Resident statto @splstats looks at some of the numbers behind the weekend games across all four divisions of the SPFL.
6 – Kilmarnock confirmed their place in the top six of the Ladbrokes Premiership on the back of a 1-0 victory over Rangers at Ibrox and Motherwell’s draw with Celtic. It will be the Ayrshire side’s first time in the top half of the table at the split since Mixu Paatelainen and Kenny Shiels led them to sixth place in 2010/11. Killie extended their impressive recent league record against Rangers – they have picked up four wins in their last eight league games against the Light Blues, losing just once. Steve Clarke’s men are unbeaten in eight Premiership matches - which is their best run in the league since August-October 2000, when U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’ was at UK number 1.
9 – Aberdeen defeated Dundee 1-0 at Pittodrie to move to within two points of second place in the Ladbrokes Premiership, with a game in hand. Derek McInnes’ side have recorded nine consecutive victories over The Dark Blues, racking up a 22-2 aggregate scoreline in the process. The Dons are unbeaten in their last 18 league matches against Dundee, with their last defeat coming back in December 2004 when Neil Barrett scored the only goal. Aberdeen have lost just one of their last 10 matches at Pittodrie in all competitions – that came against Celtic last month.
12 – St Mirren moved 12 points clear at the top of the Ladbrokes Championship thanks to a 3-1 win over Queen of the South at Palmerston. Saints have picked up 34 points from the last 39 available, with their only slip-ups coming in a 1-1 draw with Morton and a 4-1 defeat to Livingston. The Buddies have won all four league meetings against the Doonhamers this season, the first time either side has completed the clean sweep in this fixture since the move to playing three or four times per season in 1976.
2 – Ayr United defeated Forfar Athletic 2-0 at Station Park to move three points clear at the top of Ladbrokes League 1. The Honest Men continued their excellent away form – they have won 10 of their 14 away league matches this season, with their only defeats coming against Raith in September and Airdrie in December. Ian McCall’s side have scored 60 times in 19 matches on the road in all competitions, an average of more than three per game.
1 – Cowdenbeath defeated Elgin City 3-1 at Central Park in Ladbrokes League 2 to end a miserable club record run of 26 matches without a win. The Blue Brazil last tasted victory back in August, when Edinburgh City were beaten 1-0 in the second league match of the season. Saturday’s victory was just the third time that Cowden had scored more than one goal in a match this season – the other occasions came in a 4-2 win over Buckie Thistle in the Betfred Cup in July and a 3-2 league defeat to Peterhead in December. Gary Bollan’s side are still 12 points adrift of Berwick Rangers at the foot of the table, but will be hoping that Saturday’s win can kick-start a good run of form ahead of a likely relegation play-off against the Highland or Lowland League champions in May.
