16/03/2014 Sportscene


16/03/2014

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This afternoon's League Cup final was of huge significance to

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Aberdeen. A club once laden down with silverware, they had gone

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almost two decades without a trophy. But today's match was also

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absolutely massive for Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Only in

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existence for 20 years, this was their first ever appearance in a

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major cup final. Football's most enduring memories are etched in

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silver. 18 years since their last trophy Derek McInnis is firing up

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Aberdeen once again, passionate and exciting. Formed just 20 years ago

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John Hughes is determined to lead Inverness Caledonian Thistle to

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their greatest ever achievement with a spirited, never say die team.

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Aberdeen versus Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Who will make their mark in

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the League Cup final? Two men who know all about what it meant for

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both clubs join us this evening. The former Aberdeen striker Billy Dodds

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and former Caley Thistle midfielder John Rankin. We will bring you the

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Premiership highlights a little later, but there is only one place

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to start. Celtic Park, the League Cup final venue transformed from

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green into a sea of red with a pocket of blue as Aberdeen and

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Inverness Caledonian Thistle took centre stage on a day that meant so

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much for everyone involved. We must turn our attention to the

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Premiership now. # this is going to be the best day

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of my life, this is going to be the best day of my life. Everything is

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looking up. This is going to be the best day of my life.

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It is a wonderful atmosphere inside Celtic Park. A battle of the North,

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Aberdeen from the East against Inverness Caledonian Thistle from

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the Highlands. Where is the trophy going this evening? It has been on

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the road to Aberdeen five times before. They are at the third most

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successful club in this competition despite their generation not knowing

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what it feels like for their team to win silverware. It has been season

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after season of anti-climax and disappointment. The Dons' fans would

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sell their soul for a win today. Inverness had just celebrated their

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first birthday when Aberdeen won this cup. But they are well managed

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on and off the park. They have stamped their standard on the top

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table of Scottish football today. There are 40,000 supporters

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supporting their team. Peter Pollard has succumbed to a leg injury. Cally

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Bissell is without Warren. -- Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The

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referee is Steven Maclean and it is his first major final. This could be

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quite an afternoon. Inverness have yet to get the better of Aberdeen in

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any cup tied. It is one draw and four Aberdeen wins so far. But this

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meeting is very different to the ones that have gone before. This is

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the fourth time the League Cup final has taken place here. He is already

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in the waters, Hayes. He has landed on his shoulder. Hopefully it is not

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too serious because there are only seconds gone.

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That was a fabulous ball almost onto the penalty spot. Maybe you would

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have liked to have seen Rooney on the end of that.

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Robson was caught very late. Steven Maclean is going to speak to the

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Inverness Caledonian Thistle captain. There was no contact of

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note, but it is a free kick. Aberdeen claimed it was over! It

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looked for all the world it was going to go straight in. It was good

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defending. It certainly looked at one point as if it had crossed the

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line. Yes, no debate, it was not over.

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This might just light the fire under this League Cup final. Not a great

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clearance from Dean Brill. But Richie Foran was there.

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A lot of possession for Aberdeen. Can they do anything with it? Rooney

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goes down! It is a goal kick as well. I think the referee is right.

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He makes contact with the ball. I do not think it is a penalty kick. I

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think that was a great decision. Oh, and he drops it. That was

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horrible for Jamie Langfield. A nervous moment. He has not had much

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to do, so he went and flapped at that one a little bit. He has got to

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be more decisive. Dean Brill saves. It came off the

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arm of Shinnie. Robson goes down. Better play again. We talked about

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working the ball wide. Dean Brill was forced to save again.

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That was the best effort from Robson so far. Aberdeen have had by far the

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best chances in the game. Aberdeen have everyone back except Niall

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McGinn. Richie Foran thinks he was fouled. Steven Maclean is not

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interested. I thought it was Andrew Considine.

