:00:56. > :01:00.Good evening and welcome to Sportscene. Today's Edinburgh derby
:01:01. > :01:03.was like a cup final neither side really wanted. Both sides in bottom
:01:04. > :01:08.half of the table bother. Victory for Hibs would relegate Hearts.
:01:09. > :01:13.Victory for Hearts would delay the inevitable and further embroil Hibs
:01:14. > :01:16.in the play-off quagmire. With us in the studio tonight two men who know
:01:17. > :01:20.exactly what the Edinburgh derby means - the former Hibs captain Ian
:01:21. > :01:23.Murray and the former Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon. Forget
:01:24. > :01:25.Mothers' Day - the fans of Hibs were hoping this Sunday would be Hearts'
:01:26. > :01:45.Black Sabbath. # Generals gathered in their
:01:46. > :01:57.masses... # Like witches at black masses... James Collins scores a
:01:58. > :02:01.goal of his Derby dreams. Just the one change to the Hearts team beaten
:02:02. > :02:04.here last time by Dundee United. Jason Holt slots into midfield,
:02:05. > :02:09.taking over from Scott Robinson. Terry Butcher changes half of the
:02:10. > :02:13.Hibs team. Skipper Liam Craig and Kevin Thomson are among those left
:02:14. > :02:21.out. James Collins comes back to lead the attack. These Hibs fans
:02:22. > :02:28.would like their team to get the win which Jake -- which sends Hearts
:02:29. > :02:36.into The Championship. Hibs could get dragged into play-off problems
:02:37. > :02:44.at the bottom. Ryan Stevenson, and Dale Carrick, makes the Derby day
:02:45. > :02:53.breakthrough. Relegation might be around the corner. But Hearts will
:02:54. > :02:58.not go down without a fight. They are ahead, inside six minutes. The
:02:59. > :03:04.defending, pretty desperate. No pleasure on the boil, no marking on
:03:05. > :03:19.Ryan Stevenson, and Dale Carrick was there to take full advantage. -- no
:03:20. > :03:27.pressure on the boil. -- the ball. Derby delight for Dale Carrick. And
:03:28. > :03:38.James Collins finds a little bit of room. Unable to do any great damage
:03:39. > :03:46.with the header. Stevenson, and the offside flag has gone up against
:03:47. > :03:53.Nicholson. The ball ends up in the back of the net, and that tells you
:03:54. > :04:04.that it was the wrong decision. Wrongly flagged. Collins, turns away
:04:05. > :04:10.from the captain. James Collins, what a chance.
:04:11. > :04:23.Hibs still without a shot on target. Nice skill. From Tom Taiwo. Danny
:04:24. > :04:30.Handling works his way into a shooting position and fires wide.
:04:31. > :04:42.Not the first half to get Terry Butcher to excited. Sam Nicholson,
:04:43. > :04:49.water hit, and what I save. -- what a hit and what a save. A spectacular
:04:50. > :04:55.stop from Ben William 's -- from Ben Williams to stop his team going two
:04:56. > :05:02.behind. David Smith! It was so close. Could've been a second goal
:05:03. > :05:09.for Hearts. And surely, that would have meant no way back for Hibs.
:05:10. > :05:21.Nicholson is taken out, of the ball. By Alan Maybury. Gary Locke,
:05:22. > :05:28.having to the calmed down. And that is yellow for the experienced
:05:29. > :05:33.defender. But, from standing, and the header from Ryan McGivern,
:05:34. > :05:42.flashing just off target. Former Hibs striker Leigh Griffiths, shared
:05:43. > :05:52.his pain. Jordan Forster, squares the game, or has he? The flag goes
:05:53. > :06:00.up against Forster. This is worth another look. He was not even close
:06:01. > :06:13.to being offside. The header from Forster. It is pumped away by
:06:14. > :06:18.Patterson. Hibs. And Maybury takes out, this can mean only one thing, a
:06:19. > :06:28.second yellow card, and Hibs, down to ten men. Today just gets worse
:06:29. > :06:36.and worse for them. Robinson, breakdown for Hearts. Two against
:06:37. > :06:51.two, Billy King is round Ben Williams, I Derby win for Hearts. --
:06:52. > :06:53.a derby win. Hibs had to throw everything at trying to get an
:06:54. > :07:00.equaliser. And they were picked up on the break. It was a substitute,
:07:01. > :07:04.Billy King, who could have hit the deck as he was caught why Ben
:07:05. > :07:10.Williams, but he stayed on his feet to score. And he completes a famous
:07:11. > :07:20.victory for his team. Derby day defines from Hearts. -- defiance. We
:07:21. > :07:23.had to give the fans something. Especially the way that they have
:07:24. > :07:29.kept the club alive, and back us, all season. We kept plugging away in
:07:30. > :07:34.the second half, the fans were tremendous in the second half, but
:07:35. > :07:39.we could not give them that reward. We were never going to score on that
:07:40. > :07:45.basis. And when we did score, it was chalked off for offside.
