08/12/2013 Sportscene

good evening. Plenty goals, a staggering array of home-grown

talent and all the drama and intrigue of the Scottish

Premiership. What more could you want? How about two outspoken

scholars of the Scottish game? The action in a moment. Following the

death of Nelson Mandela Scottish football played tribute with

applause before every SPL match. -- age tribute.

The future is bright. The future is tangerine. A clean sweep of monthly

awards went to them the United. Jackie McNamara the manager of the

month. Andrew Robertson the player of the month and the young player of

the month was the ears as well. -- there's.

Dundee United bring back Sean Dillon in place of the injured defender.

Brian Graham reads the United attack. Only one change to the

Hearts team which was dumped by Celtic.

Back to goal. A great effort from the mid fielder. Jamie MacDonald

alert to the threat posed the year. Robertson. The made by Armstrong.

Mackay-Steven. A lofted ball. Looking for Armstrong. The ball is

in the net. Armstrong is claiming it. Brian Graham was in the on the

goal-line. Armstrong getting the credit. Hearts looking for the

equaliser. Here is Walker. That is a trip and the penalty says the

referee. Mark Wilson is the offender. Just inside be the. -- the

area. A fine penalty from the Hearts midfielder. The keeper guessed the

wrong way. The big striker has got the chance. And it was the wasted

opportunity. The goal was gaping. He was trying for the top corner.

Payton. Here is Rankin. We can strike them. Jamie MacDonald knows

how to save them to. A fine stop from the Hearts goalkeeper. The

corner. Liam. 2-1 to Dundee United. The big striker claims his third

goal of the season. Hearts are concerned and claiming that Callum

Paterson was impeded as he tried to Mark Gilliam. Walker. He has gone

down, he is looking for the free kick. Thompson is bringing out a

yellow card for diving. I thought he was impeded by Mark Wilson. Here is

a pattern. Cutting it back. Armstrong! A good stop again.

Mackay-Steven. Gold. Mackay-Steven again. Terrific finishing their by

the man they call GM S. United have their third goal. Gary Mackay-Steven

claims his fourth in three games that takes his total to six for the

season. Thomas getting it wide. Here is Armstrong and Goodwillie. Another

fine stop by MacDonald. United could have been talking up the goals if it

had not been for the Hearts goalkeeper on fine form. The corner.

Cleared only as far as Rankin. It has taken a deflection and it is

into the net. Rankin looking to claim that one. Two minutes into

stoppage time. United score four goals in four successive matches.

With the aid of that deflection. It was an even game. I thought we

supplied -- applied ourselves very well. It was a big decision for that

goal but I do not want to see too much about it. I would have to see

it again but we felt it was a foul. The first game was crucial. We

regrouped at half-time and we kept forcing and we got our just rewards.

Perhaps not quite at the best yesterday. 17 goals in the last four

games. We will look at it again in a moment but this exemplifies the move

about how Dundee United play, does it not? Great creativity from the

front four. I do not think the full-back is strong enough but

lovely deft touch by Armstrong. I think it was definitely going in so

I would give the gold to Armstrong. It is just the movement that makes

it very difficult for Hearts to defend the box. Despite the form we

saw yesterday, it was at something of a knife age at 1-1. The guys were

very unhappy about the second Dundee United goal, what do you think? It

is a training ground move. That is why he is so delighted with it. When

you see it from here, there is space for Callum Paterson. When he is

touched tight to Graham that is marking he can get around that and

see what is happening. It is definitely a free kick but Callum

Paterson could have been cuter and got away with it. Five minutes later

Gary Mackay-Steven tells of the match essentially. You will be

worries about the January transfer window, weren't there? Some well

have potential suitors. They have done everything they can in terms of

tying these guys up in long contracts. They will want to stay,

they are doing great things this season. I do not think they have a

lot to worry about in January. The end of season might be different.

