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Dundee 3-3 Celtic: Player ratings from Dens Park

Oluwaseun Adewumi’s shines against another Old Firm side whilst Auston Trusty can have no complaints. Dundee 3-4-2-1 Trevor Carson (capt) Continues to put his body on the line but should have done better collecting Kyogo’s low cross for second. 6 Clark Robertson Dealing with such a potent Celtic attack is no easy job but confusion with Carson leads to Celtic regaining lead. 6 Ryan Astley Kept Idah quiet all night and did little wrong despite the scoreline. 7 Aaron Donnelly Did not come off too badly in duel with Kyogo and got the better of Trusty to score an all important goal. 8 Josh Mulligan Lovely feet and worked absolutely tirelessly down the right hand side. His deflected cross for an own goal saw him end the night with an assist. 8 Ethan Ingram His biggest impact comes in attack and has shown he can mix it with the best taking on full backs. However should have tracked McCowan for opener and was beaten by Kyogo’s ball for second. 5 Mo Sylla Strong on the ball and continues to be a good outlet to build attacks. Unfortunate however to give away penalty with handball in dying moments. 6 Cesar Garza Built on a solid first outing for more of the same. A nicely balanced skillset and his tackle helped set Simon Murray off for the counter. 7 Finlay Robertson No Cameron no problem as the midfielder bagged not one, but fine assists on the night. A physical presence giving Celtic’s defenders no rest. 8 Oluwaseun Adewumi Almost followed McGregor to the bathroom at half time such was his proficiency in man marking. Attacked with verve and scored a terrific goal after a tidy bit of footwork to get space from Johnston. What a job Dundee have done to extend his loan. 8 Simon Murray Continues to be every defender’s most irritating opponent. Looking for contact and earning his side free kicks up the park. As mentioned, burst of pace helped create second. Yellow for abusing the referee put a dampener on the striker’s evening. 7 SUBSTITUTES: Seb Palmer-Houlden (for Murray 82′) n/a; Lyall Cameron (for Robertson 87′) Bedbound with illness this week but part of bench that had too little time to make a positive impact and were not at fault for equaliser n/a; Scott Tiffoney (for Garza 87′) n/a. Celtic (4-1-4-1) Kasper Schmeichel Little he could do about first and third but arguably could have covered himself with a little more glory as Adewumi’s effort slipped past him. 6 Alistair Johnston A player who has become almost irreplaceable for Rodgers, filling in at right back, winger, centre mid, you name it. However as he will no doubt know, little errors cost games and he did not cover openside of goal well enough for second. 7 Auston Trusty Performance tonight will give Kilmarnock and Young Boys a little boost. Almost gave away a penalty before being beaten in the air by Donnelly. 4 Cameron Carter-Vickers A strong presence in the first half but look unrecognisable after the break as he began to fade. Unlucky but conceded an own goal all the same. 5 Greg Taylor Lacks the same impact Johnston has down the right and wasn’t helped by a lack of chemistry with Yang. Was launching himself into tackles by the way, giving the impression of desperation. 5 Callum McGregor (capt) Barely got a sniff due to Adewumi’s marking but looked threatening with rare opportunities when he managed to get away. 6 Yang Hyun-Jun God loves a trier and the winger continues to give everything but often without meaningful end product. However he grabbed a much needed goal for his efforts after getting his positioning spot on the score a header. 6 Paulo Bernardo Game was his for the taking if he was looking to play himself into a more permanent starting berth but failed to grab it. Agonisingly close with a header that hit the crossbar but being taken off after an hour tells you about the belief Rodgers had in his ability to create a winner. Booked before coming off. 6 Luke McCowan An early goal gave Celtic a much needed head start. Found himself filling in a right back with Johnston went forward as his impact lessened before being subbed off to applause from both sets of fans. 6 Kyogo Furuhashi Even on his quieter days Kyogo is a different class. Couple of crosses not met by anyone before Yang finally made one count. Electric movement kept Dundee on their toes. Impact lessened when moved up front. 7 Adam Idah Another difficult evening for the striker whose last league goal dates back to November. Needs to show more of the player who won the Scottish Cup Final last year. 5 SUBSTITUTES: Arne Engels (for Bernardo 61′) Not a brilliant first half hour but delivered when it mattered to rescue a point with penalty 7; Nicolas Kuhn (for Idah 61′) Immediate impact before shot gave Celtic the penalty 7; Reo Hatate (for McCowan 61′) Did not quite match output of previous two but ammended sloppy passing in midfield 6; Luis Palma (for Taylor 71′) A couple of spurts down the left but not much more 6; Alex Valle (for Yang 71′) Game at that stage did not seem to require his contributions 6.

