:01:10. > :01:14.Penalties in the SPL last weekend and two out of three featured Jim
:01:14. > :01:17.good win, who will talk us through the Christmas Eve action. Rangers
:01:17. > :01:20.received a couple of cards they could have done without in Paisley
:01:20. > :01:30.and suffered defeat which cut their advantage at the top of the league
:01:30. > :01:34.to a single point. It was October 2008 and Stephen
:01:34. > :01:44.McGinn scored the only goal of the game.
:01:44. > :01:47.St Mirren this time recalled a defender and Alan Mooy, which was a
:01:47. > :01:52.good shout. Hasselbaink was on the bench.
:01:52. > :02:02.Hafr at this available after illness, Lee McCulloch started as
:02:02. > :02:04.
:02:04. > :02:14.Rangers will be top of the tree in the SPL at Christmas, but by how
:02:14. > :02:40.
:02:40. > :02:50.to get themselves ahead. Lafferty Rangers goal and Wallace gets
:02:50. > :03:17.
:03:17. > :03:27.the box and prodded the ball passed whistle goes before the ball gets
:03:27. > :03:27.
:03:27. > :03:37.into the penalty pox. Carey, it's a red card for Lee McCulloch.
:03:37. > :04:05.
:04:05. > :04:09.The midfielder sent off for that 44 minutes and St Mirren get what
:04:09. > :04:19.they feel they deserve at the end of the first half, it is a
:04:19. > :04:36.
:04:36. > :04:40.Inside stoppage time, it is the last kick of the first half. St
:04:41. > :04:50.Mirren have turned this game around against Rangers. Great timing on
:04:51. > :05:18.
:05:18. > :05:23.here. Gary Teale's free-kick.
:05:23. > :05:33.McAusland with a chance he wasn't expecting.
:05:33. > :06:09.
:06:09. > :06:19.middle. Right across the face of Samson
:06:19. > :06:30.
:06:30. > :06:40.substitute and is given a yellow card. There will ab complaint about
:06:40. > :06:40.
:06:40. > :07:33.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:07:33. > :07:43.for Goian and Rangers will finish be playing in rather than speck
:07:43. > :07:43.
:07:43. > :07:50.Tating. It's not the finest moment in my
:07:50. > :07:59.career. I should know better, not to get involved. If you had known
:07:59. > :08:06.you were going to get a ban, would you have given a better ban Joe.
:08:06. > :08:10.It was a delight to get the goal at the time. It was a very deserved
:08:10. > :08:16.point. Let's look back at key moments in the match on Saturday
:08:16. > :08:20.much the red card for Lee McCulloch, Rangers will appeal. Did it all
:08:20. > :08:28.stem, do you think, from that Carey's challenge which earned him
:08:28. > :08:36.a yellow? Yes, Graham does catch ma cull oak with his leg and probably
:08:36. > :08:41.deserved the booking. It so happens that Graham was designated
:08:42. > :08:45.McCulloch for corners. I was there last week, in the heat of the
:08:45. > :08:52.moment. As soon as he throws the elbow out, he realises he shouldn't
:08:52. > :08:59.have done it. I think he's made the right decision. The appeal allows
:08:59. > :09:04.McCulloch to play on Wednesday night. And also on the 2nd. Is what
:09:04. > :09:11.Rangers are doing, does it make them believe this is worthy of an
:09:11. > :09:16.appeal? Looking at those pictures there, it is obviously to see Steve
:09:16. > :09:23.McLean in the matter other than to show him the red card. You can say
:09:23. > :09:27.it is manipulating the system. McCulloch is an important player
:09:27. > :09:37.for Rangers. They want one of their main players available for
:09:37. > :09:42.Wednesday night. Were these yellow cards any different? No, I think
:09:42. > :09:50.Gary Teale shows a great ability there to knock it through his legs.
:09:50. > :09:54.Goian knows he's passed him and he pulls him back.
