SPFL Archives - Page 4 of 7

Aberdeen go ten without a win as Motherwell triumph

Venue: Fir Park Date: 05/01/25 Time: 15:00pm Aberdeen’s recent woes continued as they fell to their 10th consecutive game without a victory, dropping into fourth and only four points ahead of Motherwell. Having been dominant throughout the first half, the home side were rewarded for their efforts when Ewan Wilson lashed home a ball the Dons had failed to clear. Desperately needing a result, Jimmy Thelin’s men did themselves no favours as Slobodan Rubezic reacted to Tony Watt’s provocations, making head contact to earn himself a straight red. Taking full advantage of the numerical advantage, Motherwell scored just two minutes later through Tawanda Maswanhise Motherwell could have opened the scoring sooner when Andy Halliday’s curling long ball found on the head of an oncoming Dan Casey who lifted his hands in disbelief after putting the effort wide. Similarly Aberdeen had chances of their own, Nicky Devlin leapt into the air to head in an corner but Aston Oxborough did ever so well to deny the Scotland international. Looking improved with ten men, the visitors continued to probe for an opener, Duk guilty of not setting himself correctly to put away a ball Topi Keskinen sent skimming across the turf. Leighton Clarkson came closest, his effort from distance beating Oxborough but rattling the crossbar and bouncing away. Late on Maswanhise saw his effort fly low past Kris Doohan’s left hand side but by then game looked over as Motherwell secured their first win in five. Attendance: 5,308 Line-Ups: Motherwell (3-4-2-1): A. Oxborough, D. Casey, L. Gordon (c), K. Balmer (P. McGinn 86’), E. Wilson, A. Halliday, D. Zdravkovski (T. Sparrow 78’), M. Kaleta, T. Watt (C. Slattery 86’), T. Maswanhise (S. Nicholson 78’), M. Ebiye (J. Vale 68’) Substitutes: S. Blaney, K. Hegyi, J. Koutroumbis, P. McGinn, S. Nicholson, S. O’Donnell, C. Slattery, T. Sparrow, J. Vale Aberdeen (4-3-3): R. Doohan, J. MacKenzie (J. McGarry 72’), A. MacDonald (L. Clarkson 46’), S. Rubezic, N. Devlin, G. Shinnie (c), S. Heltne Nilsen, A. Palaversa (P. Ambrose 80’), Duk, K. Nisbet (D. Polvara 46’), T. Keskinen (S. Morris 72’) Substitutes: P. Ambrose, F. Boyd, V. Enem, J. McGarry, J. McGrath, S. Morris, L. Clarkson, D. Polvara, T. Ritchie Referee: Nick Walsh