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That is a goal kick. I thought Josh Meekings had touched that

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originally. A massive chance goes begging. The defender does well to

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put him under pressure and he tries to lift it over him. I think he has

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to do better. Jack has not had a look in, really.

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Nicky Low is asking why he did not get the pass. I think at this stage

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of the game he just wanted to get the shot away.

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That is the first real save of the match that Jamie Langfield has had

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to make. It might have been going past anyway. Just three times before

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a penalty shoot out has settled the League Cup final.

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Saved by the Dons keeper! Advantage Aberdeen. No mistake from Barry

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Robson! Greg Tansy scored in the semifinal,

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but he puts it over. It is going horribly wrong in the shoot out for

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the Highlanders here. Nicky Low is a substitute. What a moment this is

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for him. And he scores! They are very close now are at the red Army.

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He's got to score and he does. That certainly didn't lack conviction. A

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great penalty kick Scott Vernon against Brill. A wonderful spot kick

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from Vernon. If this misses, Aberdeen have won the League Cup.

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Oh, it's cool as you like. There's still life in this shoot out, but

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for how much longer? Aberdeen are so close to that long, long awaited

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trophy. Addianroomy with a chance to win the Cup for Aberdeen. And he

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does! The almost two decades of pain, hurt and, at times, ridicule

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at the hands of others is over for Aberdeen feb Club. They've been

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guided to silverware within a year of the new manager taking the job.

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The sleeping giant of Scottish football has finally woken from its

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slumber. And we can now speak to Barry Robson, one of the heroes. You

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did it the hard way, but you did it. How does it feel? We won the game,

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that's the most important thing. I don't care how we won it or how we

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played, we just won the Cup. You won it the hard way, how do you feel?

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Ecstatic. You can see how much it means to so many people. We had a

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job we took on and it was a tight final, but we had the better

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opportunities and once it comes down to penalty kicks, you have to back

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yourselves and play with confidence. It's unfortunate for Inverness, it

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was a good final and it was a tight game, but we wanted to win the game,

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no matter how we did it. And after almost 400 appearances for the Dons,

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he's from the granite city and in just a second or two, Russell

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Anderson stands free and lifts the 2014 Scottish League Cup, which has

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been won by Aberdeen. An absolutely fantastic day for an Aberdeen. Those

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scenes say it all. Absolutely magnificent for the club. Billy you

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won it almost 20 years ago, what does victory mean? It's huge. It's a

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platform for them. The penalties, it could have gone horribly wrong for

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them. There was a good mentality to get through that game today, because

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there was a lot of text and pressures, but they came through. It

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wasn't a great game to watch from a neutral perspective, why was that?

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It was that tension and pressure, it took away from the game. But it was

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still exciting because there was so much tension and the fans brought

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the pressure as well. So nerves played a part, but the set-up? After

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the last two results, 5-0 against cellic, I think the team were spot

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on. They were compact and hard to beat and they sat deep and it was

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hard for them to be broken down. And they're hunting in packs. They're

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not letting anybody in behind them. Johnny Hayes unfortunately got

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injured but the way Inverness were set up today, they were not letting

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Aberdeen in behind them and it worked well for them And how much

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was the loss of Ross to the gape? That was massive for them. And they

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lost Johnny Hayes. Right now he's got nobody to pass to, so he's

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delaying it and delaying it and eventually somebody gets into the

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box. And again, Barry Robson is putting one in the box and there was

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only one person there. And losing Hayes right at the start, did that

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affect them? Yes, it has to. You can see, they've plenty of ball and

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possession and usual usually those two will give them the chances, but

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again, no focal point. Inverness defend in their 18 yard box. That

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was their game plan, defend deep and don't let them in behind and they

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let them have possession in areas where they shouldn't. Should

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Inverness have had a penalty due to man handling? This was a certainly

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pent for me. As much as Aberdeen had a lot of pain over the years, they

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got lucky with this. Because Foran still wants to get his head on it,

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he doesn't go for the ball and I think the referee's made up his

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mind. A fantastic evening for Aberdeen. In the granite city they

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can now celebrate this magnificent victory. Billy, you spent a large

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part of your career there. What does it mean for the city? It's huge

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because of what's gone on and the pain they've suffered. You can see

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what it means to them. There will be a few sore heads tomorrow. They just

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wanted to do well in the League and compete for silverware and it's nice

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to see them getting it back, because they have had some Cup shocks along

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the way. And a lot of pain, but now the fans are really enjoying it.

