:01:02. > :01:07.good evening and welcome to Sportscene. Not a weekend goes by
:01:08. > :01:11.without some sort of drama and tonight is no different. Plenty of
:01:12. > :01:18.goals as well and we are joined by someone who scored one or two in his
:01:19. > :01:34.time. Kris Boyd, you know what he can do. Kris Boyd scores.
:01:35. > :01:37.Goal-scorer extraordinaire, Kris Boyd joins Michael Stuart and myself
:01:38. > :01:44.this evening. We start in Perthshire, Hearts the visitors at
:01:45. > :01:48.St Johnstone. It would be an incident filled this at -- afternoon
:01:49. > :02:23.to say the least. Donald under pressure. Carrick taken
:02:24. > :02:29.down by Steven Anderson. A decision for the referee. The referee wonders
:02:30. > :02:40.over with a red card in his hand. Denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
:02:41. > :02:47.Davidson fell awkwardly and then got the ball thumped off his head. The
:02:48. > :02:52.player knows he is hurt and will have to go off. That is the signal
:02:53. > :03:04.immediately to the bench. It is a sad end to the afternoon for Murray
:03:05. > :03:09.Davidson. The ball has gone out for a goal kick. The referee has said
:03:10. > :03:15.penalty! It is a yellow card for Kevin McHattie you cannot believe
:03:16. > :03:18.it. The referee said it is a penalty. It looks harsh. Stephen Mae
:03:19. > :03:41.steps up. Scores. Tried to get away from McGowan.
:03:42. > :03:48.Hearts simply couldn't get it clear. Danny Wilson was back. It may have
:03:49. > :03:57.got away from him, the goalkeeper did enough initially.
:03:58. > :04:09.Nice ball in. Carrick! Hearts are back in it. Dale Carrick scoring his
:04:10. > :04:22.first Hearts goal. He carries the ball past Alan Mannus.
:04:23. > :04:32.There is a shout for handball. And again, the referee has pointed to
:04:33. > :04:41.the spot. Hearts are furious. That is really soft. Stephen Mae, his
:04:42. > :04:53.second hat-trick of the season. Took it away past Jamie MacDonald and
:04:54. > :05:00.celebrate in style. Soft penalty. Carrick was taken down. Miller ran
:05:01. > :05:17.into his back and the referee has said no. Sam Nicholson almost scored
:05:18. > :05:28.here. A good save from Alan Mannus. Hearts are still pressing.
:05:29. > :05:35.Nicholson, the second time he gets it in. With a minute to play, there
:05:36. > :05:48.is all sorts going on in the back of the net. Frazer Wright is on the
:05:49. > :05:54.ground. More players are joining in. Stevenson and Alan Mannus will not
:05:55. > :05:57.let go of each other. There is a coming together of heads in front of
:05:58. > :06:07.the referee. As goals go, it was messy. Nicholson's first four
:06:08. > :06:13.Hearts. What will the referee do? Ryan Stevenson is after. That is a
:06:14. > :06:24.blow for Hearts, he will miss the next game. Alan Mannus is bringing
:06:25. > :06:31.brought over. If Alan Mannus is off, somebody will have to to go in goal.
:06:32. > :06:46.He has been sent off. What an end to this game. Patterson, off the bar!
:06:47. > :06:53.Corner. Carrick was denied that time. Hearts saying it should have
:06:54. > :07:04.been a penalty. The goalkeeper could do nothing. It did come off the arm
:07:05. > :07:11.of Frazer Wright. Danny Wilson! Three apiece in Perth and Danny
:07:12. > :07:20.Wilson scores. What an unbelievable end. The game itself had everything,
:07:21. > :07:28.sending of. Absolutely delighted with the spirit we showed. We will
:07:29. > :07:32.definitely appeal the Anderson one. It has to be a goal-scoring
:07:33. > :07:35.opportunity and the lad has taken a touch to go even wider than he was.
:07:36. > :07:42.We will have a look at that and possibly appeal that one. That was
:07:43. > :07:47.uneventful. Hearts assistant manager Billy Brown, was supposed to be his
:07:48. > :07:51.last match. Turns out he will be staying on until the end of the
:07:52. > :07:57.month. Chaos on the pitch pretty much, Michael. Is it chaos off the
:07:58. > :08:03.field at Tynecastle as well? Mixed messages coming out. They released a
:08:04. > :08:07.statement Billy was leaving after the St Johnstone game. What it
:08:08. > :08:12.highlights is the fact that too many chiefs and not enough Indians at the
:08:13. > :08:15.club at the moment. You have the administrator, the managing
:08:16. > :08:21.director, director of football. The sooner it gets resolved the better.
