:00:13. > :00:15.Good afternoon and welcome to the show.
:00:16. > :00:18.No referendum chat on this show but I'll be honouring my manifesto
:00:19. > :00:20.commitment to bring you scores, reports, results,
:00:21. > :00:25.We have not one but two keynote speakers -
:00:26. > :00:37.They'll be debating the footballing issues of the day in the studio
:00:38. > :00:40.and our reporters will bring us the stories of the day
:00:41. > :00:50.We'll hear from them in a minute - after the headlines.
:00:51. > :01:30.The lunchtime kick-off ended in a 2-0 win for Aberdeen over Hearts.
:01:31. > :01:32.Now for the whole story of today's lunchtime match.
:01:33. > :01:34.It was between Aberdeen in second place and fourth placed
:01:35. > :01:43.I spoiled the surprise by telling you the score earlier, but you'll
:01:44. > :01:49.want to know how what happened, happened so here's Liam Mcleod.
:01:50. > :01:58.A ninth straight home win for Aberdeen for the first time since
:01:59. > :02:06.1996. They will have seldom had an easy win over the Tynecastle team.
:02:07. > :02:11.They should have won with a more convincing scoreline. Logan, a
:02:12. > :02:14.superb goal to set the tone. Nicholson spurned the best chance
:02:15. > :02:19.for the visitors just before that. They deserved nothing from this
:02:20. > :02:26.encounter. Avlonitis's second-half mistake allowed them in for the
:02:27. > :02:33.host's second, with Stockley sendoff for a flailing arm.
:02:34. > :02:40.Mixu, a good win for Aberdeen. Their ninth home win on the spin. The
:02:41. > :02:44.first time they have done that since the mid-80s? Yes, Aberdeen are very
:02:45. > :02:49.strong, in terms of attack, and also in defence. I wasn't surprised that
:02:50. > :02:54.they got the victory today. What I was impressed with, Aberdeen,
:02:55. > :02:57.they're pressing game. They stopped Hearts playing. Hearts could not
:02:58. > :03:02.cope with that. Hence they earned the right to pass the ball and
:03:03. > :03:08.create goal-scoring opportunities. Not a bad day for Hearts, they could
:03:09. > :03:12.drop out of fourth spot today if St Johnstone stay ahead at Motherwell?
:03:13. > :03:14.Ian Carter and others will look at the defending and be very
:03:15. > :03:22.disappointed with the second goal. The second goal was not much worse
:03:23. > :03:28.than the first. To be fair, there was lots more wrong. All over the
:03:29. > :03:33.pitch, Aberdeen were, by a good distance, the better side. They
:03:34. > :03:41.deserve that, at least 2-0. Ian Castro's record doesn't look that
:03:42. > :03:47.impressive, 17 games and four wins? It's not the start he wanted or
:03:48. > :03:52.anticipated. We were talking about that earlier. When the manager goes
:03:53. > :03:56.into the club, he has a strong philosophy, tactically, how to play.
:03:57. > :04:02.He can confuse players to begin with, quite a bit. You get good
:04:03. > :04:08.results, like last week, and then not so good performances, like this
:04:09. > :04:11.week. It is up and down. In the long run, they get it right. We don't
:04:12. > :04:16.know, because we don't know what happens on the training ground. If
:04:17. > :04:23.there are certain, strong, specific tactics being put in place, it will
:04:24. > :04:29.get better after the sticky start. This is just guessing and
:04:30. > :04:33.speculating. Mixu, the idea that the players may be confused about what
:04:34. > :04:35.style of play they are playing, the tactics, there are some confusion
:04:36. > :04:41.among observers about what was going on when messages were being passed
:04:42. > :04:46.from Craig Levine, to Tom Daley, and then to another coach, quotes that
:04:47. > :04:51.Craig Levine was in the dressing room at half-time? Will they be
:04:52. > :04:56.vexed by that? Thyme it depends, if there is an agreement between the
:04:57. > :04:58.and director of football, whoever from upstairs, he wants as much
:04:59. > :05:04.information as possible, nothing wrong with it. If we saw those
:05:05. > :05:07.pictures today and they were winning, you would think, well done,
:05:08. > :05:12.get all of the information there, everybody working together. Because
:05:13. > :05:21.they lost, it is taken the opposite way. Also, the same thing happened
:05:22. > :05:27.in Robbie Nielsen's time. Craig Levine is an experienced coach, an
:05:28. > :05:31.excellent football man. He sees things. He had a pair of eyes in the
:05:32. > :05:36.stand. Why not use it as an extra tool to get that tactical advantage?
:05:37. > :05:43.What is the point of having a mentor if you are not letting him mentor?
:05:44. > :05:47.Exactly. I don't think anyone minds who says what, as long as they win.
:05:48. > :05:54.Use that, if that is possible. Great. More on that later, we will
:05:55. > :05:57.hear from both managers. Now we can catch up on what is happening around
:05:58. > :06:01.the country. I will start by telling you what is happening between
:06:02. > :06:07.Rangers and Hamilton at Ibrox. It is the first for their new manager,
:06:08. > :06:19.Pedro Caixinha. It looks good for him already. Rangers 4-0 up against
:06:20. > :06:25.Hamilton. The first is from Emerson Hyndman. Clint Hill is making a
:06:26. > :06:35.habit of scoring. Waghorn scored in the 55th, and the latest is from
:06:36. > :06:38.Wallace. Let's see how it is going at St Johnstone. They are not
:06:39. > :06:44.feeling too well at the moment, Motherwell are losing 1-2.
:06:45. > :06:47.Motherwell managed to get an equaliser through Scott McDonald,
:06:48. > :06:51.just before half-time. Since the interval, the home side have been
:06:52. > :06:54.more assertive, the more aggressive in an attacking sense. They went a
:06:55. > :06:58.second goal down to Liam Craig about ten minutes ago. St Johnstone had a
:06:59. > :07:01.couple of chances since then to increase the scoring. As it stands,
:07:02. > :07:08.St Johnstone will move into fourth place. Time we hit the Highlands and
:07:09. > :07:12.find out what is happening in the Derby, Inverness at home to Ross
:07:13. > :07:19.County. Good afternoon, Martin. It is 1-1. Richie Foran said it was a
:07:20. > :07:25.much win today. They are doing just that, fax to a blistering opening to
:07:26. > :07:28.the second-half, in which Greg Tansey's on target effort deflected
:07:29. > :07:35.off Andrew Davis and found the net. It was Nellie two after that, but
:07:36. > :07:40.the header wasn't on target. Tansey went close again. Then a long-range,
:07:41. > :07:43.before Billy Mackay struck the bar, which would have killed the game.