And you think they will stay at Dundee United for the foreseeable

future? It is a fantastic team. I think I agreed that they will stay

together for this season. We shall see. Aberdeen could be one of the

sites competing come the end of the season. Derek McInnes took his side

to face St Johnstone. Commentary comes from Paul Mitchell. Of sides

safely negotiated the opening matches of the cup last weekend. Two

changes for Aberdeen who have lost their last two in the league. Vernon

to start. Good attacking play from the dons.

Vernon, returning into the path of Peter Pawlett, just drag it wide.

Peter Pawlett! He drills at low into the corner. Robson started the move,

he won the ball, burning inside to Paulette, he pointed that into the

corner. Aberdeen made them pay, the first meeting of the season between

these two was goalless. Aberdeen are leading after 17 here.

Great save from Jamie Lingfield. He is in such great form. Hasselbaink

played it through, good control. It was Johnny Hayes coming in, there

are four referee was well placed. It is turned behind. Good attacking

play again from Aberdeen. A decent stop by the goalkeeper. Nigel

Hasselbaink has run his race, he will be replaced by Rory Fallon. Two

legends in the stand, Sir Alex Ferguson among them.

The referee has brought it to a halt. Rory Fallon is in trouble! He

is fixed back -- he is off! He swung the second time and that is a

straight red card. Rory Fallon, sent off twice in his Aberdeen career,

sent off for the first time as the Saints player.

Aberdeen continuing to push for a second goal.

That is a great throw from Lingfield. Derek McInnes, urging his

men forward. He went for the top corner and found

it! What a goal! Five goals in his last five games for McGinn. That is

surely the pick of the bunch. That's a wonderful finish. The keeper had

no chance. It's always difficult coming here,

they had only lost four goals here in the league previously, they fight

really hard for every inch on the pitch. I don't think there was a lot

in it. The sending-off kills us, really, there was no way back

against a side like Aberdeen. Last 20 minutes, we really had a go.

Unfortunately Rory got sent off and kills it force. Less than a minute

on the pitch! Kenny have any complaint? Not really. When you see

the replay, you can't even use the excuse that he didn't like the guy,

because he wasn't there. Once he gets the red card, he's almost

resigned. That's a definite red card. Why does he do it? He doesn't

know him, so he can't use the excuse he doesn't like him! I don't know

whether he has been hit for he throws his arm back, it was a

strange one. A good result for Aberdeen. 2-0 at McDonell at Park. A

great goal, picking the ball up in his own half. A great throw from the

keeper to set him free, it looks like he will head for the corner

flag and run the clock down. Not a lot of traffic is why, to be fair.

That is proper postal stamp stuff. Interesting that all of last season,

McGinn was playing as an number nine and scored a lot of goals, this

season he has been playing wide right or wide left but is still

banging in the goals. As long as he keeps doing that, Aberdeen will be

challenging. Inverness are currently second, we have just seen Dundee

United, can you see them both during the second? Obviously John Hughes

will have his work cut out trying keep the team up there, but I think

both those teams will be the two teams who would be fighting it out

for that second place, they have scored. Really good teams to watch

as well. For those sets of fans, they have for a number of years not

challenge for the top, second or third position in the league, and

for Aberdeen, it has been a long time coming. That is the talk about

second place, of course. But the Champions' League shaped elephant is

Celtic, financially superior to all the rest. On the field, it has been

the same, rampant last week as they tore Hearts to shreds in this

gorgeous cup. On Friday night, they pitched up at Motherwell.

Stuart McCall is keen to bounce back from a shocker on the road against

Albion Rovers. He has dropped McFadden. Nir Biton has a virus, so

he drops. The champions's last defeat came here in April. They were

so convincing against Hearts on Sunday and they will want to start

like they mean business again. Celtic, unbeaten in the league this

season, their best start in a decade.

There was a shout for handball against Hammill. The referee is not

interested in it. Celtic looked to have been denied a spot kick.

The hat-trick hero from Sunday 's at it again. And Celtic lead in

Lanarkshire. He didn't know much about it, but what good reaction he

showed to backheel this into a goal and at half-time, Celtic lead.

