:00:11. > :00:16.Good evening and welcome to sports scene. it is unbelievable,
:00:17. > :00:28.unbelievable! It is a spectacular opening goal in the diary. The shot
:00:29. > :01:15.is an absolute beauty! Is it in? It is! And it's there. What a finish.
:01:16. > :01:21.Good evening and welcome to Sportscene. It has been another
:01:22. > :01:25.weekend to savour in the SPFL but the -- with the best of the
:01:26. > :01:29.Premiership bracing for the Championship. And in the studio,
:01:30. > :01:33.Stuart McCall and Steven Thomson, two men who know about both
:01:34. > :01:34.divisions. Before we get on with the action, the football world took a
:01:35. > :02:10.moment to remember. Unfortunately not all the minute
:02:11. > :02:14.silences were well observed. A minority of Celtic fans breaking the
:02:15. > :02:19.silence in Dingwall. Ross County looking for their first league win
:02:20. > :02:23.in a row. The commentary from Rob Maclean. Ross County are without
:02:24. > :02:27.injured skipper, Andrew Davies. Scott Lloyd takes over and striker,
:02:28. > :02:38.Craig Curran, is left out to include an extra midfielder in McShane.
:02:39. > :02:47.Ambrose is in for Kieran Tierney and James Forrest for Kris Commons.
:02:48. > :02:59.Ripped away by Boyata. Dingwall, looking to do damage. Liam Boyce
:03:00. > :03:06.with the header. A big chance early on for Ross County. Liam Boyce
:03:07. > :03:17.thinking he should have scored. Ambrose, walking about. Rogic,
:03:18. > :03:21.bustling his way into a dangerous situation. And in the end, it was
:03:22. > :03:36.James Forrest who drags the shot wide. Looking for a breakthrough.
:03:37. > :03:42.Ronny Deila's team. Michael rustic wearing the captain's armband.
:03:43. > :03:48.Rogic! A brilliant breakthrough in Dingwall. Celtic ahead seven minutes
:03:49. > :03:57.before half-time as they start to repair the damage of that European
:03:58. > :04:04.let down. Ronny Deila, with lots of big questions to answer in the few
:04:05. > :04:14.days. -- the last few days. Ambrose on the move. Celtic look to find a
:04:15. > :04:21.way through. The pass comes off Boyd. Leigh Griffiths! He takes the
:04:22. > :04:24.chance to extend Celtic's advantage. Nine minutes after the restart, and
:04:25. > :04:44.Celtic have a 2-0 lead at Dingwall. The interception by your hands on.
:04:45. > :04:53.And now the pace of James Forrest. Still going. He turns it back for
:04:54. > :05:00.Griffiths. Two goals in two minutes. Surely that ties things up for the
:05:01. > :05:06.Premiership leaders in Dingwall. All down to the pace of James Forrest
:05:07. > :05:14.and then the perfect cut back on a plate for Leigh Griffiths to make it
:05:15. > :05:18.3-0. Griffiths, his chip headed away by Boyd. Rogic on the end of it,
:05:19. > :05:26.trying to wrestle his way through. James Forrest moves inside. James
:05:27. > :05:36.Forrest! He has been too hot to handle for Ross County at times.
:05:37. > :05:41.Close to making it four. Gardyne... He wanted back. He started his
:05:42. > :05:48.career at Celtic. Gardyne with a decent effort from the angle. That
:05:49. > :05:56.produces a save from Craig Gordon. In from words. Bitton is they are,
:05:57. > :06:09.as is Boyd! And he has dragged his shot wide of target. Bitton in
:06:10. > :06:15.trouble at the set piece. What was that all about my Dedryck Boyata. A
:06:16. > :06:25.real breakdown intimidation at the back. Gardyne plated forward. Tony
:06:26. > :06:32.Dingwall! He gets the goal back for Ross County. Unlikely to affect the
:06:33. > :06:43.outcome at this stage, but it is a finish full of composure from the
:06:44. > :06:45.youngster. Irvin involved, Boyce tried to get there but then it was
:06:46. > :06:48.all about Tony Dingwall choosing his moment. A goal back for Jim
:06:49. > :06:57.McIntyre's team. In comes the free kick. And a flashing header from
:06:58. > :07:11.Jackson Irvine producing a top-class save from Craig Gordon.
:07:12. > :07:24.And Bitton sealed the win for Celtic. With 15 minutes remaining.
:07:25. > :07:25.Ross County one, Celtic four. We have made good opportunities but we
:07:26. > :07:33.were not ruthless enough. Celtic showed the quality by burying bears.
:07:34. > :07:36.That has been the story for four or five weeks, even when we have been
:07:37. > :07:40.winning games, we have been making good opportunities and not taking
:07:41. > :07:44.them. They had some chances, but having said that, we produce a lot
:07:45. > :07:53.as well and we scored four beautiful girls. Three days after a European
:07:54. > :07:58.match, that is a good result. Celtic, six points clear. -- four
:07:59. > :08:02.beautiful goals. No doubt in your mind that Celtic will be the
:08:03. > :08:05.champions? I think it is a formality. Five wins in a row. The
:08:06. > :08:11.champions? I think it is a formality. Five wins in a row.
