:00:56. > :01:02.Welcome to Sportscene. It's been a landmark weekend for players, clubs,
:01:03. > :01:05.even countries. And it's always a landmark weekend when we have guests
:01:06. > :01:08.of this calibre joining us. Pat Nevin and the St Mirren striker
:01:09. > :01:11.Steven Thompson in the studio tonight.
:01:12. > :01:15.Before we get to the Premiership action, the draw for the Euro 2016
:01:16. > :01:19.qualifiers was made in France earlier today. Scotland have been
:01:20. > :01:26.drawn in Group D. These are our group rivals standing in our way.
:01:27. > :01:29.Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Poland, Georgia and Gibraltar who
:01:30. > :01:33.are in the tournament for the very first time. This was the reaction of
:01:34. > :01:41.the Scotland manager Gordon Strachan. Excited. I think that's
:01:42. > :01:49.the one thing you can say about this group. All those might be a bit
:01:50. > :01:54.mundane, but this one, you have got one of the best teams ever, the
:01:55. > :01:57.German side, a new nation in the tournament as Gibraltar, and then
:01:58. > :02:05.you have got four other teams who are all possible to get the second
:02:06. > :02:08.place. So that's exciting. Scotland's first fixture, away to
:02:09. > :02:14.Germany, on September seven. What chance to start -- Scotland have? I
:02:15. > :02:21.like it, I think we got a great chance. If we play in our potential,
:02:22. > :02:28.we can finish second. The games against Ireland and Ireland will be
:02:29. > :02:32.pivotal. The manager of Gibraltar saying he is targeting third-place,
:02:33. > :02:35.which would mean Gibraltar is in the play-off places, what does that say
:02:36. > :02:38.about what he expects from the likes of us? It is a number of things, you
:02:39. > :02:45.think he has got a problem with reality! He probably thinks Germany
:02:46. > :02:49.will be forth! We have done well to get here. Gibraltar, I talked to
:02:50. > :02:57.some people over there, and they say they should be in it now but they
:02:58. > :03:02.have no chance. The likes of Poland, they have got very good players, but
:03:03. > :03:07.I think they are past their best. Ireland I think will be the team, if
:03:08. > :03:12.we can get a home win and a draw away, we have chance. Quietly
:03:13. > :03:16.confident? Absolutely. On with the action. We start at Firhill and
:03:17. > :03:19.despite being at the tail end of February, Partick Thistle were still
:03:20. > :03:22.to win a league match at home this season. High-flying Aberdeen were
:03:23. > :03:23.the visitors this weekend. Surely not? Commentary comes from John
:03:24. > :03:34.Barnes. Partick Thistle may have lost in a
:03:35. > :03:40.seven goal lead to Motherwell last week but he starts with the same
:03:41. > :03:42.starting A-level. Two changes to the Aberdeen line-up -- starting with
:03:43. > :03:57.the same 11. Looking for Adam Rooney. He is taken
:03:58. > :04:04.down, the referee says yes. Penalty to Aberdeen. A yellow card for Paul
:04:05. > :04:12.Gallico, the official feeling he is impeded by the goalkeeper. -- Paul
:04:13. > :04:17.Gallacher. He makes a great save! Rooney with the follow-up! And
:04:18. > :04:19.again, Gallacher is alert to the situation. A terrific double save by
:04:20. > :04:34.the keeper. Another collision between Rooney and
:04:35. > :04:36.Gallacher. The goalkeeper is incensed. The striker looks for a
:04:37. > :04:50.penalty. That is a good delivery, Rooney with
:04:51. > :04:56.the header. And Gallacher with the save. It is becoming a contest
:04:57. > :05:01.between those two. And the goalkeeper is winning.
:05:02. > :05:12.13 home games without a league win for his side.
:05:13. > :05:21.A header from an Anderson, but Partick Thistle get it away.
:05:22. > :05:32.Desperate defending from the home side. But they stood firm.
:05:33. > :05:39.A good effort, and an excellent stop. And Thistle just can't put it
:05:40. > :05:52.away. Kallum Higginbotham, teasing as
:05:53. > :06:00.ever. He has done well to get the crossing. Conrad Balatoni! And
:06:01. > :06:08.Partick Thistle have the lead, just before the hour mark. Lovely first
:06:09. > :06:09.touch by the big centre-half and an excellent finish to put his side in
:06:10. > :06:21.front. Thistle taking a boost from that
:06:22. > :06:35.goal. Good delivery, Lyle Taylor, and it
:06:36. > :06:41.is 2-0 Partick Thistle! Terrific striker's play there. Getting in
:06:42. > :06:43.front of his marker, Russell Anderson. And turning it home for
:06:44. > :06:58.his fourth goal for Thistle. The referee says Callum Paterson --
:06:59. > :07:05.Kallum Higginbotham fouled the Aberdeen player. The free kick, in
:07:06. > :07:11.towards Rooney, and a header for Adam Rooney puts Aberdeen back in
:07:12. > :07:13.the game. Eventually the striker has beaten Paul Gallacher and it is his
:07:14. > :07:33.fourth goal in five games. Good control. Excellent strike there
:07:34. > :07:37.from Taylor. It's his second of the afternoon. Partick Thistle's third.