It is Ambrose! And its 2-0! And here come the somersaults! Ambrose, with

his second of the season. Celtic's second of the evening, it looks like

they are going to be taking all three points already. It's a lot

colder than the supporters are suggesting it is, I can assure you!

Celtic lost twice here last season, showing no signs of that tonight.

He's just getting no luck in front of goal, Pukki. Albeit Cummings did

get something on it. Player went to ground, he's going to

get booked for diving! -- Pukki went to ground. He have to say, that

looks like it should have been awarded.

Motherwell just can't get out, Celtic have been sipping the ball

about as they did in the 7-0 win against Hearts. Commons! He gets his

second. What a run he has been on me scored twice against Aberdeen

recently, three times against Hearts, and now twice against

Motherwell. 13th of the season for Kris Commons.

Stokes! Anthony Stokes ends his goal drought. Without a goal since the

last meeting between the teams. Way back at the start of October. Stokes

makes it Motherwell zero, Celtic four. The goal he craved, he gets it

finally. Celtic go to Barcelona on Tuesday

morning for the match on Wednesday night, that will complete their

European campaign, that has been a disappointment. Good effort from the

Dutchman, a tight angle. What a way to score your first goal

for the club! First senior goal for the sweet, I take each. That is a

Jurassic finish. We were up against a really good

side tonight, but there are things we could do better, no doubt about

that. Obviously, you don't want to get beat at home like that, but

there is a really is that we have three or four games coming up, we

need to hit top form and hopefully things will go right for us. We have

really hit a groove, some of the players are probably in the best

form they have been in quite awhile and its apparent in their displays.

Coming here and scoring five goals and playing the football we played,

the control and intensity, it's very pleasing.

Some fantastic football from Celtic why are they playing so well? Could

Motherwell have done anything different to stop them? I think the

problem with Motherwell is they have come up against a Celtic team that

has so many players interchanging positions, it's difficult for them

to pin them down. Pukki is on the right, he gives Hutchinson a

problem, who is coming across, I think he should go more towards the

goal rather than cutting across. The big problem with Motherwell is that

Celtic are on top form. It's too high a line. The defensive line is a

problem. When you have guys like Mulgrew, stokes, who can pick out

passes like this, it is impossible for the keeper, he has two Celtic

players advancing on him. Celtic have a great cutting edge but teams

like Hearts and Motherwell are not helping themselves at all. You were

at Tynecastle last weekend when Hearts were hammered. There seems to

have been a fantastic reaction from Neil Lennon's side since the

disappointment of the Milan game. That was an example of the

interchanging of positions, the stick is inside the 18 yard box. --

mistake. It was a great response from Celtic, the Scottish cup is a

big tournament for them. If it was only the league for them it would be

disappointing, so the cup comes important. Disappointing scenes at

Fir Park on Friday night as well, smoke bombs, flares, the Green

Brigade tonight excepting some of the responsibility although

insisting them of their members were involved. The damage you see at Fir

Park, it's disgusting to see. It's terrible, it's an unnecessary thing

and it puts Neil Lennon and the Celtic board in a difficult position

because they can't defend the action but it's difficult for them to

control it as the board of state. It's a small minority, but it images

the repetition of the club and we don't want to see that, we want to

see people coming to football without having their concern is the

safety -- damages the reputation of the club. We want to see an

atmosphere Scottish games, but it can't be done in the way that is

destructive. Of course, as Archie says, you want the guys to go there,

everybody to turn up and enjoy it, not get Court in poor incidents like

that especially when the seats have been destroyed. That is just

vandalism. Ross County were looking for positivity after four defeat

from five games, out of the Scottish cup as well. Despite zero goals as

well, they stick with their strikers upfront. A few changes to the

defence for colour monitor. -- Kilmarnock. You have to go back to

made to find Kilmarnock's last victory on the road, but they got

off to the perfect start. Johnson got the opener from eight yards out.