January 15, 2025

Hibernian 3-1 Motherwell: Player ratings from Easter Road

Nectar Triantis ran the show as Stephen O’Donnell struggled wearing the armband. Hibernian (3-4-1-2) Jordan Smith Little do before being beaten by the free kick. 6 Jack Iredale Looked untroubled until his needless foul outside the box allowed Motherwell back into the game. 6 Rocky Bushiri Confident on the ball and strong in the tackle. Enjoyed a relatively quiet night. On his way to cult hero status in Leith. 7 Warren O’Hara Like his partners at the back was solid at the back and kept a close eye on Maswanhise, keeping the forward who was brought on to shake things up quiet. 7 Nicky Cadden The talisman took an early knock to the face leaving a bit of blood. Brought off before he could really make an impact. n/a Dylan Levitt Solid on return to the team. Looks to be doing the things asked of him by the manager. Clearly blowing by the time he was brought off on the hour mark. 7 Nectar Triantis Couple of wayward passes but ran the game from the middle of the park. Strong interception followed by a lovely finish capped off a fine evening. 8 Chris Cadden Found space down the right early but nobody to meet the crosses. Won his duels with Sparrow. 7 Josh Campbell Pulled up his shorts in anger after wasting a good attacking opportunity. Like the other two, kept things simple which was what the game required. 7 Dwight Gayle Looks every bit the experienced player his CV suggests but frustrated by like of chances created for him. No doubt he will know the three points come first. 6 Martin Boyle (capt) Good position for opener with a cool, calm and collected penalty for the second. A player reborn in recent weeks now with four goals from his last two games. 8 SUBSTITUTES: Jordan Obita (for N. Cadden 19′) Difficult job in replacing Cadden but did very well. Assist for the first and defended resolutely in unfamiliar role 8; Lewis Miller (for C. Cadden 62′) Strong in the air and combined well with Hoilett 7; Junior Hoilett (for Gayle 62′) Kept Motherwell defenders on back foot to see out game 7; Hyeokku Kwon (for Levitt 62′) Brought the energy required maintain control of the game without having too much work to do 7; Nathan Moriah-Welsh (for J. Campbell 77′) Had little time to make an impact but no errors is all you can ask for at that stage 6; Motherwell (3-5-1-1) Archie Mair Not an ideal debut but as was not at fault for any of the goals. Will hope for a more positive outing after the first 24 hours of his time at the club. 6 Shane Blaney The yellow card he earned showed just how on the ropes Motherwell were before the break. 5 Kofi Balmer Hardly a frenetic game but struggled when it counted. 5 Paul McGinn Composed presence until head injury forced him off early on. 6 Ewan Wilson Sloppy in possession and at fault for the second goal. Hooked at the break. 4 Kai Andrews Added a bit of dynamism on the ball but like teammates, lacked bravery going forward. 5 Andy Halliday Game passed him by. Taken off with Wilson at half-time. 4 Tom Sparrow A few runs down the left but was easily contained. Looked more dangerous when cutting in but did not try it enough. 5 Stephen O’Donnell Captain in the absence of Lennon Miller. Did not step up to the plate. Gave away penalty that killed the game and had little to no impact going forward. 4 Tony Watt Not the most potent goalscorer but tries to use physicality to occupy defenders. Should have done better with the two headers he put over the bar. 5 Jack Vale Not much you can do when starved of the ball but ended the game with a straight red as the game had seconds to go. Punishing an already threadbare squad even further. 4 SUBSTITUTES: Dan Casey (for McGinn 33′) Struggled to command the backline in place of captain 5; Tawanda Maswanhise (for Halliday 46′) Showed flashes of what has made him one of the side’s best but couldn’t get into gear 5; Marvin Kaleta (for E. Wilson 46′) Had a half to make an impact but hardly saw the ball 5; Callum Slattery (for Sparrow 70′) Fantastic free-kick and had some impetus going forward at least 7; Moses Ebiye (for Watt 70′) No league goal since September and didn’t look like to end the drought tonight 5.

