SPL Round-Up

By Robin Hackett  

SPL Round-Up

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Teams

  • Aberdeen
  • Celtic

Players

  • Jim Paterson
  • Steve Lovell

Rangers leapfrogged Aberdeen to put themselves back in second place after a 2-1 win at Pittodrie.

Nacho Novo (22) converted an assist from Libor Sionko before Novo returned the favour and put Czech Republic international Sionko (24) in to hand Rangers a quick-fire two-goal lead.

And the score remained at 2-0 until the 84th minute, when Steve Lovell put Aberdeen back in it, but they were unable to clinch an equaliser and slipped to third.

Leaders Celtic, meanwhile, took all three points at home to Falkirk.

A first-half goal from Thomas Gravesen (24) was enough to secure all three points and extend their lead to 16 points.

The main talking point at Tannadice was Craig Gordon's absence from the Hearts side, but Dundee United were unable to take advantage and a 55th minute Paul Hartley penalty was enough to secure a 1-0 victory.

Kilmarnock suffered an early blow to their European hopes when 11th placed Motherwell took the lead through Richie Foran (15) before James Paterson (20) added a second. Although Steven Naismith (38) put them back in it, they were unable to find an equaliser and it finished 2-1.

Hibernian went 2-0 up in the first-half to turn up the pressure on the top sides thanks to goals from Guillaume Beuzelin (21) and Chris Killen (32), but St Mirren pulled one back just before half-time through John Sutton (41).

But second-half strikes from Dean Shiels (58), Merouane Zemmama (65) and Abdessalem Benjelloun (74) gave Hibs a resounding 5-1 victory that moved them up one place to fifth.

Dunfermline and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, meanwhile, played out a 0-0 draw that keeps the teams ninth and bottom respectively.

Click below for individual match summaries:
Aberdeen 1-2 Rangers
Celtic 1-0 Falkirk
Dundee United 0-1 Hearts
Dunfermline Athletic 0-0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Hibernian 5-1 St Mirren
Kilmarnock 2-1 Motherwell