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Let's hear from the Caley Thistle manager. They were at it and at it

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and the fans brought it along. The two sets of support supporters were

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fantastic out here and we ran them close. We played our part and I

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could have been here standing talking to you as a winning manager,

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but not to be. We'll get going again, but that's what football is

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all about. And Aberdeen are so happy and Caley Thistle are hugely

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disappointed. How do they bounce back? They haven't much time because

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they've another game on Tuesday night. But I'm sure the manager will

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have the team fired back up for Wednesday, because he has huge

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passion for it. But they'll get on with it. Four important matches were

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played over this weekend, and we start with Mirren. Could they pick

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up vital points against Dundee United?

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Thompson battles for it and wins it. In with a chance. It was a short one

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and tame in the end. Showing good pace that time, Stephen Thompson.

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Good movement from St Mirren. That's a good cross from Stephen Thompson

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and the keeper happy to see that go wide. Thompson causing problems

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again. The long ball and McGowan is free and he scores. The third of the

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season for Paul McGowan and his first since October. He twisted

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awkwardly but did really well to get this away from the goalkeeper.

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Looking to build on their lead, St Mirren. Newton is still going.

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Blocked and McGowan will try a shot. Well, they've started so well and

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are causing lots of problems. Into the net it goes. A typical striker's

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goal. You've got to be in the right place at the right time. Stephen

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Thompson wheels away in celebration and St Mirren are 2-0 ahead. They

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need some inspiration, Dundee United. Oh, that's a great ball.

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Naismith trying to track him back. Just three away wins in the league

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this season, St Mirren, as they come forward again. Thompson from

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McGowan. The build-up play has been fun to watch.

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No communication, and it's sent wide. It wasn't reaching the goal

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goalkeeper and it was poke the over the top and wide.

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McGowan spins the ball out idea. A chance again. Kenny has a sweet left

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foot but that one was too wide. Oh, there was venom in that. He

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managed to get across and it had real zip in it. A good save from the

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keeper. That looked offside. They continue to go, but Graham wants it

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in the middle. He looks offside but it's given. And Dundee United are

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back in the game with 11 minutes to play. St Mirren desperately unhappy

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at the decision. There's a different feel now to Dundee United. Armstrong

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and united looked down on it to all intents and purposes, but two goals

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in five minutes, since one from Shaun and there's six minutes still

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to play. St Mirren will be kicking themselves that United have got it

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back to 2-2. They'll have to be careful here. What a come back from

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done dean United and now, as he has done in the previous three years,

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finds the back of the neck. United with a tremendous come back. Yes, a

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good win. I thought the first half the other then were far superior to

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us. Every second ball it look us a while to get into the match. You

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might not look at the video again, but would concede that one goal was

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well off side. Yes, the player that pushes the ball was offside but

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sometimes when you're at the wrong end of it and this sort of mix, then

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these decisions are more difficult to take. A devastating outcome for

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St Mirren. But, be honest, was the first goal offside. When you look at

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it here, I think there are three players offside here. You I?