:07:46. > :07:52.A great victory for Hearts, a great golfer Billy King, and a great win
:07:53. > :08:00.for Gary Locke and all of the Hearts fans after a difficult season. -- a
:08:01. > :08:07.great goal for. Ian Murray, Hearts were deserved winners today. They
:08:08. > :08:12.started the game better, getting the early goal. Giving them a massive
:08:13. > :08:16.advantage. All over the park they had energy, desire and passion for
:08:17. > :08:25.the fans. I do not think that Hibs can complain. Craig, as a Hearts
:08:26. > :08:28.man, what did it mean today? It meant a lot after a very difficult
:08:29. > :08:33.season. It was an impossible task for Gary Locke, after the problems
:08:34. > :08:37.they found themselves in at the start of the season. Those players
:08:38. > :08:42.and management team would be remembered if that was their Hibs
:08:43. > :08:46.team that put them down, so it is nice, for them to stay that off. You
:08:47. > :08:53.saw the emotion at the end. It shows you how much it meant for the Hearts
:08:54. > :08:58.players to get back victory and stave off relegation. And what a
:08:59. > :09:02.start it was for Hearts, Dale Carrick with the goal. Fantastic
:09:03. > :09:06.goal from the Hearts point of view, but defensively, there is so much
:09:07. > :09:11.wrong with that goal, it is difficult to know where to start.
:09:12. > :09:16.Those gaps between the centre halves in the fullbacks are massive.
:09:17. > :09:20.Forster does not challenge the first one, and then there was the
:09:21. > :09:30.knock-down, it was a great goal for Hearts, but a shocker foreheads. --
:09:31. > :09:33.Ashok, for Hibs. It is a good header right into his path, and he is
:09:34. > :09:39.taking a good touch and managed to finish it. From the Hearts point of
:09:40. > :09:44.view it is the strikers working together well, together goal. The
:09:45. > :09:49.goal from Jordan Forster was ruled out for side. As Terry Butcher said,
:09:50. > :09:55.it was a scandalous decision. It is difficult to disagree with that when
:09:56. > :10:00.you see the pictures. It is so far on side, as we can see here. It is
:10:01. > :10:07.scandalous, that is the word to use. I do not get wider linesman does
:10:08. > :10:14.flag straightaway. -- I do not get why the linesman. That could have
:10:15. > :10:19.changed the game. Yes, he has taken a bang in the face, he is slowly
:10:20. > :10:24.coming out compared to the rest of the back four, trying to give the
:10:25. > :10:27.linesman something to hold onto, he is perhaps looking at the rest of
:10:28. > :10:32.the back line and has not noticed and coming out, so late. It was a
:10:33. > :10:38.poor decision, it should have been a goal, it should have been equaliser.
:10:39. > :10:43.What is wrong with Hibs? Terry Butcher came in, and there was a
:10:44. > :10:46.surge of optimism. We saw Leigh Griffiths in the crowd, he made a
:10:47. > :10:52.difference in the last couple of seasons. What is wrong with the club
:10:53. > :10:55.at the moment? It is hard to pinpoint. They have struggled in the
:10:56. > :10:59.last couple of years. They have gone through a succession of managers.
:11:00. > :11:03.Nobody seems to have been able to turn it around. Terry Butcher needs
:11:04. > :11:11.patience and time to do things his own way. You can see from these
:11:12. > :11:14.snapshots from the Hibs players, confidence is low, and they almost
:11:15. > :11:19.panic when they get into that situation, looking to get the shot
:11:20. > :11:25.off as soon as they can. It is all about getting the shot away, getting
:11:26. > :11:28.the ball away, as quick as they can. And players like Liam Craig on the
:11:29. > :11:36.bench, why are they not getting into the starting 11? Today was probably
:11:37. > :11:40.a day for a bit of experience. It is a recurring theme for Hibs, not
:11:41. > :11:43.showing up on the big occasions, especially against Hearts. They have
:11:44. > :11:49.struggled in semifinals and top finals. This was almost as big as
:11:50. > :11:53.that for them. You have got to feel sorry for their supporters,
:11:54. > :12:01.following them in huge numbers, they will be bitterly disappointed with
:12:02. > :12:05.their team today. Ross County are one of the sides right at the heart
:12:06. > :12:08.of the race to avoid the play-off place. But their chances of picking
:12:09. > :12:11.up points this weekend looked slim as they travelled to Parkhead.