:07:38. > :07:47.And now, surely, they are on course for their first home league victory
:07:48. > :07:49.of the season. Taylor's this goal, his second double since signing. --
:07:50. > :08:03.fifth goal. He has clashed, chance for the
:08:04. > :08:06.Patrick! And Jamie Lange field is there to get his total that one, to
:08:07. > :08:27.steer it wide. It has been a good alpha --
:08:28. > :08:35.afternoon so far for Paul Gallacher, and Partick Thistle. I thought with
:08:36. > :08:40.the second penalty, it was penalty every day of the week. I am bemused
:08:41. > :08:44.as why that has not been given. Paul Gallacher came out to Adam Rooney
:08:45. > :08:48.without touching the ball, the clear goal-scoring opportunity, the last
:08:49. > :08:51.man, he has already been booked for the first challenge. That was a big
:08:52. > :08:55.decision. I think we don't get the first penalty, I think we would have
:08:56. > :09:00.got that one. It was not just a good result, it was a fantastic
:09:01. > :09:06.performance from Partick Thistle, a thoroughly deserved victory finally?
:09:07. > :09:09.Yes, finally, definitely the second half performance, the first half we
:09:10. > :09:12.were poor and we did not show belief. The second half was much
:09:13. > :09:20.more like us, we put in a good performance and wish but in belief.
:09:21. > :09:28.How much of a needed a player like Lyle Taylor? They have needed a
:09:29. > :09:34.goal-scorer. Watch this, I love this. His positioning there, I think
:09:35. > :09:37.Anderson gets close, there are four positions between him, he gets the
:09:38. > :09:42.timing income he is magnificent. Funny, this is the best touch of the
:09:43. > :09:47.weekend. I like his first touch, but what he does now is even better. He
:09:48. > :09:52.draws Russell in, slows down after he takes the touch, his first touch
:09:53. > :09:56.is a great pass. His first touch is perfect but watch where he slows
:09:57. > :10:01.down. And then he has passed him with a change of pace in the finish.
:10:02. > :10:05.There is great elegance about the way he plays. He will be gutted by
:10:06. > :10:14.two of the best tackles of the week, that is great, this is better. You
:10:15. > :10:20.kind of should not laugh. But that is magnificent. He has made a huge
:10:21. > :10:24.difference and he is growing into it as well. We all know that Partick
:10:25. > :10:25.Thistle, they have played well this season but they have collapsed so
:10:26. > :10:42.many times. Was this a penalty in the first
:10:43. > :10:45.half? If the keeper dives like that, you have to make sure you get some
:10:46. > :10:50.ball. He comes flying out, it is hard to tell whether he touches
:10:51. > :10:57.him. He said he did not touch him. He would want him to be taking --
:10:58. > :11:03.taking the penalty. It is a blitz double save especially for a man of
:11:04. > :11:07.his age. When he gets down, to render safe, getting back up for the
:11:08. > :11:15.second. Was this a penalty? McInnis thought it was. I thought it was, he
:11:16. > :11:20.does not get the ball, and Derek is right, he runs straight into Rooney.
:11:21. > :11:25.At much pace, it is hard to say. Rooney gets a touch there, it was
:11:26. > :11:29.not deliberate. It may well be that Derek is right, had the first
:11:30. > :11:33.penalty not been given, they would have got that one. But at match
:11:34. > :11:37.pace, it is tough, the referee cannot give it unless he is 100%
:11:38. > :11:45.what will the result do for Partick Thistle, in terms of the confidence?
:11:46. > :11:48.It is a massive bounce for them, to get the monkey off their backs, a
:11:49. > :11:53.first home victory. Derek says after the match, they did not play well in
:11:54. > :11:56.the first half but the confidence they got in the goal, going to
:11:57. > :12:02.happen is up, you could see the belief in the players getting off
:12:03. > :12:05.that bottom spot. So a huge win for Partick Thistle. How would that
:12:06. > :12:08.effect the race to avoid the play-off place? Two other sides in
:12:09. > :12:12.the mix came face to face. Ross County and St Mirren. It would be
:12:13. > :12:16.tasty for all sorts of reasons. Commentary from Rob Maclean.