:09:54. > :10:01.Both instances are identical and I think the referee is left with no
:10:01. > :10:06.other option but to show him a second yellow. Paul MacGowan has
:10:06. > :10:11.said he reckons, another red card for Rangers Lafferty booked for
:10:11. > :10:15.that, could that have been a dismissal? I have seen players sent
:10:16. > :10:19.off in the past for that, but on this occasion a yellow card was
:10:19. > :10:23.sufficient. A lot was made of the comments after the game, but I
:10:23. > :10:30.don't think he meant to highlight it as much as it has come out. A
:10:30. > :10:34.yellow card for Lafferty there seems fair. There was some football
:10:34. > :10:39.played, good football played in the first half particularly by your
:10:39. > :10:49.team. Mooy hasn't featured that much. He looksed a player.
:10:49. > :10:59.Fantastic young talent. He shows terrific individual skill to create
:10:59. > :11:01.
:11:01. > :11:11.that opportunity for the striker. He is a great asset to the team.
:11:11. > :11:12.
:11:12. > :11:22.MacGowan the Man of the Match? Absolutely. A great pass from there.
:11:22. > :11:23.
:11:23. > :11:29.Papac, a great goal, great composure from MacGowan. Four
:11:29. > :11:38.points for St Mirren against Rangers this season. This was a
:11:38. > :11:43.fantastic goal. Is there a concern that you get up for games like this
:11:43. > :11:49.and other games you find more difficult getting motivated? I am
:11:49. > :11:57.not sure it is a lack of motivation. Playing against the Old Firm team
:11:57. > :12:02.it doesn't take much motivation. We have a really tough task again on
:12:02. > :12:07.Wednesday night at home to Dundee United and we need to show the same
:12:07. > :12:12.commitment we showed on Saturday against Dundee United on Wednesday.
:12:12. > :12:15.We shouldn't be too surprised that Hearts beating have lots of
:12:15. > :12:25.experience of dealing with distractions. Paul Mitchell was at
:12:25. > :12:44.
:12:44. > :12:54.figures for Motherwell this season. His first season for the club of
:12:54. > :12:54.
:12:54. > :14:17.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:14:17. > :14:27.where this was going. Came off the David Templeton is having a fine
:14:27. > :15:05.
:15:05. > :15:15.match and Stephen Elliott helps David Templeton and the youngster
:15:15. > :15:52.
:15:52. > :16:02.can smile, he nearly scored MacGowan looking for Hirst first
:16:02. > :16:02.
:16:02. > :17:31.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:17:31. > :17:35.monkeys, dusting off the crisis headlines for the Tynecastle team
:17:35. > :17:39.but they have a lot of good players and they are capable of a good
:17:39. > :17:43.performance and a good result, which beating Motherwell is.
:17:43. > :17:49.Motherwell have a tremendous away record this season. Hearts had to
:17:49. > :17:54.be at their best to beat them. It shows tremendous character for the
:17:54. > :17:58.Hearts players. To go out and play as well as they did on Saturday and
:17:58. > :18:07.get a much needed three points was terrific for them. Templeton was
:18:07. > :18:11.all over the match. You wonder whether all the disruption at
:18:11. > :18:15.Hearts demote vaits players but I guess the other side is they are
:18:15. > :18:22.potentially in the shop win der, they are selling themselves for
:18:22. > :18:26.January? Absolutely. Templeton had a great season last year. This
:18:26. > :18:30.season they have been inconsistent from what he is capable of but
:18:30. > :18:36.shows what he is capable of doing there on Saturday, involved in both
:18:36. > :18:40.goals and had a terrific all round afternoon. I guess looking at it
:18:40. > :18:46.from a Motherwell point of view, a bad day at the office covers it for
:18:46. > :18:50.them and they have to look at the big picture. What a first half of
:18:50. > :18:55.the season they have had. Like you say they have had a bad day and
:18:55. > :18:59.they will roll their sleeves up and get back to work on Wednesday.
