10 – Heart of Midlothian defeated St Mirren 2-1 at the SMISA Stadium to move another step closer to securing third place in the cinch Premiership. A Jorge Grant penalty and a Mikael Mandron own goal were enough to keep Steven Naismith’s side 11 points clear of Kilmarnock. The Jam Tarts have won 10 away league matches this season – it’s just the fourth time in their history they’ve managed this in the top flight, and the first since 1991/92.
3 – Motherwell kept their cinch Premiership top-six hopes alive thanks to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Dundee at The Scot Foam Stadium at Dens Park. Stuart Kettlewell’s side trailed 2-0 with 12 minutes remaining but goals from Georgie Gent and Theo Bair pulled them level before debutant Moses Ebiye scored a stoppage-time winner. The last time the Steelmen won a league match after trailing by two goals was back in December 2012, when they defeated Hibernian 3-2 at Easter Road with Jamie Murphy (2) and Bob McHugh on the scoresheet. Hibs are Motherwell’s opponents in the final pre-split match next week – if they win and Dundee lose to both Rangers and Aberdeen, then the Steelmen will make the top six.
5 – Dundee United defeated Queen’s Park 5-0 at Hampden to remain four points clear at the top of the cinch Championship. A Kai Fotheringham double and goals from Louis Moult, Ross Graham and Craig Sibbald ensured that Jim Goodwin’s side kept the title race firmly in their own hands. Fotheringham took his league tally to 11 goals and became the third Dundee United player to make it into double figures in the league this season, joining Moult (16) and Tony Watt (11). It is the second time this season that United have scored five goals away from home, and both have come in Glasgow, with the other being a 5-0 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill. The Terrors are now unbeaten in their last 17 matches against Queen’s Park, with their last defeat coming way back in October 1958.
5 – Alloa Athletic moved a step closer to securing a play-off spot in cinch League 1 thanks to a 5-1 win over Stirling Albion at Forthbank. Conor Sammon, Bobby Wales, Ethan Sutherland, Kurtis Roberts and Taylor Steven were all on the scoresheet as Andy Graham’s side moved five points clear of fifth-placed Cove Rangers. The last time the Wasps had five different goalscorers in a match was a 5-1 win over Queen of the South at the Indodrill Stadium in November 2022 – surprisingly, despite this being less than 18 months ago, no player scored in both games. Alloa have now recorded five consecutive away victories over their local rivals in all competitions stretching back to 2009.
1 – Stenhousemuir secured the cinch League 2 title thanks to a 0-0 draw with East Fife at Ochilview. It is the first time the Warriors have won a league title since joining the Scottish Football League back in 1921 – their only previous league wins had been in the regional non-league Central Combination and Midland League in the late 19th and early 20th century. Stenhousemuir’s success leaves just five current SPFL clubs without a national league title, and all five joined the league this century (Elgin City, Annan Athletic, Edinburgh City, Bonnyrigg Rose, Spartans). Gary Naysmith led Stenhousemuir to the title – he also previously won this division with East Fife and has become the sixth manager to win it twice, joining John McCormack, Dick Campbell, Jim McInally, Paul Hartley and Darren Young. The Warriors’ club record 12-game winning streak from November to January was key to their success, and they wrapped up the title by setting another club record of five consecutive draws.