:12:17. > :12:28.Filip Kiss, unknown, has made a quick impact and he is back after
:12:29. > :12:40.suspension. -- he is on loan. One change in the St Mirren team.
:12:41. > :12:47.Kenny McLean lining up the shot. And that was a good one. It was moving
:12:48. > :12:53.in the air from the field. And it had to be watched carefully by Mark
:12:54. > :12:54.Brown. Both Derek Adams and Danny Lennon keen to avoid the second
:12:55. > :13:11.bottom spot. Did well to get that game, it is
:13:12. > :13:17.another opportunity. It is the man on loan from Blackburn, Yann
:13:18. > :13:20.Songo'o. In this queue on the header. -- and this queue on the
:13:21. > :13:31.header. Saved by Marian Kello, and he was
:13:32. > :13:40.concerned there for a moment where that was going to end up. A powerful
:13:41. > :13:49.hit from Jordan Slew, spitting up to the top of the net.
:13:50. > :13:58.Ingo 's Goodwin, and down goes Kiss, holding his head. And the Ross
:13:59. > :14:05.County fans did not like that challenge and that is why.
:14:06. > :14:22.Was there a target at the shirts? No free kick. And you ran our claim's
:14:23. > :14:27.header is in! It is the Frenchman's first goal in five games. --
:14:28. > :14:37.Arquin's header was in. He has made a very positive first impression.
:14:38. > :14:44.Michael Tidser was the supplier, and the looping header over the top of
:14:45. > :14:48.Marian Kello. Jordan Slew is powerful, pacey and away from Darren
:14:49. > :14:53.McGregor. A great ball in, it is Arquin! Saved by Marian Kello,
:14:54. > :14:58.played by Goodwin. Well, he took a touch, and he is now wishing he had
:14:59. > :15:07.taken the first time. It was a great chance for a second goal.
:15:08. > :15:22.Lovely ball, powering away. It is saved, it is Arquin again. Cannot
:15:23. > :15:28.believe he has not added to that opening goal. This was the big
:15:29. > :15:33.chance and he fluffed his lines. Danny Lennon is happy to be only one
:15:34. > :15:42.goal down. Gregg Wylde's corner kick. John McGinn lining up the
:15:43. > :15:48.shot, it is a beauty! I think Brian McLean was thinking he was playing
:15:49. > :15:58.John McGinn onto his weak side. No weakness here. That is a powerful
:15:59. > :16:00.strike with his right foot, from the young John McGinn. Mark Brown was
:16:01. > :16:19.not stopping this. It is 1-1. Jim Goodwin on Melvin De Leeuw.
:16:20. > :16:23.Derek Adams was on the pitch. An argument breaks out with his
:16:24. > :16:30.opposite number. That looks like a painful clash of heads. The referee
:16:31. > :16:35.has some sorting out to do here, and you can tell he is indicating that
:16:36. > :16:48.both managers should head for the stand.
:16:49. > :17:01.Arquin brushes aside Jim Goodwin. Real opportunity here. It is Melvin
:17:02. > :17:09.De Leeuw. 2-1. It is a great goal for Ross County. Jim Goodwin
:17:10. > :17:15.outmuscled. When the chance came his way, this was a really cool and
:17:16. > :17:21.Cameron: Nicole -- cool and clinical finish. It was a difficult one to
:17:22. > :17:28.take. I felt we came out of the traps well. Then we lost our way,
:17:29. > :17:35.and Ross County came in, I felt a 30 minute we lost that. I thought we
:17:36. > :17:40.were brilliant from start to finish, we passed the ball really well. The
:17:41. > :17:43.amount of chances we created over 90 minutes was outstanding and we
:17:44. > :17:48.should have scored a lot more goals. Over the 90 minutes, a terrific
:17:49. > :17:52.display from the players. We will talk about those incidents shortly
:17:53. > :18:03.but it was a great victory for Ross County. How instrumental work Arquin
:18:04. > :18:08.and Melvin De Leeuw. Superb. He gets turned a little bit too easily but
:18:09. > :18:12.they are showing the pace and power from the start. They are willing to
:18:13. > :18:20.look for each other all the time and linkup. Here is both of them, moving
:18:21. > :18:28.into the middle. He goes straight for the goal every time he gets a
:18:29. > :18:32.chance, and I have to say, Arquin all through the game is going. He
:18:33. > :18:37.has not touched the ball but he is already looking for his mate. He has
:18:38. > :18:41.gone by, great pace, another loop, and a fourth look. Arquin should
:18:42. > :18:45.actually score at that point but that really impressed me, when you
:18:46. > :18:50.get strikers wanting to linkup. They look like a partnership. It is
:18:51. > :18:56.brilliant when you get that relationship with the striker. The
:18:57. > :19:03.one that sticks in my mind was Michael Chop write-down at Cardiff.