:08:22. > :08:28.They need leadership and they need to move forward. At the moment it is
:08:29. > :08:33.a mess. It was a busy afternoon. You saw plenty of goal-scoring
:08:34. > :08:36.opportunities yourself in your career. Was this a clear
:08:37. > :08:46.goal-scoring opportunity? I don't think so. Could Frazer Wright catch
:08:47. > :08:51.him? He would definitely have had a chance, but I don't think it is a
:08:52. > :08:56.red card from where it was on the pitch. It was so far out, it was a
:08:57. > :09:02.harsh decision to brandish a red card. Especially it being so early
:09:03. > :09:07.in the game. I don't think there was any great malice in the tackle. It
:09:08. > :09:14.was a busy day for the referee. Let's look at a few other
:09:15. > :09:21.decisions, Michael? At best there was maybe a small shirt pull which
:09:22. > :09:25.would have been outside the box. But it's not even a foul. But if it
:09:26. > :09:31.was, it was outside the box. Never danger of a penalty. Hearts have had
:09:32. > :09:37.a few this season. This is another one of harsh decisions. I remember
:09:38. > :09:41.Jimmy Hamilton getting smacked in the face with the ball and they got
:09:42. > :09:50.a penalty against them. A great day for Stevie May? Yes, he scrambled
:09:51. > :09:55.the other one over the line. He definitely has got himself amongst
:09:56. > :10:06.the goals this season. At the end, chaos is the only word that comes to
:10:07. > :10:11.mind? Give credit to Hearts, it is a difficult season. That can play on
:10:12. > :10:17.their minds and drag them down. But you have to show a bit of spirit to
:10:18. > :10:27.fight back. This was in the goalmouth. Did the referee get this
:10:28. > :10:35.right? Hands are raised, but it is easier to say whose hands are not
:10:36. > :10:40.raised. It was incredible. 90 minutes on the clock, to send them
:10:41. > :10:43.off was not the best decision. It was an incredible game, Michael? It
:10:44. > :10:50.was. A great header for Danny Wilson. It's somebody was on the
:10:51. > :10:54.post, I am an advocate of getting two men on the post. It St Johnstone
:10:55. > :11:01.hap that they would have taken three points. A courageous point in the
:11:02. > :11:06.end from Hearts? Yes, they have battled back. They have fought all
:11:07. > :11:16.the way and managed to get a great point. Plenty of entertainment and
:11:17. > :11:21.spirit on show. It had been at dismal first half of the season for
:11:22. > :11:27.Ross County. Three games played, two wins and a draw plus a plethora of
:11:28. > :11:33.new signings to galvanise the side. All six of the new signings were in
:11:34. > :11:45.the ranks for playing against Dundee United. Dundee United travelled
:11:46. > :11:51.north without a player who was given a holiday to avoid burn-out. They
:11:52. > :11:57.went into this game without a win in five matches. Once upon a time
:11:58. > :12:04.Dundee United were in form. In attack they are still a potency. The
:12:05. > :12:12.former Falkirk striker unable to connect. At the other end, the
:12:13. > :12:17.goalkeeper got his gloves to the free kick of Graham Carey. And his
:12:18. > :12:26.cultured left foot was in evidence again setting up this shot. Again,
:12:27. > :12:31.the goalkeeper to the rescue. Ross County looked like a club reborn in
:12:32. > :12:36.2014. Many new face the starting line-up and none have made more of
:12:37. > :12:49.an impact than the man online from Cardiff City 13 county 1-0 up just
:12:50. > :12:56.before half-time. A lovely cross. United's defence found wanting. It
:12:57. > :13:09.was in much better soon after. But Ryan McClane's effort was ruled out
:13:10. > :13:15.for offside. In the second half, the two new county additions showed
:13:16. > :13:28.their credentials. Not a bad way to announce your arrival will stop --.