January 6, 2025

Igamane hat-trick not enough as resilient Hibs earn point

Venue: Easter Road Date: 05/01/25 Time: 12:00pm A perfect hat-trick for Hamza Igamane could not put away a spirited Hibs as Rangers dropped points for the third time in four games. Having been denied by Jordan Smith in the third minute, the Moroccan striker opened his account when he was first to meet Ianis Hagi’s cross. Continuing to knock at Hibernian’s door, Igamane doubled his and Rangers’ tally with an excellent header from Nedim Bajrami’s cross. Never looking like giving in, the home side responded through Martin Boyle, after the striker was teed up by Rock Bushiri’s header. As David Gray’s men continued to apply the pressure, they were soon rewarded when Ianis Hagi went from hero to villain, briging Chris Cadden down in the box with Boyle dispatching the spot kick to level the score. Their efforts seemed in vain as Igamane fired home his third and tenth goal in just eleven games after Cerny did well to find the striker with another low ball across goal. Down but never out, Bushiri’s header to bring the score the 3-3 epitomised the fighting spirit of a side that has gone from the foot of the table to undefeated in six games. Igamane was furious as he failed to add an remarkable fourth, beating Bushiri and racing through on goal but his shot was just wide as Hibs secured a crucial point. Both sides had their chances but Rangers will rue not putting the game to bed in the first half. Bajrami had an opportunity early on as Cerny’s pinpoint ball send the Albanian through on goal but Hibs put bodies on the line to deflect the ball out for a corner and would do the same soon after as Igamane continued to hound the home side’s goalmouth. David Gray has Jordan Smith to thank for keeping his side in it, denying Bajrami, Cerny and Igamane who continued to unleash attempts on goal lest Smith lose his focus for a split second. Hibs however grew into the game as Lewis Miller recovered from a nervy start to thunder an effort from outside the box, stinging the palms of keeper Kelly before his header seemed certain to have put his side ahead just a minute later. Kelly looked a grateful man as he watched the ball bounce off the inside of his post and back into his hands but the message was clear, Hibs were not finished yet. Following the late equaliser they looked set to hang on for a point until Igamane raced past Bushiri and in on goal with time almost up but his shot could only hit the post. Rangers have now dropped seven points in their last four games as they look to turn things around away to Dundee on Thursday. Igamane can’t lift makeshift defence Not even Clement himself would have predicted that just a few months on from playing in Morocco, Hamza Igamane would be the side’s most valuable player. Ten goals in eleven games is astonishing improvement on the one he manged in the eleven prior but the striker continues to rescue his team from their defensive woes, having scored both goals in their draw against Motherwell. Despite a hat-trick, the man who is yet to receive a senior cap could not hide the fact that Rangers continue to be the architects of their own downfall. Much was expected from the side after trouncing Celtic 3-0 but careless defending and an mishandling of the game tactically meant they gave themselves little to no chance of catching the current champions. Clement’s problems do not stop there after he watched Dujon Sterling, already playing in an unfamiliar centre-back role due to the absence of John Souttar and Leon Balogun, limp off the field and be replaced by Leon King. Now as they travel to Dundee in just four days time, they will need to rely on a defender who up until had yet to play a senior minute this season. Dogged Hibs transformed After one win from their opening fourteen games, there was little surprise as rumours circulated that manager David Gray was for the chop. Now with just one defeat in eight, Gray reserves to right to feel a little smug as his side find themselves a hair’s length from the top six. His remarked determination to confront the club’s problems header looks to have seeped into his players who never gave up despite going two goals down before the half hour mark. Nicky Cadden continues to look like a fish in water as a wing-back, firing crosses in a causing his opposite number trouble to no end. The turnaround however, is most epitomised by Martin Boyle whose two goals are indicative of a player who looks to have put one of his most difficult starts to a season safely in distance. In the post-match conference, Gray joked that he would have laughed if someone had suggested to him that Boyle might one day be captain and yet, he now embodies the fighting spirit that has seen the Hibees pull away from their Edinburgh rivals. As the race for the top half intensifies, there is plenty of evidence to suggest they could be up and amongst it. What the mangers said: Hibs boss David Gray: “Massive credit to the players for the second half performance and hanging in there in the first half to be honest. “I’ve had to sit and answer a lot of questions about the character of the group but they’ve answered that numerous times in recent weeks. “I joke with [Martin Boyle] with quite a lot because when he joined the club, if you’d said to me he was going to turn out to be a Hibs captain one day I would have laughed at you but he’s matured into that role.” Rangers boss Philippe Clement: “It’s a frustrating afternoon to lose three points. “I don’t understand the penalty situation. It’s a small collision between two players at top

January 5, 2025

Hamza Igamane could be new Ibrox hero but will Clement risk over-dependency?