:07:44. > :07:47.County should have been on illegal to leave Baku even terms. Craig
:07:48. > :07:53.Curran, all the time in the world, six yards out, screwed his header
:07:54. > :07:56.wide. As it stands, it seems like a relegation battle awaits county,
:07:57. > :08:02.with Inverness on the up at the right time.
:08:03. > :08:13.To 18 just inside the top six, Kilmarnock against Partick Thistle.
:08:14. > :08:18.Partick Thistle look like bolstering their chances of a top six finish, a
:08:19. > :08:22.goal by Erskine after 73 minutes. Kilmarnock enjoy the better of the
:08:23. > :08:27.first half. Two or three good chances. In the early part of the
:08:28. > :08:32.second period, Thistle have turned it around. They hit the crossbar on
:08:33. > :08:41.two occasions, Lawless and Barton, before Erskine slotted in a shot.
:08:42. > :08:46.Championship leaders Hibs are keeping Pat Nevin on the edge of
:08:47. > :08:54.their seat. They are at home to Dumbarton. 14,000 fans on the edge
:08:55. > :08:57.of their seats. It is now 2-2. The visitors taking the lead with a
:08:58. > :09:04.penalty, nine minutes before half-time. The equaliser, coming
:09:05. > :09:09.courtesy of an own goal from Daniel Harvey. Robert Thompson, with a
:09:10. > :09:19.lovely shot. James Keatings had a chance to equalise. Martin has since
:09:20. > :09:23.sinned for Dumbarton, he dropped the ball on the edge of the 18-yard box.
:09:24. > :09:29.Martin Boyle was there too nodded over the goalkeeper. Crawling over
:09:30. > :09:38.the line. What a game. 2-2. Deep breaths, relax, enjoy. It's never
:09:39. > :09:43.been easy for Hibs. Not doing particularly well today, but a point
:09:44. > :09:47.would not be the end of the world? I think they would be disappointed,
:09:48. > :09:53.but it would not be the end of the world. There is still time for Hibs
:09:54. > :09:59.or Dumbarton to grab a winner. I feel, overall, Hibs will be
:10:00. > :10:03.comfortable this season and get promotion. No danger of Rangers
:10:04. > :10:09.dropping points at home to Hamilton. They hit them for six not alone
:10:10. > :10:12.though. The new manager's first match in charge, cruising? A little
:10:13. > :10:16.bit of a lift. They hit six against them before. That game against
:10:17. > :10:22.Celtic made a massive difference. I think that made a difference on the
:10:23. > :10:25.confidence of the players. You want a bounce when a new manager comes
:10:26. > :10:29.in, they needed to win today. Consider the way the other results
:10:30. > :10:33.are looking, it is a big one for Rangers. They want to make sure that
:10:34. > :10:36.they can consolidate their position, where they are in the league. It is
:10:37. > :10:42.looking good for them. We have mentioned the fact that Hearts have
:10:43. > :10:46.slipped up. We are heading straight to the Highlands. There has been a
:10:47. > :11:03.goal in the Highland derby. Is it for Inverness or County? An
:11:04. > :11:11.incredible moment, it is 1-1. It is Schalk, a massive goal for County.
:11:12. > :11:19.Expect Inverness to throw everything at this. 1-1. I think it is the
:11:20. > :11:22.police you need if Schalk has stuck a dagger into his heart, I missed
:11:23. > :11:30.that. It could be a very important goal? Absolutely, the way the match
:11:31. > :11:40.has gone, Cali Thistle had so many chances. A point would be all right,
:11:41. > :11:46.on the face of it, if Accies are losing? You're desperate to win this
:11:47. > :11:52.game, it gives you a bit of breathing space. There was a Miss by
:11:53. > :11:56.Curran, I thought that was their chance, but they've gone back, and
:11:57. > :11:59.Schalk has done very well for them. He scores important goals and he is
:12:00. > :12:06.always a danger. But what is going right to the death. A good game. I
:12:07. > :12:16.thought it was a well played game, pretty fairly played. I couldn't
:12:17. > :12:18.call it now. Mixu, could you call St Johnstone? A big win for Saints and
:12:19. > :12:26.they would go up to fourth? Motherwell have played well. Had
:12:27. > :12:34.loads of chances. Hit the bar, had close calls on a few occasions but
:12:35. > :12:37.St Johnstone are leading two-one. They've taken their chances.
:12:38. > :12:43.Fantastic two goals made a difference. Motherwell defensively a
:12:44. > :12:50.bit frail again today, Path? Maybe, but I would agree, the fact they
:12:51. > :12:53.created probably more and better chances. Scott taken one, another
:12:54. > :13:00.one he didn't take and he was furious with himself. We know's good
:13:01. > :13:02.player. His second goal, the half-volley was absolutely
:13:03. > :13:08.fantastic. However, more information coming.
:13:09. > :13:17.Well done, Pat. We will get back to you, Mick. There's been a goal at
:13:18. > :13:23.Rugby Park. Do tell, John. Things level here at Rugby Park with three
:13:24. > :13:28.minutes remaining. There was loads of pressure around the This is
:13:29. > :13:35.thistle goal area, couldn't get it clear and 25 yards out it was
:13:36. > :13:41.knocked in. What were you going to say? I was going to say about St
:13:42. > :13:45.Johnstone. Their mentality is so strong and they play their system,
:13:46. > :13:51.very simple system, so well and powerful. Even if an opponent plays
:13:52. > :13:56.well against them, they rely on their usual tried and trusted
:13:57. > :14:05.methods and style of play and get results. Fantastic. Kilmarnock,
:14:06. > :14:11.Connor Salmond scored. Only got up with for Hearts. He needed to score
:14:12. > :14:16.today. There were missed chances in the first half. Chelsea have just
:14:17. > :14:20.scored there, that's a big goal in the English Premier League, as well.