:08:12. > :08:17.Reaction, just like they did in the away game in Molde, they came back
:08:18. > :08:19.and played well against good opposition. Today, they had to get a
:08:20. > :08:33.result and it was a good performance. Player of the month
:08:34. > :08:38.again, a player that impresses in fits and starts, James Forrest.
:08:39. > :08:42.Especially in the second half, he comes off the line and get into
:08:43. > :08:46.little pockets. He is an intelligent player. Again, picking it up in
:08:47. > :08:51.areas, he likes to drive, he gets his shot blocked here, but he was
:08:52. > :08:55.lively all day. I think people were surprised he did not start in Europe
:08:56. > :08:59.the other night. Again, a lovely bit of his ability here. Very positive,
:09:00. > :09:03.he comes inside and he just pulls the shot wide. But he is a live
:09:04. > :09:08.wire. And I think the disappointing thing for him, and you see it here,
:09:09. > :09:13.this was just really good wing play here. What is good, he knows he is a
:09:14. > :09:19.centre-half. He is up against Boyd, and makes an intelligent run. He is
:09:20. > :09:28.composed, and he doesn't panic. This is what we say about white men, they
:09:29. > :09:31.live for the end product. -- wide. Such talent, but always these
:09:32. > :09:39.injuries. How difficult will that be to manage and is there a way around
:09:40. > :09:42.it? He has been on and off for three years. From the squad's point of
:09:43. > :09:44.view, we want as many players as we can but in the last five minutes, he
:09:45. > :09:49.had to come off with a tight hamstring again. We did not need him
:09:50. > :09:53.on because we were 4-1 up, but it is something that is stopping him from
:09:54. > :09:58.being a top player. He needs a consistent run of games. Criticism
:09:59. > :10:03.of the Celtic defence all season and today we saw a fundamental change in
:10:04. > :10:08.the way that they are defending corners? Yes. Here, Ambrose does not
:10:09. > :10:13.pick up. Boyce should have scored or at least set the target. Again, this
:10:14. > :10:17.one comes in and you look at Jackson Irving in the middle of the box. Two
:10:18. > :10:24.opportunities in the first half that you could've taken. This goal, a
:10:25. > :10:30.sloppy pass by Dedryck Boyata. And they don't react. Celtic are 3-0 up
:10:31. > :10:36.at this stage but there is no reaction or organisation. It is a
:10:37. > :10:40.good goal, and Dingwall, to be fair, great composure, but they are at
:10:41. > :10:47.sixes and sevens at the back. A wide free kick, no real, dominant force.
:10:48. > :10:51.And that would have been 3-2. But they are very zonal. They were
:10:52. > :10:56.fortunate couple of times in the corners, they have ditched the zonal
:10:57. > :11:01.marking and they gone to man for man. Was that naughty? I think he
:11:02. > :11:05.wins the tackle but the follow-through is the issue. Abdi
:11:06. > :11:12.wins the tackle -- after he wins the tackle, his foot remains high. It
:11:13. > :11:15.was dangerous. I think Boyce is a lucky man that that is not a serious
:11:16. > :11:20.injury. It seems crazy. There is always talk of pressure on Ronny
:11:21. > :11:25.Deila, six points clear at the top of the table, it does not go away.
:11:26. > :11:27.What do you make of it? Is domestic dominance in for the Celtic
:11:28. > :11:34.supporters, that is the question. They will win the league but is that
:11:35. > :11:39.enough? Should looking at trebles. Is the disappointment in Europe and
:11:40. > :11:43.bring him? The players have not reached the heights that they did
:11:44. > :11:47.last year. And he is having to rebuild his defence, which is a
:11:48. > :11:55.shame because he is losing players like Virgil van Dijk and denier. Is
:11:56. > :12:00.that the fault of the manager? Johannson, last season, an
:12:01. > :12:09.outstanding player, and you cannot put that down to the manager. I
:12:10. > :12:13.think teams playing against Celtic now, they believe they can score.
:12:14. > :12:17.Aberdeen's recent run of defeats have been staggering. But despite
:12:18. > :12:22.recent struggles, the Aberdeen fans were in optimistic mood and head of
:12:23. > :12:28.the visit of Dundee United, bottom of the table. -- ahead of the visit.
:12:29. > :12:32.We know we have players that can win these games. Everybody comes to the
:12:33. > :12:37.games and they know we can win it. It is just about doing it on the
:12:38. > :12:41.park. Unfortunately, we have fallen foul of every little mistake being
:12:42. > :12:45.punished at the moment. One win and it is surprising how the attitude
:12:46. > :12:51.changes. Maybe they will come back again.
:12:52. > :12:56.Aberdeen's miserable October is finally over. Looking for a first
:12:57. > :13:06.win since mid-September. Cons are dying and McGinn are benched.