Hamza Igamane has been the face of Rangers side on the mend despite some testing results in recent weeks, his second half cameo against Motherwell producing two goals reminiscent of forwards of old. The Moroccan embodies the return of grit and steel to the position of striker at Ibrox, a role occupied by distinguished figures in the club’s recent history. However with eight games left to play in January alone, including Hibernian on Sunday, Philippe Clement faces one of his biggest tests in management. The Rangers boss was widely mocked for his decision to bench Igamane and Vaclav Cerny against Motherwell on the back of advice from the sports science department. Yet as he chases the Europa League, Scottish Cup and arch rivals Celtic in the league, he will be depending on the 22 year old to the point of potential injury or, risk his own future at the club should alternatives fail to deliver. In good company Far from earning their acclaim as false nines, striker’s have made names for themselves at Ibrox through tenacity and a relentless pursuit of goals. As a new year rolls on, the classic centre forward of days gone by remains just as adored now as it was then. Through the seasons, there have been those who have earned that kind of legendary status by delivering on a long term basis, à la Kris Boyd who finished four of his five seasons with Rangers as the league’s top scorer. Igamane is a long way from that and it is more than likely he will be off long before Boyd’s five years, let alone Ally McCoist’s fifteen, with rumours already swirling that he has attracted interested from clubs in England. Yet others have left their mark in far less time at Glasgow side. Nikica Jelavic spent just a year and a half at the club but has remained a firm favourite amongst fans ever since. Helped in no small part by his contributions to driving the side to a league title and a winner against Celtic in the League Cup to make it a double in 2011. Always looking a cut above, he terrorised defenders with 30 goals in just 45 games but eventually the lure of the Premier League proved too strong, making his way to Everton in January 2012. Despite the short stint, Jelavic is always a welcomed addition to the club’s ‘Legends’ games over a decade since leaving. It is too early to say if Igamane will have the same impact of the Croatian or his strike partner in 2010-11, Kenny Miller, who managed an eye watering 21 goals in 18 games to win his third consecutive title at the club during his second of three spells with Rangers. However with seven goals in ten games, including a double against Nice and a leveller against Tottenham, he seems to be on the right track. Considering Igamane had managed just one in the eleven prior, it shows a remarkable improvement from a player who didn’t immediately hit the ground running as the aforementioned players did. A lack of mental fortitude has been the stick with which this Rangers squad have been beaten as candidates up front struggled to replicate the steel of the last striker to etch his name into folklore. Fiery boots to fill Alfredo Morelos is as much loved at Ibrox as he is hated by fans from every club he has faced. Seemingly as likely to score as he was to be sent off, the Colombian did not have the goal return of those before him but his win at all costs attitude propelled Rangers to a first Premiership title in a decade to stop Celtic winning the coveted ‘ten in a row’. His time at the club ended on a slightly sour note, Morelos took every opportunity to express a desire to move away from the club as his contract ran down but Rangers have since struggled desperately to replicate his impact. Following his exit, a flurry of players auditioned for the part of ‘Ibrox hero number nine’ but none quite fit the bill. Kemer Roofe had his moments but his time in Glasgow was blighted by injuries as he was never able to be relied on during his four years at the club. Three time Croatian international Antonio Colak’s star burned bright albeit briefly. An impressive 13 goals in 17 games was as good as it got before fading with niggles of his own and poor form. Michael Beale arrived and sent the frontman packing to Parma after just one season in favour of Danilo and Cyriel Dessers. The club are only just starting to see some return on their investment in the Brazilian and the much maligned Dessers has never felt the love from fans and his time at the club seems to be coming to an end. Despite 22 goals in all competitions last season, which is no bad return, the striker’s perpetual habit of missing clear cut chances has not helped the fact that he does not fit the moult of the classic centre forward Rangers supporters have come to expect. The question now is whether the ever growing weight of expectation will prove too heavy for the young man. A New Hope Igamane was not even included in the first three league squads of the campaign but just a few months on Clement would struggle to name a starting line-up without him. Dessers was given a rare start against Motherwell in the last game of 2024 but had little to celebrate going into the new year as he was hauled off at the break and Igamane was tasked with salvaging something from the wreckage. Two goals and a point that prevented a second consecutive defeat for the side highlights a growing dependency that has been compounded by the demand from fans to kickstart a run of wins off the back of their performance at Celtic. Games against Manchester United and Union Saint-Gilloise in