:14:21. > :14:24.For Salmon it's a big win. When you look at the results coming through
:14:25. > :14:34.it underlines how tight it is at the bottom of the league and what a
:14:35. > :14:41.difference one goal can make. Inverness and Ross 1-1, as well. The
:14:42. > :14:45.Killy Thistle match is interesting. If Thistle win this game they would
:14:46. > :14:56.have one foot in the top six already. Now it's interesting.
:14:57. > :15:00.They've lost a late goal. John Barnes said the last kick was a
:15:01. > :15:06.header. They were 1-0 up they've lost. They've done the same. Dnt
:15:07. > :15:09.strike me as if they're tiring. Sometimes you get unlucky. It
:15:10. > :15:12.happens lots, you think that's a team that's tired and losing
:15:13. > :15:15.concentration. They didn't look like that to me. They were maybe holding
:15:16. > :15:19.on a little bit. You have that little bit of an edge. You hold on
:15:20. > :15:26.to it and naturally just fall back a little and that seems to have been
:15:27. > :15:31.what's happened. Also the opponent throws maybe an extra player
:15:32. > :15:35.forward, tryings to get that winner. That's the way it goes. Lots of
:15:36. > :15:41.interesting scores in the Championship, Pat. Not least of
:15:42. > :15:50.which is the Hibs and Dunbaren to. Down to the bottom of the table,
:15:51. > :15:55.second bottom Ayr United one up to Dunfermline. It's a shock. Ayr have
:15:56. > :16:02.been having a tough time. United's scores, just been beaten or getting
:16:03. > :16:06.some draws. I felt really unlucky, I mean, McCall is one of my favourite
:16:07. > :16:10.managers anyway, he is great to listen to and speaks intelligently
:16:11. > :16:14.and knows the game well. To be fair, looking at them just now I think
:16:15. > :16:18.it's been unfortunate for them because he is getting the best you
:16:19. > :16:24.just about can get out of that side. 1-0. Still a bit tight. Raith Rovers
:16:25. > :16:28.up. Dundee having a troublesome spell at the moment. They're still
:16:29. > :16:32.hanging on to fourth spot. Might they be in danger of dropping out of
:16:33. > :16:38.the play-offs or have they a cushion? It helps Queens are not
:16:39. > :16:41.doing well today. Dundee having a poor spell at the moment. That's the
:16:42. > :16:48.way the season goes. You have good spells, poor spells. They have a
:16:49. > :16:51.poor one at the moment. Good for Raith Rovers and important victory
:16:52. > :16:54.because down where Raith Rovers are, you know, there's not too much
:16:55. > :16:59.breathing space there. So very important victory if they manage to
:17:00. > :17:03.hold on. To the end of the season, the business end of the season in
:17:04. > :17:08.the Championship and some clubs are waking up. Yeah, well, you have a
:17:09. > :17:14.fight, you are fighting for your lives. St Mirren, massive changes
:17:15. > :17:18.Jack has made. Is it ten players brought in. They seem to have done
:17:19. > :17:24.everything right when they brought them in, the win against Hibs was a
:17:25. > :17:28.big one, as well. No lack of confidence with St Mirren there.
:17:29. > :17:33.Having said that, I mean, although they're a lot of points between top
:17:34. > :17:36.and bottom I don't think quality-wise there is a massive
:17:37. > :17:40.between top and bottom of that league especially when you see St
:17:41. > :17:43.Mirren getting a little bit of a run. We talk about division being an
:17:44. > :17:47.extraordinarily interesting division, it is because anyone can
:17:48. > :17:52.be in it. I tell you what, we will stay in the Championship, it's
:17:53. > :18:01.full-time at Easter Road with Hibs and Dunbaren to. How did it finish?
:18:02. > :18:06.Hibs 2, Dumbarton 2. A crowd of over 14,000, they received their money's
:18:07. > :18:10.worth this afternoon. The visitors in front through Nade in the first
:18:11. > :18:16.half, scoring from the spot after a needless challenge by Barkley on
:18:17. > :18:20.Sterling. A slice of fortune for Hibs coming from the equaliser.
:18:21. > :18:23.McGinn with a cross. Harvey in trying to clear the ball could only
:18:24. > :18:29.turn the ball into the back of the net. At that point you would have
:18:30. > :18:39.expected Hibs to drive forward however Dumbarton took the lead. A
:18:40. > :18:43.wonderful shot 22 -- 22 yards out. A brilliant save in the Dumbarton
:18:44. > :18:46.goal. Saved from the penalty kick. Hibs equalised and the goalkeeper
:18:47. > :18:51.dropped the ball at the edge of the box. Boyle with a header over the
:18:52. > :18:55.line. Hibs threw the kitchen sink and everything else at Dumbarton in
:18:56. > :19:00.the last five minutes but couldn't snatch what would have been ap
:19:01. > :19:06.winner. Both teams applauded off the pitch. It finished 2-2. Thanks,
:19:07. > :19:11.Brian. Let's head to the Premier League and Rugby Park. Kilmarnock
:19:12. > :19:14.and Partick Thistle has reached its conclusion. We should have expected
:19:15. > :19:19.it with six of the previous nine meetings between these sides having
:19:20. > :19:25.been drawn, we should have expected this close encounter. It proved so.
:19:26. > :19:31.Partick Thistle the lead in the 73rd minute with a left foot strike which
:19:32. > :19:36.beat the Kilmarnock goalkeeper but four minutes from the end it was
:19:37. > :19:39.Connor Sammon who levelled with a 25-yard effort to ensure it's a
:19:40. > :19:43.point each here at Rugby Park. Both sides pushing for the top six.