:13:29. > :13:35.With players of the quality of Filip Kiss, who knows what Ross County can
:13:36. > :13:42.achieve in 2014? A stunning strike from Filip Kiss, four goals in two
:13:43. > :13:49.games for the Slovak. And what now for United? It is not going their
:13:50. > :13:55.way. And that attempt was ruled out for offside. All smiles for an
:13:56. > :14:07.increasingly confident Ross County, all France for Dundee United. -- all
:14:08. > :14:11.frowns. It is not easy to play against Dundee United, and keep
:14:12. > :14:20.their players quiet and when fly half zero. Just the basic stuff, the
:14:21. > :14:25.defending at the back. I thought that the Ross County strikers
:14:26. > :14:28.dominated us at the back. You have scored some great goals in your
:14:29. > :14:34.time, Kris, but this strike from Filip Kiss takes some beating. It
:14:35. > :14:40.was an unbelievable strike. He gets it out from under his feet quickly,
:14:41. > :14:44.and gets it away. Are you surprised that Ross County have got a player
:14:45. > :14:52.of his quality? He played most games in The Championship for Cardiff last
:14:53. > :14:58.season. It is a great signing. Is it just a case of new signings making
:14:59. > :15:01.all the difference? They have certainly lifted the team. We can
:15:02. > :15:08.see all the goals here since the turn of the year. It highlights the
:15:09. > :15:10.fact that the players this year in the Premiership, many of the teams
:15:11. > :15:13.at the bottom of the league have been active in the transfer market,
:15:14. > :15:22.and it is great to see these guys coming in. It is a big plus for the
:15:23. > :15:25.players. Would you say that they lacked in quality in the first half
:15:26. > :15:29.of the season? Ross County have had a settled team for a number of
:15:30. > :15:34.years. And they had a big turnaround of players in the summer. I think
:15:35. > :15:40.that was the problem. It has taken them time to settle. With the extra
:15:41. > :15:49.quality coming in in January, it has lifted the team as a whole. I think
:15:50. > :15:53.the cracker Mac that other just now, it has gone to be like that all
:15:54. > :15:59.the way. We need to look at the positives and hopefully, we can stay
:16:00. > :16:00.at the top of that many league of four, but it is going to be
:16:01. > :16:16.difficult. -- mini league. St Mirren have been tipped by more
:16:17. > :16:19.than a few to play a part in the play-off place scramble. The Paisley
:16:20. > :16:21.side were away to Hibs yesterday. Commentary from John Barnes. Alan
:16:22. > :16:24.Maybury returns to the Hibs defence. Paul Heffernan drops to the bench.
:16:25. > :16:28.Marian Kello is back between the posts for St Mirren having recovered
:16:29. > :16:29.from a hip injury. John McGinn returns to the side after
:16:30. > :16:43.suspension. The little flick on, finding Kelly.
:16:44. > :16:52.Paul McGowan, and that is in, off the goalkeeper. Paul McGowan goes
:16:53. > :16:57.off to celebrate, to try and claim it, but it is definitely an own
:16:58. > :17:02.goal. His shot struck the post and bounced off the goalkeeper. And St
:17:03. > :17:10.Mirren get the breakthrough. From a bit of good fortune.
:17:11. > :17:18.Stevenson, doing well to get away from Naismith. And the teenager
:17:19. > :17:21.could not get up high enough to direct that ball on goal. It was
:17:22. > :17:45.good wing play by Lewis Stevenson. Cummings again. Marian Kello was
:17:46. > :17:50.stretching and scrambling. There was confusion between Jim Goodwin and
:17:51. > :17:55.Marc McAusland. Cummings almost punished them. St Mirren, four games
:17:56. > :18:08.without a victory. Towards John McGinn, Campbell is in
:18:09. > :18:14.there again. Fine play by the on loan Newcastle man. He did well to
:18:15. > :18:20.create the opening, to get away from Stevenson, and John McGinn touches
:18:21. > :18:23.it back into his path, and it was clinically finished, for his second
:18:24. > :18:45.goal for St Mirren. Thomson, with the lay-off. And
:18:46. > :18:52.Campbell, doing well. That is 3-0, St Mirren. And we have only played
:18:53. > :18:58.26 minutes. Steven Thompson claiming his 12th goal of the season. It was
:18:59. > :19:05.a fine header. And the credit goes to Campbell, for the assist.