:18:59. > :19:02.St Johnstone ended their three match losing run with a three
:19:02. > :19:06.pointer at East End Park. Dunfermline have gone through the
:19:06. > :19:16.first half of the SPL season without a home win. The best of the
:19:16. > :19:22.
:19:22. > :19:28.Dunfermline. Barrowman's long range effort, left the goal gaping
:19:28. > :19:32.narrowly off target. Not for the first time in recent weeks,
:19:32. > :19:41.Enckelman in nos bleed territory, getting away with it this time.
:19:41. > :19:46.That was as cheery as Christmas Eve got for McIntyre. Dunn fernl Lynn's
:19:46. > :19:50.goalkeeper punched the ball into his own net. 1-0 Saints, not the
:19:50. > :19:56.best way to mark your first game of the season.
:19:56. > :20:05.From this point on it was pretty much of the St Johnstone show.
:20:05. > :20:12.Craig testing Smith. Sandazza got the ball off across the crossfire.
:20:12. > :20:19.Sandazza and Craig a constant menace to the defence. They really
:20:19. > :20:25.should have scored. This should have been the chance
:20:25. > :20:31.for Chris Smith to shine but after his first half, a shot from Haber
:20:31. > :20:37.and Sandazza pounced to put St Johnstone into a 2-0 win. The
:20:37. > :20:47.nightmare before Christmas for Chris Smith and Thompson seemingly
:20:47. > :20:56.
:20:56. > :21:01.easy in the end for the Saints. Sandazza at the centre of things as
:21:01. > :21:11.well. He thinks St Johnstone should be aiming to finish third in the
:21:11. > :21:15.SPL. Hibs might be able to to spend their way out of this and
:21:15. > :21:21.Dunfermline don't have that sort of money. Yes, the financial situation
:21:21. > :21:25.at Dunfermline has been well docks umented, but I am sure McIntyre and
:21:25. > :21:29.his assistant have worked hard in recent weeks to try and sort out
:21:29. > :21:33.the defensive problems, but from a manager's point of view it is
:21:33. > :21:37.difficult for them for some of the individual errors that have been
:21:37. > :21:42.costing them. You don't have to be a football technician to look at
:21:42. > :21:48.this series of defensive lapses from recent games and see where it
:21:48. > :21:53.is all going wrong. Absolutely. Gallagher, a terrific goalkeeper,
:21:53. > :21:58.he was missing on Saturday through through injury, but there is only
:21:58. > :22:06.so much a goalkeeper can do. He hasn't been getting a lot of
:22:06. > :22:12.protection this year year That indecision can spread through
:22:12. > :22:16.defence. Confidence is key. When you are near the bottom, everything
:22:16. > :22:22.seems to go against you and for Dunfermline they don't seem to be
:22:22. > :22:32.getting any breaks. Inverness are ending the year by edging away from
:22:32. > :22:36.
:22:36. > :22:42.the bottom of the SPL after a home win against Aberdeen.
:22:42. > :22:49.Inverness were creating their own problems early on. The goalkeeper
:22:49. > :22:54.was tested by George ma again is. Aberdeen captain Richard foster a
:22:54. > :23:04.bit more exposed. Inverness midfielder day lis took full
:23:04. > :23:04.
:23:04. > :23:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:23:58. > :24:05.director's box and Inverness went and then they carved a chance for
:24:05. > :24:10.Aberdeen to hit back. Fallon struck it home to give them some hope with
:24:10. > :24:18.14 minutes of the match left to play.
:24:18. > :24:26.Aberdeen looking to keep their good Russ of run of form going.
:24:26. > :24:32.The Dons Threw it all forward for an equaliser.
:24:32. > :24:36.Inverness held on for their third home win of the season.
:24:36. > :24:40.Inverness scored both goals from corners. Craig Brown wasn't happy
:24:40. > :24:47.because he wants a man on each post at corner kicks. Jason Brown
:24:47. > :24:57.started off here, before the corner was taken and there is a man on
:24:57. > :25:01.