:19:04. > :19:10.You get a telepathic understanding. You can see his pace and composure,
:19:11. > :19:14.he lays this on a plate. Were Ross County deserved winners? If you look
:19:15. > :19:18.at the chant is the created, it was definitely more than us. We have to
:19:19. > :19:23.talk about Jim Goodwin not for the first time this season. Any doubt in
:19:24. > :19:29.your mind about this elbow being intentional? Intentional, only he
:19:30. > :19:36.will know if it is intentional or not. In simple terms, you do not
:19:37. > :19:42.lead with your arm. To be fair, it is very difficult. It does not look
:19:43. > :19:47.good for Jim. I can see that he is protecting his face from getting
:19:48. > :19:53.hit. I am not going to defend him but I think his arm is up to protect
:19:54. > :19:58.his face. In this instance, his arm is not up and it is a very nasty
:19:59. > :20:07.head knock. He has a very nasty lump on his head. Years not using his
:20:08. > :20:11.elbow. I think Derek Adams exacerbated the situation. That is a
:20:12. > :20:18.nastier clash of heads. Is he not protecting his own player? He is not
:20:19. > :20:22.being rash, he has gone up for a header and got a head knock. I would
:20:23. > :20:24.say it was definitely header and got a head knock. I would
:20:25. > :20:31.say it was rash but not deliberate. Any player who tries to go for
:20:32. > :20:36.another player... He's not doing that, so I don't think it is
:20:37. > :20:42.deliberate, but he is rash, he is not controlled, and that is what has
:20:43. > :20:44.upset Derek Adams. In the end, it is quite simple. Only a complete fool
:20:45. > :20:52.would go on headbutt somebody in the head. I cannot give him any excuse
:20:53. > :20:55.for the first one. The major focus before the lunchtime kick-off
:20:56. > :21:07.between Hearts and Celtic was on Fraser Forster. Would he break Bobby
:21:08. > :21:12.Clark's record? Hearts are unbeaten in four games and Gary Locke can
:21:13. > :21:21.bring back Kevin McCarthy from suspension. Also back is Callum
:21:22. > :21:24.Paterson. Emilio Izaguirre has not made it for Celtic but Charlie
:21:25. > :21:29.Mulgrew is back into the fray for Celtic.
:21:30. > :21:37.15th league win in a row, Fraser Forster looking for a 13th clean
:21:38. > :21:44.sheet in a row as that ball comes in towards Leigh Griffiths. To get off
:21:45. > :21:53.the mark for Celtic. He is not popular around here.
:21:54. > :21:58.Decent delivery in, Fraser Forster spills it and grabs it from Callum
:21:59. > :22:01.Paterson at the second attempt. Westbrook to beat the record of
:22:02. > :22:26.Bobby Clark. -- desperate. They will get the corner here, as
:22:27. > :22:30.Anthony Stokes drove for goal, Hearts clinging on. They were 5-0
:22:31. > :22:35.down last time Celtic were here at this point. Fraser Forster has that
:22:36. > :22:44.Scottish record, he has beaten Bobby Clark.
:22:45. > :22:55.Leigh Griffiths. Given the treatment from the stands, as he would have
:22:56. > :23:07.expected, I'm sure. Kris Commons has a dig. He got a hat-trick in the
:23:08. > :23:08.fourth round as Celtic won 7-0. Neil Lennon will be quite happy sitting
:23:09. > :23:23.in his seat right now. Jamie MacDonald is there to deny
:23:24. > :23:27.Anthony Stokes. He has been brilliant for Hearts this season,
:23:28. > :23:33.Jamie MacDonald. No frills from Efe Ambrose. Jamie
:23:34. > :23:54.Hamill loses out to Anthony Stokes. Good play from Leigh Griffiths. The
:23:55. > :24:01.man in the Heart of Midlothian fans love to hate is back to want them.
:24:02. > :24:06.This time in green and white hoops, his first for the club and it is
:24:07. > :24:21.classic Leigh Griffiths, twisting and turning Danny Wilson inside out.
:24:22. > :24:24.Hearts are unbeaten in four coming into this one, the second-best run
:24:25. > :24:33.in the league. Scott Brown gave Sam Nicholson a
:24:34. > :24:53.little shove. Jamie MacDonald touch that onto the
:24:54. > :25:00.bar. Another great save, that came off Dylan MacGowan before it reached
:25:01. > :25:04.Jamie MacDonald's hand. It is missed by Fraser Forster, but it does not
:25:05. > :25:10.fall kindly for Danny Wilson who was waiting on the line.