:13:07. > :13:14.Pawlett drafted in. Mixu Paatelainen has not made big changes. Paul Dixon
:13:15. > :13:23.returns at left-back. One win in 11 for United. Aberdeen
:13:24. > :13:30.without a win in the last six. It is Logan's ball. It almost fell for had
:13:31. > :13:32.Rooney at the back post. A real source of frustration for Derek
:13:33. > :13:40.McGuinness and his players at the moment because things like this are
:13:41. > :13:45.not falling for them any more. Mackay, barged to the ground. I
:13:46. > :13:52.don't think Taggart is going to get onto that. The free kick has been
:13:53. > :13:56.given. A poignant minute's applause from the Aberdeen supporters in
:13:57. > :14:07.memory of Haley Quinn who died at the recent tragedy. Very ambitious
:14:08. > :14:19.from Rankin. Mixu Paatelainen, a former Aberdeen striker. A miss by
:14:20. > :14:23.Rooney. But not by Graeme Shinnie. The United keeper at to get it done
:14:24. > :14:41.quickly to keep that one out. Aberdeen are certainly the better
:14:42. > :14:47.team. They have not won since September at Pittodrie. Willo Flood
:14:48. > :15:05.against his former team. Sloppy from the dons skipper. He has
:15:06. > :15:11.given it to Fraser. He will be disappointed with that, Scott
:15:12. > :15:21.Fraser. A right good chance. The best of the half for United. Jonny
:15:22. > :15:37.Hayes, when he is on his game, is dynamite. Rooney! It is Adam Rooney
:15:38. > :15:47.again! And Aberdeen's number nine is up to nine for the season.
:15:48. > :16:09.Jonny Hayes... A great weapon he is. Suddenly there is a verve about
:16:10. > :16:11.Derek McInnes's side. Sean Dillon not renowned for his goal-scoring.
:16:12. > :16:32.He was not too far away. Fraser! He has had a couple of
:16:33. > :16:37.chances today. This was the harder of the two. United threatening. It
:16:38. > :16:42.has to be pointed out, there has been a solidity about Dundee United
:16:43. > :16:50.that has not been there in recent weeks, months even. Graeme Shinnie
:16:51. > :17:02.has dragged John Dillon out of position. Jonny Hayes! That is the
:17:03. > :17:08.three points for Aberdeen. United conceded two in a game again. It has
:17:09. > :17:15.been the story of the season. That is a great finish from Jonny Hayes.
:17:16. > :17:19.I thought the early goal at the start of the second half from Adam
:17:20. > :17:24.settled us down. I thought we played some good stuff from then on in.
:17:25. > :17:28.Jonny Hayes get another goal which put a better reflection on the
:17:29. > :17:34.scoreline. Massive frustration. The first half
:17:35. > :17:40.was not too bad at all. I feel sorry for our great support today.
:17:41. > :17:46.Wonderful support. They saw the effort the players put in. One half
:17:47. > :17:51.is not enough. You need to put it in for 95 minutes.
:17:52. > :17:55.An important victory for Aberdeen. Derek McInnes said his team
:17:56. > :18:00.overachieved at the start of the season. Can you see them scaling
:18:01. > :18:07.those sorts of heights again? Is unlikely. -- it is unlikely. After
:18:08. > :18:13.the best start in their history they go through their worst spell,
:18:14. > :18:19.certainly undergo it. They have got good strength in the squad. On the
:18:20. > :18:23.bench they had players who would walk into other teams. Yesterday it
:18:24. > :18:28.was important for them to stop the rot and get a win. Derek talked
:18:29. > :18:39.about his team being calm and confident. That is key. To put in a
:18:40. > :18:42.calm and confident performance. I can see them climbing the league
:18:43. > :18:46.again. Great goal from Jonny Hayes. Adam
:18:47. > :18:52.Rooney is in the Republic of Ireland squad. Can you see Jonny Hayes break
:18:53. > :18:55.into the senior international scene? He has been Aberdeen's most
:18:56. > :19:01.consistent player for the past couple of seasons. He links up well
:19:02. > :19:09.with Graeme Shinnie. This needs to be scored. You look at Rooney, so
:19:10. > :19:17.why not Hayes? If he keeps performing consistently. All day
:19:18. > :19:24.down the left-hand side, he has got pace, desire and good quality. Mixu
:19:25. > :19:28.Paatelainen will be disappointed there was no challenge there. Last
:19:29. > :19:34.season he played a couple of games at left back. Graeme Shinnie is
:19:35. > :19:42.higher up here. He leaves the space for Hayes. From here there was only
:19:43. > :19:47.one thing on his mind. He could have played it back but he is so
:19:48. > :19:51.confident. Fantastic strike. A great goal. A quick mention of Dundee
:19:52. > :19:57.United. Stephen Delaney to splash the cash in January? They do. They
:19:58. > :20:01.need to make sure they are not too detached come January.
:20:02. > :20:07.Motherwell were looking for their first home when under Mark McGhee in
:20:08. > :20:15.his second spell at the club? Could they get it against an injury
:20:16. > :20:21.ravaged Caley Thistle? Inverness began this match on the
:20:22. > :20:25.front foot. James Vincent began claiming a penalty. Definite contact
:20:26. > :20:33.but not enough of a foul for the referee. Shortly after, they would
:20:34. > :20:42.be a penalty. The offence. Stephen McManus the culprit. Up stepped Greg
:20:43. > :20:50.Tansey. Great save from Connor Ripley. The referee whistled for the
:20:51. > :20:53.penalty to be retaken. Tansy stepped up again. This time no mistake.
