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Hunt For First League Win Continues For Both Dundee and Motherwell

Dundee and Motherwell shared the points on a rainy afternoon in the ‘City of Discovery’, with goals from Tawanda Maswanhise and Luke Graham either side of half time ensuring a share of the spoils for both sides in a 1-1 draw at Dens’ Park. The result means that Dundee have drawn three and lost two in the league so far under new head coach Steven Pressley, whilst Motherwell remain undefeated after drawing all of their Premiership fixtures so far. It was a very principled performance from the Steelmen in the first half, playing a fast tempo style of play that has become synonymous with new gaffer Jens Berthel Askou, patiently playing out from the back and when an opening presented itself, they attacked with speed and exploited the gaps. As for Dundee, they probably soaked in more pressure than they would have liked to in the first period, opting to play a more direct style, with long balls unsuccessfully going over the top to frustrated lone striker Simon Murray. Ultimately, this played into the hands of Motherwell, who dominated the first half and looked to be the only side trying to score, yet regretfully they found themselves only ahead by one. Winger Tawanda Maswanhise collected the ball from a narrow position halfway inside the Dundee half, and drove to the right to get a shot on his favoured right foot, firing it passed Jon McCracken in the Dark Blues net, putting the visitors a goal to the good with just over half an hour played. The Zimbabwean’s tally now stands at 7 in all competitions. Motherwell continued with their constant threatening on the break, with Dundee outnumbered numerous times and seemingly spared by Calum Scott’s halftime whistle which killed the backlog of momentum generated by the ‘Well. The home fans made their feelings known to Pressley and his side as boos rang around Dens’ as the players headed up the tunnel. Whatever Steven Pressley said at halftime, it certainly done wonders for the hosts. Cameron Congreve, who had just come on at the break, drove down the right hand side and crossed the ball in for centre back Luke Graham to produce a powerful header beyond Calum Ward and level the scoring, not even two minutes after the restart. And they were so nearly ahead come the 50th minute. A looping ball was played into the Motherwell area, met by a diving Simon Murray, but only went as far as the side netting, with many in Dundee’s main stand believing the captain had scored. An even bigger chance for Murray went begging just five minutes later. Congreve was denied a second assist after he put the ball on a plate for his captain who was just 10 yards from goal, but he dragged his effort wide of the post as his hunt for his first goal of the league season goes on after 15 last campaign. Motherwell showed signs of their first half performance again in the closing half hour, with their biggest chance coming 13 minutes from time. Goalscorer Maswanhise could have made it a double when he was played in, but his first time effort was beaten away by McCracken. Dundee would be reduced to ten men just five minutes from time. Loanee Yan Dhanda, who signed for the season from Hearts, was given his marching orders following a high challenge on Motherwell’s Lukas Fadinger. The visitors from North Lanarkshire face a double header against Aberdeen next, travelling to Pittodrie in the cup before hosting them the week after in the league, As for Steven Pressley’s men, they will be in league action next weekend looking to pick up some points against Livingston at home. DUNDEE: McCracken 7 , C. Robertson 5, Astley 6, Wright 5, F. Robertson 6 (Jones 1), Murray 4 (Samuels 1), Yogane 6 (Hay 3), Westley 4 (Congreve 7), Dhanda 3, Graham 6, Hamilton 5 MOTHERWELL: Ward 5, Gordon 5, Stamatelopoulos 5 (Osong 4), Fadinger 6, Maswanhise 8, Watt 6, Koutroumbis 5 (O’Donnell 4), Longelo 6, Welsh 6 (Balmer 5), Charles-Cook 5 (Just 4), Said 6(Priestman 3)

