Celtic on the Brink: Scottish Premiership Roundup
With only two games left before the league split, the Scottish Premiership table tells a tale at both ends after the weekend’s games.
At the top, Celtic snuffed out any sign of a title challenge from Rangers. At the bottom, the three-way battle to secure Premiership status continues.
Relegation Scrap Heats Up
Bottom team Dundee United stunned Hibs with an early goal from Steven Fletcher earlier today.
United almost rued a handful of missed chances as Hibs equalized through Mykola Kukharevych. A dramatic penalty in the 90th minute by Jamie McGrath gave Dundee United the vital three points, and their first league win since January 2.
With Ross County taking an away win at St. Johnstone, and Kilmarnock losing at Aberdeen. Only three points separate the bottom three, with all three teams still to play each other after the split. It’s going to be a tense finish to the season.
Though currently sitting in the safety of 10th place, Kilmarnock are the only team of the bottom three who will play one of the Old Firm in their final two games of the regular season.
Taking momentum into the final five games will be crucial. Ross County and Dundee United will surely fancy their chances at staying up.
Feisty Old Firm Derby
In their third league meeting of the season, Celtic put one hand on the Premiership trophy after narrowly beating Rangers 3-2. Rangers would have taken the lead with a first half goal from Alfredo Morelos, but it was disallowed for a questionable foul.
A goal from Kyogo Furuhashi gave Celtic the lead, before a stunning free kick from Rangers captain James Tavernier evened things up going into half time.
Rangers were undone by two individual mistakes in the second half, and inexplicably found themselves trailing 3-1 after ruthless finishes from Kyogo Furuhashi, again, and Jota.
A second goal from Tavernier sparked some late hope for Rangers, but the damage proved insurmountable as Celtic held on to win. The win gave Celtic a 12-point lead, with 7 games left to play.
Celtic look set to cruise to their 53rd Scottish league title.
Elsewhere in the League
Interim Aberdeen manager Barry Robson continued to impress as the Dons won their fifth league game in a row against Ross County. Robson appears to have righted the ship after disastrous defeats back in January led to the sacking of Jim Goodwin.
St Mirren boosted their hopes of a top-half finish with an away win over Hearts. Hearts will need to bounce back quickly before the Edinburgh derby next weekend if they hope to keep the pressure on Aberdeen for third place.
Motherwell earned a solid 3-0 home win to dent Livingston’s hopes of finishing the season in the top half of the table. The win gave Motherwell a 9-point cushion over the relegation spots.
Hibs will be disappointed after today’s loss to Dundee United. They still sit only one point ahead of seventh-placed Livingston, and have lost their last four league games in a row. Something needs to change quickly if they are to cement their place in the top half of the table before the split.
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