:20:54. > :21:05.Caley Thistle went ahead. Overall Inverness had been the
:21:06. > :21:12.better side. Miles story was impressive. A striker -- he notched
:21:13. > :21:21.his fifth goal of the season. Albeit with the help of a slight deflection
:21:22. > :21:26.off Kieran Kennedy. Motherwell had struggled to create chances in the
:21:27. > :21:32.first half. Liam Grimshaw almost pulled one back just before
:21:33. > :21:37.half-time. Eight minutes into the second half and it was virtually
:21:38. > :21:51.game over. Iain Vigurs with a stunning volley. 3-0 and all was
:21:52. > :22:00.lost for Motherwell top scorer Lewis Mould struck with half an hour left.
:22:01. > :22:04.His seventh goal of the season. This was not looking like Stephen
:22:05. > :22:13.McManus's day as he was booked for a charging in on this tackle. And in
:22:14. > :22:18.injury time he got a second yellow after tangling with Dani Lopez. A
:22:19. > :22:26.first league win for Inverness out of the Highlands.
:22:27. > :22:33.We were resolute, solid, stood up. My only disappointment is from that
:22:34. > :22:37.solid foundation we should have counter-attacked better.
:22:38. > :22:51.The game got away from us before half-time. Two goals, one a penalty.
:22:52. > :22:56.As far as retaking it, if there are any other penalties on the night,
:22:57. > :22:58.compare them. I guarantee you every single penalty you every single
:22:59. > :23:02.penalty UC taken there will be players inside the box. What is the
:23:03. > :23:09.rule? Mark is absolutely right. To retake
:23:10. > :23:16.her not to retake? I think the referee got it spot on. I think big
:23:17. > :23:21.Mick has got a case here. He cannot see the ball coming. He has his back
:23:22. > :23:31.to the ball. I think he has been harshly dealt with in the first
:23:32. > :23:39.place. Encroachment? Yes! I don't think the referee can even see the
:23:40. > :23:44.taker! Even if the ball had gone in he would have had a retaken and the
:23:45. > :23:49.way. I take Mark's point. I understand what he is saying. But I
:23:50. > :24:01.have never seen anyone six yards from it. This was last weekend in
:24:02. > :24:08.Inverness. The referee's focuses on the penalty taker. Is it a yard? I
:24:09. > :24:09.think he the penalty taker. Is it a yard? I
:24:10. > :24:14.think he is correct in his decision, the referee.
:24:15. > :24:18.A good win for Caley Thistle. Hearts begin the week and second in the
:24:19. > :24:23.table. They had a chance to close the gap to three points. They faced
:24:24. > :24:28.a Hamilton team who had beaten them in August.
:24:29. > :24:38.Hearts on a good run of form. They make two changes from the team that
:24:39. > :24:42.played Partick Thistle. Hamilton Aki is not in such promising form. They
:24:43. > :24:56.have made five changes from the defeat to St Johnstone.
:24:57. > :25:04.That looked close. The defender close to the opening goal. It might
:25:05. > :25:21.have nicked the post. Prince Buaben! I think he took
:25:22. > :25:28.himself by surprise there. It was an ambitious effort. But on a slippery
:25:29. > :25:34.surface, the bounce beat Michael McGovern in front of the watching
:25:35. > :25:39.Northern Ireland manager. McGovern not covering himself in glory.
:25:40. > :25:43.Robbie Neilson watches his team hit the front. They are looking for
:25:44. > :25:53.their fourth successive win in the league. That was a good save by Neil
:25:54. > :25:57.Alexander. It needed the hand of Alexander to
:25:58. > :26:08.turn it around the post. Or else that was an equaliser.
:26:09. > :26:27.Osman Sow! It is Sutchuin-Djoum who gets it! Unselfish play from Osman
:26:28. > :26:31.Sow. He did the hard work. Hearts doubled their advantage. Cool play
:26:32. > :26:47.by Osman Sow. Nicholson. He was looking for
:26:48. > :26:51.options. Sutchuin-Djoum was not far away from doubling his own tally and
:26:52. > :26:57.giving Hearts a third goal. That would have been game over. Gordon
:26:58. > :27:04.Strachan in the stand among the observers.
:27:05. > :27:08.Ferguson tried to curl one in. Michael McGovern making amends
:27:09. > :27:19.somewhat for the concession of the first goal. Slack pass. Poor control
:27:20. > :27:25.by Sutchuin-Djoum. Morris went down. It is a yellow card. It looks like
:27:26. > :27:27.that's Magid looked like he was pointing to the penalty spot. Morris
:27:28. > :27:41.left his leg trailing. Osman Sow tried to curl it
:27:42. > :27:49.goalwards. McGovern turns it around the post. Hearts look to put this
:27:50. > :27:58.game to bed. Decent effort by Osman Sow. He has had a good game.
:27:59. > :28:07.Carlton Morris on the line to prevent the goal. Hamilton here the
:28:08. > :28:16.danger. This could so easily have been a third goal for Hearts. Prince
:28:17. > :28:25.Buaben, scorer of the first goal, that got Hearts off and running. He
:28:26. > :28:34.might fancy another one. Scrambled behind in the end by Hamilton. Osman
:28:35. > :28:38.Sow might feel he has deserved a goal today. It would not come.