:12:12. > :12:12.Celtic were in celebration mode having clinched the title midweek at
:12:13. > :12:25.Partick Thistle. A good ball. Anthony Stokes can get
:12:26. > :12:31.the party started. It is Henderson. Johannson seals the Celtic win.
:12:32. > :12:39.Anthony Stokes. That is brilliant. And Kris Commons with number five.
:12:40. > :12:45.Celtic are doing it in style. It was simply breathtaking. The title
:12:46. > :12:49.secured in some style and in good time. It might only be the end of
:12:50. > :12:52.March, but Celtic take to the field as champions with the traditional
:12:53. > :12:57.acknowledgement from their opponents, a nice sporting touch.
:12:58. > :13:05.The Celtic players taking the acclaim of the Celtic fans.
:13:06. > :13:11.Liam Henderson makes his third start in four games, and a competitive
:13:12. > :13:16.debut for 18-year-old Eoghan O'Connell. Craig Kerry was record
:13:17. > :13:31.against Aberdeen and keeps his place as Derek Adams names unchanged
:13:32. > :13:39.starting 11. -- Graham Carey was recalled. And the shot, Ross County
:13:40. > :13:45.have the lead! 60 minutes played. The third girl in four games for
:13:46. > :13:50.Ross County's top goal-scorer, given away by Scott Brown, he had his
:13:51. > :13:57.pocket picked casually by Graham Carey, and Melvin De Leeuw fires
:13:58. > :14:01.Ross County into the lead. They led on the opening day of the season but
:14:02. > :14:07.could not hold on. They have a chance once more again today. Melvin
:14:08. > :14:13.De Leeuw turns and flicks it towards goal. He is full of confidence at
:14:14. > :14:15.the moment. He is on a good scoring run. He twisted awkwardly to get it
:14:16. > :14:26.away. That is good play onto Leigh
:14:27. > :14:31.Griffiths. He looks up, he tries the shot, Mark Brown spills it, and Kris
:14:32. > :14:38.Commons takes full advantage. And again, Mark Brown has struggled to
:14:39. > :14:42.hold on and again it has cost his side a goal. Leigh Griffiths fouls
:14:43. > :14:49.in the shot, and Kris Commons sliding in. He levels matters after
:14:50. > :14:58.35mm, the 100th goal for Celtic this season. -- after 35 minutes.
:14:59. > :15:08.He has got options. Griffiths is wide. Griffiths was trying to say it
:15:09. > :15:13.came off the defender's arm. The referee not interested in those
:15:14. > :15:25.claims. Songo'o was sold. So costed the job. -- sick costs did the job.
:15:26. > :15:37.Brittain gets the clearance. He looked up, spotted the youngster. It
:15:38. > :15:45.was a tight angle. He is unlucky. Celtic were one down with Henderson.
:15:46. > :15:50.Tries to interchange with Stokes. The ball flashed over. They were one
:15:51. > :15:53.down, they have got on level terms and are looking to push ahead and
:15:54. > :15:55.Liam Henderson is at the heart of almost everything that is good for
:15:56. > :16:08.Celtic at the moment. County are building slowly. Carey
:16:09. > :16:12.wants it, goes for gold. Fraser Forster diving across to his right
:16:13. > :16:19.hand side of Carey came so close to putting Ross County back into the
:16:20. > :16:26.lead. A fabulous effort. We were not our brilliant best and there was a
:16:27. > :16:30.bit of edge not there really. But that is totally understandable. Now
:16:31. > :16:34.we build for the remainder of the season. We won't have to look at
:16:35. > :16:38.rotating the squad a bit and giving other opportunities to other players
:16:39. > :16:45.to play. We created enough chances to win the game. We deserved to go
:16:46. > :16:46.ahead in the game. But overall probably disappointed to come away
:16:47. > :16:56.with just a point. It was a great result for Ross
:16:57. > :16:58.County but it would not dampen the celebrations for Celtic as they
:16:59. > :17:00.celebrated the title with the home crowd on Saturday.