January 12, 2025

Amissah heroics can’t stop Celtic trouncing to open 18 point gap

Ross County 1 (0) J. White 60′ (pen) Celtic 4 (1) K. Furuhashi 40′, 81′, A. Engels 90+6′ (pen), L. McCowan 90+8′ An inspired Celtic met County’s resistance with brute force, putting four past the home side despite the heroics of keeper Jordan Amissah to extend their lead to 18 points, albeit having played a game more than Rangers. Having banged on the door for forty minutes, Kyogo Furuhashi was the heartbreaker as he met Alistair Johnston’s bouncing cross for a cool finish. Unfortunately the right back was at fault for County’s response, having pushed Phillips in the back as he tried to meet 14s cross with Jordan White making no mistake from the spot. That was as good as it got for the home side as Arne Engels escaped his marker to send a dipping ball into the box met by the onrushing Kyogo with nine minutes of normal time left to play. Once opened, the floodgates could not be closed in the dying moments of the game. James Brown’s foul on Yang Hyun-Jun saw Engels convert the penalty with his second attempt after Amissah’s save was denied after he was adjudged to have stepped off his line. Demonstrating the gulf in class, Luke McCowan added the fourth eight minutes into added time as the midfielder completed a devastating counter attack for the visitors. Striker Adam Idah had a chance to add a goal of his own early on, collecting the ball from Kyogo’s effort but could not hit the target. Getting himself involved on the wing, Idah provided an accurate cross to tee up Alistair Johnstone’s flick behind the leg but Amissah was equal to it. County will rue not having taken their chances when the score was level, Josh Nisbet having poached the ball off Auron Trusty laid the ball into the feet of Noah Chilvers who should have done better than fire wide. In yet another moment of class, Amissah’s reflexes were on hand to deny Kyogo as Celtic pushed for an opener after Idah’s header back to the Japanese forward’s feet was brilliantly stopped just in front of the line. At hand to deny Celtic yet again, the keeper produced a terrific double save to first keep Idah out before batting Kyogo’s effort away. Yang and Alex Valle would have their turn at trying to beat the shot stopper but the German loanee made sure their names would not be added to the score sheet. Despite three wins from five, County could find themselves in the relegation play off place should Hearts get a result against Aberdeen. Attendance: 6,254 Line-ups: Ross County (3-5-1-1): J. Amissah, E. Campbell, K. Lopata (J. Grieves 53’), A. Wright, G. Harmon, N. Kenneh (J. White 46’), C. Randall (c) (V. Loturi 85’), N. Chilvers, J. Brown, J. Nisbet (S. Allardice 85’), R. Hale (K. Phillips 46’) Substitutes: S. Allardice, J. Grieves, J. Hamilton, R. Lamie, V. Loturi, K. Phillips, J. Reid, C. Telfer, J White Celtic (4-1-4-1): K. Schmeichel, Alex Valle (L. Scales 85’), A. Trusty, C. Carter-Vickers, A. Johnston, C. McGregor (c), Yang Hyun-Jun, R. Hatate (L. McCowan 73’), A. Engels, K. Furuhashi, A. Idah (J. Kenny 73’) Substitutes: D. Cummings, Paulo Bernardo, J. Kenny, L. McCowan, A. Montgomery, A. Ralston, L. Scales, V. Sinisalo, G. Taylor Referee: Matthew MacDermid

