26/12/2011 Sportscene

Penalties in the SPL last weekend and two out of three featured Jim

good win, who will talk us through the Christmas Eve action. Rangers

received a couple of cards they could have done without in Paisley

and suffered defeat which cut their advantage at the top of the league

to a single point. It was October 2008 and Stephen

McGinn scored the only goal of the game.

St Mirren this time recalled a defender and Alan Mooy, which was a

good shout. Hasselbaink was on the bench.

Hafr at this available after illness, Lee McCulloch started as

Rangers will be top of the tree in the SPL at Christmas, but by how

to get themselves ahead. Lafferty Rangers goal and Wallace gets

the box and prodded the ball passed whistle goes before the ball gets

into the penalty pox. Carey, it's a red card for Lee McCulloch.

The midfielder sent off for that 44 minutes and St Mirren get what

they feel they deserve at the end of the first half, it is a

Inside stoppage time, it is the last kick of the first half. St

Mirren have turned this game around against Rangers. Great timing on

here. Gary Teale's free-kick.

McAusland with a chance he wasn't expecting.

middle. Right across the face of Samson

substitute and is given a yellow card. There will ab complaint about

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for Goian and Rangers will finish be playing in rather than speck

Tating. It's not the finest moment in my

career. I should know better, not to get involved. If you had known

you were going to get a ban, would you have given a better ban Joe.

It was a delight to get the goal at the time. It was a very deserved

point. Let's look back at key moments in the match on Saturday

much the red card for Lee McCulloch, Rangers will appeal. Did it all

stem, do you think, from that Carey's challenge which earned him

a yellow? Yes, Graham does catch ma cull oak with his leg and probably

deserved the booking. It so happens that Graham was designated

McCulloch for corners. I was there last week, in the heat of the

moment. As soon as he throws the elbow out, he realises he shouldn't

have done it. I think he's made the right decision. The appeal allows

McCulloch to play on Wednesday night. And also on the 2nd. Is what

Rangers are doing, does it make them believe this is worthy of an

appeal? Looking at those pictures there, it is obviously to see Steve

McLean in the matter other than to show him the red card. You can say

it is manipulating the system. McCulloch is an important player

for Rangers. They want one of their main players available for

Wednesday night. Were these yellow cards any different? No, I think

Gary Teale shows a great ability there to knock it through his legs.

Goian knows he's passed him and he pulls him back.

Both instances are identical and I think the referee is left with no

other option but to show him a second yellow. Paul MacGowan has

said he reckons, another red card for Rangers Lafferty booked for

that, could that have been a dismissal? I have seen players sent

off in the past for that, but on this occasion a yellow card was

sufficient. A lot was made of the comments after the game, but I

don't think he meant to highlight it as much as it has come out. A

yellow card for Lafferty there seems fair. There was some football

played, good football played in the first half particularly by your

team. Mooy hasn't featured that much. He looksed a player.

Fantastic young talent. He shows terrific individual skill to create

that opportunity for the striker. He is a great asset to the team.

MacGowan the Man of the Match? Absolutely. A great pass from there.

Papac, a great goal, great composure from MacGowan. Four

points for St Mirren against Rangers this season. This was a

fantastic goal. Is there a concern that you get up for games like this

and other games you find more difficult getting motivated? I am

not sure it is a lack of motivation. Playing against the Old Firm team

it doesn't take much motivation. We have a really tough task again on

Wednesday night at home to Dundee United and we need to show the same

commitment we showed on Saturday against Dundee United on Wednesday.

We shouldn't be too surprised that Hearts beating have lots of

experience of dealing with distractions. Paul Mitchell was at

figures for Motherwell this season. His first season for the club of

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where this was going. Came off the David Templeton is having a fine

match and Stephen Elliott helps David Templeton and the youngster

can smile, he nearly scored MacGowan looking for Hirst first

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monkeys, dusting off the crisis headlines for the Tynecastle team

but they have a lot of good players and they are capable of a good

performance and a good result, which beating Motherwell is.