:19:06. > :19:17.The free kick from Jim Goodwin, towards Paul McGowan. And the hooked
:19:18. > :19:22.shot comes back off the crossbar. Then billions relieved about that.
:19:23. > :19:23.Sink in close to goal number four. What a start they have made to this
:19:24. > :19:36.game. -- Ben Williams relieved. Campbell, teasing Alan Maybury, cuts
:19:37. > :19:42.it back, and then William 's gets the touch, and Paul McGowan was
:19:43. > :19:57.watering with intent at the far post. -- watering -- loitering.
:19:58. > :20:01.Harris, in towards Collins, and Hibs pull one goal back. The glancing
:20:02. > :20:19.effort from James Collins. Stevenson. Nelson is in there, and
:20:20. > :20:28.Collins has scored again. Another header! St Mirren could not defend
:20:29. > :20:33.the free kick. Steven Thompson in the Challenger Nelson, and it broke
:20:34. > :20:37.to Collins to claim his sixth goal of the season.
:20:38. > :20:50.Now, the home side are looking for the equaliser. Nelson, chips it in,
:20:51. > :20:58.there was a handball. It came off Adam Campbell, but referee Willie
:20:59. > :21:04.Collum says no. Certainly looked like a penalty. That 90 minutes
:21:05. > :21:11.showed you how this season has been. It was a roller-coaster. Bringing
:21:12. > :21:17.our own identity back, three quality goals, and then hanging on in there
:21:18. > :21:23.in the second half. We thought it was a blatant handball missed on the
:21:24. > :21:27.far side. Willie Colon has a great view of the incident, and the boy
:21:28. > :21:33.flicks it up onto his hand, everyone has seen it. If we had got the
:21:34. > :21:38.penalty and scored, you would say, what a fantastic comeback. The
:21:39. > :21:41.handball, a feature of the show tonight.
:21:42. > :21:51.That could have been a big point for Hibernian. That is one that the
:21:52. > :21:55.referee has not got right. He has an unobstructed view of that. It is a
:21:56. > :22:01.handball, it is a penalty. I think it is unintentional. He's trying to
:22:02. > :22:06.get his arm across the Hibs player, but it hits his arm and takes a big
:22:07. > :22:11.aviation and the referee has got a clear view of it. That should have
:22:12. > :22:16.been a penalty for Hibs. Apart from that Adam Campbell had a good game.
:22:17. > :22:22.St Mirren had a good first half. And Campbell at the centre of lots of
:22:23. > :22:27.good things. He does well to get in behind the defence. The Hibs defence
:22:28. > :22:32.will be disappointed. He has done well to get inside the six yard box
:22:33. > :22:38.and finish. I will go back to it again. Heads should have squeezed
:22:39. > :22:44.the ball a lot faster than they did when the goal went in. Michael
:22:45. > :22:50.Campbell has come on loan from Newcastle United. Not the first to
:22:51. > :22:54.have trodden that path from Newcastle to St Mirren. It is paying
:22:55. > :22:59.dividends for the Paisley club. Conor Newton has done well, and
:23:00. > :23:02.Campbell comes in on his debut and has had a big impact on the game. He
:23:03. > :23:09.caused chaos for the full backs all day. Terry Butcher described it as
:23:10. > :23:14.one of the most wretched 45 minutes he has had from one of his size. You
:23:15. > :23:18.would not want to be on the Hibs training ground tomorrow. It shows
:23:19. > :23:24.how far they have come, Hibs, that they are disappointed. They have
:23:25. > :23:28.lost the game at home that they have expected to win, with the run that
:23:29. > :23:31.they have been on, that there's a big disappointment for them. But I
:23:32. > :23:36.would not want to be going on to that training ground tomorrow. St
:23:37. > :23:43.Mirren, how Jekyll and Hyde are they? They are very hot and cold,
:23:44. > :23:50.but the cold streaks, they are quite long. The problem is, every time
:23:51. > :23:56.there was a bad one, there is a bit more apathy from the fans. A good
:23:57. > :24:03.result on Saturday and they will be looking to try and make sure that
:24:04. > :24:06.they go on a good run, now. We'd see the end of at least one impressive
:24:07. > :24:09.winning streak this weekend. After their week in Turkey, Celtic were
:24:10. > :24:13.back in the league, looking for their tenth straight Premiership win
:24:14. > :24:16.in a row. They faced a Motherwell side looking for their seventh
:24:17. > :24:19.straight league win. The last time Stuart McCall's side had lost a
:24:20. > :24:22.match, it was a 5-0 home defeat to Celtic back in December. Celtic have
:24:23. > :24:25.been imperious on the domestic front and there is talk of them going
:24:26. > :24:31.through the league season unbeaten, but could Motherwell keep their own
:24:32. > :24:39.unbeaten streak going? I think it is bound to finish eventually. He has
:24:40. > :24:43.been a different force altogether. A great run. We have been playing
:24:44. > :24:50.well. You cannot beat Celtic here. You are always hopeful. Always. New
:24:51. > :24:54.Celtic signing Stefan Johansen is not ready for his debut. That could
:24:55. > :25:00.come next week. Darnell Fisher replaces the injured Adam Matthews.