January 4, 2025

Sam Dalby strikes again to leave St Johnstone at foot of the table

Venue: McDiarmid Park Date: 26/12/24 Time: 15:00 Dundee United’s impressive first season since promotion continued as they battled to beat St Johnstone on the road. Makenzie Kirk was the author of the afternoon’s first goal with a fine driven strike past Jack Walton just a minute before the half ended. Glenn Middleton caught the hosts napping, firing a shot that nestled between Josh Rae and the post to level the score. In an almost inevitable conclusion to matters, Sam Dalby sealed the three points with a timely to meet Vicko Sevelj cross for his chart topping ninth of the season. Kirk had a chance to put his side ahead even soon in the first half but Walton was alert with a strong save. The striker continued to probe but his second half attempt unable to hit the target. United struggled in the first half but did have a chance, Jason Holt twice denied by home bodies as he failed to convert Kevin Holt’s cross. Drey Wright lashed an attempt for the home side but needed more accuracy to not send it straight into the keeper’s arms. As the second half progressed Dundee United seized control of the game, Kai Fotheringham denied only by Rae putting his body in the way. Dalby almost grabbed a second but his finish slowly rolled wide of the post. Declan Gallagher made headlines for the wrong reasons after lunging in to 15 with his studs up to earn a straight red card. The numerical disadvantage almost finished by a leaping Jack Sanders who was kept out by a leaping Walton. Unable to come away with a result, St Johnstone remain bottom of the table without a win in five. Line-Ups: St Johnstone: J. Rae, K. Cameron, B. Mikulic, J. Sanders, J. Holt (c) (M. Smith 73′), G. Carey, S. Sprangler (A. Essel 86′), D. Wright, D. Keltjens (A. Sidibeh 62′), B. Kimpioka (N. Clark 62′), M. Kirk Substitutes: A. Essel, F. Franczak, M. Kucheriavyi, N. Clark, L. Neilson, A. Raymond, A. Sidibeh, R. Sinclair, M. Smith Dundee United: J. Walton, K. Holt, D. Gallagher (c), E. Adegboyega, W. Ferry, V. Sevelj (L. Stephenson 82′), R. Odada (R. Docherty 71′), R. Strain, G. Middleton (R. Graham 94′), K. Fotheringham (K. Trapanovski 71′), S. Dalby (J. van der Sande 82′) Substitutes: D. Babunski, R. Doherty, R. Graham, D. Richards, L. Stephenson, M. Thomson, K. Trapanovski, M. Ubochioma, J. van der Sande Referee: Kevin Clancy

December 27, 2024

County down Dundee for first away win in 15 months

Venue: Dens Park Date: 26/12/24 Time: 15:00 An inspired Noah Chilvers put Dundee to the sword to ensure a first away win for Ross County since September 2023. Chilvers made his first goal for the club count with a pinpoint finish from outside the box. Dundee’s sloppiness in possession made their attempts at a comeback all the more difficult as Mo Sylla was caught out by Chilvers to put Josh Nisbet in on goal and stretch their advantage. With the game already lost, the home side could not keep their discipline, Josh Mulligan’s foul on Nisbet giving County a penalty with Jordan White making no mistake from the spot. Chilvers had attempted the miraculous in trying to catch Trevor Carson off his line from halfway but it could only land on the roof of the net. Mulligan was the first to make Ross Laidlaw work with as the County keeper parried the effort to keep the visitors at bay. Ronan Hale had come close to adding a second but Carson did well to deny the striker. An afternoon of attempted wonder goals continued with Sylla, whose volley from outside the box dragged just wide. Unfortunately for Tony Docherty his side spent most of the game defending for their lives, Ryan Astley put his body on the line to keep Ryan Leak out. The result means 10th place County sit just a point behind Dundee. Attendance: 5, 207 Line-Ups: Dundee: T. Carson, B. Koumetio, A. Portales (S. Kelly 46′), R. Astley, J. McGhee (F. Roberston 46′), J. Mulligan, L. Cameron, M. Sylla, S. Tiffoney (E. Ingram 68′), O. Adewumi (S. Palmer-Houlden 68′), S. Murray (C. Main 68′) Substitutes: S. Braybrooke, E. Ingram, S. Kelly, C. Main, J. McCracken, S. Palmer-Houlden, F. Robertson, H. Sharp, J. Vetro Ross County: J. Amissah, R. Leak, K. Lopata, A. Wright, G. Harmon, C. Randall (c), J. Grieves (J. White 60′), A. Denholm (J. Nisbet 34′), M. Efete, N. Chilvers (C. Telfer 79′), R. Hale (E. Brophy 78′) Substitutes: S. Allardice, E. Brophy, J. Brown, J. Hamilton, V. Loturi, J. Nisbet, J. Reid, C. Telfer, J. White Referee: Don Robertson