Kris Boyd was the provider. Questions to be asked about the

defence. This shot was saved by Samsung, however, Kettlewell was at

hand to hammer the rebound into the back of the net.

The finish from Kettlewell. And the home side almost took the read a few

minutes later. -- the lead. The return to form of Kris Boyd has

brought him back into the plans of the Scotland boss. If he continues

to score goals like this it can only be good for club and country. Still,

plenty to do for Boyd. The majestic finish from the Kelly hit man. --

Kilmarnock hit man. This effort rattled back of the underside of the

crossbar. Slater was next to try his luck for calm armour. The ball into

the six yard box, his effort from close range eventually cleared by

the home defence. The ball ricocheted off two players before

the danger was cleared. Kris Boyd collected this path from the

substitute with the ball coming back of the base of the post. Dalmarnock

heading south with all three points as Ross County's poor run of form

continues. We started the season well and we know we have

overachieved. This season was always going to be survival for a club of

this ties but we will keep working away to find that positive result.

With Kris Boyd upfront you are always likely to get goals. Young

Johnson has come into the team and he has been really positive. He

likes to take people on. He is just a top player. Kris Boyd with the

winner, his seventh goal of the season. How do you see his role at

Kilmarnock? He is a leader for them. This has not changed, it is

fantastic, instinct. You can see in the replay, he knows instinctively

the goalkeeper is of his line. His role within the team, he has

mature. A significant away when for calm armour. -- win. It is great to

see players like there's coming through the youth ranks. He gives

them a cutting-edge and they do need that because you cannot rely on one

player to the extent that Kilmarnock have with Kris Boyd. Chris Johnston,

he is doing very well. It is not going so well for Ross County at the

moment, they cannot get the win at all. We do you see that going at the

moment? You'll macro it is a tough one. You have heard how they have

over achieved for a number of years. That is the perils of management.

You set the bar high. They are not reaching those same standards. He is

trying to find the right formula but it is not working. He has a big gap

between himself and Hearts but he will be worried about the position

they are in at the moment. Plenty more to come. You can see extended

highlights of all the Premiership games on the BBC sport website.

Terry Butcher made his home debut at Hibernian.

Gary Fraser is banned. Stevenson took her knee. A bit of room up

against Dylan. He goes for all and nearly finds it. You think he would

have been expecting the cross but Tierney went for the call. -- goal.

Higginbotham up against me Billy. A powerful shot pushed away by Ben

Williams. -- Mayberry. Promising stuff from Thistle. Higginbotham

looks bright in the early stages. He is getting Mayberry a few problems.

Higginbotham still has it. Elliott, Doolan, just wide but the flag was

up for offside. Another real threat to the Hibernian defence. That is

back for McGivern. He tried his luck from some considerable distance.

That looked net bound but for the hand of the goalkeeper. Stevenson.

Jones. The keeper blocks again. He denies Hibernian. That is at least

three top quality saves from the Partick Thistle goalkeeper this

afternoon. Thistle are in possession. Kris Doolan has done

well to get away from Forster. He is still backtracking. Doolan has gone

all the way. That is quite magnificent from the Partick Thistle

front man. A real soul and effort. -- so low effort. -- solo. Hibernian

fall behind in Terry Butcher's first match in charge at Easter Road. What

a save from Scott Fox. If Partick Thistle are to pick up all three

points they will have the goalkeeper to thank for it. Forbes. Still

Forbes. That is a real chance passed up by Ross Forbes. This could have

put it out of sight for Thistle. Forbes lost his composure. It might

have been a handball against him. On comes Jason Cummings with his second

Hibernian appearance. Terry Butcher tries to earn his side a point. It

falls for Cummins. He could have been a hero there just seconds after

coming on. He could not connect with the knock-down. This really must be

the last opportunity for Hibernian. They have done it! On the stroke of

full-time! Team 's call and snatches a point. Terry Butcher a relieved

man. The pressure finally pays off. Scott Fox has kept virtually

everything out until the death will stop we created chances we wanted to

win the match. It was disappointing to lose a goal so late on in the

game. Standing. It was a victory in any respect. It is about spirit and

togetherness and if you just keep going and keep going and the is

belief then sooner or later you will get something from it. What happened

to the Partick Thistle defending? It went her shoot for a bit. We

defended very well. Your organisation. You can see her knees

to players are in the centre of the call and I would want my centre half

is to mark. You can see in the replay that there is nobody, it is

not like they have a line of them and they have front of the markers.