:17:01. > :17:05.celebrations for Celtic as they celebrated the title Is that a good
:17:06. > :17:09.time to play Celtic, Craig, the fact it was the champagne getting sports
:17:10. > :17:13.-- getting poured over Scott Brown's head in midweek and it was
:17:14. > :17:22.Scott Brown that lost the ball. I am not sure of the two things are
:17:23. > :17:26.connected! I think so. I was captain of Hearts and we went there and beat
:17:27. > :17:30.them, the same thing. It is a good time to play a team who have won the
:17:31. > :17:31.league. They are out of the Cup and have nothing left to
:17:32. > :17:34.time to play a team who have won the league. They are out of the Cup play
:17:35. > :17:39.for this season. It was a good time to play. That is so uncharacteristic
:17:40. > :17:42.of Scott Brown. You hardly ever see him give the ball away in those
:17:43. > :17:48.kinds of situations. That is a great finish across. Exactly what you want
:17:49. > :17:52.your striker to do. He finishes it very well. One touch too many from
:17:53. > :17:57.Scott Brown and De Leeuw once again to the fore for Ross County. What do
:17:58. > :18:01.you make, Ian, of Ross County, because they made a lot of changes
:18:02. > :18:05.in January. We have Carey almost stealing all the points for Ross
:18:06. > :18:10.County. They are in the mix in terms of a play-off place. They are, no
:18:11. > :18:14.question about it. You see the way they play football, they get the
:18:15. > :18:18.ball down all the time. Derek was assistant manager when I was at Hibs
:18:19. > :18:21.and he likes players to get on the ball. Take a chance, pass it, go
:18:22. > :18:26.forward and that is what they do. They have done so well last season
:18:27. > :18:30.they made a rod for their own back perhaps this season. They are in
:18:31. > :18:34.there, but I think they have just enough to get through the season and
:18:35. > :18:38.consolidate for next season. Kilmarnock or another side in the
:18:39. > :18:41.play-off. They faced a tricky looking encounter away to
:18:42. > :18:47.Motherwell. Commentary from John Barnes.
:18:48. > :18:58.Motherwell make two changes to their line-up. Allan Johnson makes four
:18:59. > :19:13.changes to his Kilmarnock side, looking for a winning formula.
:19:14. > :19:27.A good shot from your head. Turned away by Nielsen.
:19:28. > :19:35.It is off the line by Muirhead. The big striker on the line to play for
:19:36. > :19:58.Kilmarnock. Iain Vigurs! Motherwell are in
:19:59. > :20:10.front. Four minutes before the interval. His first-ever -- his
:20:11. > :20:11.first effort was blocked, but it was on his left foot and powerful enough
:20:12. > :20:27.to beat Samson. That is a lovely drag back and turn.
:20:28. > :20:30.What a goal that would have been from Iain Vigurs to double his
:20:31. > :20:52.account. The side netting though. That looks -- that looked like it's
:20:53. > :20:55.called the wrong way but John Sutton has scored in the previous two
:20:56. > :21:13.matches against Kilmarnock, knocking it off target.
:21:14. > :21:22.McKenzie has equalised. Rory McKenzie on the scoresheet for the
:21:23. > :21:27.fourth time this season. A good build-up play from the on loan
:21:28. > :21:31.Celtic player, Jackson Elding, to thread that threw for McKenzie. A
:21:32. > :21:41.neat finish from the Kilmarnock winger.
:21:42. > :21:53.Sutton is close to knocking that rebound in. Samsung did not get it
:21:54. > :21:58.out of the danger area. -- Samsung. -- Samson.
:21:59. > :22:07.He has hit the bar. He expected the delicate touch of the Finnish
:22:08. > :22:15.international to find the back of the net. He found the top often
:22:16. > :22:19.would work. -- he found the top of the woodwork. Five minutes of
:22:20. > :22:24.stoppage time has been added. Slater, directs with the shot, and
:22:25. > :22:31.that will be the winner for Kilmarnock. Craig Slater's first
:22:32. > :22:41.goal for the side. Slater was the man who was released by the other
:22:42. > :22:46.player. His effort took a bobble. It was an end to end game. We would
:22:47. > :22:49.lose a game by trying to win it. You don't want to sit at home and accept
:22:50. > :22:53.a point, but to lose it with the last kick of the game and when you
:22:54. > :22:58.see it, it bobbles over and there is nothing we can do about it is how we
:22:59. > :23:04.bounce back now. It was a disappointing result, but we have a
:23:05. > :23:11.big game against Inverness. It was a team performance to date. We
:23:12. > :23:12.defended better as a team. There was a good partnership with Ashcroft. We
:23:13. > :23:24.have legs all over the park will . The goal from Craig Slater coming
:23:25. > :23:28.in late in injury time, on the counterattack, after Motherwell had
:23:29. > :23:32.been up at this end of the field. How impressed by you to the way that
:23:33. > :23:40.he took the goal? Soon as the ball is played into his path he is down
:23:41. > :23:44.the line. They are deep, Hutchinson allows them inside. For me as a
:23:45. > :23:50.goalkeeper I would rather he goes down the outside and makes shoot
:23:51. > :23:54.from an angle. He has got him going down the line, he just deepens too
:23:55. > :23:58.far and allows him back inside into a shooting opportunity. Nicholson
