1 – Celtic defeated Rangers 2-1 at Celtic Park to take a huge step towards winning the cinch Premiership title. Matt O’Riley’s 16th goal of the season and a John Lundstram own goal helped move Brendan Rodgers’ side six points clear at the top of the table with two games remaining.
The Hoops now need just one point from their final two matches away to Kilmarnock and at home to St Mirren to seal the title. After a shaky autumn, Celtic have picked up 18 wins and just one defeat in their last 22 matches in all competitions to move towards a 12th league title in the last 13 years. Rodgers has only suffered one defeat to Rangers across his two spells as Celtic boss – the Hoops have 13 wins and three draws in those matches.
4 – Kilmarnock secured 4th place in the cinch Premiership thanks to a 1-0 victory over St Mirren at the SMISA Stadium. Kyle Vassell’s first half strike was enough to secure all three points for Derek McInnes’ side, and to seal their place in next season’s Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round.
This is just the second time in the last 20 years that Killie have secured a top four finish – the other being a 3rd placed finish in 2018/19 under Steve Clarke. The Ayrshire side have kept 14 clean sheets in the league this season, their only higher top flight tally this century came in that 2018/19 campaign (17). Killie took 10 points from their four matches against St Mirren this season and are now unbeaten in eight matches against the Paisley side.
7 – Partick Thistle defeated Airdrieonians 2-1 at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill to seal their place in the cinch Premiership Play-Off semi-finals. A Brian Graham double was enough to help Kris Doolan’s side secure a 4-3 aggregate victory and set up a two-legged clash with Raith Rovers.
Graham is now the all-time leading goalscorer in the Premiership Play-Offs with seven goals in 10 matches – he scored five times in last season’s play-offs as the Jags agonisingly missed out on promotion via a penalty shoot-out. Thistle have now won each of their last 11 home matches against the Diamonds in all competitions, a run which stretches all the way back to 2009.
5 – Hamilton Academical moved into the cinch Championship Play-Off final courtesy of a 3-2 victory over Alloa Athletic at New Douglas Park. Reghan Tumilty and Lewis Smith scored in the first half, before Akheem Rose’s 77th minute winner sealed a 5-4 aggregate victory for John Rankin’s side.
Accies also defeated the Wasps at this stage of last season’s Play-Offs before losing the final on penalties to Airdrieonians. This season, they will face Inverness Caledonian Thistle, who overcame Montrose 1-0 on aggregate in the other semi-final. Hamilton won four of their five matches against Inverness last season and have six victories in the last nine meetings stretching back to 2021.
5 – Spartans thumped Peterhead 5-1 at Balmoor to progress into the cinch League 1 Play-Off final. A Blair Henderson hat-trick and goals from Cammy Russell and Bradley Whyte helped Dougie Samuel’s side score five times in a match for the first time this season.
Henderson now has 26 goals this season across all competitions, and has scored three hat-tricks, all of them away from home – he also netted trebles against Elgin City in December and East Fife in January. Spartans will face Dumbarton over two legs in the final – the Sons defeated Stirling Albion 2-1 on aggregate in the other semi. These sides met four times in the league this season – they gained a win apiece with the other two matches finishing as draws.
2 – The cinch League 2 Play-Off final remains evenly poised after a 2-2 draw between East Kilbride and Stranraer at K-Park on Saturday. Andy Stirling and John Robertson scored for Kilby, while Sean McIntosh and Craig Ross found the net for the Blues. On four previous occasions where the first leg has been drawn, the SPFL side have won twice and lost twice.
Last season, Albion Rovers were beaten 1-0 by Spartans, and in 2015/16 East Stirlingshire lost 1-0 away to Edinburgh City. Both SPFL victories following a first leg draw were courtesy of Cowdenbeath – they beat Cove Rangers 3-2 in 2017/18 and won a penalty shoot-out against East Kilbride in 2016/17 following a 1-1 draw. East Kilbride will be hoping to erase that memory next Saturday at Stair Park, while Stranraer will be hoping to prolong their 68-year stay in the Scottish League.
.png){kind=logo}
