3 – Hibernian sealed their place in the Premier Sports Cup final thanks to a 3-1 victory over Rangers at Hampden. Martin Boyle was the hero for the Hibees, scoring a superb first-half hat-trick to take his tally to 14 goals this season. It was just the third hat-trick of Boyle’s career, and the first since February 2013 when he scored three goals for Montrose in a 5-1 win over Annan Athletic at Links Park in Division 3. Three of the last four hat-tricks scored against Rangers have been by Hibs players – Ivan Sproule in 2005, Jamie Maclaren in 2018 and now Boyle, with the other being Moussa Dembele for Celtic. Boyle is just the second Hibs player to score a hat-trick at Hampden after Joe Harper in the 1974/75 League Cup final, which his side lost 6-3 to Celtic.
5 – Celtic defeated St Johnstone 1-0 in the other Premier Sports Cup semi-final to book their place in the final for the fifth time in the last six years. James Forrest came off the bench to score the only goal and end the holders long unbeaten domestic cup run. Forrest is something of a League Cup specialist for the Hoops – Saturday was the fifth game in which he has scored at Hampden in this competition. Celtic extended their unbeaten run against St Johnstone to 21 matches in all competitions.
1 – Arbroath defeated Kilmarnock 1-0 at the BBSP Stadium, Rugby Park to move to within two points of the cinch Championship leaders. Anton Dowds scored the only goal of the game to hand the Red Lichties their first win over Killie since 1978. Incredibly, this was Arbroath’s first ever victory over Kilmarnock in Ayrshire – they had visited Rugby Park on 22 previous occasions and had suffered 18 defeats, with the other four matches being drawn. Since losing to Inverness CT on the opening day, Dick Campbell’s side have suffered just one defeat in 14 cinch Championship matches.
2 – Cove Rangers climbed to the top of cinch League 1 thanks to a 2-0 victory over previous leaders Airdrieonians at the Penny Cars Stadium. Mitch Megginson scored his 11th goal of the season and Fraser Fyvie rounded off the victory. Cove were beaten by Airdrie in the play-offs last season but have won both meetings this term and are now two points ahead of the Diamonds at the top of the table. Paul Hartley’s side have lost just one of their last 12 matches in all competitions – that was a surprise 4-2 defeat to East Fife in October.
6 – Edinburgh City defeated Stirling Albion 2-1 at Forthbank to move closer to the play-off places in cinch League 2. Goals from John Robertson and Innes Murray ensured that Gary Naysmith’s side climbed to fifth place, just a point behind the Binos in third spot and behind fourth-placed Annan Athletic on goal difference. The Citizens are now unbeaten on their last six visits to Stirling, picking up four wins and two draws since they last tasted defeat back in 2017.