:23:59. > :24:02.driving forward, showing a good appetite to get forward and I must
:24:03. > :24:07.say I have every sympathy for the goalkeeper because that is not
:24:08. > :24:13.favourable. It is a shocking one and I have full sympathy for him. Iain
:24:14. > :24:17.Vigurs obviously with the goal for Motherwell. What did you make of his
:24:18. > :24:29.game overall? He showed some good skill at times, didn't he? Yes, a
:24:30. > :24:33.good player. They played predominantly for -4-2 and you see
:24:34. > :24:37.the goal here, the cross comes in and nobody defends it. He is always
:24:38. > :24:47.alive around the box and he will be a bit disappointed in the save. This
:24:48. > :24:51.was fantastic. He is having a hard time there, maybe telling him as
:24:52. > :24:57.well that you see the goal, you have to go for it. A difficult result for
:24:58. > :25:00.Motherwell. Do you see them as contenders for second place? Yes, I
:25:01. > :25:06.think so, they are in there with a shout. It will be a good fight and
:25:07. > :25:10.hopefully it will go right to the end of the season and we get the
:25:11. > :25:14.best team coming out on top. The pressure is on St Mirren. They
:25:15. > :25:17.travelled north to play and Inverness Caley Thistle side still
:25:18. > :25:20.intent on hunting down the Europa League spot themselves but John
:25:21. > :25:24.Hughes' side would have to do without captain Richie Foran, who is
:25:25. > :25:28.out with a knee injury and Aaron Doran, who is on the sidelines due
:25:29. > :25:32.to a hamstring problem. St Mirren started the day in the dreaded
:25:33. > :25:37.play-off place, second bottom in the Premiership. They weren't out Marian
:25:38. > :25:38.Kello and Paul McGowan. Brian McLauchlin has the story of the
:25:39. > :25:47.match. St Mirren were desperate for points
:25:48. > :25:53.and they have the perfect start after three minutes. Naismith firing
:25:54. > :26:00.home after the Caley defence failed to clear a free kick. Naismith all
:26:01. > :26:03.alone at the back and despite David Raven's attempts the ball ended up
:26:04. > :26:08.in the back of the net. The home side were quick to respond. Josh
:26:09. > :26:16.Meekings was denied by a fingertip stop like Christopher Dilo. Caley
:26:17. > :26:21.did draw level after 16 minutes. McGregor knocking the ball into his
:26:22. > :26:27.own goal from a corner. Pressure at the back post from Draper, but
:26:28. > :26:35.McGregor with the final touch. Then a great chance for the home side to
:26:36. > :26:41.go in front. Clean through on goal. But no luck for the Caley hit man.
:26:42. > :26:45.Pitch conditions playing a major part in the mists. The Caley boss
:26:46. > :26:48.John Hughes is a great believer in playing the passing game and his
:26:49. > :26:56.players have certainly fought into his football philosophy. A string of
:26:57. > :27:01.passes, slick and sharp, before the ball was eventually fed right to
:27:02. > :27:06.Polworth. He had time and space in the right-hand side to knock across,
:27:07. > :27:09.deep to the back post, but Billy Mackay was waiting to knock it back
:27:10. > :27:16.across goal and Tansey was there to fire the ball into the net. Nine
:27:17. > :27:21.passes in total before Tansey connected, to hammer the ball home.
:27:22. > :27:26.The Saints boss feeling the heat as his side went behind. However, they
:27:27. > :27:33.were to have one chance before the break. Steven Thompson's effort was
:27:34. > :27:40.blocked before McGregor fired over. Into the second-half and Saints to
:27:41. > :27:48.draw level. -- Saints were to draw level. Thompson's shot was blocked,
:27:49. > :27:51.then McGregor with Kelly at the back post to nod home the equaliser. It
:27:52. > :27:54.was Kelly's first goal for Saints but John Hughes will not be
:27:55. > :27:59.impressed by Caley Thistle's defence. The home side were then
:28:00. > :28:05.reduced to ten men. There was a battle of the -- there was a battle
:28:06. > :28:10.of Josh Meekings and John McGuinness. The Saints striker was
:28:11. > :28:12.pulled down by the defender. The referee decided it was a
:28:13. > :28:19.goal-scoring opportunity, despite the fact Graham shinny was coming
:28:20. > :28:26.into cover. John Hughes questioning the referee's decision. And Saints
:28:27. > :28:35.almost made use of their extra man. Good play by the right-hand side,
:28:36. > :28:44.his cross into the box met by Kenny McLean. And only the feet of Brill
:28:45. > :28:48.denied St Mirren all three points. Really delighted with the way we
:28:49. > :28:55.played in the first half. Delighted with the debut of Bryan Christie.
:28:56. > :29:04.Delighted that Draper got his goal. But we still need to keep that clean
:29:05. > :29:10.sheet to win the game. Week come into the split and it is the five
:29:11. > :29:15.teams roundabout is and I think that is where the pattern is going to
:29:16. > :29:17.emerge and one or two teams may find themselves away from that play-off
:29:18. > :29:25.position and that is what the ambition is. Honours even, but we
:29:26. > :29:28.talk about young players coming through the Scottish Premiership and
:29:29. > :29:33.Jason Naismith and Sean Kelly with the goals yesterday for St Mirren.
