Adam Rooney and Jonny Hayes each scored a second half goal as Aberdeen ended a run of six games without a win, overcoming a weak Dundee United side.
United remain at the foot of the table after the 2-0 defeat, as Aberdeen applied some pressure to the league leaders Celtic, who travel to Ross County tomorrowtoday.
Ten-man St Johnstone recorded a 2-1 comeback victory against Kilmarnock as they claimed their fourth successive win. The home side fell behind after only a couple of minutes at McDiarmid Park when Steven Smith fired Killie ahead. Saints fought back through Michael O’Halloran and Chris Kane goals to secure the win and maintain their recent fine form before they lost Liam Craig to a red card late on.
A retaken penalty and a spectacular strike from Iain Vigurs helped Inverness to a 3-1 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park after a winless run of four matches. Greg Tansey broke the deadlock from the penalty spot at the second attempt in the 11th minute before a Miles Storey shot deflected into the net and a Vigurs volley either side of half-time put the visitors three goals to the good. Louis Moult soon replied for Motherwell, but Inverness held on for three comfortable points.
A late goal from the substitute Kane Hemmings gave Dundee a share of the points against a Partick side who led for 80 minutes at Dens Park. Hemmings earned Paul Hartley’s side a battling draw by equalising in the 85th minute after second-bottom Thistle had taken a fifth-minute lead when Liam Lindsay met a Stuart Bannigan corner to head home. Alan Archibald’s Partick looked like holding out for victory until Hemmings’ struck his fifth goal of the season for a 1-1 draw.
Rangers returned to normal service at the top of the Scottish Championship with a 4-0 thrashing of Alloa at Ibrox. Mark Warburton’s side had lost for the first time in the league against challengers Hibernian last weekend but there was no prospect of a surprise result against the league’s bottom side as the striker Martyn Waghorn scored two goals either side of a trademark free-kick from the right-back James Tavernier to give the home side a 3-0 interval lead. Alloa’s Eddie Ferns was sent off in the 78th minute for a challenge on Jordan Thompson before the substitute Nicky Clark made it 4-0 in injury time.
James Keatings scored a hat-trick as Hibernian maintained their formidable form with a 4-1 win at St Mirren. Sean Kelly had given Saints an eighth-minute lead following a short corner but Jason Cummings levelled within two minutes with a low finish, scoring for the seventh successive game. Two goals inside four minutes from Keatings then put Hibs in the driving seat. Keatings drilled into the far corner following a quickly-taken free-kick in the 37th minute and added another by curling into the top corner after a flowing move. The substitute Lawrence Shankland hit a post for Saints before Keatings claimed the match ball from the penalty spot after Liam Henderson was brought down by Cameron Howieson. The win extends Hibs’ unbeaten run in all competitions to 13, winning 12 of them, while Saints are still searching for their first home league victory.