December 27, 2024

Aberdeen’s woes continue as Kilmarnock score four

Venue: Rugby Park Date: 26/12/24 Time: 15:00 Aberdeen’s abysmal form continued as Kilmarnock made sure they returned north without a win in seven games. In the face of a difficult season, Kyle Vassell stepped up to open the scoring for the home side, meeting Fraser Murray’s cross but needing a second stab at the ball to get it over the line. David Watson surrounded by three Aberdeen defenders finished a Danny Armstrong cross to deflate Jimmy Thelin’s men. Substitute Innes Cameron put paid to the visitors’ hopes with a deft chip after Murray continued to dazzle for Derek McInes’ side. Bruce Anderson’s finish in added time ensured it would be an even longer trip back to Aberdeen, who should have no qualms about the final score. The signs were there from the off with the Dons looking unrecognisable from the side that had been neck and neck with Celtic just weeks ago, David Watson putting the first big chance of the game wide was the start of an onslaught. Duk made a goal line clearance to prevent Joe Wright from putting Killie ahead. Nicky Devlin had a chance for the visitors but could not put his attempt on target. Bobby Wales continued his breakout season with an impressive performance but his cross late in the first half was unfortunate to not find a target to prod in a second. Dimitar Mitov continued to show why he has been an inspired signing despite the poor run of form, a fantastic save keeping out Murray from distance. The Kilmarnock forward could have scored not long after his first but could not direct his shot goal bound. With three points in their pocket the home side moved to within five points of the play off places. Attendance: 6, 846 Line-ups: Kilmarnock: R. McCrorie, C. Ndaba, J. Wright, L. Mayo, B. Lyons, F. Murray (O. Bainbridge 89′), L. Polworth (K. Magennis 84′), D. Watson, D. Armstrong (L. Donnelly 84′), K. Vassell (c) (B. Anderson 84′), B. Wales (I. Cameron 84′) Substitutes: B. Anderson, O. Bainbridge, J. Burroughs, I. Cameron, L. Donnelly, G. Mackay-Steven, K. Magennis, R. McKenzie, K. O’Hara Aberdeen: D. Mitov, J. MacKenzie, A. MacDonald, S. Rubezic, N. Devlin, G. Shinnie (c) (K. Nisbet 68′), S. Heltne Nilsen (A. Palaversa 61′), T. Keskinen (L. Clarkson 60′), J. McGrath, Duk, P. Ambrose (S. Morris 61′) Substitutes: R. Doohan, J. McGarry, G. Molloy, S. Morris, K. Nisbet, L. Clarkson, A. Palaversa, D. Polvara, E. Sokler Referee: Calum Scott

December 26, 2024

Celtic hand Motherwell a Boxing Day pummelling

Venue: Celtic Park Date: 26/12/24 Time: 15:00 Motherwell were powerless to prevent a Celtic rout as the Glasgow side ended the day with a twelve point lead at the top of the table. Aston Oxborough was the guilty party as he caught an oncoming Yang Hyun-Jun to gift Celtic a penalty minutes before the first half ended which Arne Engels duly converted to open the scoring. Celtic’s unrelenting pressure continued to pay dividends when Daizen Maeda doubled the home side’s advantage, reaching Liam Scales’ glancing header first with a headed ball of his own. Perhaps more fortunate with their third, Oxborough could do nothing when Nicolas Kuhn’s shot from outside the penalty area was deflected by Kofi Balmer. Reo Hatate added the cherry on top as he mazed past Motherwell’s defenders to fire in the fourth and final goal of the evening. An ever present Maeda came close to breaking the deadlock early on, when he found himself in the path of McGregor’s deflected shot but couldn’t get the beating of Oxborough. Calamity soon followed when the Japanese forward attempted to slot the ball past the keeper but was denied by an outstretched leg as bodies flew in to deal with the follow up, the visitors able to clear their lines. Maeda was once again involved to cut a low ball across to Idah but the striker’s attempt lacked the conviction to give his side the lead. Motherwell came close when Marvin Kaleta’s header from a cross was accidentally saved on the line by his teammate and former Celtic player Tony Watt. Engels was dangerous on set pieces throughout but his free kick in the second half could not dip in time to test the man between the posts. Line-ups: Celtic: K. Schmeichel, G. Taylor (Alex Valle 78′), L. Scales, C. Carter-Vickers, A. Ralston, Paulo Bernardo (R. Hatate 63′), C. McGregor (c), A. Engels (L. McCowan 72′), D. Maeda, A. Idah (K. Furuhashi 63′), Yang Hyun-Jun (N. Kuhn 63′) Substitutes: K. Furuhashi, R. Hatate, N. Kuhn, L. McCowan, L. Palma, V. Sinisalo, A. Trusty, Alex Valle, S. Welsh Motherwell: A. Oxborough, S. Blaney, K. Balmer, D. Casey, E. Wilson, L. Miller (c), H. Paton (S. Nicholson 72′), M. Kaleta (S. O’Donnell 79′), T. Maswanhise (Jair Tavares 79′), T. Sparrow (A. Halliday 63′), T. Watt (A. Stamatelopoulos 63′) Substitutes: M. Ebiye, L. Gordon, A. Halliday, K. Hegyi, S. Nicholson, S. O’Donnell, A. Stamatelopoulos, D. Zdravkovski, Jair Tavares Referee: Ross Hardie