:19:44. > :19:48.Partick Thistle remain there. But it's a vital point for Killie as
:19:49. > :19:51.they try to stay away from the fringes of of this relegation
:19:52. > :19:55.dogfight. On to the fringes of that relegation
:19:56. > :20:01.dogfight, that's where we find Motherwell. Today they were at home
:20:02. > :20:06.to St Johnstone. Over to riched a. Yes, another win on the road. Opened
:20:07. > :20:09.the scoring through Craig and got a second in the second half through
:20:10. > :20:13.the same player with a shot from a tight angle. In between they soaked
:20:14. > :20:16.up a lot of pressure defending heavily in the second half.
:20:17. > :20:20.Motherwell equalised before the break through McDonald. They threw a
:20:21. > :20:25.lot of attacks at the visitors in the second half. Ryan Bowman even
:20:26. > :20:28.hitting the post late on. St Johnstone lifted into fourth place
:20:29. > :20:37.with a victory and all but secure as position in the top six.
:20:38. > :20:45.It's all over in Inverness. Martin, did it finish all square? It did,
:20:46. > :20:50.1-1, truly incredible finishing. Sharp's late effort rescuing a
:20:51. > :21:01.crucial point for the side and handing at the same time a
:21:02. > :21:06.significant blow to Ritchie Forman. Tansey again with a free kick and a
:21:07. > :21:09.powerful long range effort but it looked like MacKay would kill the
:21:10. > :21:13.game with a close range shot that agonisingly clipped the bar. Curran
:21:14. > :21:19.looked like being County's culprit. An Ned I didn't know miss from six
:21:20. > :21:26.yards with a header. -- an incredible miss from six yards with
:21:27. > :21:33.a header. Full-time here, 1-1. It's full-time now at Ibrox. Rangers
:21:34. > :21:45.at home to Hamilton this afternoon. Convincing win for Rangers. 4-0
:21:46. > :21:52.winners over Hamilton. A first win then for Pedrow. Back to
:21:53. > :22:01.the Championship. Queen of the South and St Mirren, how did it pan out?
:22:02. > :22:05.What a result it was for St Mirren. The first half it belonged to Queen
:22:06. > :22:15.of the South in terms of possession of the ball and chances. Queens
:22:16. > :22:19.dominating for long periods. Incredibly it was a cross finding
:22:20. > :22:24.the back post area about 15 yards out to drill home with a quality
:22:25. > :22:26.strike to give St Mirren a lead. That will give St Mirren the
:22:27. > :22:29.confidence that was lacking in the first period. They doubled their
:22:30. > :22:34.lead nine minutes into the second half. It was a lively Morgan down
:22:35. > :22:39.the left side who made his way into the box of the he was bundled over
:22:40. > :22:43.by Mercer. It was Loy showing the confidence to step up to take the
:22:44. > :22:47.spot kick to calmly slot home. Queens, outplayed at this point but
:22:48. > :22:52.rallied to the closing stages going close but it was not to be. St
:22:53. > :22:58.Mirren picked up another great three points in their pursuit of
:22:59. > :23:10.Championship survival. It finished Queen of the South 0, St Mirren 2.
:23:11. > :23:16.Now Dunfermline and Ayr United. Doherty powered a header from the
:23:17. > :23:24.corner. It snuck across the goalline. That emboldened Ayr and
:23:25. > :23:31.then two good saves in quick succession. Dunfermline started
:23:32. > :23:37.really strongly. They continued into the second half. A fine chance
:23:38. > :23:41.squandered on 68 minutes. Michael Paignton then headed a ball straight
:23:42. > :23:51.at the keeper from a good goal-scoring position. Dunfermline
:23:52. > :23:57.fought for the equaliser. Ayr weathered releaptless pressure to
:23:58. > :24:01.take three huge points. Time to hear from Kenny Crawford
:24:02. > :24:11.watching championship action, this time Raith Rovers and Dundee United.
:24:12. > :24:15.Yes, it finished here Raith Rovers 2, Dundee United 1. Their fifth
:24:16. > :24:21.consecutive league match without a win for Dundee. The problems mount
:24:22. > :24:26.for the manager who used to be manager here at Raith Rovers. Bar
:24:27. > :24:31.put Rovers ahead when he headed in a free kick on 41 minutes. Raith's
:24:32. > :24:35.lead was extended by Ryan Hardy's low left-footed finish four minutes
:24:36. > :24:39.into the second half. Raith had chances to make it 3-0 but it was
:24:40. > :24:43.Dundee to struggle to create but did pull one back on 81 minutes through
:24:44. > :24:48.Simon Murray. His 12th goal of the season. A neat finish in a crowded
:24:49. > :24:53.penalty box. It provided hope for the visitors. But they couldn't make
:24:54. > :24:57.that materialise into a leveller. Raith Rovers went on to it hit the
:24:58. > :25:03.post but they hng on to get their second win in three games and Raith
:25:04. > :25:10.Rovers jump to 7th in the Championship table. Time before the
:25:11. > :25:14.classified round-up to mull over one or two issues. We spoke about
:25:15. > :25:20.Rangers picking up points today. Hamilton dropped to the bottom of
:25:21. > :25:24.the table and now conceded in the last three matches, even I can work
:25:25. > :25:30.this out, 14 goals, Pat. You don't want to be hitting that form at this
:25:31. > :25:33.point in the season. Everyone battling in there. They are big
:25:34. > :25:38.important late goals today but there was no hope for them because they
:25:39. > :25:41.were 4-0 down. It is the hammerings that are happening now and again.
:25:42. > :25:45.They can be dispiriting a little bit. Playing against the likes of
:25:46. > :25:48.Rangers or Celtic, sometimes that will happen, maybe even Aberdeen at
:25:49. > :25:51.their best that will happen now and again. But once you are in that
:25:52. > :25:55.bottom position you need to have a fight, you need to have a battle.
:25:56. > :25:59.They will battle. We know they'll do that. But you get a horrible feeling
:26:00. > :26:03.they're going to have to do a lot of good stuff at home and obviously on
:26:04. > :26:10.their own pitch they feel more comfortable. Inverness move up a
:26:11. > :26:13.place today but they're level on points at the bottom. Hopefully we
:26:14. > :26:19.will hear from Ritchie but he will be disappointed. Yeah, they played
:26:20. > :26:27.well today. They created enough today to win the match. They've got
:26:28. > :26:32.the momentum now. They've had some positive results recently and other
:26:33. > :26:37.than totally opposite to the Hamilton, so I have a funny feeling
:26:38. > :26:44.that they'll climb up, so it will be interesting end to the season.