:25:01. > :25:06.each post. By the time it is taken by Hays that's changed. Sod's law.
:25:07. > :25:16.I am sure Craig Brown will have a lot to say. This was number two.
:25:17. > :25:19.
:25:19. > :25:23.This shot sneaks in again nobody on the back post. The goalkeeper does
:25:23. > :25:29.move people around a lot. Sometimes an extra man comes into the box and
:25:29. > :25:33.you need to take somebody off the post. Inverness beginning to find
:25:33. > :25:38.their rightful position in the table, do you think? Absolutely.
:25:38. > :25:41.Inverness for a long time have been near the bottom, but unjustly I
:25:41. > :25:45.feel. Some of their performances have been terrific. Ibrox last
:25:45. > :25:55.weekend, probably should have won the game or got something from the
:25:55. > :25:57.
:25:57. > :26:07.game. They have terrific young players. If Tade gets some goal-
:26:07. > :26:07.
:26:07. > :27:28.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:27:28. > :27:37.are very keen to turn things around Armstrong gave it away. A terrific
:27:37. > :27:47.goal from Griffiths. He's been giving belters for the
:27:47. > :27:59.
:27:59. > :28:09.fans. He gets his fourth of the He's wanting a corner.
:28:09. > :28:20.
:28:20. > :28:30.What a great touch that was, to get Great goal keeping from the
:28:30. > :28:30.
:28:30. > :29:41.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:29:41. > :29:51.Stephen and Armstrong. Suddenly united are in the mood.
:29:51. > :30:06.
:30:06. > :30:16.That turns things round. United are 2-1 up.
:30:16. > :30:16.
:30:16. > :30:58.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:30:58. > :31:05.It's been all about their second three points and it will be four
:31:05. > :31:15.defeats in a row for Hibs. John Daly seldom misses this kind
:31:15. > :31:46.
:31:46. > :31:51.can reshape his squad next month. I would imagine Lee Griffiths is one
:31:51. > :31:56.to hold on to. He would like to hold on to Griffiths, that is on
:31:56. > :32:01.going between Hibs and Wolves at the moment. Hibs want him personal
:32:01. > :32:11.nent. But he is a terrific forward. I can see why they want to keep him
:32:11. > :32:15.
:32:15. > :32:23.there. He is a lively striker. He shows determination, he doesn't
:32:23. > :32:27.give up, he presses the goalkeeper. John Daly took his team's tally to
:32:27. > :32:32.12. He creeps up unnoticed sometimes with his goals. You know
:32:32. > :32:37.him well from your time together at Stockport. He is one of the best in
:32:37. > :32:41.the league, no doubt about that. Very clever there, good movement.
:32:41. > :32:45.Managing to get across in the last second. What I like about him is
:32:45. > :32:50.he's willing to miss chances and he does miss them at times, but it
:32:50. > :32:55.doesn't seem to bother them because he comes back for more. He is in
:32:55. > :33:01.the right place to miss them. He picks himself up, gets on with it
:33:01. > :33:09.and inevitably finds the net. real presence, John Daly. Celtic's
:33:09. > :33:19.Christmas Eve defeat of Kilmarnock, the last time they played Killie,
:33:19. > :33:19.
:33:19. > :35:14.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:35:14. > :35:24.on target. But he is a young man on Kilmarnock creating one or two
:35:24. > :35:24.
:35:24. > :36:51.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:36:51. > :37:01.season for Samaras but he's broken has given a free-kick against
:37:01. > :37:01.
:37:01. > :38:07.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:38:07. > :38:12.His second goal of the afternoon. What a strike from Racchi.
:38:12. > :38:22.They just have a few minutes left on the clock. Kilmarnock are back
:38:22. > :38:22.