January 12, 2025

Quickfire double sees Hibs join defeated Motherwell in top half

A Martin Boyle double saw Hibs come away with the all important three points, sending David Gray’s side into the top six as Motherwell left the capital with just one win in seven. Boyle continued his fine form to open the scoring, finishing a pass into the box by substitute Jordan Obita, who entered the fray early on after Nicky Cadden’s knock to the head. Just minutes later Ewen Wilson was caught in possession by Nectar Triantis, the Australian bursting clear and firing a low shot past Archie Mair, whose signing was announced less than an hour before kick off. Time crept on as the home side looked to see out the win but Jack Iredale’s silly foul just outside the box allowed Motherwell back into the game, substitute Callum Slattery firing in an excellent free kick. Motherwell made sure this was little more than consolation as Stephen O’Donnell gave away a cheap penalty whcih Boyle duly converted for his fourth goal in two games. Hibernian did well to see out the game but in truth Motherwell offered little threat going forward. Tony Watt had a couple of headed chances on either side of half of the break but could do little more than send the chances over the bar. Nectar Triantis came close to getting his second as the ball met him at the far post but Mair put enough pressure on the midfielder to force a shot into the stands. Motherwell’s frustrations continued to bubble and eventually Jack Vale earned himself a straight red for a foul on Boyle with seconds to go. Hibs march on with one eye on Europe Just over a month ago, the chat around Easter Road was about how the side would cope with relegation. Now, Europe is talk of the town as Hibs powered into the top half. And why not? The side have always looked to two good for the bottom places, let down by what was perceived as mental fragility that looks distant memory. Martin Boyle has four in two games but more than numbers, the striker has become a leadership figure and his tireless running an embodiment of Gray’s desire to not let his side take their foot off the gas. Speaking in the post match conference, the manager was unequivocal, they will focus on chasing the next team down rather than look to far ahead. That will not however, stop the fans from dreaming of booking a trip to continent come next season. Lack of spark kills Motherwell’s chances Despite the single victory in seven, Motherwell remain four points clear of the bottom half. Helped in the past by their ability to eek out victories by single goal margins and more recently by their opponents fumbling the bag in their own attempts to push up the table, Motherwell might need to find a solution fast if they are to prevent a slow drift in the rankings. Without the titanic Aston Oxborough in goal and missing the creativity of Lennon Miller, the side lack to guaranteed points the two bring. Their lack of bravery going forward was exposed in the continued absence of their captain, Tony Watt and Jack Vale waited in vain for the ball to progress its way up the park towards them. Stuart Kettlewell spoke of the fatigue, both mental and physical setting into the side as the congested fixture list wore heavy on the side featuring six changes from their draw in Kilmarnock. With a Cup game coming next week, Kettlewell will need to dig deep to find the solutions for what he called the most difficult period of managerial career thus far. What the managers said: Hibs boss David Gray: “The return, one defeat in the last ten games, is fantastic. A hell of lot of work’s gone into it. “Probably didn’t create as many chances as I would have liked but controlled the game. “We’ve given ourselves a real opportunity to push on, tasked before the game to try and get into that top six. We’ve still got ten games to go before that’s settled we need to make sure we keep picking up points quickly and make sure we’re in it.” Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell: “I think it’s a case of three individual errors cost us. “That’s my biggest frustration, the mental fatigue as well as physical that started to set in. “To give that penalty away at that stage quite clearly gives Hibs a lift that they needed and it gives them a platform they needed just to see the game out.” Attendance: 15,829 Line up: Hibernian (3-4-1-2): J. Smith, J. Iredale, R. Bushiri, W. O’Hora, N. Cadden (J. Obita 19’), D. Levitt (Kwon Hyeok-Kyu 62’), N. Triantis, C. Cadden (L. Miller 62’), J. Campbell, D. Gayle (J. Hoilett 62’), M. Boyle (c) Subsitutes: R. Molotnikov, L. Amos, J. Bursik, J. Hoilett, Kwon Hyeok-Kyu, H. McKirdy, L. Miller, N. Moriah-Welsh, J. Obita Motherwell (3-5-1-1): A. Mair, S. Blaney, P. McGinn (c) (D. Casey 33’), K. Balmer, E. Wilson (M. Kaleta 46’), T. Sparrow (C. Slattery 70’), A. Halliday (T. Maswanhise 46’), K. Andrews, S. O’Donnell, T. Watt (M. Ebiye 70’), J. Vale Substitutes: D. Casey, M. Connelly, M. Ebiye, M. Kaleta, J. Koutrombis, T. Maswanhise, S. Nicholson, C. Slattery, D. Zdravkovski Referee: Colin Steven

