with it. It is just looking to get the teams thinking defensively.
:12:08. > :12:12.Do you see Aberdeen returning to their early season form? I do. They
:12:13. > :12:14.have found a bit of that form again. Certain individuals now are
:12:15. > :12:20.certainly picking up their form as well. Niall McGinn performed really
:12:21. > :12:26.well again and Adam Rooney is amongst the goals again. They will
:12:27. > :12:27.be favourites to be second, I think. We shouldn't say it, but the title
:12:28. > :12:30.is all but won. OK. Aberdeen fans will
:12:31. > :12:32.have enjoyed that. And those who were around 40 years
:12:33. > :12:33.ago today will enjoy this as well. Straight from the Sportscene
:12:34. > :13:05.archives, Rangers the visitors Long ball through the middle, it
:13:06. > :13:07.must be for Aberdeen. Jarvie scores. Six minutes to go. Aberdeen 1,
:13:08. > :13:11.Rangers 0. St Johnstone travelled north to play
:13:12. > :13:12.Ross County in search County in contrast had been beaten
:13:13. > :13:37.in three of their last four matches. They stick with the same side that
:13:38. > :13:40.lost 3-1 to Aberdeen last time out. St Johnstone are in better form, but
:13:41. > :13:55.they made three changes from last weekend. Fisher, Scobee and Craig
:13:56. > :14:04.Cumming. --: come in. Conditions are far from ideal. Fish are playing it
:14:05. > :14:15.Craig. That pass goes astray. Gary Woods. Straight into the back of the
:14:16. > :14:24.net, would you believe? He just took the gamble to close down Gary Woods
:14:25. > :14:32.and it pays off. On that occasion, he got the break and St Johnstone go
:14:33. > :14:39.in front. Ross County looking to counter that poor start as quickly
:14:40. > :14:47.as possible. Here is Martin Woods. It's a good ball in. That was batted
:14:48. > :14:54.away by Alan Mannus. A good run to the near post by Boyce. Glancing
:14:55. > :14:59.header well parried by the keeper. Liam Craig. A swirling delivery.
:15:00. > :15:04.That had Gary Woods in all sorts of trouble but he does well to claw it
:15:05. > :15:14.away in the end. He could not direct that goalwards. Forster curls in the
:15:15. > :15:25.cross and that's a chance and a good opportunity. It is headed wide by
:15:26. > :15:32.Murdoch. Wetherspoon, the scorer of the only goal in the match. Goes
:15:33. > :15:38.past Murdoch and goes for goal again and he finds it. Two For St
:15:39. > :15:42.Johnstone. It's his third goal in two games. The keeper might feel as
:15:43. > :15:48.though he should have done better with that one. It goes straight over
:15:49. > :15:56.his hands. It was well hit. St Johnstone have a comfortable lead.
:15:57. > :16:00.Boyce does well to get that back to Woods. Straight down the throat of
:16:01. > :16:03.Alan Mannus, though. It was well struck.
:16:04. > :16:15.Jackson Irvine with the early cross. There is Boyce, and county have a
:16:16. > :16:22.goal back midway through the second half. It's a good cross by Irvine
:16:23. > :16:29.and they take the gamble at the near post and it pays off to bring co
:16:30. > :16:33.right back into the match. -- County. He buys the corner kick for
:16:34. > :16:51.his side. It is in. From two goals down Ross
:16:52. > :16:56.County are level. The recriminations and there are questions being asked
:16:57. > :17:01.in the St Johnstone backline. They knew precious little about this. It
:17:02. > :17:04.ricochets off his head. Ross County will feel as though they have a
:17:05. > :17:11.chance to take all three points having looked out of the match at
:17:12. > :17:16.half-time. Here they come once more. Here is Jonathan Franks with the
:17:17. > :17:24.cross. Boyce with the header. Did not connect properly. This was a
:17:25. > :17:32.real opportunity for the Northern Ireland striker.
:17:33. > :17:41.Maclean flicks it on and oh how the RAM has the pace to get past Davis.
:17:42. > :17:44.He is hauled down. The referee Kevin Clancy will put Andrew Davies in the
:17:45. > :17:51.book for that. In fact he was going away from goal, perhaps that is what
:17:52. > :17:56.saved him from the red card. Nevertheless St Johnstone have a
:17:57. > :18:01.real chance from the set piece. Dave Mackay curls it in and that will
:18:02. > :18:05.surely win it for St Johnstone in the closing stages. The captain 's
:18:06. > :18:15.first goal of the season will surely give St Johnstone their seventh win
:18:16. > :18:19.away from home in a row. At this moment in time we are going through
:18:20. > :18:24.a spell where the players are performing. In periods in the game.
:18:25. > :18:28.When we don't... When we have possession that is when we seem to
:18:29. > :18:35.be losing goals and it is not a good thing to have. At 2-2 I thought we
:18:36. > :18:42.were going to lose. If he is not found he was in with the keeper.