:25:11. > :25:13.Fraser Forster completely missed that. Rightly praised but that was a
:25:14. > :25:38.real error. Teemu Pukki will finish it here. He
:25:39. > :25:40.does. It is just a fifth of the season for Teemu Pukki. Scored on
:25:41. > :25:52.his debut here. The school end at Tynecastle is
:25:53. > :25:57.profitable for him again. I thought we had good control of the game,
:25:58. > :26:02.good composure in midfield and particularly the back four, and I'm
:26:03. > :26:07.very proud, we have broken a record today, 43 years in the making, and
:26:08. > :26:12.it is very difficult so it has been a great day for the club. I think we
:26:13. > :26:15.have got to look at the positives, the last time Celtic played us here
:26:16. > :26:19.there was no contest, you have seen how far some of the young players
:26:20. > :26:22.have come, for a long spells we matched the best team in the
:26:23. > :26:27.country, so there is lots to be positive around. I am delighted,
:26:28. > :26:32.firstly it was about getting the point and keeping that run going.
:26:33. > :26:35.The clean sheet is a real bonus and we are delighted to have kept it.
:26:36. > :26:40.Massive credit to everyone throughout the club, everyone has
:26:41. > :26:46.played a part. We have defended and attacked as a team. Massive credit
:26:47. > :26:49.goes to the goalkeeping coach. Landmark weekend for Fraser
:26:50. > :26:57.Forster, he breaks Bobby Clark's record. It is now 1215 minutes. He
:26:58. > :27:04.will now be looking for Edwin van decide's record. How big an
:27:05. > :27:09.achievement is it? It is fantastic. People will snake at it and say it
:27:10. > :27:14.is easy to compare to what has gone past, you can only do what is
:27:15. > :27:23.possible, and nothing has gone by him. I think he should be England's
:27:24. > :27:31.number one goalkeeper. It was a landmark weekend for a Leigh
:27:32. > :27:33.Griffiths, getting his first goal. Bernie and -- Hibernian will tell
:27:34. > :27:40.you that he was a one-man forward line. Celtic fans will enjoy this.
:27:41. > :27:43.There are three defenders and a goalkeeper. Maybe the defender
:27:44. > :27:49.should go and help but to be honest, you should not score from there. It
:27:50. > :27:54.was written in the stars for him to score at Tynecastle. You know that
:27:55. > :28:00.he had wanted it on his left foot, he got it and whenever he hits it
:28:01. > :28:07.with his left boot he always gets it on target across the keeper. It will
:28:08. > :28:11.be the first of many for Celtic. It has been difficult for Teemu Pukki.
:28:12. > :28:17.He got one yesterday, a goal, but was there any controversy in the
:28:18. > :28:23.build-up? Gary Locke was a bit disappointed. At this point Hearts
:28:24. > :28:32.were chasing, they were only 90 minutes -- one goal down. I have to
:28:33. > :28:39.mention him. This sums it up. Was this a file? No. You've got to be
:28:40. > :28:46.strong. A lot of the time people are going down as soon as they feel
:28:47. > :28:50.anything. I don't think he has done anything wrong other than being a
:28:51. > :28:53.strong forward. I don't think they've got any complaints about
:28:54. > :29:00.that. Having said that, I think they did well. Nice finish from Teemu
:29:01. > :29:06.Pukki. There has been a lot of paper talk about Neil Lennon potentially
:29:07. > :29:09.moving at some point, he has been at Celtic for almost four years.
:29:10. > :29:15.Norwich City have been mentioned. How credible is this? It is credible
:29:16. > :29:18.because he is a very good manager and he has done well in Europe.
:29:19. > :29:23.There will be teams down in England looking at him. It would be a shame
:29:24. > :29:26.if he goes because he is doing a great job and I think he will
:29:27. > :29:31.continue to do a great job at only one man will make a decision like
:29:32. > :29:36.that, it is Neil Lennon. I hope he stays. St Johnstone are fighting to
:29:37. > :29:41.stay in the top six of the Premiership. They welcomed Inverness
:29:42. > :29:48.yesterday. They have Fraser right back in central defence.
:29:49. > :29:55.St Johnstone have been a bogey team for Inverness in recent years. They
:29:56. > :30:04.have only one victory in recent years.