:25:01. > :25:05.An enforced change for Stuart McCall, with Simon Ramsden injured,
:25:06. > :25:06.and Zane Francis-Angol coming in. Stephen Hamill goes from left to
:25:07. > :25:17.right back. Before kick-off, a minutes applause
:25:18. > :25:20.in memory of the former Celtic and Leeds United midfielder Bobby
:25:21. > :25:28.Collins who sadly passed away last week. Motherwell keen to exercise
:25:29. > :25:35.some ghosts against Celtic. A 5-0 defeat last month, and then six wins
:25:36. > :25:45.in a row since then. Kris Commons president. -- puts it in. Another
:25:46. > :25:52.wonderful afternoon already for Kris Commons. A candidate for player of
:25:53. > :25:58.the year, and that is his 18th goal of the season. Great start for Neil
:25:59. > :26:05.Lennon and his men. Motherwell, looking to respond. It was
:26:06. > :26:10.Hutchinson with a header from the free kick and John Sutton could only
:26:11. > :26:18.guide it into the arms of Fraser Forster. Celtic, imperious, in the
:26:19. > :26:24.league, pretty much undefeated, only three games they have dropped points
:26:25. > :26:34.in. James Forrest comes forward, he was unlucky. Two home games and a
:26:35. > :26:39.trip to Dundee United, the only occasions in which Celtic have not
:26:40. > :26:48.won in the league. A great run from Charlie Mulgrew, and he is a target.
:26:49. > :26:51.Too close to Gunnar Nielsen. It was a lung bursting run from Charlie
:26:52. > :26:57.Mulgrew to get on the end of that Joe Ledley cross.
:26:58. > :27:05.That is a good ball through for Anthony Stokes, against Gunnar
:27:06. > :27:10.Nielsen, is it a penalty? The decision by Bobby Madden. Gunnar
:27:11. > :27:16.Nielsen could be in trouble. Anthony Stokes was through, he stumbled over
:27:17. > :27:21.the challenge of the Faroese keeper. The yellow card only for the
:27:22. > :27:30.Motherwell keeper. And it is Kris Commons, he makes it to. -- makes it
:27:31. > :27:34.two. He is at it again. Edging closer to the 20-goal mark for the
:27:35. > :27:39.season and that is as confident a penalty kick as you will see.
:27:40. > :27:46.A goal early in the second half would help Motherwell's cause. That
:27:47. > :27:49.was a good effort by Vigurs, it was spilled by Forster. An unorthodox
:27:50. > :27:58.looking save this from the England international from Vigurs' shot.
:27:59. > :28:02.Save it he did. Remarkable run of clean sheets for Celtic right now.
:28:03. > :28:07.This is Keith Lasley. Forced it to Sutton. McFadden! What a chance.