:18:43. > :18:48.Dave Mackay, we know that he is capable of doing a wonderful free
:18:49. > :18:52.kick. Seven straightaway victories for St Johnstone leaves you
:18:53. > :18:57.wondering, is this the best St Johnstone side ever? Can they finish
:18:58. > :19:04.second and beat Celtic next weekend? Maybe yes and yes. I think possibly
:19:05. > :19:08.it is the best St Johnstone team, certainly the most consistent. Yes,
:19:09. > :19:13.they could finish second and beat Celtic next week. The job that they
:19:14. > :19:17.have done there is phenomenal, seven away wins on the trot and that
:19:18. > :19:23.speaks volumes as well. Great character being shown as well. A few
:19:24. > :19:28.comical moments. Let's take a look. It was a day to forget for the Ross
:19:29. > :19:32.County keeper. The first couple of minutes of the game, he is trying to
:19:33. > :19:36.wait for the ball to settle and he gives the striker too much
:19:37. > :19:40.encouragement. He has tried to kick it out the park but it is good
:19:41. > :19:46.closing down by the striker and he gets his reward. This one is
:19:47. > :19:49.comical. He just does not see it. It goes through bobbies and I will give
:19:50. > :19:55.him the benefit of the doubt. You don't like this? You are
:19:56. > :20:00.highlighting Jackson Irvine, it goes over his head and lands two yards
:20:01. > :20:06.from the post, you want to get at least one man outside of the post so
:20:07. > :20:10.that the guy can't bend it round. He has gone over the last man and it
:20:11. > :20:16.has landed two yards inside the post. That has not been lined up
:20:17. > :20:24.well. Four defeats in 54 Ross County. The one they won was against
:20:25. > :20:28.us! Do you see them warming up their cheque-book? He has put his money
:20:29. > :20:37.where his mouth is. They are recruiting well. If Jim wants
:20:38. > :20:40.funding he will probably get it. We were speaking about continuity
:20:41. > :20:46.within St Johnstone. They have got a similar sort of group so to speak
:20:47. > :20:50.since the turn of the year. Last season. They have had a fantastic
:20:51. > :20:55.group. I do think he would want to make too many changes. I think there
:20:56. > :20:57.are peaks and troughs and people go through the spells and they seem to
:20:58. > :20:59.be having one at the moment. Next to Rugby Park where Kilmarnock
:21:00. > :21:02.hosted bottom club Dundee United - two sides who'd been left licking
:21:03. > :21:16.their wounds after demoralising COMMENTATOR: Gary Locke made four
:21:17. > :21:18.changes to the Kilmarnock team beaten 5-2 at home by Partick
:21:19. > :21:24.Thistle, the first art in three months for Kris Boyd. United have
:21:25. > :21:31.employed there far travelled Frenchman.
:21:32. > :21:44.In goes Findlay and now Kris Boyd. That is Craig Slater. Josh
:21:45. > :21:49.Magennis. That is a great ball in and Kris Boyd is back in the team
:21:50. > :21:55.and back among the goals. Didn't he enjoy that? That is more than you
:21:56. > :22:02.can say for the Dundee United defends here. It's a great ball in
:22:03. > :22:05.by McGuinness. The three Dundee United defenders could not get close
:22:06. > :22:09.to Kris Boyd. McGuinness with the long throw and it's allowed to
:22:10. > :22:18.bounce inside the six yard box and what a save that is. Scrambling the
:22:19. > :22:19.ball off the line after the hook shot. That is desperate defending
:22:20. > :22:30.again. That was short with the pass and
:22:31. > :22:41.surely that's a foul. Advantage played but not this time for the
:22:42. > :22:45.foul by Connelly on Spittle. And a booking coming the way of Craig
:22:46. > :22:52.Slater and a free kick for the Tannadice team. That is saved by
:22:53. > :23:01.McDonald but here is Mackay. Penalty given. Against Stuart Findlay. And
:23:02. > :23:06.it is a red card for the 20-year-old on loan from Celtic. It was Mackay
:23:07. > :23:12.who kept this alive for Dundee United. It looked like a tap in.
:23:13. > :23:19.There was a touch by Findlay and down he went. Penalty and red card.
:23:20. > :23:25.A double whammy. Billy McKay, midway through the first half makes it 1-1.
:23:26. > :23:30.It's just as well Mackay is scoring for United because at the moment, he
:23:31. > :23:40.is the only person scoring for Dundee United.
:23:41. > :23:49.Mackay is onside and he fails to take his chance. You had your money
:23:50. > :23:57.on Mackay here to make it a quickfire double. The whole
:23:58. > :24:00.complexion of the game is changing at Rugby Park. McGuinness on the
:24:01. > :24:06.complexion of the game is changing move. Play goes on. It is played
:24:07. > :24:14.in, and what an opportunity for Kris Boyd to score again. It seems to
:24:15. > :24:16.come at him quickly. McGuinness was in the middle and Kris Boyd had the
:24:17. > :24:31.chance. He the Reds it through. Spittle was
:24:32. > :24:35.surely held back. He had a fistful of his shirt. There is no penalty.