:28:39. > :28:45.McGovern did enough to claw it behind. Martin Kearney's side looked
:28:46. > :29:02.destined for a fifth consecutive match without a victory. This sums
:29:03. > :29:05.up Hamilton's day in front of goal. We had two strikers scored last
:29:06. > :29:09.week. We spoke in the week about trying to get more goals from
:29:10. > :29:13.different areas and we did today. If we defend better we do not
:29:14. > :29:18.concede goals. We had a couple of opportunities. In the second half we
:29:19. > :29:24.had a strong penalty claim. There was not a lot in it. But maybe they
:29:25. > :29:28.did enough to get the result. In the end it was a good victory for
:29:29. > :29:36.Hearts. You have been impressed by them? I have been really impressed
:29:37. > :29:44.by them. Six games unbeaten in the league. 16,000 there yesterday. The
:29:45. > :29:47.most impressive thing from a come everybody is talking about them
:29:48. > :29:51.going forward. They have had seven clean sheets. That shows you how
:29:52. > :29:58.organised they are. They are very impressive.
:29:59. > :30:08.! Second in the table, can you see them staying there until the end of
:30:09. > :30:11.the season? I still think Aberdeen have the second strongest squad. I
:30:12. > :30:17.think they will finish second but Hearts, St Johnstone, they will be
:30:18. > :30:21.fighting for about 30 squad. With four wins from their last five, St
:30:22. > :30:23.Johnstone have been showing the kind of form that has been showing them
:30:24. > :30:29.becoming regular European campaigners. All the Saints fans
:30:30. > :30:35.will tell you that before Steven MacLean, that was a man called Roddy
:30:36. > :30:43.Grant. St Johnstone against Kilmarnock, St
:30:44. > :30:46.Johnstone's final season. Today, the host Icahn Mike side whose
:30:47. > :30:57.reputation is far from secure. A free kick. A good save. And he has
:30:58. > :31:09.done it! Colin Harkness, and he might find the goal. Still the
:31:10. > :31:14.opportunity is there. Roddy Grant! That is his second of the game.
:31:15. > :31:18.Impressing Jim McClane, the Dundee United manager. And he dropped the
:31:19. > :31:31.ball. A great chance for Kilmarnock. United manager. And he dropped the
:31:32. > :31:37.Robert Wiley. Tommy Wright makes to make changes for the side who won at
:31:38. > :31:41.Hamilton. Joe Shaughnessy and David Wotherspoon go out, replaced by Dave
:31:42. > :31:45.Mackay and Steven MacLean. -- two changes for the side. Gary Locke
:31:46. > :31:54.retains faith in the side that lost to Motherwell. Kris Boyd has to make
:31:55. > :32:00.do with a place on the bench. The bench. Towards Higginbotham, and it
:32:01. > :32:07.runs. Higginbotham, he wants the return ball. Up against Scobbie. He
:32:08. > :32:13.delivers it. Smithers arriving! 1-0 to Kilmarnock. -- Smith is arriving.
:32:14. > :32:17.What a start inside two minutes. And it was a quality goal. Again, if
:32:18. > :32:23.found Higginbotham. A great delivery. Smith arrives just at the
:32:24. > :32:32.right time. A beautiful header. Upgradable. And a great start for
:32:33. > :32:36.Kilmarnock. -- a great ball. Tommy Wright has been delighted with
:32:37. > :32:41.Saints' improved goal rate this season. They will require more to
:32:42. > :32:48.get back into this. Not a bad effort from the Northern Ireland striker.
:32:49. > :32:53.He picked it up and fancied a goal but he would have taken something
:32:54. > :33:00.special. Kilmarnock having the better of it so far. Saints have
:33:01. > :33:09.been sluggish. O'Halloran finds McClane. Can he fashion and opening?
:33:10. > :33:16.Back to Stephen McClane. A big chance. He must score. O'Halloran!
:33:17. > :33:25.Michael O'Halloran scores for the fifth consecutive game. Linking well
:33:26. > :33:29.with Stephen Maclean. It seems to dig an age before he could engineer
:33:30. > :33:39.a shooting chance. That was a clever touch. MacLean unselfishly finds
:33:40. > :33:47.O'Halloran. He kept it cool to level it up. The play from MacLean,
:33:48. > :33:55.shrugging off the attention of two defenders. A decent effort. He is in
:33:56. > :34:04.good form, Michael O'Halloran. You would not have bet against him
:34:05. > :34:06.putting this one in the net. A rather pedestrian start to the match
:34:07. > :34:15.for Saints but they are in the ascendancy now. Lovely play from
:34:16. > :34:25.Wotherspoon. Still going. He finds McClane and lasered off to Kane.
:34:26. > :34:29.Smashing St Johnstone into the lead. -- plays it off to Kane. A
:34:30. > :34:32.combination of skill and determination that took Wotherspoon
:34:33. > :34:42.to the byline. Kane smashes it past Jamie MacDonald. St Johnstone lead
:34:43. > :34:46.2-1. He will be delighted that the troops have responded to growing
:34:47. > :35:00.behind early in the match. Lofted into the box. The slight hint of a
:35:01. > :35:05.chance they, but Magennis could not find the area. He could not do much
:35:06. > :35:09.with it. Smith get away from Davidson. A strong challenge.