:26:45. > :26:47.Momentum for Caley Thistle. Inert why now for Motherwell. They're
:26:48. > :26:50.flirting with the bottom two spots. Every now and again you see a team
:26:51. > :26:54.and you look at the team and the players and the goal scorers and you
:26:55. > :27:00.think they're far too good. They should be able to do it. That's what
:27:01. > :27:03.I feel about Motherwell now. If they've players who can score goals.
:27:04. > :27:05.Pearson will come on as a substitute. They're very good
:27:06. > :27:09.players. But you are right, they're down in there, there is a battle
:27:10. > :27:13.going on. Honestly, I couldn't even begin to guess who I think is going
:27:14. > :27:18.to go down now because there was a period of time when you probably
:27:19. > :27:19.thought five different teams at five different times. Next week it will
:27:20. > :27:27.be totally different. I think the deciding matches are
:27:28. > :27:33.going to be played in the bottom six, you know, who gets relegation.
:27:34. > :27:42.I don't think it will be decided before that. It will be very
:27:43. > :27:46.exciting. Welcome at the topic is not that exciting. I am now going to
:27:47. > :27:49.do the classified results, and then plenty more chat in the last 30
:27:50. > :31:28.minutes of the show. Let's go to the classified round-up.
:31:29. > :31:31.Time for a look at the league tables in the Scottish Championship.
:31:32. > :32:05.Premiership, indeed. In the Championship, Hibs stay at
:32:06. > :32:19.the top and seven points clear of Falkirk.
:32:20. > :32:51.Exciting stuff at the bottom, wins for both St Mirren and Ayr United.
:32:52. > :32:58.In the English Premier League, let me work this out... Chelsea are 13
:32:59. > :32:59.points clear at the top. Well done, your faces lit up with delight at
:33:00. > :33:19.that. Sunderland picked up a point today
:33:20. > :33:23.at home to Burnley, but they remain at the foot of the table, two behind
:33:24. > :33:29.Middlesbrough and four behind third bottom Hull City.
:33:30. > :33:40.Newcastle United are just one point ahead of Brighton, but the -- they
:33:41. > :33:58.have a game in hand. Right, as I mentioned earlier, a
:33:59. > :34:06.hugely significant match in the Championship is imminent, and so is
:34:07. > :34:13.our reporter, Charlie. He is with the home side, who are second, about
:34:14. > :34:16.to play Morton in third. Is excitement building? Yes,
:34:17. > :34:21.anticipation for what could be the best game of the day. Second against
:34:22. > :34:26.third. This one really does promise much. Falkirk are in great form,
:34:27. > :34:33.unbeaten in nine. Morton are in terrific form. They have two
:34:34. > :34:38.exceptional managers, both of whom like playing football. There is a
:34:39. > :34:41.decent crowd growing. A good pitch, as it always is, because it is
:34:42. > :34:47.artificial. This could really be a good game. Easy for Peter Houston,
:34:48. > :34:52.he sticks with the same team that beat Ayr United. Jim Duffy is forced
:34:53. > :35:02.into a couple of changes, Michael Doyle is out altogether, Tidser is
:35:03. > :35:09.dropped to the bench. As I say, the results have gone for Falkirk and
:35:10. > :35:13.Morton this afternoon. This could be a really good match. It is a long
:35:14. > :35:17.time since I have had a good Saturday night out in Falkirk, that
:35:18. > :35:20.might change soon. Don't be heading out after the game, that is for
:35:21. > :35:29.sure. That is one to look forward to. Falkirk, should they win that,
:35:30. > :35:34.they go onto 51 points, four behind Hibs at the top? Yes, they have a
:35:35. > :35:41.good chance, and plenty of motivation in both Falkirk and
:35:42. > :35:48.Morton. At the moment, it is still possible to catch Hibs. It will be
:35:49. > :35:53.an exciting match. Will it be uppermost in their mind, catching
:35:54. > :35:56.Hibs? A while ago it looked impossible, now it looks feasible?
:35:57. > :36:00.Looks feasible because Hibs have studied a view times. There have
:36:01. > :36:05.been games where they have been playing well, but not getting three
:36:06. > :36:10.points. One win in six in the Championship, that is relegation
:36:11. > :36:13.form! Not quite, you are pushing it there. But they are not running away
:36:14. > :36:20.with it. But teams should not run away with that, because there are no
:36:21. > :36:26.easy games in that division. Falkirk and Morton, let's be honest, not to
:36:27. > :36:30.write them off, the expectation was Dundee United and Hibs. That is what
:36:31. > :36:34.everybody was watching for. But Falkirk and Morton had been in
:36:35. > :36:40.fantastic form. When Hibs have struggled this season, not only
:36:41. > :36:45.Hibs, but quite many teams, when they set their stall out to sit
:36:46. > :36:50.tight and defend with a compact defence, that is how teams approach
:36:51. > :36:54.it when they play Hibs. Hibs have excellent players, they pass the
:36:55. > :36:57.ball well. If you are open, they will punish you. They struggled
:36:58. > :37:06.because of that. Then counterattack, the longer the game goes, Hibs put
:37:07. > :37:12.players forward Sam that leaves gaps behind, counterattack, suddenly you
:37:13. > :37:17.are 1-0 down. It is because they are seen as the big team, and the
:37:18. > :37:21.expectation is there, if they miss a penalty, they almost always get more
:37:22. > :37:25.opportunities than the opposition, exactly as Mixu is saying. Teams are
:37:26. > :37:28.playing for that, they want the odd chance or break. Because Hibs have
:37:29. > :37:34.committed 70 players forward, it is kind of the Hibs way. That is the
:37:35. > :37:38.way I want to see them winning. Let's dip our toes in the waters of
:37:39. > :37:42.the English Premier League. West Brom against Arsenal, the lunchtime
:37:43. > :37:50.kick-off. That was watched by Martin Fisher. The start of play, a hired
:37:51. > :37:54.aircraft went overhead with a banner proclaiming Arsene Wenger out. By
:37:55. > :37:57.the end, the placards were unveiled in the away end. This was Arsenal's
:37:58. > :38:01.fourth Premier League defeat in five games. Apart from Sanchez, few
:38:02. > :38:07.players looked up to it. Poor marking allowed Craig Dawson to give
:38:08. > :38:10.Albion and early lead. Although Sanchez soon equalised, for all of
:38:11. > :38:14.their possession, they created little. In contrast, West Brom were
:38:15. > :38:20.always a danger on the counterattack will stop Hal Robson-Kanu, restoring
:38:21. > :38:23.the advantage from one such break, before another corner brought
:38:24. > :38:30.another goal and another for Dawson. He rose above statuesque Arsenal
:38:31. > :38:34.defenders. It was described as a game Arsenal had to win. Having lost
:38:35. > :38:38.it, the gap to fourth spot looks wider than ever. What will that mean
:38:39. > :38:41.for Arsene Wenger's future? I will put that question to you. We don't
:38:42. > :38:48.know definitively what will happen, what do you think is likely to
:38:49. > :38:51.happen? It is exactly what we said there, counterattacking, against
:38:52. > :38:57.Arsenal, who keep the ball, pass the ball well, loads of possession.