:30:05. > :30:14.Inverness Caley Thistle would ask the first half, Gary -- Garry Warren
:30:15. > :30:19.going close a flavour of things to come. Next to try his luck, the more
:30:20. > :30:28.regular source of call -- goals, Billy McKay, denied by Alan Mannus.
:30:29. > :30:33.With just past the post. -- it whistled just past the post. Despite
:30:34. > :30:42.the good start from Inverness, say Johnson almost took the lead with
:30:43. > :30:47.Nigel Hasselbaink. Stevie May, so often the scorer of goals for
:30:48. > :30:56.Saints, can also act as playmaker. Nigel Hasselbaink again denied, made
:30:57. > :31:00.gently -- Made gently suggesting he might have cut it back. Done at the
:31:01. > :31:04.other end, he Caley Thistle players were doing their best to conjure up
:31:05. > :31:10.a clear chance for Billy McKay. Again, Alan Mannus on hand to stop
:31:11. > :31:15.it. And then, just before half-time, the highest of up and unders caused
:31:16. > :31:19.chaos in the Saints defence and there was Garry Warren to nod
:31:20. > :31:30.Inverness Caley Thistle into the lead. And the big defender, with his
:31:31. > :31:36.third goal of the campaign. So 1-0 Caley Thistle in half-time. In the
:31:37. > :31:43.second half, on came the striker, famous for listing -- and missing a
:31:44. > :31:49.chance against Norway, possibly overshadowed by this mess from Nigel
:31:50. > :31:57.Hasselbaink from six yards. Stevie May then opted to try his luck for
:31:58. > :32:05.36 yards, at least his effort was on target. Credits to Nigel
:32:06. > :32:11.Hasselbaink, despite his mess, he kept trying but it was not his or St
:32:12. > :32:14.Johnstone stage. I think The Times, we could have been -- the first
:32:15. > :32:21.half, we could have been a couple of goals up. We are just delighted to
:32:22. > :32:24.come to a tough venue, St is a team trying very hard to get in the top
:32:25. > :32:30.six and pick up some points. The second half was a lot better, more
:32:31. > :32:38.pressure, we controlled huge part of the games. I do not think we had a
:32:39. > :32:44.save to make. Garry Warren is suggesting that Inverness Caley
:32:45. > :32:47.Thistle are not out of the race completely from second spot, do you
:32:48. > :32:52.buy that? Yellow macro I agree with that. Two games in hand, and if you
:32:53. > :32:58.-- if they win that, it takes them to the same point as Motherwell have
:32:59. > :33:04.got. They are marry well organised, great team spirit, they have got a
:33:05. > :33:11.great pairing and you have got Billy Mackay upfront. Still to come,
:33:12. > :33:17.Motherwell sample of Friday night out in Dundee up against United.
:33:18. > :33:24.Next to two sides scrambling around the lower half of mid-table,
:33:25. > :33:28.Kilmarnock and Hibs. Kilmarnock at home, just the one defeat in their
:33:29. > :33:30.last six games at Rugby Park. A familiar look to the side at the
:33:31. > :33:34.moment. Mark O'Hara came in for Jackson
:33:35. > :33:37.Irvine. Plenty of exciting youngsters in the Killie side as
:33:38. > :33:41.well including Rory Mckenzie, Robbie Muirhead and Craig Slater. Plenty of
:33:42. > :33:44.exciting young talent in the Hibs starting eleven as well including
:33:45. > :33:47.Sam Stanton who'd scored in both the last two games. Alex Harris also
:33:48. > :33:51.found a place in the starting eleven as Terry Butcher went with the same
:33:52. > :33:52.side that beat Ross County last weekend. Brian Mclaughlin has the
:33:53. > :34:02.story of the match. Kilmarnock had not collected all
:34:03. > :34:06.three points at home to Hibernian since August 2011 but they were
:34:07. > :34:11.given a perfect start after 20 minutes. Rory McKenzie latching onto
:34:12. > :34:17.Kris Boyd's pass, a neat finish by the 20 old. His third of the
:34:18. > :34:21.campaign. Boyd with an inch perfect pass. Giving the youngster and ideal
:34:22. > :34:35.opportunity to score. Hibernian were keen to get back on
:34:36. > :34:45.level terms quickly. Sam Stanton said Danny handling, his effort was
:34:46. > :34:51.easily saved. And when the Kilmarnock defence failed their
:34:52. > :34:55.lines, that gave Danny Haynes an opportunity to shoot the goal, but
:34:56. > :35:01.his effort was wide of target. 11 minutes into the second half, Danny
:35:02. > :35:05.Haynes was defined -- was to find the back of the net. Sam Stanton
:35:06. > :35:12.with the cross, a terrific header by Danny Haynes. Hibernian were back on
:35:13. > :35:22.level terms. Samson had no chance with the header. Sam Stanton had
:35:23. > :35:23.scored two free kicks in his last two games. On this occasion, just
:35:24. > :35:35.over. Tom Taiwo scored a winner last week
:35:36. > :35:42.against Ross County but there was no way through against Craig Samson.