January 11, 2025

Dundee 1-1 Rangers: Player ratings from Dens Park

Aaron Donnelly made a big impression on his second debut whilst Ridvan Yilmaz endured a night to forget. Dundee (3-4-2-1) Trevor Carson Probably surprised not to have more work. Nothing he could do to stop goal and good saves to deny Igamane and Cerny. 7 Ryan Astley Part of strong back three that kept attack quiet. 7 Clark Robertson Like Astley, acted like a brickwall when Cerny approached. 7 Aaron Donnelly Return to the club showed what shrewd eye for loans the club has. Attacking threat and had the beating of opposite number all night. Love of duels evident with celebration after stopping Cortes. 8 Josh Mulligan Assist led to opener and worked tirelessly to cover right hand side. Easily dealt with Matondo after Welshman’s introduction. 8 Mo Sylla Taught Diomande and Barron a lesson in controlling the midfield. Strong on the ball if slightly lacking going forward. 7 Cesar Garza Filling in for injured talisman Lyall Cameron no easy task but recent arrival from Mexico did not put a foot wrong. Docherty full of praise during press conference. 7 Ethan Ingram Enterprise led to goal. Asked to play in unfamiliar position and did so without noticeable difficulty. Task made easier by facing an out of sorts Yilmaz. 7 Scott Tiffoney Not his most scintellating evening but showed his value as he directed his teammates around the park. 6 Oluwaseun Adewumi Continues to go from strength to strength during his loan spell. Composed finish for goal and was denied a second by the offside flag. Will have attracted a few eyeballs from around with performance. 8 Simon Murray Could not add to hot goalscoring form but continued in his role of terrier/ master of the dark arts. Experienced showed against Nsiala but sometimes too keen to look for foul. 6 SUBSTITUTES: Julian Vetro (for Tiffoney 70′) Added dynamism down right 7; Seb Palmer-Houlden (for Murray 70′) brought on to see out draw and did just that 7; Simon Braybrook (for Garza 78′) Same as P-H 7. Tony Docherty A side with only four outfield players on the bench compared to Rangers’ eight should not look the more energised by the end but such is the great work Docherty has done. Continues to get the best out of players. Return of Donnelly looks a masterstroke. 8 Rangers (4-2-3-1) Liam Kelly Nervy start. Early punched clearance was a player lacking control of his area. Little to be done about goal and wasn’t particularly troubled after that. 5 Ridvan Yilmaz One of his worst in a Rangers shit. Cut in on the left far too often when space was on the right. Leting the ball bumble out of feet near touchline summed up his evening. 3 Robin Propper Part of makeshift pairing. Seemed to put early goal behind him but his diagonal passes were done far too often and lacked accuracy. More needed from evening’s captain. 5 Clinton Nsiala Couple of shanked clearances seemed right for a player making first senior appearance but grew into the game. Murray as tough as they come for a debut opponent but did well. Looked more assured of partnership by the end. 6 Jefte Almost identical evening to Yilmaz. Clement was not pleased with performance. Booked for a needless challenge on Tiffoney. 3 Connor Barron Stepping in for Raskin. Not a great night for the midfielder whose difficult first season continues. Easily bypassed in middle of park far too often. Brought off for more effective Danilo. 4 Mohamed Diomande Lacked the physicality to impose himself. Too sloppy in possession as side struggled to string passes together. 4 Vaclav Cerny Found himself running into filled corridors. Got the all important goal and was denied by Carson for second. Despite difficult evening was one of side’s better performers. 6 Nedim Bajrami Not a n10. Struggled to link play together and was almost invisible in first half. Began to drop deeper to create something but to little avail. 4 Ianis Hagi Wonder strike against Celtic feels years ago. Made no impact and was hooked at half time for Matondo. Will be glad to see the back of Dens Park for as long as possible. 3 Hamza Igamane Frustrating evening for the striker. Clement annoyed he tried to create chances rather than finish them. Managed an assist but otherwise kept quiet by defenders. 5 SUBSTITUTES: Rabbi Matondo (for Hagi 46′) Still not back to full force and came off second best to Tiffoney 5; Danilo (for Barron 66′) Livelier than his teammates but could not create anything 5; Ross McCausland (for Yilmaz 81′) Asked to play right back for short time on pitch and did fine 6; Oscar Cortes (for Cerny 87′) n/a. Philippe Clement Stuck to formation and continues to employ almost identical/ exhausted line up despite congested fixture list. If no signings arrive soon it could be a sign of an imminent change in manager. 3