:29:34. > :29:38.St Mirren, a funny side, where they can be so hot and cold and sometimes
:29:39. > :29:46.it goes for them, like in this situation. It was not a bad
:29:47. > :29:49.performance. In the end, they could have got the three points, which
:29:50. > :29:54.would have been massive or them. They are scoring goals again. They
:29:55. > :29:59.go through stages where they don't score goals for awhile. When they
:30:00. > :30:02.start to score goals again, they will be dangerous. They have got
:30:03. > :30:06.some experienced players in the squad who have been there before,
:30:07. > :30:11.you know the situation. That could stand them in good stead for the
:30:12. > :30:16.rest of the season. What did you make of the red card situation?
:30:17. > :30:23.Should Josh McInnis have been sent off? I think the referee has got
:30:24. > :30:28.that spot on. I know that there was a covering defender. He is away, he
:30:29. > :30:32.has gone, I do not think that he is getting back. The only way to stop
:30:33. > :30:38.him is the player coming back, bringing him down. There was a
:30:39. > :30:44.player covering, but it is a sending off. It was Graham shinny, the
:30:45. > :30:54.defender, who might have got up to speed. -- Graeme Shinnie. The
:30:55. > :31:00.referee cannot guess who is the quicker player. He might have caught
:31:01. > :31:06.him. The referee cannot take that gamble. He still four yards behind
:31:07. > :31:12.him. That is why he has given the red card. I do not see that King
:31:13. > :31:18.rescinded. He will stand by that decision -- I do not see that being
:31:19. > :31:30.rescinded. Are we seeing an ever lotion on the John Hughes, at
:31:31. > :31:35.Inverness, -- and evolution? I have played alongside him, I know what he
:31:36. > :31:40.likes from his players. He likes to keep the ball down or stop like
:31:41. > :31:44.Derek Adams at Ross County. This is a wonderful goal from Inverness.
:31:45. > :31:48.They keep possession. They work it into a good area and then get it
:31:49. > :31:53.into the box. At some point you have to get the ball into the box. They
:31:54. > :31:59.have done it at an ideal time when they have got bodies in there. Greg
:32:00. > :32:03.Pansy with the goal, we have speeded the summer, but it makes a game that
:32:04. > :32:11.even more interesting. Again, the passing football to the fore. Yes,
:32:12. > :32:16.different outcome if they had shot from outside the box, but there has
:32:17. > :32:22.to be an end point to these moves, and at the moment, they are getting
:32:23. > :32:27.them. He will have players coming in in the summer that he can mould to
:32:28. > :32:33.his philosophy, and I am sure that they will be fine. Partick Thistle
:32:34. > :32:41.faced St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, the home side having secured a
:32:42. > :32:44.top six place. The Perth side also with plenty of fire-power with
:32:45. > :32:47.Stevie May on 22 goals for the season, ably supported by Steven
:32:48. > :32:50.Maclean, Lee Croft and Michael O'Halloran. As for Thistle, they had
:32:51. > :32:55.to do without the mercurial Kallum Higginbotham who was suspended.
:32:56. > :32:59.Jordan McMillan found a berth at right back with Stephen O'Donnell on
:33:00. > :33:01.the subs' bench. Lyle Taylor led the line, supported by Christie Elliot,
:33:02. > :33:12.Prince Buaben and Chris Erskine. It would be the worst possible start
:33:13. > :33:14.from Partick Thistle. Stevie May, sneaking in after a mistake for his
:33:15. > :33:23.23rd goal of the campaign. The ball, deflecting past Paul
:33:24. > :33:30.Gallagher in the Partick Thistle goal.