:35:43. > :35:45.And it is not too often you can criticise Kris Boyd for his ball
:35:46. > :35:50.control inside the box. On this occasion, though, it deserted him.
:35:51. > :35:55.One final chance for Hibernian, a mix-up in the home defence gave
:35:56. > :36:05.Danny Haynes a chance. A vital block by the captain manual is Carly,
:36:06. > :36:07.leaving -- Manuel Pascali, leaving a point apiece. We are disappointed
:36:08. > :36:12.not to get three points. We have got to be making sure we winning our
:36:13. > :36:22.home games. We have an opportunity over the next few weeks to build on
:36:23. > :36:26.second-half, we delighted again. Sam Stanton and Tom Taiwo were
:36:27. > :36:30.excellent. We got the goal, I thought we were going to be the win
:36:31. > :36:34.but we could not get the second goal.
:36:35. > :36:39.You are a keen Hibernian watch, do you see them overhauling St
:36:40. > :36:44.Johnstone in terms of the final equation of the top six? It could
:36:45. > :36:49.come down to a couple of layers, doesn't Stevie May keep on scoring?
:36:50. > :36:58.But for Hibs, it is the youngsters. Can Harris come back as good as the
:36:59. > :37:04.has? But Sam Stanton, he has been stunning, every single game he
:37:05. > :37:07.plays, people talk about him. Even Terry mentioned him. If the Hibs
:37:08. > :37:10.youngsters keep on improving the way they are just now, they have got a
:37:11. > :37:14.really good chance of overhauling them. Stephen, you have got
:37:15. > :37:20.Kilmarnock next weekend, a massive much in terms of the play-off
:37:21. > :37:24.scramble. Absolutely, they are only three points ahead of us. If we can
:37:25. > :37:28.win on Saturday and go to equal points with them, it will be a huge
:37:29. > :37:34.boost for us and Saturday is a must win for them. -- for us.
:37:35. > :37:37.The Friday night game was at Tannadice as two top end of the
:37:38. > :37:40.Premiership sides, Dundee United and Motherwell, got the weekend off to a
:37:41. > :37:46.flying start. Commentary from Paul Mitchell.
:37:47. > :37:57.Gavin Gunning is recalled for Dundee and a starting berth for Ryan Dow.
:37:58. > :38:14.An unchanged side named by Stuart McCall for Motherwell.
:38:15. > :38:27.Can it get there? It was John Rankin who hit the shot. May have grazed
:38:28. > :38:28.against the midfielder. John Rankin sliding in and Nielsen was
:38:29. > :38:40.struggling there. United having the better of things
:38:41. > :38:47.so far. Hutchinson, he has made a mess. Here is a chance for Ryan Dow!
:38:48. > :38:52.And he takes it. 1-0 to United, 20 minutes played. And a first league
:38:53. > :38:57.goal for the season for Ryan Dow. It was a mistake by Sean Hutchinson,
:38:58. > :39:01.presented with a chance. And the young man who has been off the bench
:39:02. > :39:03.in the last three games starting tonight. It shows why he should be
:39:04. > :39:17.playing. Iain Vigurs products it across and
:39:18. > :39:24.dieting -- Dundee United go clear. They keep their lead thanks to the
:39:25. > :39:29.goalkeeper, great first touch from Iain Vigurs, the second was good,
:39:30. > :39:38.strong hands from the keeper. That is Gavin Gunning and that is to have
:39:39. > :39:43.there! Nadir Ciftci flicked it on and a simple tap in for Gavin
:39:44. > :39:49.Gunning. He felt he was being held but simple touch from the defender.
:39:50. > :39:56.That was a poor pass back, it has bounced away from Iain Vigurs, it is
:39:57. > :40:00.Gavin Gunning coming across. They want a penalty and they are not
:40:01. > :40:10.getting one. They have got a really strong case here. Gunning surely
:40:11. > :40:11.fouled Iain Vigurs, came across him, did not play the ball, no
:40:12. > :40:23.penalty given. Deflected and in! It is the second
:40:24. > :40:27.of the evening for Gavin Gunning. The defection came off James
:40:28. > :40:32.McFadden. They had not scored this season coming into tonight. He is
:40:33. > :40:36.celebrating twice, this hits McFadden and takes it away from
:40:37. > :40:38.Gunnar Nielsen. Dundee United to three ahead with 47 minutes played.
