Rangers added to a dismal week with a goalless draw against Ross County in the Premiership. Following their Old Firm humiliation and the Joey Barton fall-out, Rangers were held at Ibrox. The closest they came to goal was a second‑half header from the substitute Michael O’Halloran which came back off the crossbar. Rangers could fall further behind Celtic should Brendan Rodgers’ leaders beat Inverness on Sunday.
Hearts were denied top spot in the Premiership when a Graham Cummins strike earned St Johnstone a 1-0 victory at McDiarmid Park. The Irishman diverted a mis-hit Liam Craig shot into the goal in the 58th minute to earn the Saints successive wins over Hearts after last month’s League Cup success. The Hearts head coach, Robbie Neilson, was sent to the stand late on and the defender Callum Paterson almost grabbed an equaliser with two minutes remaining but his header bounced back off the bar.
Partick Thistle climbed off the foot of the table after Liam Lindsay’s late goal gave them a deserved 2-2 draw against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. In an open contest the Killie striker Kris Boyd opened the scoring in the 16th minute before the Jags attacker Steven Lawless levelled in the 32nd minute with a composed finish on the turn.
In the 65th minute Souleymane Coulibaly headed in a Dean Hawkshaw cross to put the home side in front but with seven minutes remaining Lindsay pounced from close range before Thistle’s captain, Abdul Osman, was sent off in the 88th minute after picking up two yellow cards.
In the Championship, 10-man Hibs were beaten 2-1 by Ayr United at Easter Road. Jason Cummings scored his sixth goal in six games to give the hosts the lead. The momentum of the match shifted when Marvin Bartley was sent off for the home team after 67 minutes for a challenge on Jamie Adams, Ayr equalised seven minutes later through Conrad Balatoni, then Brian Gilmour met a Kevin Nisbet cross to score the winning goal. Queen of the South won 3-1 at home to Raith to take advantage of the Edinburgh side’s slip and move to the top of the league with two goals from Stephen Dobbie and Dean Brotherston’s right-foot shot. John-Yves Mvoto replied for Raith, with all the goals in the second half.