September 13, 2025

Scotland Remain Unbeaten After Sweeping Aside Belarus

Scotland maintained their unbeaten start in their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after a workmanlike 2-0 victory over Belarus. Despite it being an away match, Belarus are under a UEFA sanction which forbids them hosting any games, as well as playing any in front of fans. This meant that the game was held in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, in front of a crowd of 0. Goals from Che Adams and an own goal from Belarusian defender Zakhar Volkov were all that was needed for Scotland, in what was a very convincing performance as they picked up all the points in their second qualifier of the campaign. Scotland lived up to their tags as favourites and imposed themselves in the opening quarter of an hour. It looked like Billy Gilmour may have won a penalty 15 minutes in, but the referee and VAR correctly awarded a Belarus goal kick. Just two minutes later, the Napoli midfielder chested down a cross from Ben Gannon Doak and fired a half volley goal wards from the edge of the box, but this was saved by Fedor Lapoukhov. Gilmour’s club teammate and Ballon D’Or nominee Scott McTominay came even closer just on the half hour mark, where he got onto the end of Max Johnston’s first time lobbed cross, but his stabbed effort went wide of the mark. Gilmour again nearly gave Scotland the lead with a low bullet being saved onto the post just minutes before the half time break, but from this the ball broke to John McGinn, who curled a cross in from wide right, which was met by McTominay who headed it across the six yard box for Torino forward Che Adams to slide on to as the two Serie A players linked up to put the Scots ahead just before half time. The workmanlike performance continued from Scotland as they continued to impose themselves on the game, with McTominay putting a trademark leaping header straight down the Belarus keeper’s throat eight minutes after the restart. But the two goal cushion came 25 minutes from time, with Gilmour and Adams playing a neat one-two, finalised with a Gilmour header being knocked into the Belarus net by Volkov. Che Adams could’ve had a double on the 81st minute. The striker, who scored his 10th goal for his national side tonight, opted to round the goalkeeper after a zipped ball into his feet from captain Andy Robertson, with the resulting effort cleared off the line by Pavel Zabelin. Scotland now have 4 points from their opening two matches, tonight and a resolute 0-0 draw away to Denmark, and have a great opportunity in the October international break to stamp their authority on the shaping of the group with a Hampden double header against Greece and Belarus respectively. SCOTLAND: Gunn 6, Robertson 7, McKenna 7, Souttar 6, Johnston 6 (Hickey 2), Ferguson 6, Gilmour 8 (McLean 1), McGinn 7, McTominay 7 (Miller 1), Doak 8 (Christie 2), Adams 7 (Dykes 1) BELARUS: Lapoukhov 6, Pechenin 5 (Malkevich 2), Zabelin 6, Volkov 4 (Demchenko 2), Parkhomenko 5, Karpovich 4 (Pigas 5), Ebong 5, Kalinin 6, Myakish 5 (Gromyko 3), Barkovskiy 5, Malashevich 4 (Melnichenko 4)

September 8, 2025

Steve Clarke Names His Squad As Scotland Kick Off Their World Cup Qualifying Campaign