:33:31. > :33:36.After falling behind, Partick Thistle immediately became more of
:33:37. > :33:46.an attacking threat. The shot from Prince Buaben comfortably held by
:33:47. > :33:50.Alan Mannus. Soon after, Jordan McMillan crossed the ball, and found
:33:51. > :33:55.the head of Erskine, but his effort flew just over the bar. Before the
:33:56. > :33:59.first half finished, St Johnstone. The chance to double their lead,
:34:00. > :34:05.Stevie May with a header off the bar, and Paul Gallagher eventually
:34:06. > :34:12.punching the ball to safety. As the second half got under way, Stevens,
:34:13. > :34:18.Stevie May and Steven McLean threaten to make it 2-0, Maclean
:34:19. > :34:23.eventually carving the chance, and Paul Gallen can gain to the rescue
:34:24. > :34:26.for Partick Thistle. Cut the Glasgow side take something with their
:34:27. > :34:31.play-off place rivals all taking points? At the death, Kris Doolan
:34:32. > :34:36.popgun, Alan Mannus could not give it out, and how big would this point
:34:37. > :34:44.be for the final Premiership reckoning? On the back of two wins,
:34:45. > :34:50.top six, they should be happy, but those are the standards that we have
:34:51. > :34:56.set. We are disappointed to lose. On the other hand, Partick Thistle did
:34:57. > :35:01.well in the second half. We did it so late on, come into place like St,
:35:02. > :35:03.getting a point, they have been good all season, it is a very valuable
:35:04. > :35:12.point. Partick Thistle deserving of a point
:35:13. > :35:17.in terms of possession, and Kris Doolan with the goal. Ian, your
:35:18. > :35:21.Dumbarton side on the fringes of the play-off places in The
:35:22. > :35:25.Championship. Some of the teams involved in trying to avoid play-off
:35:26. > :35:30.places in the Premiership there, how would you rate them, and which side
:35:31. > :35:37.do you think will finish second bottom? It is so tight at the
:35:38. > :35:45.moment. Difficult to pick a team that will definitely be there. Hibs
:35:46. > :35:50.and St Mirren are struggling, but it is a lot to make up, that 6-point
:35:51. > :35:53.gap at this stage of the season. St Mirren have got the best squad in
:35:54. > :36:00.the bottom six. I find it hard to believe that they are where they
:36:01. > :36:06.are. For us to go and compete against an SPL team over two games
:36:07. > :36:12.is doable, we showed that against Dundee United early on in the season
:36:13. > :36:15.and against Aberdeen in the cup, and we have shown it against St Mirren
:36:16. > :36:25.in the league cup, taking them to a replay. To do it under that pressure
:36:26. > :36:29.though, is a different ball game. We've saved the best till last.
:36:30. > :36:32.Renewed vigour these days for the term "New Firm derby" as a bouyant
:36:33. > :36:36.Aberdeen faced their fellow '80s upstarts Dundee United. It would be
:36:37. > :36:41.a belter of a match at a bouncing Pittodrie. Commentary from Liam
:36:42. > :36:45.Macleod. Russell Anderson and Joe Shaughnessy return to the starting
:36:46. > :36:49.11 for Aberdeen. Peter Paul it does not even make the bench. Andy
:36:50. > :36:57.Robertson suspended for Dundee United, Nacer Ciftci suspended, in a
:36:58. > :37:00.reshaped line-up Jackie McNamara. Dundee United looking for their
:37:01. > :37:10.first victory at Pittodrie since 2009. They made a bright start
:37:11. > :37:15.proceedings. Brian Graham. And that is 1-0, Dundee United.
:37:16. > :37:26.Five minutes gone, and Paul Paton with a very cool finish. Jamie Lange
:37:27. > :37:31.field did not see it. Aberdeen did not deal with it. It came off
:37:32. > :37:38.Russell Anderson, actor Paul Paton, and that was composed. -- back to
:37:39. > :37:43.Paul Paton. Dundee United have started well. That was a brilliant
:37:44. > :37:52.save from Jamie Lange field. Wonderful goalkeeping -- Langfield.
:37:53. > :37:57.Jackie McNamara will be pleased with the start that his team is made.
:37:58. > :38:02.Looking for another. Somehow, that has gone over from John Souttar. He
:38:03. > :38:10.scored against Aberdeen in the New Year game at Tannadice. Willo Flood.
:38:11. > :38:20.The former Dundee United man. Logan at left back for Aberdeen, a big
:38:21. > :38:25.change for him. That comes off Dillon, last. That could have gone
:38:26. > :38:35.anywhere. The short one, from Barry Robson. He
:38:36. > :38:42.gets it back immediately. That is good play. Radoslaw Cierzniak did
:38:43. > :38:51.not know too much about this. He kind of scooted away as best he
:38:52. > :38:55.could. -- scooped it away. Stuart Armstrong is up against Reynolds, he
:38:56. > :39:01.has the beating of him, he goes down, Dundee United looking for the
:39:02. > :39:07.penalty, Callum Murray, shaking his head. A great burst from Armstrong.
:39:08. > :39:11.He did well to get past Mark Reynolds.
:39:12. > :39:24.Robson. Logan, good delivery, and Niall McGinn. He is desperate for a
:39:25. > :39:34.goal. He has been since mid-December, Niall McGinn. That was
:39:35. > :39:42.played long from Reynolds. Niall McGinn! It stays out, again. He just
:39:43. > :39:48.cannot catch a break, the Northern Irishman. Aberdeen hit the woodwork
:39:49. > :39:59.again, like they did several times at Ross County in midweek. Robson!