:35:10. > :35:17.Kilmarnock players are not happy with that. And it is too strong a
:35:18. > :35:22.challenge. Too strong a challenge for Crawford Allan's liking. Liam
:35:23. > :35:31.Craig is sent off. St Johnstone is down to ten men. Can Killie make the
:35:32. > :35:36.most of the advantage? Can it come to Carrick?! It just won't fall for
:35:37. > :35:42.Killie at the moment. Five wins in six for Saints. Up front, I was
:35:43. > :35:48.particularly pleased. The number of goals we have scored, averaging two
:35:49. > :35:51.a game, that is an excellent return considering what we were last year.
:35:52. > :35:55.But I would still like more clean sheets. If we can get that, I think
:35:56. > :36:02.we will have a good season. There is not a great deal between any of the
:36:03. > :36:05.sides in the league. St Johnstone are flying, playing very well and we
:36:06. > :36:10.have more than matched them. I felt we were the better side.
:36:11. > :36:15.Particularly in the first half. But we have to be more clinical when we
:36:16. > :36:19.get chances. Hugely impressive from St Johnstone. Four wins in four and
:36:20. > :36:24.seven in the last eight. Nine wins even. Nine wins in the last 12. Can
:36:25. > :36:30.they challenge Aberdeen and Hearts for second place? I think they will
:36:31. > :36:33.believe they can. They go into every game thinking they are going to win.
:36:34. > :36:37.The most impressive thing about them as Tommy Wright says is the
:36:38. > :36:40.goal-scoring form. They have nearly scored as many goals as they scored
:36:41. > :36:45.in the whole of last season, which is fantastic. The second-highest
:36:46. > :36:49.goals for in the league. Tommy Wright is saying he wants more clean
:36:50. > :36:52.sheets but you can't have it all. They are renowned for clean sheets
:36:53. > :36:59.over the last couple of seasons but I think I would rather win games
:37:00. > :37:02.with goals. I would rather have 4-3 than 1-0. Michael O'Halloran, so
:37:03. > :37:09.impressive. Does he have Scotland professional? Well, the last one was
:37:10. > :37:13.Stevie May. Unfortunately, he did not have much game time in England,
:37:14. > :37:18.but he is certainly in a purple patch of form. But I think that
:37:19. > :37:22.MacLean is the main man. His linkup play is terrific. He is a wily
:37:23. > :37:30.centre forward. But O'Halloran, this is a fantastic ball. He is a lad who
:37:31. > :37:34.is playing confidently. He has just got to keep producing. This was
:37:35. > :37:41.against Morton, and he was fast and powerful. That is key attitude, his
:37:42. > :37:45.speed. -- that is his key attitude. He is adding goals to the game,
:37:46. > :37:48.which you could not have said previously. It is a slightly
:37:49. > :37:52.different position for him and it seems to work. Sometimes he is in
:37:53. > :37:55.the Number Ten position and he can have more influence. Obviously, it
:37:56. > :38:02.is paying dividends for St Johnstone. Stephen, second, is that
:38:03. > :38:11.unrealistic? They could have been right up there. They have Cummins,
:38:12. > :38:14.and John Sutton on the bench. And Kane, who scored yesterday. But they
:38:15. > :38:19.have good experience and they are well drilled. Tommy is doing a
:38:20. > :38:23.fantastic job. Absolutely. Dundee have only managed to two wins in the
:38:24. > :38:34.last ten games. Partick Thistle were the visitors at Dens Park.
:38:35. > :38:37.Dundee won the only previous meeting between the sides earlier this
:38:38. > :38:44.season. And they had an early chance to take the lead, but denied by Paul
:38:45. > :38:48.Gallagher. The Partick goalkeeping coach showing he can still cut it
:38:49. > :38:52.when called upon. Thistle are not the soft touch they appeared to be
:38:53. > :38:57.early on in the campaign. Lindsey headed home the opener five minutes
:38:58. > :39:02.in. A good header to grab his first for the club, but the Dundee marking
:39:03. > :39:06.was sloppy to say the least. Chris Dillon came close to doubling
:39:07. > :39:11.Thistle's leads, finding space in the box to attempt a fantastic
:39:12. > :39:14.effort which went past the post. Lindsay had an even better chance in
:39:15. > :39:19.the second half. With this effort going just wide. The goal-scorer may
:39:20. > :39:27.feel that he should have added a second. Greg Stewart embarked on a
:39:28. > :39:33.run through the Jags defence as his side search for a leveller. But the
:39:34. > :39:37.home side were again foiled. Hemmings came on to replace Healy in
:39:38. > :39:43.the first half, and just when Thistle looked like they would hold
:39:44. > :39:47.on, Hemmings drew them Hemmings drew Dundee level. Greg Stewart combined
:39:48. > :39:53.with Rory Loy to set up Hemmings five minutes from time. And still
:39:54. > :39:59.time for both sides to push for a winner. Ryan Stevenson brought out a
:40:00. > :40:03.smart save from the Dundee goal. The dark Blues pressed hard at the other
:40:04. > :40:13.end, but Thistle defended well. Holding firm to ensure a share of
:40:14. > :40:21.the spoils. Thistle remain 11, were Dundee just outside the top six on
:40:22. > :40:26.goal difference. In the second half, I thought the intensity of our play
:40:27. > :40:31.was good. I'm disappointed. I think it was another two points dropped.
:40:32. > :40:35.The first half, we were not hitting them on the break. But in the second
:40:36. > :40:40.half, I thought we countdown. Dundee are going to throw everything at us,
:40:41. > :40:47.which they did do, but in the last five minutes, it really opened up.