:28:08. > :28:15.What a chance spurned by James McFadden. That could have made all
:28:16. > :28:17.the distance, 2-1 and it's game on again. Came off the foot of Ambrose
:28:18. > :28:33.on its way through to McFadden. Sizing it up. And why not?! He
:28:34. > :28:37.scored in the other two games against Motherwell this season, the
:28:38. > :28:50.two nil win here in the autumn and the 5-0 win last month. This is
:28:51. > :28:53.Mulgrew. Evading Carswell. He has managed to work it to Commons. On a
:28:54. > :29:02.hat-trick remember. With a chance here. Not quite. Commons trying to
:29:03. > :29:05.bend this in past Nielsen. Celtic haven't conceded a goal domestic
:29:06. > :29:11.league since Aberdeen's Nile McGinn scored here in the middle of
:29:12. > :29:19.November. A phenomenal record. This is James Forrest. It has gone in off
:29:20. > :29:24.the post. The former Celtic captain put through his own net and the
:29:25. > :29:29.points will be safe. And the undefeated record will be safe for
:29:30. > :29:34.another week for the champions. It was all about the quality of Forrest
:29:35. > :29:45.but what about the ball from Stokes to find him. It is a way by van
:29:46. > :29:51.Dijk. Lansley. He is taken out by Stokes. This is a red card for the
:29:52. > :29:54.Irishman. Keith Lasley was vilified here after a challenge on Adam
:29:55. > :30:05.Matthews that put a Welshman out for a couple of months. On the receiving
:30:06. > :30:10.end himself there. I asked them to play better at home. The overall
:30:11. > :30:18.performance was fantastic and the zest going forward, we were
:30:19. > :30:23.breathtaking. To -0 at half-time it would have been easy to buckle. But
:30:24. > :30:26.it wasn't the case. I felt the second half we pushed all the way.
:30:27. > :30:32.They caught us on the break and killed it.
:30:33. > :30:42.Kris Commons has 18 goals already this season, is he a candidate for
:30:43. > :30:46.player of the year? Yes he is. He links the play between Anthony
:30:47. > :30:52.Stokes. He plays the ball through and get on the end of it like all
:30:53. > :30:59.good strikers do. He is such a valuable player. I think maybe the
:31:00. > :31:07.goalkeeper should have done better. He has got his goal. We have heard
:31:08. > :31:11.him talking about wanting to stay on at Celtic and I am sure they will
:31:12. > :31:16.want to keep him. You look for people to have an end product and he
:31:17. > :31:20.has got that. You either set people up like that, with Stokes, splits
:31:21. > :31:27.the defence opened but pitches them a lot of gold. You want somebody
:31:28. > :31:32.with an end product and he has got that in abundance. A great chance
:31:33. > :31:43.for James McFadden. If this goes in it does become a different game? I
:31:44. > :31:52.think Izaguirre should have passed it to him first of all. James knows
:31:53. > :31:59.himself he should have finished it. It comes at him pretty fast as well,
:32:00. > :32:04.but the goalkeeper made himself big and he saved it. Anthony Stokes
:32:05. > :32:09.being sent off, let's have a look at it. It was a clear sending-off.
:32:10. > :32:17.Celtic were well in command of the match. Anthony Stokes, the picture
:32:18. > :32:21.of innocence after that. He was very surprised to pick up the red card,
:32:22. > :32:26.he must have been the only person not to expect that. It was
:32:27. > :32:35.definitely a red card. The silly, late in the game, winning 3-0. Maybe
:32:36. > :32:39.the previous from Lansley's tackle initiated it in the first place.
:32:40. > :32:49.Keith Lasley is a bit of a pantomime villain. What you see in second
:32:50. > :32:56.spot? I think Aberdeen will be pushed all of the way. It will be an
:32:57. > :33:01.exciting end to the season. I think Aberdeen could probably do with
:33:02. > :33:06.somebody to score goals. They dominate a lot of games but they
:33:07. > :33:12.scraped over the line. It will be close. Back to the fun and games at
:33:13. > :33:15.the bottom. Partick Thistle squandered the chance to get their
:33:16. > :33:22.first home league win of the season last weekend and let a 3-1 lead over
:33:23. > :33:26.Ross County slip away. Mair went into the starting line-up. Thistle
:33:27. > :33:33.with another chance to get back home victory yesterday. This time against
:33:34. > :33:35.Kilmarnock. Chris Johnston also played in the starting line-up and
:33:36. > :33:46.so did Muirhead. This all were given the perfect
:33:47. > :33:56.start after three minutes. Higginbotham with an acrobatic kick
:33:57. > :34:01.that eluded the goalkeeper. The Kilmarnock defence failing to clear.
:34:02. > :34:08.Craig Samson will feel he could have done better. Higginbotham had the
:34:09. > :34:17.chance to increase Thistle's advantage. Samson redeemed himself
:34:18. > :34:22.in the second half slowly but surely, Kilmarnock edged their way
:34:23. > :34:33.into the game. The defence failing to clear. Kris Boyd's chance on this
:34:34. > :34:36.occasion drifted wide of the goal. Alan Archibald's side were looking
:34:37. > :34:43.for an elusive second goal. They came close when Jackson Evan was
:34:44. > :34:50.dispossessed. This cross by Stephen Lawless, but Samson denied them.