January 10, 2025

Difficulties away from home continue as Dundee hold Rangers to draw

Venue: Dens Park Date: 09/01/25 Time: 20:00pm Rangers’ woeful away record continued as Dundee battled to well earned draw, leaving the visitors with just 13 points from a possible 33 on the road. It was a nightmare start for Clement’s side as Josh Mulligan made the most of a blocked Scott Tiffoney effort to square the ball to Oluwaseun Adewumi who fired Dundee ahead just five minutes in. Having struggled to break down a well organised defence, Rangers found joy just nearly half an hour later as Hamza Igamane’s pass into the feet of Vaclav Cerny finished a rapid counter attack. Rangers were however fortunate to go into the break one apiece with returning loan signing Aaron Donnelly making his presence known from the off, denied only by flying bodies in front of goal. Struggling to find the target, Ridvan Yilmaz endured a torrid evening, firing a distant effort well over the bar as Dundee looked resolute in defence. Cerny came close to adding a second, denied by the outstretched arm of one Trevor Carson before skewing the rebound. Dundee never looked like settling for a point and they were close to getting all three but Adewumi’s double was denied by the offside flag. As the second half wore on Rangers seemed to lose confidence in their ability to find a winner, Igamane a rare brightspark saw his effort parried to safety by Carson. Meanwhile the home side continued to punish sloppy passing, Julien Vetro racing down the right hand sand and feeding the ball to a well placed Adewumi whose effort lacked the requisite accuracy to trouble Liam Kelly. Almost reproducing the goal from nothing, Mohamed Diomande rattled the crossbar from 30 yards with a well beaten Trevor Carson’s feet planted beneath before Jefte put his headed effort just above the woodwork. Donnelly face of dogged Dundee With a squad about as threadbare as they come, Tony Docherty found himself flipping through his roladex to fill out a side needed to put two keepers on the bench. But off the back of tonight it looks as though he’s plucked the perfect name in Aaron Donnelly, who made his second debut for the club after his loan spell last season from high flying Nottingham Forest. The Northern Ireland international epitomised everything the manager wanted from his players, brave in attack and solid in defence. Attempts on goals were denied by some last ditch defending whilst he continued to get the better of his opposite man at the back, making his satisfaction known after denying Oscar Cortes in a duel. Docherty will pray Donnelly can stay fit as the side edges ever closer to the top half. Out of ideas, out of steam Despite having four more outfield players on the bench, not to mention the exorbitant financial gap between the sides, it was Rangers who looked to be on their last legs this evening. Whilst they have experienced injury problems themselves, giving first starts to centre backs Nsiala tonight and Leon King last week, the problems look far greater around them. Jefte and Yilmaz both let the ball slip out of their feet in almost Sunday League levels of ball control and Hamza Igamane was often too desperate in his attempts to create chances for his side as Ianis Hagi had a night to forget before being hooked at half-time. There are still plenty of games to be played this season, including six this month but Rangers are already turning to Europe for salvation as they hope to banish their away day hoodoo. If they can’t find a cure, Clement will find himself answering more and more questions about his future at the club. What the Managers had to say Attendance: 8,606 Line ups: Dundee (3-4-2-1): T. Carson (c), A. Donnelly, C. Robertson, R. Astley, E. Ingram, C. Garza (S. Braybrooke 78′), M. Sylla, J. Mulligan, O. Adewumi, S. Tiffoney (S. Palmer-Houlden), S. Murray (J. Vetro) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, L. Graham, C. Main, J. McCracken, S. Palmer-Houlden, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Rangers (4-2-3-1): L. Kelly, Jefte, C. Nsiala, R. Propper, R. Yilmaz (R. McCausland 81′), M. Diomande, C. Barron (Danilo 66′), I. Hagi (R. Matondo 46′), N. Bajrami, V. Cerny (O. Cortes 87′), H. Igamane Substitutes: O. Cortes, C. Dessers, K. Dowell, M. Munn, L. King, R. Matondo, R. McCausland, Danilo, B. Rice Referee: Calum Scott

January 9, 2025

Imperious Oxborough keeps Killie to stalemate

Venue: Rugby Park Date: 08/01/25 Time: 19:45pm Aston Oxborough proved the difference as Kilmarnock struggled in front of goal, a result that left the home side two points off both the top six and relegation play off place. With a shot that would set the tone for the evening, Marley Watkins sent what should have been a simple finish from Fraser Murray’s low cross well wide. Motherwell were often forced into last ditch defending, captain Liam Gordon preventing Watkins getting on the end of Corrie Ndbaba’s ball into the box. Aston Oxborough did his part, denying Fraser Wright’s header from Murray’s corner with a brilliant save. His opposite number Robby McCrorie was called into action soon after, diving low to keep out Tony Watt. There was jubilation on the home bench when Brad Lyons put his side in front but joy soon faded as VAR judged the captain to have strayed offside. Lyons continued to push for a goal but his curling effort dipped a fraction too late, landing on the roof of the net. Kilmarnock continued to hammer on Oxborough’s door, Murray’s corner again came close to providing the opener but for a double clearance from Gordon and the keeper himself. Next it was the crossbar’s turn to deny Derek McInnes the three points, Lyons rattling the woodwork from another excellent Murray set piece. Watt fired another effort into McCrorie, whose evening was relatively straightforward compared to Oxborough who produced another fine save to deny Watkins. Killie front men struggle It’s fair to say this season has been a struggle for some of last year’s standout performers. Having bagged a combined 18 goals on their way to a European place last year, Marley Watkins and Darius Vassell have managed just 5 this season. It is difficult to pinpoint what exactly has seen the forwards look a shadow of their former selves, making the task of reaching the top half all the more complicated. Vassell remains injured but Watkins’ struggle to score a first league goal since October was epitomised by a wayward shot in the opening stages of game that would see only 3 of Killie’s 18 shots hit the target. Fortunately for McInnes, Bruce Anderson is enjoying a standing season, averaging over a goal every two games. Sitting just two points above the relegation play off place, the manager will need others to step up. Motherwell defy difficult results to maintain pace Part of what makes the Premiership so special is that it really the case that anyone can beat anyone (unless it’s Celtic). Nobody will know that better than Stuart Kettlewell, whose side have lost as many games as they have won (nine) but still remain just three points off Dundee United in third. With just one win in their last six and rivals constantly tripping up over themselves, Motherwell continue to look among the favourites to finish in the top half. Tonight, the crucial point was earned by Aston Oxborough who, after two seasons sitting patiently on the bench, has looked every bit of the 1.96m colossus he is between the posts. Unfortunately football remains a team sport and 0-0 draws will not get you into the European places. Especially when that position is threatened by a rampant Hibernian, now with four wins in six and five points behind. Come Saturday, both sides will meet in Edinburgh and Motherwell have an excellent opportunity to put some real distance between themselves and the rest. Attendance: 4,601 Line-Ups: Kilmarnock (3-4-2-1): R. McCrorie, R. Deas, J. Wright, L. Mayo, C. Ndaba (B. Anderson 78’), L. Polworth, K. Magennis (J. Burroughs 65’), B. Lyons (c), B. Wales, F. Murray (D. Armstrong 77’), M. Watkins Substitutes: B. Anderson, D. Armstrong, O. Bainbridge, J. Burroughs, L. Donnelly, G. Mackay-Steven, R. McKenzie, K. O’Hara, D. Watson Motherwell (3-4-2-1): A. Oxborough, D. Casey, L. Gordon (c) (P. McGinn 58’), K. Balmer, E. Wilson, A. Halliday (K. Andrews 76’), D. Zdravkovski, M. Kaleta (S. O’Donnell 76’), J. Vale (T. Sparrow 63’), T. Maswanhise (M. Ebiye 76’), T. Watt Substitutes: K. Andrews, S. Blaney, M. Ebiye, K. Hegyi, P. McGinn, S. Nicholson, S. O’Donnell, C. Slattery, T. Sparrow Referee: Don Robertson