You have got three Thistle guys in the back and four at the front. Here

is nobody in the width of the call. It will be so disappointing for Alan

Archibald. I thought it was a great goal from Kris Doolan but you

thought hence defending could have been better. He has a lot to do when

he picks it up on the halfway line. Paul Hanlon gets far too square and

makes it easy for Doolan. It is a brilliant finish. Hanlon does not

help himself with his body position. It is a really lovely finish by

Doolan. It was a first home debut for the Hibernian manager. Look at

him playing for Rangers. The pace of the game, look at how slow it is.

Then Michael forget the football, just kick him! What about Terry

Butcher is different? Then macro you see him involved, he brings a lot of

spirit to the team. I just do not see how Hibs would have got that

call. Just a certain sense of inevitability that something was

going to go for them. A certain attitude may be. After a few weeks

of making their minds up, the Inverness board decided to appoint

Hughes as the new manager. Intense pressure came to bear on Danny

Lennon, they were now showing some signs of form.

A new dawn for high-flying Inverness. It was a surprise to me

personally. I'm really happy. Then macro hopefully we can carry on. The

only way we can go is down so we can hopefully do a good job. As long as

they are in the top six, I will be happy. Oil St Mirren would dearly

love a place in the top six the form has not been the of late. The

Inverness keeper did well to stop this attempt in his 100th game. The

Paisley side looking lively but Inverness holding firm. If that

action was meaty, so was this tackle as well. A brutal first touch and an

even more brutal second. Earning just the yellow card from referee.

The better first half chances came the way of St Mirren. Next, McGowan

teed up Thompson but again the goalkeeper did well to rip -- repel

the former Scotland striker without help from the post.

St Mirren continued to dominate. This free kick from Maclean, a great

stop again to keep the scoreline at 0-0. In the second half, Inverness

did improve. This near post shot from Iran, comfortably stopped.

A better chance would come after this corner, punched clear by the

keeper. The ball back into the box, the attempt from Watkins struck the

post. The final touch from Watkins actually came off his shoulder. At

the other end, the Inverness goal continued to lead its charmed life.

It would be a case of points shared. Disappointed not to pick up maximum

points, nonetheless it is a valuable point. They were the better team in

the first half, second half we got our second wind and I thought we

aged it. In terms of spirit and attitude and commitment, fantastic.

At Fort Coke saw free-flowing passing football. Inverness, maybe a

bit more direct. You see him eventually putting that passing

football style on Inverness? I think so, that's his philosophy. He's not

going to change too much to begin with, tried to copy Terry Butcher's

postgrad celebrations as well! I think he will try and implement a

more passing style of foot or, that's in his make-up. -- style of

football. He will not try encourage boys to play the long ball. But they

are successful at the moment so doesn't want to change much. It is a

risky move to change it if they are successful. If it ain't broke, don't

fix it, but as Michael mentioned, he is very much a football purist and

likes his team to play at the back, through the midfield, get it wide.

That's not the way that Inverness Caley Thistle play, but they have a

shape and an understanding and I think the guys know exactly what

their role is in the team and will want to stick to that for this

season, at least. Interesting to see how that evolves. How does that

leave the table? Let's have a look at tomorrow's back

Pages: Fir Park, damages are condemned by

the club. The same sort of story here. That will probably be the

story of the week. A Roma spy, looking for Ryan Gauld. I'm not sure

that is trendy Italian gear. They were all out in force this weekend.

Good night.