With another qualification campaign around the corner, Steve Clarke has named his squad for the first set of World Cup qualifiers against Denmark and Belarus. The goalkeeping department was a major issue in June’s friendlies against Iceland and Lichtenstein. Steve Clarke however, has a full roster available this time round. Angus Gunn, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly the chosen three after returning from injuries. It does remain to be seen who will take the number one shirt with Gunn and Kelly back-ups at their respective clubs meanwhile, Zander Clark has endured a difficult few weeks between the sticks at club level. Aaron Hickey returns to the squad for the first time since 2023 when he played in a 2-0 defeat away to Spain. Andy Robertson, John Souttar, Grant Hanley and Scott McKenna remain ever present in the defensive selections. There’s also a place for Max Johnston who has went from strength to strength since switching Motherwell for Austria. He’s just made a move to the English Championship with Derby County. Balon D’Or nominee Scott McTominay who is the go to man for the big occasions has been called up in midfield alongside John McGinn, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Ferguson, and Ryan Christie. Fresh from a move to Italian side Udinese Lennon Miller also retains his place after an impressive first showing in a Scotland jersey in June. Ben Gannon Doak has returned from injury and makes the squad his electric pace and ability to take players on will be much welcome boost for the tartan army faithful. The youngster impressed on loan at Middlesbrough last season i and will be looking to take his impressive form in pre-season from club to country. Lyndon Dykes is another returnee from injury who has made the squad. He will be looking to reignite his partnership with Torino forward Che Adams. George Hirst who picked up his first Scotland goal against Lichenstein returns to the squad for the qualifiers. However, the most notable inclusion is that of Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie. The 22 year old has made a fast start to the season with 3 goals in 7 appearances including a goal of the season contender against Partizan Belgrade . It marks his first inclusion in the senior squad. He will be hoping for a chance to stake his claim for a jersey. He last scored in a Scotland jersey back in 2023 for the under-21 side. Scotland take on Denmark on the 5th September before travelling to take on Belarus 3 days later. Squad Goalkeepers: Angus Gunn, Zander Clark, Liam Kelly Defenders: Grant Hanley, Jack Hendry, Aaron Hickey, Dom Hyam, Max Johnston, Scott McKenna, Anthony Ralston Andy Robertson, John Souttar, Kieran Tierney Midfielders: Ryan Christie, Lewis Ferguson, Ben Gannon Doak, Billy Gilmour, John McGinn, Kenny McLean, Scott McTominay, Lennon Miller Forwards: Ché Adams, Kieron Bowie, Lyndon Dykes, George Hirst 💬 Have Your Say What do you think? Let us know in the comments or on social media @SNNsports.

August 31, 2025

Partick Thistle Avoid Scare to Defeat Raith Rovers

Partick Thistle halted a Raith Rovers comeback as they defeated a side that came back from two goals down 3-2 at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill. This result inflicts Raith with their first league defeat of the campaign, with Thistle now unbeaten since their opening day 5-1 thrashing to St. Johnstone and find themselves level on points with today’s travelling side. The hosts raced in front with a blistering performance in the opening quarter of an hour of the game, with journeyman talisman Tony Watt giving the Jags the lead in the 7th minute of the game, when he slid onto the end of a low cross courtesy of Thistle academy graduate Aidan Fitzpatrick who’s work down the left wing made it all happen. Fitzpatrick would score one of his own just six minutes later, cutting onto his right foot with the use of a couple of stopovers, and putting his laces through the ball to bury it passed Josh Rae in the away goal. Thistle remained on top of the visitors up until the 20th minute which is when the momentum began to shift in favour of the Kirkcaldy side, when Partick Thistle captain Lee Ashcroft brought down Raith forward Paul McMullan inside the box and was booked for his troubles. Dylan Easton took the spot kick, and sent goalkeeper Josh Clarke the wrong way as he tucked the ball into the bottom left corner the goal. Raith found inspiration from this avenue back into the match and really began to take the game to Mark Wilson’s side, eventually finding an equaliser after being two behind so early on in the 36th minute. McMullan chased an aerial long ball and chested it down to put himself through one on one with Clarke. He took it round the Thistle goalkeeper but the angle was unkind to him, leaving him with no option but to square it back across for midfielder Ross Matthews to hammer home and level the scoring. Many of the Thistle faithful had their hearts in their mouths on the 65th minute when Raith striker Lewis Vaughan went down inside the box, with many fearing the home side had conceded another penalty. Alas, the referee brandished his yellow card to Vaughan for simulation. Thistle reclaimed their lead 16 minutes from time, as both of their wingers combined to give them the advantage. Aidan Fitzpatrick again with some stunning play down that left flank to beat his man, before his left footed cross zipped across the box for Logan Chalmers to run onto the end of at the back post to smash it goal wards to net his 5th goal of the season in all competitions. There was a couple of late scares of an equaliser for Raith in the dying minutes of the game. Jack Hamilton had a chance to level the scoring around 10 minutes from time, but couldn’t sort his feet out and the ball hit his leg and sailed over the bar from close distance. Merely just a couple minute after this, a cross from wide right nearly floated into Josh Clarke’s goal, but his palm to divert it only led to another chance for Paul McMullan, with the attacker seeing his effort cannon off of the crossbar. Raith piled on further pressure, with the ball falling to Jordan Doherty in acres of space in the final minute of regulation time, but his half volley hit the side netting and Raith’s hopes of a point on the road evaporated. Partick Thistle: Clarke 5, Reading 6, Ashcroft 5, Chalmers 8 (Lawless 3), Crawford 6 (Turner 4), O’Reilly 6, Fitzpatrick 9 , McPherson 6, Stanway, Watt 8 (Samuel 4), Lets’osa 7 (McBeth 2) Raith Rovers: Rae 5, Hanlon 5, Fordyce 5, Matthews 6 , Mullin 6 (Vaughan 3), McMullan 8, Brown 6 (Hamilton 3), Byrne 5, Doherty 7, Easton 7 (Chin 3), Stevenson 5