January 9, 2025

Dominant Celtic extend lead to 16 with Dundee United victory

Venue: Celtic Park Date: 08/01/25 Time: 19:45pm Celtic continued their canter towards the title as they put Dundee United away with little difficulty, extending their lead at the top to 16 points. United’s resistance was broken all too easily as Jack Walton’s parried Luke McCowan’s curling effort into the path of Daizan Maeda for the opener. Having kept the score to one down with less than ten minutes to go, United were punished by Reo Hatate in their hunt for an equaliser when Maeda played a neat pass that Paulo Bernardo let slide through his legs for the Japanese midfielder to finish. In truth, United were fortunate to not have conceded sooner after Auston Trusty’s header from a pinpoint Arne Engels corner crashed off the crossbar. Slightly less accurate with his first opportunity on goal, Engels could do no better than fire an effort well over the bar following a good lay off from Adam Idah. The Belgian was however unlucky to see his next long range effort deflected over the bar as United struggled to break out of their own half. Jim Goodwin’s side face more of the same in the second half but Engels continued with his struggles for a goal, firing another effort off target from outside the penalty area. Substitute Kyogo Furuhashi at least tested the keeper as his header from a corner stung Walton’s palms. It would be over an hour but eventually the visitors managed a shot on target, sensing an equaliser was within reach, Glenn Middleton forced Kasper Schmeichel into a relatively comfortable save. Having subsequently gone two down, Sam Dalby was denied a consolation goal by the Dane who held on for a clean sheet. Despite a second consecutive defeat, Dundee United remain third, level on points with the struggling Aberdeen as they travel to St Mirren on Saturday. Celtic meanwhile travel up to Dingwall to face Ross County. Line-Ups: Celtic (4-3-3): K. Schmeichel, G. Taylor, A. Trusty, C. Carter-Vickers, A. Johnston, A. Engels (Paulo Bernardo 80’), C. McGregor (c), L. McCowan (L. Palma 76’), D. Maeda, A. Idah (K. Furuhashi 62’), Yang Hyun-Jun (R. Hatate 62’) Substitutes: K. Furuhashi, Paulo Bernardo, R. Hatate, N. Kuhn, L. Palma, A. Ralston, L. Scales, V. Sinisalo, Alex Valle Dundee United (4-4-1-1): J. Walton, W. Ferry, R. Graham, D. Gallagher (c), E. Adegboyega, G. Middleton, V. Sevelj (R. Docherty 46’), R. Odada (L. Stephenson 59’), K. Fotheringham, K. Trapanovski (S. Dalby 60’), J. van der Sande (M. Thomson 78’) Substitutes: S. Harding, S. Dalby, R. Docherty, D. Richards, L. Stephenson, O. Stirton, R. Strain, M. Thomson, M. Ubochioma Referee: Kevin Clancy