Motherwell have a tremendous away record this season. Hearts had to

be at their best to beat them. It shows tremendous character for the

Hearts players. To go out and play as well as they did on Saturday and

get a much needed three points was terrific for them. Templeton was

all over the match. You wonder whether all the disruption at

Hearts demote vaits players but I guess the other side is they are

potentially in the shop win der, they are selling themselves for

January? Absolutely. Templeton had a great season last year. This

season they have been inconsistent from what he is capable of but

shows what he is capable of doing there on Saturday, involved in both

goals and had a terrific all round afternoon. I guess looking at it

from a Motherwell point of view, a bad day at the office covers it for

them and they have to look at the big picture. What a first half of

the season they have had. Like you say they have had a bad day and

they will roll their sleeves up and get back to work on Wednesday.

St Johnstone ended their three match losing run with a three

pointer at East End Park. Dunfermline have gone through the

first half of the SPL season without a home win. The best of the

Dunfermline. Barrowman's long range effort, left the goal gaping

narrowly off target. Not for the first time in recent weeks,

Enckelman in nos bleed territory, getting away with it this time.

That was as cheery as Christmas Eve got for McIntyre. Dunn fernl Lynn's

goalkeeper punched the ball into his own net. 1-0 Saints, not the

best way to mark your first game of the season.

From this point on it was pretty much of the St Johnstone show.

Craig testing Smith. Sandazza got the ball off across the crossfire.

Sandazza and Craig a constant menace to the defence. They really

should have scored. This should have been the chance

for Chris Smith to shine but after his first half, a shot from Haber

and Sandazza pounced to put St Johnstone into a 2-0 win. The

nightmare before Christmas for Chris Smith and Thompson seemingly

easy in the end for the Saints. Sandazza at the centre of things as

well. He thinks St Johnstone should be aiming to finish third in the

SPL. Hibs might be able to to spend their way out of this and

Dunfermline don't have that sort of money. Yes, the financial situation

at Dunfermline has been well docks umented, but I am sure McIntyre and

his assistant have worked hard in recent weeks to try and sort out

the defensive problems, but from a manager's point of view it is

difficult for them for some of the individual errors that have been

costing them. You don't have to be a football technician to look at

this series of defensive lapses from recent games and see where it

is all going wrong. Absolutely. Gallagher, a terrific goalkeeper,

he was missing on Saturday through through injury, but there is only

so much a goalkeeper can do. He hasn't been getting a lot of

protection this year year That indecision can spread through

defence. Confidence is key. When you are near the bottom, everything

seems to go against you and for Dunfermline they don't seem to be

getting any breaks. Inverness are ending the year by edging away from

the bottom of the SPL after a home win against Aberdeen.

Inverness were creating their own problems early on. The goalkeeper

was tested by George ma again is. Aberdeen captain Richard foster a

bit more exposed. Inverness midfielder day lis took full

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director's box and Inverness went and then they carved a chance for

Aberdeen to hit back. Fallon struck it home to give them some hope with

14 minutes of the match left to play.

Aberdeen looking to keep their good Russ of run of form going.

The Dons Threw it all forward for an equaliser.

Inverness held on for their third home win of the season.

Inverness scored both goals from corners. Craig Brown wasn't happy

because he wants a man on each post at corner kicks. Jason Brown

started off here, before the corner was taken and there is a man on

each post. By the time it is taken by Hays that's changed. Sod's law.

I am sure Craig Brown will have a lot to say. This was number two.

This shot sneaks in again nobody on the back post. The goalkeeper does

move people around a lot. Sometimes an extra man comes into the box and

you need to take somebody off the post. Inverness beginning to find

their rightful position in the table, do you think? Absolutely.

Inverness for a long time have been near the bottom, but unjustly I

feel. Some of their performances have been terrific. Ibrox last

weekend, probably should have won the game or got something from the

game. They have terrific young players. If Tade gets some goal-

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are very keen to turn things around Armstrong gave it away. A terrific

goal from Griffiths. He's been giving belters for the

fans. He gets his fourth of the He's wanting a corner.