August 30, 2025

Scottish Teams Find Out Their Fate In European Draws

Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen today all found out their opponents for the league phases of the Europa League and the Europa Conference League. Rangers and Celtic were in pots 1 and 2 of the Europa League draw respectively, whilst Aberdeen found themselves in pot 4 of the Conference League draw following their drop down to the competition last night. The pot 1 part of the draw arguably could not have provided Rangers and Celtic with tougher opponents, with both sides hosting Italian giants AS Roma who are the highest ranked side in the competition as per coefficient. Rangers also have to travel to Portugal to take on 2011 winners FC Porto, the second highest ranked side, whilst Celtic travel to De Kuip to take on Eredivisie giants Feyenoord, who they defeated under Arne Slot in 2023 to end a ten-year Champions League hoodoo. In pot 2, both sides have also been pitted against the 2011 runner ups, Portuguese outfit SC Braga, another side that will be flying in to Glasgow on two separate occasions. Celtic’s away tie from this pot sees them travel to Serbia as they were drawn away to the intimidating atmosphere of the Rajko Mitic Stadium, home of Crvena Zvezda, and Rangers also make the journey to Eastern Europe, as they will play Ferencvaros of Hungary’s capital, Budapest. Pot 3 again sees one side fare up against both of the Glasgow giants in Sturm Graz, however unlike AS Roma and SC Braga, they will only need to make their way to the East End of Glasgow rather than the Southside as well, as they have been drawn away to Celtic and at home to Rangers. Rangers’ home tie of this pot sees them host Ludogerets of Bulgaria, who have won their own top flight 14 times on the trot, whilst Danish side FC Midtjylland host another green and white Scottish club, after they knocked Hibernian out late in extra time in the qualifiers to help themselves reach this stage of the competition. In pot 4, Rangers host Belgian side Genk and travel north to face Brann of Norway, who last faced Scottish opposition last season in the form of St. Mirren in Conference League qualifying. Celtic’s draw was concluded with a visit from Dutch side FC Utrecht, where infamous former Hoops goalkeeper Vasilias Barkas currently plies his trade, and they will also make the journey to Northern Italy to take on FC Bologna, captained by Scotland international Lewis Ferguson. As for Ferguson’s former side, Aberdeen, their 6 Conference League opponents were discovered following the Europa League draw. The Dons host Ukrainian side, and European regulars Shakhtar Donetsk from pot 1, and will also see visits from Ligue 1 opposition Strasbourg and Armenian side Noah, who travelled to the UK last season to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the last term’s Conference League, losing 8-0 to the eventual competition winners. There are some enjoyable away days on the cards for the Red Army, as they make the trip to the capital of Czechia to play Sparta Prague. They can also look forward to the slightly warmer climates of Greece’s capital Athens when their side play AEK, and another trip slightly more East to Cyprus, as they face AEK Larnaca, who dumped out a Legia Warsaw side that narrowly beat Hibs last night to deny Scotland having four Scottish sides in European group phase competition.