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Ampullitis I think he looks on side Obviously after that, St Mirren

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basically crumbled, is that how it felt to you? We didn't crumble on

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the pip, but if we did score the third goal, it was going to be

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massive and if we got that we'd go on and win the game. To be honest, I

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didn't think it would take as long as the first nine minutes to score

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the first goal. When we got the second goal we knew we could go on

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and get another. And fair play to the boys, they got on the score

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sheet again. A devastating blow for St Mirren. You could see what it

:29:58.:30:15.

meant for Danny Lennon. It has to be a big hit me up from him and he has

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to get his players going again. As the scramble to avoid the play-off

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place heats up, we check on the progress of Partick Thistle, very

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much in the mix. But could their opponents, Hibernian, still be

:30:28.:30:29.

sucked into the relegation equation? Terry Butcher sounded a battle cry.

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You are looking at the top six, so let's have a go at this. You

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organise the boys and sometimes it is too much. Ross County are also

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very much in the play-off place mix. They had a Saturday evening match

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against St Johnstone and already knew St Mirren had slipped up. Could

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they make up valuable ground on their rivals? St Johnstone one at

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Tannadice by 4-0. Ross County make one change due to

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injury. Two dabbles in his first two matches. No goals since then. Not

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quite testing the goalkeeper, but good technique. -- doubles.

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De Leeuw took the first touch brilliantly and the second was good

:32:05.:32:13.

as well. He has made such an impact. He called for it and he wanted it.

:32:14.:32:20.

The goalkeeper got a touch on it, but could not keep it out. Ross

:32:21.:32:26.

County arrowhead. Concern on the face of Tommy Wright, the St

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Johnstone manager. Jordan Slew is yet to score for his

:32:28.:32:38.

club. That was a great run at the back

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post, Dave McKay coming forward and nobody picked him up. He was all

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alone, but he could not guide it on target. Derek Adams is happy enough.

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His side are playing well. It was Filip Kiss who made the

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clearance. Under pressure and he almost stepped

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on him as well. It is a free kick to St Johnstone. Plenty of players

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forward, but great height in defence for Ross County. That was Stevie Mae

:34:00.:34:11.

and that is a good save. St Johnstone's top goal scorer this

:34:12.:34:12.

season. Unbeaten in the last nine against

:34:13.:34:32.

Ross County at home. That was awkward on the ankle. But he knew it

:34:33.:34:35.

was a chance. St Johnstone are just not

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functioning today the way Tommy Wright would have liked.

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Brown with the fingertips once more. It was spending into the top corner

:35:08.:35:15.

and the deflection made it difficult. Alan Mannus is having to

:35:16.:35:26.

get back quickly. Anderson goes down and the referee sees no advantage.

:35:27.:35:43.

Stephen Anderson has rescued a point for St Johnstone, but it might not

:35:44.:35:51.

count. The referees will be conversing. It will not count. The

:35:52.:36:00.

first header produced a fine save. But it came off his hand and that is

:36:01.:36:04.

what St Johnstone did not want to see. Ross County remain ahead. We

:36:05.:36:13.

are delighted with the start to the game we had and we are positive and

:36:14.:36:18.

the team were ambitious and it paid off for us. The number of times this

:36:19.:36:25.

season we have been able to do that. The midfield three played really

:36:26.:36:30.

well. The first half was as bad as it has been at the club since I have

:36:31.:36:35.

been in charge, but we are still in a great position. We will pick

:36:36.:36:39.

ourselves up and have a clear week to get ready for Hibs next week. We

:36:40.:36:45.

have got that top six to play for and we are still in the driving

:36:46.:36:53.

seat. De Leeuw has popped up with a few important goals this season.

:36:54.:36:58.