:40:39. > :40:49.A tough night so far. It is over, Motherwell want hand
:40:50. > :40:57.ball, it is a penalty. It has been given by Bobby Madden. And Nadir
:40:58. > :41:01.Ciftci is about to be booked. Well, McFadden played it in, it is a clear
:41:02. > :41:06.handball from Nadir Ciftci. A good spot from the referee. John Sutton
:41:07. > :41:12.to bring Motherwell back in the match, they are there, they have a
:41:13. > :41:17.lifeline from the spot. And John Sutton takes it, the booing rings
:41:18. > :41:23.around Tannadice but when the United fans see it they will know it is a
:41:24. > :41:27.stickler. It is a fixture that has been dominated by the away side in
:41:28. > :41:33.recent times, United are looking for a fourth, Armstrong. It was
:41:34. > :41:38.initially Armstrong that had the chance. It is good goalkeeping for
:41:39. > :41:55.Gunnar Nielsen. Gavin Gunning was wrestling, was
:41:56. > :42:00.there a suspicion of handball? It was not spotted. In the end it was
:42:01. > :42:08.not given. I thought we passed well, we caused problems. I thought we
:42:09. > :42:12.could have scored a few more goals. Getting the third goal after
:42:13. > :42:17.half-time settled us down. They got a lift with the penalty, and it
:42:18. > :42:22.became a bit frantic. And not very pretty at times. But we got there in
:42:23. > :42:26.the end. It would be easy to crumble after losing the third goal straight
:42:27. > :42:29.after half-time of the deflected free kick but we showed a lot of
:42:30. > :42:34.spirit and got a good second half. We know we did not well play in the
:42:35. > :42:39.first half. We cannot afford to give a side like United 2-goal start.
:42:40. > :42:45.That is what we want, a fantastic game jam packed full of juicy
:42:46. > :42:50.incidents. Was this a foul and should they have stopped the play?
:42:51. > :42:54.There is an argument that some would say something about that. I figured
:42:55. > :43:00.was just a bit of strife in the midfield. It was composed finish.
:43:01. > :43:08.You'll agree this is poor marking. Hutchinson should be goal side. What
:43:09. > :43:16.I like about this if he gets in self outside the goal. He makes this goal
:43:17. > :43:21.bigger. A foul as well. Gunning plays like a centre forward there,
:43:22. > :43:29.getting the second ball, sniffing around the penalty side. This is not
:43:30. > :43:33.good side of him. Is this a penalty? I think so, he is not going for the
:43:34. > :43:40.ball. It is an wipe-out from the NFL! And what is handball
:43:41. > :43:43.International? I think Gavin Gunning has gone to head the ball got it
:43:44. > :43:46.wrong. I do not dig it is intentional. You have given
:43:47. > :43:56.penalties given for that. Can you see Dundee United finishing second?
:43:57. > :43:59.I don't know, it reminds me about December when they were playing in
:44:00. > :44:03.credible football. It has been a strange weekend in a way. Aberdeen
:44:04. > :44:08.and Motherwell have been going great guns, then suddenly both teams lose
:44:09. > :44:12.and Inverness and Dundee United look a bit more revitalised. I am not
:44:13. > :44:17.complete the shocked. I look at the teams sometimes and there is not
:44:18. > :44:23.much training. -- there is not much between them. Before we go away from
:44:24. > :44:27.Dundee United, they were the better side. We have gone to 70 incidents,
:44:28. > :44:32.they played well. There was one particular thing, if Arsenal had
:44:33. > :44:36.done it in a Premier League game, we would be coming over it. They were
:44:37. > :44:39.back to their best. It was a fantastic performance and a great
:44:40. > :44:41.game to watch. And after all that the Scottish Premiership table looks
:44:42. > :44:48.like this. Celtic now 24 points clear at the
:44:49. > :44:55.top of the table. 12 games to go. Can they do it unbeaten? Dundee
:44:56. > :45:00.United and Caley Thistle move to within six points of Motherwell.
:45:01. > :45:05.Inverness with two games in hand on United. Hibs now level on points
:45:06. > :45:09.with St Johnstone. St Mirren now second bottom in that play-off place
:45:10. > :45:15.as a result of that defeat to Ross County and Partick Thistle's
:45:16. > :45:21.landmark victory. Hearts 18 points adrift.
:45:22. > :45:27.Thanks to Steven and Pat. The last major tournament Scotland qualified
:45:28. > :45:32.for was held in France. So too is Euro 2016. In Gordon we trust. From
:45:33. > :45:35.all of us here at Sportscene, goodnight.