:38:58. > :39:00.Someone like West Brom, Tony Pulis, master of tactics, counterattacking,
:39:01. > :39:06.set pieces, they scored two set piece goals, not a surprise when you
:39:07. > :39:12.talk about Tony Pulis's side. It is not easy for big teams to play
:39:13. > :39:15.against so-called lesser teams. Because of the tight defence, and
:39:16. > :39:22.then counterattacking, then you have a really powerful player for set
:39:23. > :39:30.pieces, these results can happen. Chelsea, way to Stoke City this
:39:31. > :39:34.afternoon. Joy for Chelsea, despair for Stoke. Brilliant drama, you have
:39:35. > :39:37.to say, for the neutral. For so long, it looked like Mark Hughes
:39:38. > :39:41.would frustrate the club he used to play for once again. These two were
:39:42. > :39:47.locked at 1-1 heading into the final five minutes. Jon Walters first half
:39:48. > :39:52.penalty cancelled out Willian's fortuitous free kick. But Gary
:39:53. > :40:01.Cahill, before a corner, capitalised on defensive confusion in the Stoke
:40:02. > :40:06.ranks after Luiz's header was saved. He smashed it past Grant for his
:40:07. > :40:11.fourth of the season. Heartbreak for Mark Hughes. The Stoke fans here,
:40:12. > :40:14.also. Chelsea march on, their unbeaten run continues and they
:40:15. > :40:19.remain ten points clear at the top of the Premier League. Cheered you
:40:20. > :40:24.up after that Hibs result, another win for Chelsea. 13 points clear at
:40:25. > :40:27.the top of the table? Cahill scoring the goal should not surprise people
:40:28. > :40:35.who have watched Chelsea over the years. You look at the likes of John
:40:36. > :40:41.Terry, Lou -- Luiz putting in the header, they look unstoppable at the
:40:42. > :40:44.moment. Arguably, it was their trickiest game between now and the
:40:45. > :40:49.end of the season. It is hard to see them slipping up. Tricky, but they
:40:50. > :40:56.had 20 goal efforts, against Stoke's five. They have good goal-scorers,
:40:57. > :41:01.from defence, midfield and attack. They will always score. The way they
:41:02. > :41:05.played a system, switch it from one side to the other, to the wingbacks,
:41:06. > :41:17.that are really high, it seems difficult to block a defence against
:41:18. > :41:23.them because of their but width. A routine 4-0 victory against Hull.
:41:24. > :41:33.There were never really troubled asset culvert Lewin tapped in his
:41:34. > :41:42.first goal for the club. -- after their teenager scored his first
:41:43. > :41:46.goal. Valencia repaid the favour to Lukaku, and he raced clear to score
:41:47. > :41:50.his 21st of the season. He got another one at the death, rounded
:41:51. > :41:55.the keeper to score. Another one for Hull's survival hopes. What a blow
:41:56. > :41:58.this would be for Everton if they were to lose Lukaku. West Ham were
:41:59. > :42:11.at home to Leicester this afternoon. Unbelievable match. For West Ham
:42:12. > :42:15.fans they came close to grabbing an equaliser late on but poor finishing
:42:16. > :42:20.and excellent goalkeeping from Schmeichel has given Leicester their
:42:21. > :42:24.first away win of the season. The visitors had a two goal lead early
:42:25. > :42:29.doors but suspect defending in the West Ham back line on both occasions
:42:30. > :42:33.helped them out. A free kick got West Ham back in it but Vardy poked
:42:34. > :42:38.home before half-time for Leicester's third. Ayew reduced the
:42:39. > :42:45.arrears again. Leicester did just enough to continue their winning
:42:46. > :42:48.streak under Craig Shakespeare. The Leicester revival continues. You saw
:42:49. > :42:57.them mid week in the flesh, in the Champions League. A good result mid
:42:58. > :43:01.week. If anybody has the momentum at the moment it's Leicester. The
:43:02. > :43:04.result was, Wednesday against Seville they didn't play that well
:43:05. > :43:08.but Schmeichel like we heard again, he was excellent again today. You
:43:09. > :43:14.know, saved a penalty and other great saves. They have a top, top
:43:15. > :43:19.quality keeper there. When you score two goals in the opening six
:43:20. > :43:24.minutes... Eases the pressure a bit. Absolutely. They started well.
:43:25. > :43:28.That's a sign of confidence. They're carrying on from that European
:43:29. > :43:31.match, that confidence is there. Quick start, fast pass, score goals.