That was his sixth. Could he dig Ross County out of the situation

:36:59.:37:04.

they are in? He could, it seems to be. He has got great technique. He

:37:05.:37:09.

sets himself up with a great touch and that was low and hard on the

:37:10.:37:20.

ball, the technique is great. It is a great touch and the finish was

:37:21.:37:25.

phenomenal. How do you rate Ross County's chances overall to escape

:37:26.:37:31.

the play-off places? They have to put a run together, and they are

:37:32.:37:36.

capable of it, and they are too inconsistent this season. But that

:37:37.:37:41.

was great for them to win that game and give them a boost to get away

:37:42.:37:46.

from the relegation play-off. It looked like St Johnstone were going

:37:47.:37:50.

to get a point. Was it rightly chopped off? That was some spot from

:37:51.:38:00.

the linesman. It was an unnatural position from his arm. That linesman

:38:01.:38:09.

was 40 yards away and he spotted that. It is the right decision and

:38:10.:38:15.

good on him for having the bottle to make it. But it took us a few times

:38:16.:38:22.

to see it. It definitely comes off his arm. He has hardly scored two

:38:23.:38:30.

goals in his career! We would have to say it was a handball. What I St

:38:31.:38:36.

Johnstone's chances of staying in the top six? They beat you the other

:38:37.:38:41.

night. I fancy them to go into the top six. After a disappointing

:38:42.:38:47.

result you would expect them to bounce back strongly. Is that how

:38:48.:38:52.

you see it? The top six and the bottom six are all but done.

:38:53.:38:59.

With a first home win finally recorded this season Partick Thistle

:39:00.:39:04.

were looking for more of the same when they faced Hibs who had only

:39:05.:39:08.

managed one single win in their last ten matches, but the beleaguered

:39:09.:39:11.

Hibs fans remain optimistic. One more game still to come tonight. Is

:39:12.:39:16.

it too early to look ahead to next week

:39:17.:39:23.

some of them are not good enough to play for Hibs. He needs another

:39:24.:39:37.

transfer window, to be honest. Thistle are looking for back-to-back

:39:38.:39:43.

home league wins. Chris Doolan returns. There is still no sign of

:39:44.:39:51.

Muirhead and Osborne. Terry Butcher's Hibernian have not won in

:39:52.:39:59.

four matches. Youngster Jason Cummings starts. This is a big game

:40:00.:40:08.

for both teams for different reasons. Partick Thistle are trying

:40:09.:40:15.

to stay above the water line. Hibs are looking to push St Johnstone for

:40:16.:40:21.

that top six place. That was Higginbottom. He draws a great save

:40:22.:40:27.

out of Ben Williams. Partick Thistle's number 23 is a man in

:40:28.:40:29.

form. James Collins is still trying to

:40:30.:40:55.

live up to the transfer fee. Higginbottom looks like the most

:40:56.:41:03.

likely is it for Partick Thistle. That was brilliant from Partick

:41:04.:41:09.

Thistle! A wonderful finish from Chris Erskine. It was all because of

:41:10.:41:22.

the dummy from Chris Doolan. It is his first on loan from Dundee

:41:23.:41:27.

United. Hibs are having to respond. They have not won away from home

:41:28.:41:31.

since Boxing Day. It is something they want to put right.

:41:32.:41:51.

Look at the amount of space Higginbottom has. He had options and

:41:52.:42:07.

he went himself. Higginbottom has got team-mates asking, where was the

:42:08.:42:09.

past? The Thistle boss was sent off mid

:42:10.:42:28.

week. He had a go at the referee. Suddenly it is two. Lee Mayor's last

:42:29.:42:41.

goal for the Saints came in September, 2012. He has doubled the

:42:42.:42:45.

Jags' advantage. Within a couple of minutes Hibs are

:42:46.:43:09.

back in this. The man on loan from Sunderland. It is just his third

:43:10.:43:16.

appearance for the club. He put that are beyond the outstretched Paul

:43:17.:43:18.

Gallagher. It is a fine finish. It is a corner for Hibernian. Danny

:43:19.:44:11.