August 29, 2025

Dons crash, burn and drop into Conference League in Bucharest

FCSB 3 Aberdeen 0 (FCSB win 5-2 on aggregate) Aberdeen have been consigned to UEFA Europa Conference League football this season as they went down to Romanian side FCSB in the Europa League Playoff round. The Dons return to group phase football for the first time since 2023, where they also found themselves in European football’s third tier competition, in a campaign which produces memorable wins over Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt but ultimately no qualification for the latter stages. Jimmy Thelin’s side did well to keep the tie alive last week at Pittodrie, having gone down 2-0 in the second half of the first leg, yet they would get no better opportunity to go ahead for the first time in the tie in the opening minutes of the game, when striker Ester Sokler, who scored a 90th minute equaliser last week, trickled a rebounded effort into the hands of goalkeeper Stefan Tarnovanu who gracefully collected the ball into his hands from six yards out. Aberdeen more than went toe to toe with the Romanian hosts for large parts of the first half, with Ante Palaversa firing a half volley over the bar and summer recruit Adil Aouchiche looking threatening down the left hand side at one stage, yet in equal measure they also got out of jail with Dimitar Mitov rushing to clear a Nicky Devlin backpass, and FCSB failing to make Graeme Shinnie pay after the Dons captain was lackadaisical in possession. With just five minutes to go until half time and Aberdeen looking to go into the break with the tie still level, disaster struck in the most frustrating and cruelest of fashions. David Miculescu was sent through and beat the already booked Alexander Jensen to the through ball, falling to the ground and the ball hitting the arm of the Dane. The referee waved play on, but VAR intervened and perhaps unfairly, the referee pointed to the spot and gave Jensen his marching orders, before Darius Olaru tucked away the penalty to give the hosts the lead. With the man advantage, the second half was all FCSB and they quickly made their dominance count. Adrian Sut picked up the ball from outside the area, and he ferociously struck the ball to fire it passed the Bulgarian in the Aberdeen net to double his side’s advantage who looked to be in a rush to make the UEFA Europa League. Just on the hour mark, Aberdeen fans would have been forgiven if they started to watch the game from behind their couches, when Olaru netted his second of the evening with big thanks to a deflection. Fans across Scotland’s minds at this stage would have been fearing the worst for Aberdeen, given what happened to Rangers in their away tie last night, but the Reds stood firm to keep the scoreline at a minimum. It was degree of inevitability that the Dons would end up in the Conference League and so it proved to be in the end, with FCSB taking the win overall. FCSB: Tarnovanu 6, Cretu 7, Ngezana 7, Popescu 7 (Miculescu 3), Radunovic 6, Lixandru 6, Șut 8 (Chriches 2), Miculescu 6, Olaru 9 (Alhassan 5), Tanase 7 (Politic 3), Birligea 6 (Albec 2) Aberdeen: Mitov 4, Devlin 5, Milne 5, Knoester 4, Jensen 2, Palaversa 6 (Yengi 3), Aouchiche 6, Shinnie 5, Keskinen 6 (Milanovic 3), Polvara 5 (Nilsen 4), Sokler 4 (Clarkson 5)