:43:32. > :43:38.But certainly Schmeichel, you know, the form he is in at the moment and
:43:39. > :43:41.his quality, keeps them alive. Back to all matters Scottish. Because
:43:42. > :43:46.Aberdeen beat Hearts today Celtic won't be able to win the title
:43:47. > :43:51.tomorrow. They will, however, be able to re-establish a 25-point lead
:43:52. > :43:59.at the top of the table. To do that they'll need to beat Dundee. You can
:44:00. > :44:03.follow the action in Sportsound at midday. Plenty of incentive there.
:44:04. > :44:08.Celtic can't win the title, they will win the title, it won't be
:44:09. > :44:12.tomorrow, they're away to Dundee. After having dropped points last
:44:13. > :44:16.week at home to Rangers. To be honest that's at the froer front of
:44:17. > :44:23.a lot of people's minds. Rangers had a good day. Having said that, let's
:44:24. > :44:28.look at the wider sense. They're miles ahead, not just points, but
:44:29. > :44:32.play, as well. They're getting great performances out of players who
:44:33. > :44:36.weren't doing as well, Armstrong more than anyone else. You have to
:44:37. > :44:49.applaud Rangers for coming back into it. Looking at what Celtic have done
:44:50. > :44:52.this season, by the way the free scoring Clint scores as well. We
:44:53. > :44:58.were team-mates. Realistically if you look at the way Celtic went
:44:59. > :45:01.through the season, a number of people asked me did Brendan Rodgers
:45:02. > :45:04.make mistakes during the game? Forget about that, he has made so
:45:05. > :45:08.many correct decisions this season and that's not just tactics, not
:45:09. > :45:10.just in the right people, but also bringing the right people in, as
:45:11. > :45:17.well, it's hard to say a negative thing about them. Celtic dropped
:45:18. > :45:23.points last week but Dundee dropped even more, they lost against St
:45:24. > :45:26.Johnstone. Paul Hartly Manager of the Month for February. March has
:45:27. > :45:33.been miserable so far. Two defeats including this one. I don't expect
:45:34. > :45:39.Celtic to have it easy tomorrow. Dundee will battle. They will defend
:45:40. > :45:44.with numbers. They use the counterattacking style of play. So,
:45:45. > :45:47.you know, wot won't be easy for Celtic tomorrow. Obviously Celtic
:45:48. > :45:50.like Pat mentioned are so much better than everybody else this
:45:51. > :45:55.season. They probably will get a victory again but won't be easy. It
:45:56. > :46:00.wasn't particularly easy for Celtic when they played Dundee at Celtic
:46:01. > :46:05.Park earlier. They won the match. 2-1. But Dundee played well. By the
:46:06. > :46:09.way what a brilliant goal that was, one of the best of the seasons, he
:46:10. > :46:14.makes it look easy. I don't suspect it will be easy but I don't think a
:46:15. > :46:18.lot of people will be betting on Dundee to win this. They don't often
:46:19. > :46:23.have two dull games in a row. They usually, if they have a quiet game,
:46:24. > :46:31.even if it's a game they win, and sneak a win, they go on a good game
:46:32. > :46:34.the next. Yeah, I don't think they're in any great danger. They've
:46:35. > :46:37.every possibility that they could maybe even push towards the top six
:46:38. > :46:42.this season. They would love to get a result. But in the end Celtic play
:46:43. > :46:47.at their best, we all know, quite simply Celtic will win this game if
:46:48. > :46:52.they play at their best. Paul Hartly knows that, Brendan Rodgers knows
:46:53. > :47:01.that, and they're just hoping they don't play to their best. Last week
:47:02. > :47:07.everybody said they would win. Both going for Celtic wins. 100%. Time to
:47:08. > :47:13.hear from managers, coaches, maybe even an interim manager, as well. We
:47:14. > :47:19.will start with the post-match reaction from that match when
:47:20. > :47:26.Aberdeen beat Hearts. First the boss of Aberdeen. It's great as a manager
:47:27. > :47:31.when you see a team relentless with their work. I thought we spoke
:47:32. > :47:34.before the game about those middle two-thirds of being aggressive and
:47:35. > :47:37.making the game go our way, pressing the life out of them and I thought
:47:38. > :47:42.we did that. I didn't think Hearts could cope with that. It's a
:47:43. > :47:48.situation where Aberdeen have shown they're in a position where they're
:47:49. > :47:53.stronger, more routined and across the 90 minutes managed to take the
:47:54. > :47:57.victory. Inside that there were some positive parts to our play. We had
:47:58. > :48:01.some opportunities and of course that comes down to clinical
:48:02. > :48:06.finishing, sometimes clinical defending and the ruthlessness, and
:48:07. > :48:09.quickness and dealing with things and we suffered through that today.
:48:10. > :48:15.What was your take on the sending off? I haven't seen it again. But
:48:16. > :48:20.from what I am told by one or two of the staff that have seen it, I think
:48:21. > :48:27.there is a foul initially on Jaden. Then it slows him down. He can't put
:48:28. > :48:31.pressure on the defender then. He turns around and I think he is
:48:32. > :48:36.caught, I think it's the palm of his hand. And the boy's face. So I think
:48:37. > :48:39.from maybe the referee's interpreted it, maybe he has seen it as a bit
:48:40. > :48:43.more than that. I think it's frustration he has been fouled. You
:48:44. > :48:45.could perhaps understand why fans are asking questions about the
:48:46. > :48:49.director of football and why he is in the dressing room at half-time.
:48:50. > :48:56.Is he giving advice and coaching advice? I think one of the things
:48:57. > :49:00.you probably have to look at is there is not much space. You are
:49:01. > :49:04.searching for something. We work in a very, very clear way. So he is not
:49:05. > :49:15.providing coaching advice is that what you are saying? That's my job.