:38:22. > :39:03.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:39:03. > :39:08.in it. This is a terrific day for cheer for Celtic. Saturday a big
:39:08. > :39:13.day for them, bearing in mind what happened in Paisley. Samaras was
:39:13. > :39:17.the star man. Did he rediscover his form against your team in this
:39:17. > :39:22.game? He scores against us here obviously. Samaras in the past has
:39:22. > :39:27.come in for a lot of stick for inconsistency but I think along
:39:27. > :39:32.with Forest he's been one of the Celtic's most influential players
:39:32. > :39:36.of recent weeks. Really attacking of the goal to score the header,
:39:36. > :39:43.something he's not been associated with of late. This is a good finish
:39:43. > :39:49.as well. At times Samaras when he is on form he can be incredible.
:39:49. > :39:54.Absolutely. He has that ability that he can go either way, he can
:39:54. > :39:58.go left or right. He has power and gets divo important goals for
:39:58. > :40:05.Celtic to keep their winning streak going. Celtic had to set off on
:40:05. > :40:10.this winning run and they really have delivered in style. Absolutely.
:40:10. > :40:15.They showed great character as a team. It hasn't been pretty a lot
:40:15. > :40:20.of the time. That will please Neil Lennon that they have been able to
:40:20. > :40:24.show strength and character to see games out. Even Saturday's game, I
:40:24. > :40:31.don't think they played particularly well but managed to
:40:31. > :40:37.keep the winning run going and keep the momentum going until Wednesday.
:40:37. > :40:45.James forest chipped in with a few, the goals have been spread around
:40:45. > :40:51.the team as well. Yes. Hooper, Samaras, stokes, but it is
:40:51. > :40:55.important for all the good teams to score goals from all over the park.
:40:55. > :41:00.Celtic have done that. It has been an incredible swing in the last
:41:00. > :41:04.seven weeks. When you look back to the early days of November, when at
:41:04. > :41:09.one point it got to 15 of a difference and now it is back to
:41:09. > :41:16.one. That is called momentum for Celtic. Yes, Celtic have gone from
:41:16. > :41:26.strength to strength and Rangers have had a bit of a blip in form.
:41:26. > :41:27.
:41:27. > :41:31.The loss of Stephen Naismith has affected Celtic greatly.
:41:31. > :41:37.mention Naismith. He scored twice in the first Old Firm match of the
:41:37. > :41:41.season. When you relive this, this might have little or no relevance
:41:42. > :41:48.to what happened on Wednesday night but it probably does underline what
:41:48. > :41:54.Naismith offers for Rangers. Yes. Obviously we know how important is
:41:54. > :41:59.to Rangers but I don't think they realised how important Naismith was
:41:59. > :42:05.until now. His energy and he was a very clever player. He plays
:42:05. > :42:10.between the lines very well and he has been a huge loss. Celtic are,
:42:10. > :42:15.the team have great momentum, but their form goes out the window in
:42:15. > :42:22.these big games and it is all about the team who are hungry on the day.
:42:22. > :42:26.It will be an interesting one to see what the outcome is. If you
:42:26. > :42:29.offered Rangers a one point lead going into this second Old Firm
:42:29. > :42:35.match they would have taken it but not in these circumstances where
:42:35. > :42:40.they had such a big advantage and whittled down to a single figure.
:42:40. > :42:44.There's a number of people maybe thinking that the league title was
:42:44. > :42:47.over in October. Full credit to Celtic, they have kept going, they
:42:47. > :42:53.have done everything that has been asked of them and Rangers have
:42:53. > :43:03.slipped up along the way. It makes for an Dr Encounter on Wednesday
:43:03. > :43:03.
:43:03. > :43:45.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 52 seconds
:43:45. > :43:55.night. Here is the state of the of the midweek matches on the BBC
:43:55. > :43:58.
:43:58. > :44:04.website. On Monday 2nd January we will have all the reports and
:44:05. > :44:12.results at 4.30 BBC One and I will have the SPL action on Tuesday 3rd
:44:12. > :44:16.January at 10.35. You can see tonight's show again on