What a great touch that was, to get Great goal keeping from the

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Stephen and Armstrong. Suddenly united are in the mood.

That turns things round. United are 2-1 up.

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It's been all about their second three points and it will be four

defeats in a row for Hibs. John Daly seldom misses this kind

can reshape his squad next month. I would imagine Lee Griffiths is one

to hold on to. He would like to hold on to Griffiths, that is on

going between Hibs and Wolves at the moment. Hibs want him personal

nent. But he is a terrific forward. I can see why they want to keep him

there. He is a lively striker. He shows determination, he doesn't

give up, he presses the goalkeeper. John Daly took his team's tally to

12. He creeps up unnoticed sometimes with his goals. You know

him well from your time together at Stockport. He is one of the best in

the league, no doubt about that. Very clever there, good movement.

Managing to get across in the last second. What I like about him is

he's willing to miss chances and he does miss them at times, but it

doesn't seem to bother them because he comes back for more. He is in

the right place to miss them. He picks himself up, gets on with it

and inevitably finds the net. real presence, John Daly. Celtic's

Christmas Eve defeat of Kilmarnock, the last time they played Killie,

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on target. But he is a young man on Kilmarnock creating one or two

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season for Samaras but he's broken has given a free-kick against

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His second goal of the afternoon. What a strike from Racchi.

They just have a few minutes left on the clock. Kilmarnock are back

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in it. This is a terrific day for cheer for Celtic. Saturday a big

day for them, bearing in mind what happened in Paisley. Samaras was

the star man. Did he rediscover his form against your team in this

game? He scores against us here obviously. Samaras in the past has

come in for a lot of stick for inconsistency but I think along

with Forest he's been one of the Celtic's most influential players

of recent weeks. Really attacking of the goal to score the header,

something he's not been associated with of late. This is a good finish

as well. At times Samaras when he is on form he can be incredible.

Absolutely. He has that ability that he can go either way, he can

go left or right. He has power and gets divo important goals for

Celtic to keep their winning streak going. Celtic had to set off on

this winning run and they really have delivered in style. Absolutely.

They showed great character as a team. It hasn't been pretty a lot

of the time. That will please Neil Lennon that they have been able to

show strength and character to see games out. Even Saturday's game, I

don't think they played particularly well but managed to

keep the winning run going and keep the momentum going until Wednesday.

James forest chipped in with a few, the goals have been spread around

the team as well. Yes. Hooper, Samaras, stokes, but it is

important for all the good teams to score goals from all over the park.

Celtic have done that. It has been an incredible swing in the last

seven weeks. When you look back to the early days of November, when at

one point it got to 15 of a difference and now it is back to

one. That is called momentum for Celtic. Yes, Celtic have gone from

strength to strength and Rangers have had a bit of a blip in form.

The loss of Stephen Naismith has affected Celtic greatly.

mention Naismith. He scored twice in the first Old Firm match of the

season. When you relive this, this might have little or no relevance

to what happened on Wednesday night but it probably does underline what

Naismith offers for Rangers. Yes. Obviously we know how important is

to Rangers but I don't think they realised how important Naismith was

until now. His energy and he was a very clever player. He plays

between the lines very well and he has been a huge loss. Celtic are,

the team have great momentum, but their form goes out the window in

these big games and it is all about the team who are hungry on the day.

It will be an interesting one to see what the outcome is. If you

offered Rangers a one point lead going into this second Old Firm

match they would have taken it but not in these circumstances where

they had such a big advantage and whittled down to a single figure.

There's a number of people maybe thinking that the league title was

over in October. Full credit to Celtic, they have kept going, they

have done everything that has been asked of them and Rangers have

slipped up along the way. It makes for an Dr Encounter on Wednesday

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night. Here is the state of the of the midweek matches on the BBC

website. On Monday 2nd January we will have all the reports and

results at 4.30 BBC One and I will have the SPL action on Tuesday 3rd

January at 10.35. You can see tonight's show again on