December 26, 2024

Retiring Gayle breaks Hearts in Edinburgh derby

Venue: Tynecastle Park Date: 26/12/24 Time: 12:30 Hibernian fans will be begging Dwight Gayle to reconsider his retirement at the end of the season after his derby winner pushed the Leith side to just four points off the play-off places. Using all of his nous, the 35 year old met Nicky Cadden’s fantastic cross with the slightest touch to take the ball past Craig Gordon. A Kye Rowles own goal put Hibs in front after just nine minutes, deflecting Josh Campbell’s header past a helpless Gordon. The visitors looked to have shot themselves in the foot when Rocky Bushiri’s own goal allowed Hearts to draw level against the run of play after the defender mishit his attempt to clear Lawrence Shankland’s header. Despite being under the cosh for large parts of the game, Neil Critchley’s men had opportunities to get themselves on the scoreboard beforehand. Musa Drammeh could not put James Penrice’s cross on target, heading far wide of Jordan Smith’s goal. His next attempt was improved, albeit slightly, hitting the target but failing to trouble the keeper. Aside from the header leading to the goal, Shankland endured a frustrating afternoon, firing a couple of shots straight into Smith’s arms. Hearts were fortunate not to go two when Gordon spilled Nicky Cadden’s low driving shot from outside the box, the home side’s blushes spared by Hibs not having a poacher to profit from the mishap. The Scotland international quickly made amends using almost every part of his body, denying Chris Cadden with his legs and later flinging himself to meet goal bound attempts from Campbell and Elie Youan before his chest kept Cadden out once again. With the defeat Hearts drop back to 11th in the table, just two points off the bottom. Attendance: 18,726 Line-ups: Hearts: C. Gordon, J. Penrice, K. Rowles, C. Halkett (L. Boyce 85′), D. Oyegoke, B. Baningime (M. Boateng 78′), C. Devlin, B. Spittal (Y. Dhanda 70′), L. Shankland (c), M. Drammeh (K. Vargas 79′), J. Wilson Substitutes: M. Boateng, L. Boyce, Z. Clark, Y. Dhanda, A. Forrest, A. Forrester, J. Grant, A. Salazar, K. Vargas Hibs: J. Smith, J. Iredale, R. Bushiri, W. O’Hora (L. Miller 77′), N. Cadden (J. Obita 85′), J. Newell (c), (Kwon Hyeok-Kyu 69′), N. Triantis, C. Cadden, J. Campbell, E. Youan (D. Gayle 68′), M. Boyle Substitutes: L. Amos, J. Bursik, D. Gayle, J. Hoilett, Kwon Hyeok-Kyu, D. Levitt, L. Miller, N. Moriah-Welsh, J. Obita Referee: Nick Walsh