:40:00. > :40:05.Most of Aberdeen's attacking play has come through Barry Robson. He
:40:06. > :40:11.was unlucky there. A shake of the head from Derek McInnis. Aberdeen
:40:12. > :40:19.have begun the second half very well. And Niall McGinn, the goal
:40:20. > :40:25.drought is over! You can see what it means to Niall McGinn. Wild
:40:26. > :40:28.celebrations from the Aberdeen top scorer. He is into double figures.
:40:29. > :40:40.It has taken some time. A good spin and turn from Niall
:40:41. > :40:53.McGinn. Suddenly, he is losing confidence -- oozing confidence, the
:40:54. > :41:00.man from Co Tyrone. Willo Flood manages to pick out Adam Rooney. He
:41:01. > :41:05.has tested Cierzniak. Niall McGinn trying to keep the ball alive.
:41:06. > :41:14.Aberdeen hunting for the winning goal in the closing couple of
:41:15. > :41:22.minutes. Logan. That was a great switch from Logan. Shaughnessy, to
:41:23. > :41:30.Robson. Was that a foul? No, and Ryan Jack goes from distance, well
:41:31. > :41:34.past the post. He is not renowned for his goal-scoring, certainly from
:41:35. > :41:41.that range. And that was testing Cierzniak. Honours even at
:41:42. > :41:45.Pittodrie. I thought we did enough to win, in the second half, because
:41:46. > :41:49.we were doing all the running, but mindful that we were playing against
:41:50. > :41:54.a good side. This is a difficult place to come. Especially over the
:41:55. > :41:56.results they have had, lately, and the confidence that they have got.
:41:57. > :42:08.It is not a bad point. The first goal in 17 games for Niall
:42:09. > :42:13.McGinn. Are you surprised by that? Of course. For him to score so many
:42:14. > :42:17.goals last season, then start this season so well, and then to not
:42:18. > :42:22.score for that long, it is incredible. But he has worked
:42:23. > :42:30.incredibly hard for the team in that time. This was his last goal in a
:42:31. > :42:32.seven goal thriller at Inverness. He is a vital part of that team, but he
:42:33. > :42:39.surrounded by good, experienced players. They have played a lot of
:42:40. > :42:43.football, Aberdeen. They have still got the Scottish cup final to get
:42:44. > :42:49.to, as well. The pressure is on and they have handled it well. United
:42:50. > :42:54.started better and a great strike from a man who does not often score
:42:55. > :43:00.goals, Paul Paton. It was very well taken. You would probably not expect
:43:01. > :43:07.that. Controls it nicely. Takes it on the run, first time. Guiding into
:43:08. > :43:12.the bottom corner. You do not have to hit them that hard from distance,
:43:13. > :43:25.and Barry Robson has come out to close it down, citing the
:43:26. > :43:29.goalkeeper. -- unsighting. The thing that Aberdeen will finish second? I
:43:30. > :43:35.think so, nobody has capitalised when they have dropped points. At
:43:36. > :43:41.the moment, they are rather strong position. The good news from Craig
:43:42. > :43:46.Gordon is that he's fit and ready to once again. This is fantastic news
:43:47. > :43:53.for you. Are you actively looking for a club at the moment? Yes, it is
:43:54. > :43:58.towards the end of the season, but certainly to get back playing at the
:43:59. > :44:11.highest level I can next season. We have made up a CV four U. Age 31.
:44:12. > :44:17.Debut, 2002. Incredible. As the next page shows, famously, you became the
:44:18. > :44:23.most expensive goalkeeper in the UK when you went to Sunderland. And
:44:24. > :44:29.you're talking to Scottish clubs playing next season? There is still
:44:30. > :44:33.a possibility. It is a bit of a long shot. I am certainly able to play. I
:44:34. > :44:39.have been training for the past few months. I feel like I am ready to
:44:40. > :44:43.start matches. The level of interest from different clubs has been very
:44:44. > :44:49.good. It is just a case of picking the right one and getting on with my
:44:50. > :44:55.career. And Scotland again in the future, perhaps? That must be my
:44:56. > :45:02.aim. Just to get back to the very top, that is what I intend to do. At
:45:03. > :45:05.close of business, let's have a look at the Premiership table.
:45:06. > :45:15.That victory for Hearts only really staves off at reality of
:45:16. > :45:21.relegation. Kilmarnock, the big winners with that victory over
:45:22. > :45:25.Motherwell. Further up, Aberdeen two points clear of Motherwell in the
:45:26. > :45:30.race for second place. Champions Celtic remain 26 points in front.
:45:31. > :45:36.Today was all about Hearts still beating, for now, Tynecastle still
:45:37. > :45:46.has a Premiership goals, but sometimes, that pride is all that
:45:47. > :45:50.really matters. From all of us here on Sportscene, good night.