:49:16. > :49:20.I have to get my dictionary out! An interesting phrase was Aberdeen were
:49:21. > :49:25.stronger and more routined. Yeah, there are certain pieces of jargon
:49:26. > :49:29.that happen within the coaching fra ternities. That's one of the ones
:49:30. > :49:33.just now. Does that mean they know what they're doing? Yeah, they're
:49:34. > :49:37.organised. We all use organised too much and structured too much. They
:49:38. > :49:41.do know what they're doing. They're a good side. They're having a
:49:42. > :49:46.brilliant run. But it was a hard day, a bad day for Hearts. The fact
:49:47. > :49:50.they've dropped down and are now in that position just now is really
:49:51. > :49:56.difficult for them. It's difficult to get momentum back because they've
:49:57. > :50:01.lost it. We can hear now from Jim McIntyre, the Ross County boss after
:50:02. > :50:06.his side's draw away in the highland derby. How valuable was Alex Sharp's
:50:07. > :50:09.goal there? It's the least we deserved, we put so much into the
:50:10. > :50:15.game. We were the better side in the first half. Without actually getting
:50:16. > :50:22.on the end of some good play. The referee's got to give a penalty on
:50:23. > :50:27.Alex. He says he doesn't see it, so that's disappointing. The throw-in
:50:28. > :50:32.that led to their goal is also a throw-in. So big decisions have went
:50:33. > :50:36.the wrong way. We should still defend better, I am not blaming for
:50:37. > :50:39.that, we should clear the ball. That gave Inverness that lift and we said
:50:40. > :50:42.to players at half-time you have done so much well but we knew
:50:43. > :50:47.Inverness would probably get a rocket and come out all guns blazing
:50:48. > :50:52.and they had a good period in that second half also. In the period up
:50:53. > :50:56.to half-time you looked to get on top. Naismith was good, sharp very
:50:57. > :50:59.close to getting one, did you feel you would kick on from there? Yeah,
:51:00. > :51:02.we did. We told players to keep doing what you are doing and can we
:51:03. > :51:08.improve that final bit of quality that will get us the goal? I thought
:51:09. > :51:12.the reaction was great to go behind, obviously goals change games, it
:51:13. > :51:17.gave Inverness that lift for ten, 15 minutes. We had to weather the storm
:51:18. > :51:20.and we have counterattack and they've hit the bar and had a free
:51:21. > :51:28.kick, as well. But we have come back into it. We have made a brilliant
:51:29. > :51:30.chance with Craig, he should score, thought he was magnificent giving us
:51:31. > :51:34.everything he had and really putting them under pressure. Again just the
:51:35. > :51:37.spirit and the side, boys coming out, I thought the three boys that
:51:38. > :51:41.came off the bench done fantastically well and made an
:51:42. > :51:44.impact. That's what you need. Because we put so much into it and
:51:45. > :51:50.the way it's been going for us lately it's easy to feel sorry for
:51:51. > :51:55.yourself but whenever we dug in and I felt we finished the game really
:51:56. > :52:01.strengthly. Feels a wee bit hard done by with a couple of refereeing
:52:02. > :52:08.decisions but as he points out can't blame the ref for that Thistle goal.
:52:09. > :52:14.No, I think it's probably diverting there how the match went but I think
:52:15. > :52:19.Ross County overall have a little hangover from last season. They had
:52:20. > :52:26.a fabulous season, top six, won the League Cup. This season they've
:52:27. > :52:31.struggled to those standards and they're only four points from
:52:32. > :52:36.safety. So, hasn't been positive season for them but I do feel that
:52:37. > :52:40.the players they have, they should have enough to avoid the straight
:52:41. > :52:45.relegation play-off spot. You never know, because Caley Thistle are
:52:46. > :52:51.getting stronger. Caley Thistle are in that play-off spot at the moment.
:52:52. > :52:55.After today's match their manager spoke to Martin. Based on your
:52:56. > :52:58.second half performance in particular I am sure you probably
:52:59. > :53:04.felt that you deserve more out of that. Yeah. Yeah, obviously MacKay
:53:05. > :53:10.hit the crossbar, and we dominated at least half an hour of the second
:53:11. > :53:13.half. Obviously feels like a bit of a defeat. But I will try and flip
:53:14. > :53:17.that and we are a point better off than before the game. Proud of the
:53:18. > :53:20.lads, thought they were excellent the second half, shape was good, we
:53:21. > :53:23.looked solid and dealt with a lot of crosses into the box. Disappointed
:53:24. > :53:28.with the goal we conceded. But all in all, I thought the boys done very
:53:29. > :53:31.well. You asked for aggression today and we talked before the game about
:53:32. > :53:36.balancing that with the right sort of mental attitude. You seemed to
:53:37. > :53:40.get that. Yeah, particularly in the second half. It was a tense affair
:53:41. > :53:48.the first half, County had more possession than us. Once we started
:53:49. > :53:51.to play, causing them all sorts of problems, Ross was excellent for us,
:53:52. > :53:54.leading, driving us forward. All in all, it's a very good performance.
:53:55. > :53:58.Disappointing not to get the three points. He has come a long way since
:53:59. > :54:04.lambasting his players for their performances. Now he seems to be
:54:05. > :54:07.getting what he wants out of them. Yeah, trying absolutely anything
:54:08. > :54:09.that can work, especially down at the bottom you have to try nuclear
:54:10. > :54:15.options now and again. He has tried that. To be honest he has a reaction
:54:16. > :54:19.a few times. It's painful, one week a late goal and next week you lose
:54:20. > :54:24.two points with a late goal. You don't know whether to laugh or cry.
:54:25. > :54:28.Don't forget the team jumping out at me today, St Johnstone. Winning
:54:29. > :54:33.today at Motherwell, they now find themselves in the position they are
:54:34. > :54:36.in fourth place above Hearts. How do they keep doing it? A question we
:54:37. > :54:42.always ask on this programme just about every week. But our time this
:54:43. > :54:48.afternoon is rapidly drawing to a close.
:54:49. > :54:51.So we will bid you good night after a wee reminder
:54:52. > :55:34.Please don't forget to watch the highlights show tomorrow at six
:55:35. > :55:40.If you do you can see it at 11:40 on BBC One in HD.
:55:41. > :55:43.You can tune it to Off the Ball's Saturday Supplement
:55:44. > :55:46.Stuart and Tam's take on the day's events.
:55:47. > :55:51.Thanks to our guests Pat and Mixu, Messrs Nevin and Mr Paatelainen.
:55:52. > :56:19.The alternative spirit of 6 Music comes to Glasgow,
:56:20. > :56:24.MasterChef is back, to find the country's best home chef.