:34:51. > :34:53.Gary Fraser was next to try his luck. His shot was straight at the
:34:54. > :34:59.keeper. Kilmarnock were struggling to find their way past the defence.
:35:00. > :35:05.William Gros linked up with Kris Boyd. Clean through on goal. The
:35:06. > :35:13.goalkeeper saved. The header off the line. Lee Ashcroft was the next to
:35:14. > :35:17.have a go at the goal. His effort was tipped over. With 90 minutes on
:35:18. > :35:22.the clock, there was a final chance for Kilmarnock. A long ball,
:35:23. > :35:32.eventually finding its way through to William Gros. He was brought down
:35:33. > :35:37.going on goal. No doubt in the referee's mind, a straight red card
:35:38. > :35:43.shown to the defender. Kris Boyd with the chance to make it 13 for
:35:44. > :35:47.the season. His shot saved, but Robbie Muirhead was on hand to knock
:35:48. > :35:55.the rebound into the back of the net.
:35:56. > :36:03.I think it was a fair result. We both had chances. They were probably
:36:04. > :36:07.better in the first half we were better in the second. You have to go
:36:08. > :36:14.and win games. We have played well but not one matches. Partick Thistle
:36:15. > :36:18.might be on track for their first home league win of the season after
:36:19. > :36:23.that overhead kick. Less said about the goalkeeping do better, probably.
:36:24. > :36:28.It was going well for Thistle at that point, but they could not hold
:36:29. > :36:31.on. They are still without a home league win this season. The
:36:32. > :36:47.unfortunate statistics. You need a good home record if you
:36:48. > :36:53.are going to have a successful season. It is ironic they had a good
:36:54. > :36:57.home record last year when they won the first division. There is a
:36:58. > :37:03.number of those games, you see those results and they have been leading.
:37:04. > :37:09.Remember the Hearts game earlier in the season when they were 1-0 up.
:37:10. > :37:15.And then again Ross County and yesterday against Kilmarnock. It is
:37:16. > :37:21.all going to have an affect on their confidence. A psychological impact?
:37:22. > :37:27.It gets to that stage, you need to see games out. Dramatic conclusion
:37:28. > :37:31.to the match, you were at the centre of things? Let's have a look at the
:37:32. > :37:40.action, no doubts about the penalty decision in this case? It was a
:37:41. > :37:49.Stonewall penalty. It causes problems for the left back. What
:37:50. > :37:55.happens here? ! A great save. Big Robbie followed it up. I said I
:37:56. > :37:59.would get him a goal. He kept his composure and got the ball in the
:38:00. > :38:05.back of the net. You even had the grace to pretend to celebrate the
:38:06. > :38:09.goal? He followed up well, it was a great finish. Especially after the
:38:10. > :38:16.start we had as well. The goalkeeper put his hands up about it in the
:38:17. > :38:20.dressing room afterwards. It was a disappointing start, but it was a
:38:21. > :38:26.great point for us. Any offers on the table this January window? Not
:38:27. > :38:30.as yet. Back to the race the second spot. Aberdeen started the weekend
:38:31. > :38:33.in that position but face the side with virtually made second spot
:38:34. > :38:36.their own in the first part of the season. Inverness Caledonian Thistle
:38:37. > :38:47.out for revenge. Penalty. Watson! It looks like game
:38:48. > :39:11.over. Two changes to the Aberdeen back for
:39:12. > :39:19.which lined up against Hibs. Inverness have Ross Draper land and
:39:20. > :39:27.so is Gary Warren, so his place in central defence goes to Danny
:39:28. > :39:37.Devine. Nick Ross is on the move. Billy McKay hyperlinks things
:39:38. > :39:41.together. In from Adam Doran. The ball in the end slips behind. An
:39:42. > :39:46.early opportunity that Caledonian Thistle. A bit of pinball in the
:39:47. > :40:10.penalty box. Danny Williams! 1-0. Williams blasts
:40:11. > :40:21.his first goal for Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Ahead after 22
:40:22. > :40:34.minutes. There was no stopping this. Aaron Doran's cross was helped on by
:40:35. > :40:41.Billy Mackay. -- Billy McKay. It is applause for Adam Smith who died at
:40:42. > :40:55.the age of 26 after a battle with leukaemia. A good save from Jamie
:40:56. > :41:08.Langfield. That was an important stop from the Aberdeen goalkeeper.