Haynes went for glory himself. It's getting to be now or never time. And

:44:12.:44:22.

it's Watt moor, e again. But he puts it over the bar. Partick Thistle so

:44:23.:44:29.

close to another home win. They couldn't buy one a week ago, but now

:44:30.:44:35.

they have a covariance and he finishes it. Wonderful! He rightly

:44:36.:44:42.

celebrates. This was a tremendous goal. He had a similar opportunity

:44:43.:44:46.

earlier on in the second half, which he didn't take. But, boy, has he

:44:47.:44:55.

taken that one. Four in four for hiking Higginbotham. It's good for

:44:56.:44:59.

the lads and good for their confidence. We just have to go and

:45:00.:45:04.

build on it now. We've a rough run of games, like the rest of the teams

:45:05.:45:11.

around us, but we know we've got to capitalise on the result. We haven't

:45:12.:45:18.

done enough either end again. We've conceded three goals. It's baffling

:45:19.:45:27.

for me and you organise these boys and set them out and you say, "Go on

:45:28.:45:34.

and play," and some of them don't. It's just too much for them. He's

:45:35.:45:41.

talking about dumping his first team players and playing the youth team

:45:42.:45:49.

against St Johnston, and the Hibs players are simply not good enough

:45:50.:45:56.

at the moment? You have to say that. They go back into their old habits

:45:57.:46:01.

and they're not performing. Is it bad decision making? There's a bit

:46:02.:46:10.

of greediness and selfishness. He's driving, but just put them in there

:46:11.:46:16.

and he takes a shot, so it is bad decision making. Does that mean

:46:17.:46:22.

you're not good enough? Well, it's either a confidence thing but

:46:23.:46:28.

they're not consistent. They have options there, but they clearly take

:46:29.:46:34.

the wrong option. They're lacking a real leader for me. When the leader

:46:35.:46:45.

is not in the side they lack someone of the right quality to drag the

:46:46.:46:52.

team through, that's it for me. Suddenly two home win wins for

:46:53.:47:00.

thistle and they will boost them as they get off the play-off place?

:47:01.:47:07.

Yes, I was there. And it was as if they won the World Cup final that

:47:08.:47:13.

game against Aberdeen and sudden suddenly they took that performance

:47:14.:47:21.

into the game against Hibs. Partick Thistle are in a good place to avoid

:47:22.:47:30.

the relegation position. And that's it for me, Higginbottom, if he's

:47:31.:47:38.

play playing into the final third and driving at players, he's hard to

:47:39.:47:43.

stop. One more game still to come. Is it too early to look ahead to

:47:44.:47:46.

next week yet? On Friday night, just ahead of their

:47:47.:48:15.

match with cellic, it was announced that the chairman of Kilmarnock was

:48:16.:48:20.

standing down. They were another team trying to avoid a play-off

:48:21.:48:27.

place as well. Could they pick up anything against the champions

:48:28.:48:29.

elect? Cellic gave a start to a

:48:30.:48:46.

17-year-old, with Henderson making his first start.

:48:47.:48:53.

The title countdown continues for cellic. Johannsen's pass. Stokes has

:48:54.:49:08.

the ball in the net but it's not going to count. Cellic almost ahead

:49:09.:49:15.

in the opening minute. It was here, as it was flick the on, the flag

:49:16.:49:18.

went up. No goal. A useful ball in. Adam Matthews

:49:19.:49:36.

struggling to deal with it as well. And Michael Gardine taken by

:49:37.:49:40.

surprise as well. Greaves with a shot on target. He

:49:41.:50:01.

was certainly on target last time out. A hat trick against Inverness.

:50:02.:50:08.

Not that time, not adding to his total. Commons, a good shot a great

:50:09.:50:17.

save and tiedied up by Slater. Kilmarnock can ill afford lost

:50:18.:50:37.

possession. It came off Lee Ashcroft, who has been own goal to

:50:38.:50:45.

cellic already this season and he doesn't want to do the same again.

:50:46.:51:04.

Sampson wasn't going to hold that and happy just to turn away a

:51:05.:51:09.

blistering strike. Charlie Mulgrew ups the tempo for

:51:10.:51:22.

cellic. Collins continues the run and opens the scoring -- Commons.