August 28, 2025

Livingston put the pressure on Falkirk with a dominant win over Ayr United

Venue: Home of The Set Fare Arena Date: 18/4/2025 Time: 19:45 A strong performance from Livingston saw them stroll passed Ayr United, and apply pressure to league leaders Falkirk in the race for promotion. Three first-half goals pretty much cemented Livingstons’ win and guaranteed them at least second place. With just one win in five, Ayr United looked to be on the hunt for three big points in this race for second. Three points would take them just two points behind Livingston with just two games to go. However, a win away at Livingston will be hard to come by as they are undefeated here in their last five. In what was a frantic start, Livingston opened the scoring just six minutes in. A Stephen Kelly strike from the edge of the box took a deflection when headed goalbound, leaving Harry Stone no chance at saving it. The goal did not settle the game; in fact, it had the opposite effect. Ayr continued to battle, and Livingston struggled to keep hold of the ball, providing half-chances at both ends of the park. It was once again Livingston providing the attacking threat. After some good link-up play between Cristian Montano and Robbie Muirhead played the ball was played through to Kelly, who once again had an effort at goal. This time, the shot was saved by Stone. 30 minutes had passed, and the game was yet to settle down, with neither team managing to take control or create consistent chances. Livingston continued to have the better attacking threat since they scored. However, they were yet to double their lead. However, in the 31st minute, Livingston were awarded a penalty after Stone clattered into Montano. After a slight delay, Muirhead put his penalty down the centre of the goal, watching on as Stone dived to his right. Just before the half-time whistle, Kelly added another to his account. After a long throw into the area, the ball bobbled out to the edge of the box, and Kelly was the man to meet it with a thunderous half-volley into the bottom right corner. An impressive start for the Lions saw them grow in confidence as the half went on. Livingston went into half-time three goals to the good, looking likely to secure second in their race for promotion. A triple substitution for Ayr saw Jamie Murphy, Cole McKinnon, and Patrick Reading make way for Jake Hastie, Dylan Watret and Lenny Agbaire in an attempt to salvage something in the second half for the away team. 60 minutes had passed, and Ayr started to grow into the match a little. They created a couple of half-chances and dominated most of the ball. However, they were yet to find the net. Livingstons’ first chance of the half came in the 64th minute, after a Daniel Finlayson cross was poorly cleared, Scott Pittman managed to get on the end of it. However, the shot was blocked. Ryan McGowan received a yellow card in the 69th minute after a clumsy tackle on McAllister just inside his half. A massive chance came Livingstons’ way in the 71st minute, after Kellys’ perfect corner to the back post was met by Finlayson. However, he sent his volley well wide of the post in a chance that was harder to miss. In the 80th minute, Livingston added another to their tally. A great team goal saw Montano tap the ball in at the back post. A great performance from the Lions was made even better as they strolled past Ayr to add the fourth goal of the game. As if four goals weren’t enough, Reece McAlear added a fifth for Livingston. The ball dropped to him on the edge of the box in the 91st minute, and he caught a volley as sweet as you like, rifling it into the bottom corner. The full-time whistle couldn’t have come quick enough for Ayr United as they were played off the park by Livingston. Lineups: Livingston: J.Prior, R.McGowan, S.Pittman(R.MaCalear), S.Kelly, R.Fraser, J.Brandon(D.Finlayson), L.Smith(A.Shinnie), R.Muirhead(T.Yengi), M.Tait, C.Montano(S.May), D.Wilson Subs: J.Hamilton, M.Clarke, R.McAlear, T.Yengi, S.May, D.Finlayson, M.Ubochioma, M.Nottingham, A.Shinnie Manager: D.Martindale Ayr United: H.Stone, N.McAllister, P.Reading(D.Watret), G.Oakley, C.McLennan(M.Rus), G.Stranger, J.Murphy(L.Agbaire), J.Henderson, M.McKenzie, S.McMann, C.McKinnon(J.Hastie) Subs: R.Mutch, F.Musonda, J.Hastie, M.Rus, L.Agbaire, D.Watret Manager: S.Brown Referee: Steven McLean Attendance: 1,606 Managers comments: Martindale: “First half was really, really good, I felt, and then we managed the second half. We had a lot of chances with the game, I think the surface was really quick tonight, which really helped us with a couple of the goals” Brown: “We bottled finishing second place, I take full responsibility… that’s on me. We’ve got to get that mentality into the lads… how to win games, when you come away from home, you’ve got to be horrible.”