:40:48. > :40:50.An even in that one. Paul Gallagher dusting off the gloves and producing
:40:51. > :40:55.some out of this world saving. Third choice keeper? You know him well. I
:40:56. > :41:04.do. We went through the youth ranks at Dundee United together. He is the
:41:05. > :41:10.goalkeeping coach. Is he 40? He will be younger than me, 36. But I am
:41:11. > :41:14.looking better than him. He has had a career but if he is the third
:41:15. > :41:17.choice goalkeeper for Partick Thistle, Billy must have two very
:41:18. > :41:21.good goalkeepers in front. They are fortunate to have him to be able to
:41:22. > :41:26.step in. Obviously, he has international experience. And he did
:41:27. > :41:31.well there yesterday. But you look at Dundee, and people say, having
:41:32. > :41:34.had a little blip but for me, they were sitting at six four sevenths
:41:35. > :41:39.and they got in the top six last season. If you look at the rivals in
:41:40. > :41:42.the City, where they are, I think if you said they were going to finish
:41:43. > :41:46.above them this season, they would have taken that. They have to look
:41:47. > :41:50.over their shoulders because Partick Thistle have eight points from the
:41:51. > :41:57.last five matches. Dundee and teams like that in the sides. They do. And
:41:58. > :42:03.they will be looking at teams like Motherwell and Kilmarnock. Yesterday
:42:04. > :42:07.will have been disappointing for them because they conceded at 85
:42:08. > :42:11.minutes and that will feel like a defeat. But if you had offered them
:42:12. > :42:13.a point before the game, they might have taken it. Time for a look at
:42:14. > :42:15.a point before the game, they might have taken it. Time for a look at
:42:16. > :42:19.the Ladbrokes Premiership table. Celtic, six points clear of Hearts
:42:20. > :42:23.and seven clear of Aberdeen. St Johnstone clinging to the coat-tails
:42:24. > :42:29.of the top three and there is daylight between fourth and fifth.
:42:30. > :42:33.Inverness leapfrog Kilmarnock, in the only change from last week's
:42:34. > :42:40.table. To the Championship and after defeat at Hibs, Rangers welcomed
:42:41. > :42:48.Alloa Athletic to Ibrox. Could mark Warburton's side get back into it?
:42:49. > :42:59.To make changes to the Rangers team beaten by Hibs last weekend. Wilson
:43:00. > :43:04.and Clark are left out. Robbie Crawford is on loan at two Alloa,
:43:05. > :43:07.and his place goes to Kyle McAusland. Otherwise it is the team
:43:08. > :43:17.beaten by Queen of the South last time out.
:43:18. > :43:25.A lovely build-up. James Tavernier is in. And there is a phrase you do
:43:26. > :43:30.not often here. Tavern near, this is an open goal. He has not missed much
:43:31. > :43:38.since arriving at Rangers. What a chance. A mix-up at the back, and
:43:39. > :43:48.Andy McNair's clearance went straight to Martin Waghorn. He plans
:43:49. > :43:51.the ball behind the keeper. They have hit inside ten minutes. A
:43:52. > :44:01.catastrophe at the back but you have to admire the finish. That is a
:44:02. > :44:14.foul. An Andy Halliday. A set piece opportunity for Rangers. James
:44:15. > :44:21.Tavernier. He blasts his way into double figures for the season. A
:44:22. > :44:31.quite incredible goals total for the full-back. And his 10th makes it 2-0
:44:32. > :44:40.after 40 minutes. A neat touch from Waghorn. He looks to make something
:44:41. > :44:44.happen. A big opportunity for the Arsenal youngster, who cannot quite
:44:45. > :44:50.believe he has blazed this over the top.
:44:51. > :45:02.Mistake there. Michael Chopra is in. And he fails to take the
:45:03. > :45:07.opportunity. Unlucky in that it crashes back off the crossbar.
:45:08. > :45:18.Athletic need to take the few chances that come their way. Was
:45:19. > :45:28.that a Polish? -- push. The ball given away by Michael Chopra.
:45:29. > :45:33.Waghorn! The scores again. It is now 17 for the season for the former
:45:34. > :45:44.Leicester City and Wigan striker. A delicate chip and it is just guided
:45:45. > :45:51.in by Waghorn. 3-0 to Rangers. Jason Holt bursting onto the ball.
:45:52. > :45:54.The chance" him. But it was always swerving away will stop -- the
:45:55. > :46:16.chance opened up for him. A reaction from Eddie Fearns.
:46:17. > :46:26.Stamping down on the young Rangers substitute. It is a red card.
:46:27. > :46:41.Barry Mackay... Waghorn! Great goal-line clearance from the
:46:42. > :46:45.Estonian for Alloa athletic. In the right place at the right time. Not
:46:46. > :46:52.for Martin Waghorn. This prevents the hat-trick.
:46:53. > :47:05.Inside stoppage time. Clark rounded off for a Rangers. Normal service is
:47:06. > :47:12.resumed. They are back to winning ways.
:47:13. > :47:16.Absolute respect for Alloa. They were organised, they worked
:47:17. > :47:21.tirelessly. It was difficult for them when they went down to ten men.
