30 Celtic beat Heart of Midlothian 4-1 on Saturday to all but secure the cinch Premiership title. Hearts went ahead through Ellis Simms after just three minutes but Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, Matt O'Riley and Giorgos Giakoumakis all scored for the Hoops. Celtic are six points clear of Rangers with two games remaining and also have a vastly-superior goal difference. Ange Postecoglou's side are now unbeaten in 30 league matches since losing at Livingston in September and a draw at Tannadice on Wednesday would be enough to see them crowned champions.
3 Motherwell picked up just their third away league win of the season on Saturday but it could hardly have come at a better time. The 1-0 victory over Ross County in Dingwall lifted them above the Staggies and into fifth place in the cinch Premiership table. Kevin van Veen’s second-half penalty means the Steelmen are on course for Europa League Conference football next season with two matches remaining.
2 St Mirren defeated Dundee 2-0 in Paisley on Saturday to secure their top-flight status for another season. Alex Grieve and Curtis Main scored the goals for Stephen Robinson’s side, who had won 1-0 at McDiarmid Park the previous week. Dundee’s defeat leaves them on the brink of relegation – they are six points adrift of St Johnstone with two matches remaining and also have a worse goal difference than the Perth club.
4 Inverness Caledonian Thistle notched up their fourth straight win on Friday night, beating Partick Thistle 1-0 in the Highlands to set up a cinch Premiership play-off semi-final against Arbroath on Tuesday and Friday of this week. Austin Samuels grabbed the only goal of the game to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory over the Firhill club. Billy Dodds’ side have hit form at the right time, winning eight of their last 10 games as they chase promotion to the top flight
6 Airdrieonians staged a remarkable comeback against Montrose at the Excelsior Stadium to earn a place in the cinch Championship play-off final. Ian Murray’s men trailed 1-0 from the first leg and were 2-0 down (3-0 on aggregate) at half-time. In an incredible second half, Callum Smith scored a hat-trick and Calum Gallagher took the tie to extra time. The Diamonds eventually prevailed 6-4 on the day and 6-5 overall. They will now face Queen’s Park, whose 1-0 victory over Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park relegated the Pars, in the final on Thursday and Sunday.
1 Annan Athletic or Edinburgh City will be playing cinch League 1 football for the first time next season after reaching the play-off final, which takes place on Tuesday and Friday this week. Annan have never been promoted since joining what was then the SFL in 2008 but Peter Murphy’s men took a step closer with a 1-1 draw at Forfar, courtesy of a late Tony Wallace penalty, after winning 1-0 at Galabank in the first leg. Edinburgh City joined the SPFL in 2016 and have twice been runners-up in League 2. Alan Maybury’s men drew 1-1 at Dumbarton at the weekend to seal a 5-2 aggregate success and relegate the Sons in the process.
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