January 9, 2025

Harmon strikes late at Kilmarnock to secure County’s third straight away win

Venue: Rugby Park Date: 05/01/25 Time: 15:00pm Ross County travelled back to Dingwall with their third consecutive away win, a result made all the more impressive considering they hadn’t recorded one since September 2023 prior to the run. In a lesson for the home side on how to take your chances, George Harmon was clinical in dispatching Noah Chilvers’s pass into the box with just minutes to play. Despite the result, Kilmarnock had the first real chance of the game. Fraser Murray used some fine footwork to create shooting space, forcing Jordan Amissah into a save he would need to double down on after it deflected back towards goal. However it wasn’t long before County began to impose themselves, Josh Nisbet did well to get in on goal but his centred shot made it all too easy for Robbie McCrorie to deal with. McCrorie was soon called on again, this time straining every muscle in his body to tip Connor Randall’s effort from far reaches of his box over the bar. No doubt buoyed by his earlier effort, Randall soon attempted a shot from outside the area but watched it sail over the bar. It took over an hour but eventually Kilmarnock got their first attempt on target albeit not one that troubled Amissah as David Watson could not get enough purchase on Fraser Murray’s cross. Murray’s next cross found Bruce Anderson who saw his shot deflected out for a corner but Kilmarnock could not make the set piece count. The result means Derek McInnes’ men now sit tenth, just one point above Hearts in the relegation play-off place. Attendance: 5,426 Line-Ups: Kilmarnock (4-4-2): R. McCrorie, C. Ndaba, L. Mayo, J. Wright, B. Lyons (c), F. Murray, (L. Donnelly (K. Magennis 63’), D. Watson, D. Armstrong (G. Mackay-Steven 84’), B. Anderson, I. Cameron ((M. Watkins 5’)(B. Wales 62’)) Substitutes: O. Bainbridge, A. Brown, J. Burroughs, R. Deas, G. Mackay-Steven, K. Magennis, K. O’Hara, B. Wales, M. Watkins Ross County (3-5-1-1): J. Amissah, C. Randall (c), K. Lopata, A. Wright, G. Harmon, J. Nisbet (V. Loturi 75’), N. Kenneh, J. Grieves (R. Hale 59’), J. Brown, N. Chilvers (C. Telfer 88’), J. White Substitutes: S. Allardice, E. Brophy, R. Hale, J. Hamilton, V. Loturi, J. Reid, J. Reid, M. Sheaf, C. Telfer Referee: Steven McLean

January 6, 2025

First half collapse sees St Johnstone fall to Dundee

Venue: McDiarmid Park Date: 05/01/25 Time: 15:00pm St Johnstone’s early collapse saw Dundee come out comfortable winners and leave the Perth side eight points adrift at the bottom of the table. Just three minutes into play Josh Rae flailed as he jumped to catch a lofted free kick ball, leaving Simon Murray to put the visitors on the front foot. In the tenth minute disaster struck again when St Johnstone were guilty of not clearing from a set piece allowing the ball to fall into Seb Palmer-Houlden’s feet, the 21 year old making no mistake to double his side’s lead. Folding like a deck of cards on a windy day, Simo Valakari’s men found themselves three down just twelve minutes later, Lyall Cameron finishing Mulligan’s pass into the box which could have been finished by Oluwaseun Adewumi had he not missed the ball entirely. Making two substitutions before the half hour mark, the manager look to turn things around but would earn no more than a consolation goal courtesy of Josh McPake’s long range effort. Nicky Clark came close to getting the first for the home side but could not get enough purchase on Aaron Essel’s cross as the ball skimmed over his head. Continuing in their struggles to find the target, Benjamin Kimpioka could not add a finish to his tricky footwork, ending the game goalless for the fifth time in a row before Adama Sidibeh failed to do better with his own effort. Much improved in the second half, Clark at least forced a save from Trevor Carson who endured one of his more comfortable evenings in a Dundee shirt. Palmer-Houlden probed for a second but was denied by a strong hand from Rae. Attendance: 5,246 Line-Ups: St Johnstone (4-2-3-1): J. Rae, A. Raymond (A. Essel 28’), B. Mikulic, J. Sanders, D. Wright, M. Smith (M. Kucheriavyi 28’), S. Sprangler, B. Kimpioka (J. McPake 58’), N. Clark (c), G. Carey, A. Sidibeh Substitutes: A. Brookfield, B. Dair, A. Essel, F. Franczak, C. Helpburn, D. Keltjens, M. Kucheriavyi, C. MacPherson, J. McPake Dundee (3-4-2-1): T. Carson (c), L. Graham, C. Roberston, R. Astley, S. Tiffoney, M. Sylla, L. Cameron, J. Mulligan, O. Adewumi (C. Garza 76’), S. Palmer-Houlden (C. Main 84’), S. Murray (E. Ingram 68’) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, C. Garza, E. Ingram, C. Main, J. McCracken, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Referee: David Dickinson

January 6, 2025

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