:47:22. > :47:27.They are compact behind the ball. We kept moving the ball, we maintained
:47:28. > :47:35.width. We had lots of chances in the second half. Very pleasing to get
:47:36. > :47:39.the fourth goal. A good afternoon. We have got to take the attitude and
:47:40. > :47:43.the application and the commitment we showed today, we have got to take
:47:44. > :47:48.that and get confidence from it. we showed today, we have got to take
:47:49. > :47:54.that and get confidence from it. Rangers's biggest win in six games.
:47:55. > :48:01.17 goals for the season for Martin Waghorn. Is he at a level above the
:48:02. > :48:05.division? I think he is. For him, it is regular football. I remember
:48:06. > :48:14.watching him at Sunderland. He stood out in the youth team as a kid. He
:48:15. > :48:21.is in confident mood. That is a fantastic goal. That is just very
:48:22. > :48:30.good technically. What a lovely deft touch. He is a team player also.
:48:31. > :48:34.He's not just a goal-scorer. He was unfortunate not to get a hat-trick.
:48:35. > :48:40.How many goals do you think he can get? I think he can get 30 plus.
:48:41. > :48:46.Rangers are creating so many opportunities in every match that he
:48:47. > :48:54.will get opportunities. Off the field this week, the ruling in
:48:55. > :48:59.favour of HMRC saying that Rangers were liable for tax. You are at the
:49:00. > :49:03.club at that time. You won titles. What you say to people who feel that
:49:04. > :49:11.Rangers should be stripped of titles from that time? I would agree and
:49:12. > :49:16.say that the titles were won on the pitch. If you were to ask any of the
:49:17. > :49:22.players from that year, they would agree. Can you understand why fans
:49:23. > :49:32.from other clubs look at that as cheating? To be perfectly honest I
:49:33. > :49:35.do not know a lot about it. Did Sir David Murray just see a loophole in
:49:36. > :49:39.the system he thought he could get away with Aung San Suu Kyi at that
:49:40. > :49:46.time Rangers were a huge club. Players were coming from all over
:49:47. > :49:49.the world to play for them. Players across the board have said the
:49:50. > :49:53.titles were won on the playing surface.
:49:54. > :49:59.After their victory over Rangers last weekend it was an award stubble
:50:00. > :50:05.for Hibs this month. Alan Stubbs and Jason Cummings winning the manager
:50:06. > :50:12.and Player of the Month. Next stop, St Mirren.
:50:13. > :50:28.St Mirren began this match in lively fashion. Sean Kelly put them ahead.
:50:29. > :50:35.John McGinn has been in impressive form for Hibs. He was heavily
:50:36. > :50:44.involved as they equalised. Jason Cummings with his seventh goal in
:50:45. > :50:56.seven games. But he was upstaged by James Keatings, who made it 2-1. And
:50:57. > :51:06.after McGinn Robert Goodwill, Keatings added a third.
:51:07. > :51:13.Not a great day for St Mirren fans. It would get even worse. Not every
:51:14. > :51:15.day a former Hearts player scores a hat-trick for Hibs. James Keatings
:51:16. > :51:31.did. 4-1 it finished. At the top of the table, Rangers
:51:32. > :51:37.five points clear of Hibs. St Mirren joint second bottom along with
:51:38. > :51:40.Livingston and Dumbarton. I hate to say it, but how much of a concern is
:51:41. > :51:46.the possibility that relegation will have to be the thing that is fought
:51:47. > :51:50.against St Mirren this season again? Is not something the players are
:51:51. > :51:55.thinking about. We are thinking about trying to get up the league.
:51:56. > :51:57.Where we are right now is not good enough. The performances have not
:51:58. > :52:06.been at the level they should be at. We are struggling.
:52:07. > :52:10.We have not found any format home. We are losing poor, cheap, avoidable
:52:11. > :52:14.goals and not creating enough either. And of course when all of
:52:15. > :52:18.these things are put together, the confidence suffers as well. We need
:52:19. > :52:25.to pick ourselves up and the sooner the better. Do you feel relegation
:52:26. > :52:28.is a possibility? No. I do not think it is. I think with the squad we
:52:29. > :52:34.have got we will be climbing the league. There is a perfect
:52:35. > :52:41.opportunity in the Renfrewshire derby in a couple of weeks. 12 wins
:52:42. > :52:47.in 13 matches for Hibs. Can you see them pulling Rangers back? I think
:52:48. > :52:52.it could come down to head to heads. They had a great win over Rangers
:52:53. > :53:01.last week. They are stronger than they were last season. They are on a
:53:02. > :53:06.good run. As our Rangers. I think the league is weaker than it was
:53:07. > :53:10.last season. No Hearts. Queen of the South have lost a lot of good
:53:11. > :53:15.players, as have Falkirk. It should be exciting. Huge
:53:16. > :53:21.congratulations to Glasgow city on winning today's Scottish women's cup
:53:22. > :53:29.final. They beat Hibs. Players shine grabbing a hat-trick. It completes a
:53:30. > :53:32.treble. Congratulations to everybody
:53:33. > :53:36.involved. That is you a lot. Thank you to Stewart and Stephen further
:53:37. > :53:38.company. No Sportscene next week because of the international break.
:53:39. > :53:43.See you in a fortnight. Good night.