Derek McInnes praised his Aberdeen players after they secured European football next season with a 1-0 victory over Dundee United at Pittodrie.
Adam Rooney scored his 27th goal of the season to move within five points of Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. The striker finished off Mark Reynolds’ cross, six minutes before half-time.
McInnes has publicly written off their hopes of winning the title but hailed Aberdeen’s qualification for European football as an achievement.
“I don’t think that should be underplayed,” he said. “I know it has been on the cards for a few weeks but it’s great work for the players that we can secure European football at this stage of the season, with five games still to go.
“That result goes a long way to securing second spot as well, but we would never take that for granted.
“We lost on the opening day of the season here against Dundee United and, if you had said to me that day we would be 22 points clear of them, I would have grabbed it, and that shows how good the players have been.”
In the Championship, Rangers’ teenage striker Ryan Hardie marked his first senior-team start with two goals, as Stuart McCall’s side fought back to win 3-1 at Dumbarton. The 18-year-old had made four substitute appearances before the game at the Dumbarton Stadium, but his strikes put Rangers in command after they had gone a goal down to Mark Wilson’s second‑minute opener. Haris Vuckic added an impressive third after 52 minutes. The Newcastle loanee cut in from the right flank and unleashed a fierce left-foot drive into the top corner.
Hearts secured a sixth Championship home victory in a row by defeating Raith 2-1 in a low-key contest. The champions registered their 15th win from 17 games and took their goal tally to 55 at Tynecastle. They needed 33 minutes to take the lead, the goal coming when Osman Sow laid the ball off for Sam Nicholson to finish with some composure and a low shot.
Hearts’ second goal arrived 11 minutes after half-time, when Soufian El Hassnaoui struck from the edge of the penalty box after good approach play by Callum Paterson. Raith reduced the arrears through the former Hearts striker Calum Elliot, who finished well after being put through on the left. Jamie Walker and Gary Oliver both hit the woodwork for Hearts.