:51:23.:51:30.

Well, they haven't played like champions up till now but Celtic

:51:31.:51:35.

suddenly switch on. 57 minutes, 1-0. Matthews fires it in and Chris

:51:36.:51:59.

Commons is there again, with his 25 Goal of the Season. He doesn't play

:52:00.:52:05.

as an out and out striker, but he certainly has a stricter's instinct

:52:06.:52:12.

in front of goal, sniffing out the opportunity and making the most of

:52:13.:52:14.

it. Oh, it's a good try from Anthony

:52:15.:52:28.

Stokes and it wasn't far away. Curling and dipping towards the far

:52:29.:52:37.

post. Just wide. Can Kilmarnock bring this game back to life?

:52:38.:52:47.

Edemenko finding Boyd and here's Chris Johnson. A little shimmy and a

:52:48.:52:49.

shot across the bows. Room for the drive into the box. It

:52:50.:53:13.

is in off Commons, but it is not a hat trick. It's another offside

:53:14.:53:17.

flag. Cellic cruising at the moment to

:53:18.:53:31.

another three points, another step closer to clinching the title. And

:53:32.:53:39.

it's Chris Commons who completes his hat trick. Make that 26 for the

:53:40.:53:52.

season. And in for 3-0 cellic. We spoke at half time that cellic were

:53:53.:53:58.

really fangs with the counter attack. But obviously they had two

:53:59.:54:11.

many people forward. I thought there was misunderstanding at times and

:54:12.:54:22.

the only real penetration we got was good and I enjoyed watching us at

:54:23.:54:32.

the in. Friday night was a big night for Kilmarnock, not just on the

:54:33.:54:36.

pitch but off it as well. Wiping out that department. A fresh start,

:54:37.:54:40.

almost, for the club. That's great. In terms of the first-half

:54:41.:54:46.

performance, did you see signs of positivivity for them? Yes, it's

:54:47.:54:50.

been like that over the past couple of weeks and they lookedals though

:54:51.:54:57.

they were coming tock as a team. You see the players all circled all

:54:58.:55:05.

working hard off the ball and deny denying a lot of space. Kilmarnock a

:55:06.:55:14.

side that have improved to are, for you, over the season? Yes, they were

:55:15.:55:23.

going at it and trying to show the players down the first half. Look,

:55:24.:55:32.

really tight. And obviously, the second half, when they tire, and

:55:33.:55:38.

that's when cellic get a bit more space. It was cellic's game in the

:55:39.:55:48.

second half and Chris Commons, 26 goals now for the year, is he your

:55:49.:55:57.

pick of Footballer of the Year. He's a great example so think youngster.

:55:58.:56:05.

As soon as he takes his touch he whats whatses it aloaning. And watch

:56:06.:56:13.

this, he gets the ball and passes it wide. And as soon as he's passed it

:56:14.:56:24.

on it's dangerous. And the third one is so intelligent because it's so

:56:25.:56:29.

difficult to pick up. And he just drives it at the defenders and they

:56:30.:56:35.

don't know whether to come to the ball or not. Is he in the running

:56:36.:56:45.

for Player of the Year? Well, I love creative players, forward thinking,

:56:46.:56:50.

I have to say. I think he's been excellent and I think he will be

:56:51.:56:53.

Player of the Year, no problem. Thank you very much for the moment.

:56:54.:56:58.

Let's look at the Scottish Premiership table as it stands this

:56:59.:57:06.

evening and let's focus on the bottom of the table feet.

:57:07.:57:28.

Celtic 24 points ahead of Aberdeen, not that Aberdeen care all that much

:57:29.:57:36.

tonight. The sleeping giant of Scottish football is awake once

:57:37.:57:41.

again. Congratulations to Aberdeen, from all of us here at Sportscene,

:57:42.:57:45.

good night.

:57:46.:57:55.

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