April 19, 2025

SPFL Weekly: Five Talking Points

Rangers’ second-half performance saves Barry Ferguson’s embarrassment, Hibbies go 14 games unbeaten and Hearts move into top six. There was also a debut home win for new ‘Well boss Michael Wimmer, St Johnstone closes the gap at the bottom, and Celtic win emphatically in unconvincing display. Here’s our round-up of the big talking points from Matchday 28 in the 2024/25 SPFL season. AvenGERS thrust into blockbuster action A heroic second-half performance saw the Light Blues come from two goals down to defeat Killie 4-2. The script replicated a typical superhero blockbuster with the protagonist struggling against a grave threat, only to overcome it in the picture’s second half. Cyriel Dessers was the hero who saved Barry Ferguson, the man chosen as Phillipe Clement’s successor on Monday. Dessers’ two decisive goals carried the Light Blues into the lead to give the interim manager his first SPFL victory. Throughout the first half, Ranger’s defence was terrorized by Kilmarnock’s front two, Bobby Wales and Marley Watkins, prompting Ferguson to make the bold decision to hook French centre-back Clinton Nsiala after just 30 minutes. A goal from Vaclav Cerny ten minutes before half-time gave them hope, and the team talk from boss Captain Hamilton must have helped rally the gang as his team put on a gritty and determined performance in the second half. A tired Kilmarnock ran out of steam as the game wore on, and the Glasgow side only grew in confidence. Ferguson’s team must continue to perform to close the 13-point gap on Celtic. Is there a Hollywood ending in sight, or is it too little or too late? All eyes will be on this weekend’s sequel as Motherwell visits Ibrox. Unbe-Leith-able! Hibs march on Hibernian extended their unbeaten run to 14 matches after late goals from Kieron Bowie and Junior Hoilett, which gave them a dramatic 3-1 victory at Tannadice. Their goals came after Dundee United had a second-half leader disallowed for handball in the second half following a lengthy VAR check. Jim Goodwin was incensed by the decision, but referee Dermot Gallagher on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch agreed with the VAR’s decision that Sam Dalby headed the ball onto his arm. The positive vibes continue to build in Leith following the announcement that they have signed Aberdeen’s Jamie McGrath on a pre-contract deal, and Hibs owner plans to make £7m donation to cover club losses. Wimmer feels at home Michael Wimmer experienced his first taste of victory on his Fir Park debut following his arrival last week. Attendance last night was at 4,258, and the home fans would have been excited to see how their new boss got their team playing. However, it was set pieces where they looked most dangerous. Defender Dan Casey scored the two goals to stop the Lanarkshire side’s rot, leading them to their first win in eight matches. The game also saw a landmark for ‘Well midfielder Callum Slattery, who made his 100th appearance for the Steelmen, with his first appearance coming against Annan Athletic just over four years ago. The visitors, Dundee, will now look over their shoulder as they have now lost five games in a row, leaving them three points off bottom spot. Jammin’ Jambos into top six Hearts fought a challenging game, coming from behind to beat St Mirren 3-1, which saw them leapfrog the Paisley side. Victory has taken them into the top six for the first time since August. 17-year-old James Wilson got the equaliser and won man of the match, amusingly posing post-match with a bottle of rum that his parents probably don’t want him drinking. The goal that put the Jambos ahead at Tynecastle was by Calem Nieuwenhof, who was making his first start in almost a year. Hearts manager Neil Critchley told BBC Sport after the game: “It was a really tough game. I didn’t think we were at our best, but we’re finding ways to win games. “We weren’t clean or efficient in our play. I wouldn’t say sloppiness but not our usual selves on the ball. But moments went for us, and we showed real grit and resilience.” Hearts now have eight wins in their last 10 in all competitions. Their next game? Hibernian at Easter Road on Sunday. Saints close the gap St Johnstone’s 1-0 victory over top-six hopefuls Ross County significantly boosts their fight for Premiership survival. Only 3 points now separate them and Dundee, who are above them in the play-off relegation spot with 10 games left to play. Fans at McDiarmid Park will feel better about themselves after the win following back-to-back defeats. Mackenzie Kirk’s close-range finish was the decisive goal that, despite a slim scoreline, was a thoroughly deserved result. County ‘keeper Jordan Amissah put in an inspired performance to keep the Saints at bay and the scoreline respectable. Saints Manager Simo Valakari told BBC Sport about the importance of the result: “It was a big win. This match was our most must-win game for our hopes for the rest of the season.” “I’m most happy with how the players performed in this high-pressure game.” County came into this with four wins from their previous five away league games. Their fans were hopeful of the top six but now will have one eye on what’s happening behind them as they still are worryingly close to the relegation play-off spot.

February 27, 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

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