:24:36. > :24:45.Had it been given it had to be a red card as well and have been down to
:24:46. > :24:55.nine men. He is furious. John Rankin. Spittle is in with another
:24:56. > :24:59.opportunity for Dundee United. Reminiscent of the game the previous
:25:00. > :25:10.weekend against Hamilton. Chances going begging here. Dylan's header
:25:11. > :25:18.goes straight to Kielty, coming off the bench for Kilmarnock. Now it is
:25:19. > :25:25.Craig Slater. Slater! Great effort, and so close for ten man Kilmarnock
:25:26. > :25:29.to getting themselves in front again. Curling shot, that had the
:25:30. > :25:44.beating of the goalkeeper. That was a good effort. And a flying
:25:45. > :25:48.save from Jamie McDonnell, might have been going slightly wide. The
:25:49. > :25:54.goalkeeper could not take any chances. I thought we started the
:25:55. > :25:59.game brilliantly and we were on the front foot and created a lot of
:26:00. > :26:03.chances to go 1-0 up and then obviously the decision, the penalty
:26:04. > :26:07.turns the game. After that we still looked really good on the break and
:26:08. > :26:12.I thought the boys did brilliantly. We were lucky not to win in the end.
:26:13. > :26:23.The general play was not too bad. Of course we need to improve a few
:26:24. > :26:27.things on the defensive side. I think it was a fantastic ball into
:26:28. > :26:31.the box. We should have defended the situation better. We need to get
:26:32. > :26:36.back to the training ground and improve. A point for both sides but
:26:37. > :26:45.how many penalties should Dundee United have had? I think one, but
:26:46. > :26:49.not the one they got. Yes, there is contact but is there enough to go
:26:50. > :26:55.down? Surely he would tap it in unless he was impeded? No, his feet
:26:56. > :27:01.are not in front of him and he is not sliding. This is 100% penalty
:27:02. > :27:04.and a red card. I understand how the referee does not give it because
:27:05. > :27:11.when you see the other angle there are so many bodies in front of him.
:27:12. > :27:17.He just can't see the shirt pulling with too many folk in front of him.
:27:18. > :27:22.That is definitely a penalty. He has not given the referee a decision to
:27:23. > :27:26.make. It is one of those, it is great to see the player staying on
:27:27. > :27:30.his feet but his manager is going mad, why did you not go down?
:27:31. > :27:36.Because then the referee has to make a decision. Storm Desmond yesterday
:27:37. > :27:43.meant that you are having your feet up, summer football? Is it something
:27:44. > :27:47.you would like to see? Definitely. I have spoken about it before and I
:27:48. > :27:50.think it would be grateful game. If not at the highest level I believe
:27:51. > :27:55.that our grassroots it should happen. It is not fair on the young
:27:56. > :27:59.kids that had to go out there and try to get football pitches. I know
:28:00. > :28:05.that there are more Astroturf pitches but we could go on about it
:28:06. > :28:09.all day. I'm a big believer. And you, Michael? It definitely has to
:28:10. > :28:13.be looked at because there are lots of positives for summer football. I
:28:14. > :28:18.would not jump in with two feet at the moment but there is definitely
:28:19. > :28:20.need for a big discussion. After all of that this is what the Ladbrokes
:28:21. > :28:22.Premiership table looks like. No positional changes,
:28:23. > :28:24.Aberdeen four points behind Celtic, St Johnstone just one point
:28:25. > :28:29.behind the Jambos. Dundee United still resolutely
:28:30. > :28:30.in single figures. There was one game that survived
:28:31. > :28:33.the weather in the Championship Dumbarton jumped
:28:34. > :28:35.from ninth to seventh with victory Mark Docherty taking advantage
:28:36. > :28:40.of the swirling wind to score direct from
:28:41. > :28:41.a corner with 19 minutes remaining. And three minutes from time
:28:42. > :28:44.the points were made safe. Grant Gallagher with
:28:45. > :28:51.a close-range header. A few reports suggesting that Mark
:28:52. > :28:57.Warburton was linked with the Swansea job, the Rangers manager. If
:28:58. > :29:00.Gary Monk goes. And Stubbs being linked with Reading. Is that
:29:01. > :29:06.something that Hibs and Rangers will have to get used to? Being linked
:29:07. > :29:10.with big jobs down south? It shows that they are doing a good job and
:29:11. > :29:14.obviously the fact that those guys are from down south as well,
:29:15. > :29:19.ultimately there will be a stage when they will go back down, but
:29:20. > :29:26.both of them will be here for a good time to come. Michael and Scott,
:29:27. > :29:28.thank you very much fought a night. Gray
:29:29. > :29:32.It's going to take more than Storm Desmond to take Sportscene
:29:33. > :29:36.when we'll have more than three games, hopefully.