December 26, 2024

Birthday boy Penrice helps send St Johnstone bottom

Venue: Tynecastle Park Date: 22/12/24 Time: 15:00 Hearts responded to the their humiliating midweek exit from the Europa Conference League to earn a crucial three points and ensure St Johnstone fell to the foot of the table. After just fifteen minutes a towering header from Penrice, celebrating his 26th birthday, met Adam Forrester’s long ball into the box to open the scoring. Penrice soon found himself giving out gifts after his handball in the box allowed substitute Graham Carey to level the score eight minutes after the break. Hearts responded just five minutes leader when Blair Spittal met a cleared header from a corner and lashed home the winner from outside the box. The home side had the lions’ share of chances throughout the encounter. James Wilson had an opportunity to put Hearts ahead after cutting past Josh Rae to find an empty goal, albeit at a difficult angle, but the shot was lacking the right connection as it fizzled to allow the Saints to clear. Hearts were denied again later in the half as Bozo Mikulic’s mishit clearance fired straight at his own goal but a reflexive save from Rae was able to keep the score down. Rae was called into action multiple times after that, first when Penrice’s shot met Lawrence Shankland’s head, but the striker could not get the requisite power to trouble the keeper before denying Kenneth Vargas and Alan Forrest with a double save late on. Adama Sidibeh wasted his side’s best opportunity of the game, driving the ball forward holding off the Hearts defence only to send his attempt wide. Line-ups: Hearts: C. Gordon, J. Penrice, K. Rowles, D. Oyegoke, A. Forrester, B. Spittal (K. Vargas 80’), M. Boateng, C. Devlin, M. Drammeh (A. Forrest 61’), L. Shankland (c) (L. Boyce 94’), J. Wilson Substitutes: L. Boyce, Z. Clark, Y. Dhanda, A. Forrest, J. Grant, C. Halkett, A. Salazar, M. Tait, K. Vargas St Johnstone: J. Rae, A. Raymond (G. Carey 46’), B. Mikulic, J. Sanders, A. Essel (D. Keltjens 83’), B. Kimpioka, J. Holt (c) (M. Smith 83’), S. Sprangler, D. Wright, M. Kirk, A. Sidibeh Substitutes: A. Brookfield, G. Carey, B. Dair, F. Franczak, D. Keltjens, M. Kucheriavyi, J. McPake, R. Sinclair, M. Smith Referee: John Beaton

December 23, 2024

Boyle on target as resurgent Hibs down Dons

Venue: Pittodrie Stadium Date: 21/12/24 Time: 15:00 Hibernian continued their impressive turnaround to pile further misery on Jimmy Thelin’s Aberdeen as they dropped to third behind Rangers, following a sixth game without a win. Topi Keskinen opened the scoring as the Dons dominated the opening stages of the game but an error from Rubezic allowed Martin Boyle to tee up Elie Youan to level the score just four minutes later. Keskinen was unlucky not to double his tally, first after a delicate Leighton Clarkson chip saw unable to untangle himself and finish and not long after when his curling shot from outside the box rattled the post. An unmarked Nicky Cadden lashed home a second for the visitors by the far post after a pinpoint cross from Boyle. Defensive mishaps were once again Aberdeen’s undoing in the second half, far too open in the midfield as Boyle, in yet another involvement, was on the end of a Nectarios Triantis pass into space for only his third goal of the season. The win sees David Gray’s side move of up to a season high eighth place. Attendance: 18,375 Line-ups: Aberdeen: R. Doohan, J. MacKenzie, G. Molloy, S. Rubezic, N. Devlin (S. Morris 77’), G. Shinnie (c) (A. Palaversa 77’), S. Heltne Nilsen (Duk 77’), T. Keskinen, L. Clarkson (D. Polvara 59’), J. McGrath, E. Sokler (P. Ambrose 59’) Substitutes: P. Ambrose, Duk, A. MacDonald, J. McGarry, S. Morris, K. Nisbet, A. Palaversa, D. Polvara, T. Ritchie Hibernian: J. Smith, J. Iredale, R. Bushiri, W. O’Hora (L. Miller 51’), N. Cadden, J. Newell (c) (Kwon Hyeok-Kyu 60’), N. Triantis, C. Cadden (J. Obita 88’), J. Campbell, E. Youan, M. Boyle Substitutes: L. Amos, J. Bursik, D. Gayle, J. Hoilett, Kwon Hyeok-Kyu, D. Levitt, L. Miller, N. Moriah-Welsh, J. Obita Referee: Steven McLean

December 22, 2024

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