:41:09. > :41:14.Ross with room to create something. Williams again. Beaten away by Jamie
:41:15. > :41:41.Langfield. On target. Shot was blocked by Reynolds. They
:41:42. > :41:47.are well worth their 1-0 advantage here, Inverness Cali Thistle and
:41:48. > :41:57.could easily have been further in front.
:41:58. > :42:09.Russell Anderson! Cannot keep the header down. It has been a matchup
:42:10. > :42:11.Threshers, few goal-scoring opportunities for the home team. --
:42:12. > :42:33.it has been a match of. -- precious. Willo Flood. That was a good try. He
:42:34. > :42:36.has scored from this range in recent times. There is a former manager,
:42:37. > :43:12.Craig Brown. So close to rounding things off
:43:13. > :43:18.Graeme Shinnie. Wide. The big surprise about this game is that it
:43:19. > :43:26.is going to end only 1-0 in Cali Thistle's favour. We started the
:43:27. > :43:32.game well. Forced a lot of play from the keeper. They broke on us and
:43:33. > :43:36.scored a good goal from their point of view. I don't think they had
:43:37. > :43:43.enough concerted pressure after that. It was exceptional. All the
:43:44. > :43:50.work you are doing on the training pitch is coming to the fore. I felt
:43:51. > :43:57.all the best chances, a good half a dozen of them fell to Inverness. Bad
:43:58. > :44:06.day at the office fit Aberdeen. He used to manage the eighth tear of
:44:07. > :44:14.Scottish folk all. After the left back, takes a great first touch.
:44:15. > :44:18.Unbelievable goal. Absolutely, Michael, this is what Inverness have
:44:19. > :44:21.been doing for so long, under Terry Butcher finding these waifs and
:44:22. > :44:28.strays over British rock wall and bringing them in? He has made a name
:44:29. > :44:31.for himself bringing these guys in from the lower divisions in England.
:44:32. > :44:35.You see a lot of passing and playing, you heard John Hughes
:44:36. > :44:44.talking about that in training and now it is working. There were quite
:44:45. > :44:54.a few of them. He is an attacking Wenger. He will want to continue the
:44:55. > :44:58.good form he showed. How do you assess the John Hughes impact so
:44:59. > :45:06.far? That was only his second win since coming in for Terry Butcher?
:45:07. > :45:09.It was always going to be a difficult job but somebody to come
:45:10. > :45:14.in. But you could see from the passage of play that Inverness have
:45:15. > :45:18.had that the philosophy of John Hughes is getting across quickly.
:45:19. > :45:21.And I hope he does because I have come across him a few times, and he
:45:22. > :45:26.is one of the good guys in football. You just hope that they
:45:27. > :45:36.will keep progressing the way that they did under Terry Butcher. Still
:45:37. > :45:41.contenders for second spot? No. Aberdeen, are you still going with
:45:42. > :45:46.them? It will come down to a battle between Aberdeen and Motherwell. I
:45:47. > :45:50.thought Dundee United might have been there or thereabouts but they
:45:51. > :45:56.have drifted away. Aberdeen and Motherwell are the two strongest
:45:57. > :46:04.teams in the league. You would hope one of them to get the second spot
:46:05. > :46:07.in the league. It was a bad day at the office. That is what it was.
:46:08. > :46:14.They will get that second position in the league. So the Premiership
:46:15. > :46:18.table looks like this, this evening. Celtic, 13 points clear at the top
:46:19. > :46:23.of the season -- at the top of the table the two games in hand.
:46:24. > :46:28.Inverness moved to within six points of Motherwell with a game in hand,
:46:29. > :46:33.and St Mirren, now five point behind Hibernian, Ross County climbing to
:46:34. > :46:39.third bottom, and Partick Thistle now occupying the play-off place,
:46:40. > :46:44.and Hearts now 1-1 points. Goals, controversy and excitement. More of
:46:45. > :46:49.the same next week, please. Until then, that's all from all of us at
:46:50. > :46:52.Sportscene.