Celtic are on the brink of retaining their Bank of Scotland Premier League after a 1-0 home win over Motherwell.
A 52nd-minute goal by substitute Derek Riordan, who had replaced the injured Maciej Zurawski just before the interval, gave the unconvincing Parkhead side their first win in four SPL games.
If Rangers lose at St Mirren on Sunday then Celtic will be champions, otherwise they can wrap the title up against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in their next SPL game in a fortnight′s time.
Elsewhere Aberdeen′s European hopes suffered a setback as Dundee United won a pulsating clash 4-2 at Pittodrie where five goals were scored in the opening 17 minutes.
John Daly netted from the penalty spot inside 60 seconds following Michael Hart′s foul on Collin Samuel, but Aberdeen equalised when Scott Severin′s free-kick was deflected in by Steve Lovell.
Darren Mackie then converted a penalty after David McCracken brought down Richard Foster, but Noel Hunt′s header and a goal from Greg Cameron in either half saw United take all three points back to Tayside.
Hearts sub Michal Pospisil headed a late winner to boost his side′s European hopes to edge out Kilmarnock 1-0 in a tight contest at Tynecastle.
Neither goalkeeper had made any serious saves as two packed midfields cancelled each other out before the Czech scored four minutes after coming on.
Jose Goncalves was sent off in injury-time after a touchline melee which was out of keeping with an otherwise uneventful encounter.
Inverness midfielder John Rankin scored against Falkirk for the fourth time this season to claim a 1-1 draw and deny the Bairns a third successive victory.
Falkirk looked to have pinched the points when substitute Carl Finnigan lashed home the game′s opening goal in the 80th minute.
But six minutes later Rankin struck again to continue his remarkable scoring record against the Bairns.
At the bottom, Dunfermline threw the fight for survival wide open after Phil McGuire netted late to give them a 1-0 victory against Hibernian - a timely first home win for manager Stephen Kenny.
The centre-back, who had been struggling with a virus, bulleted a header high into the net seven minutes from time from Adam Hammill′s free-kick.
Substitute Mark Burchill should have added a second moments later after going through on goal unchallenged but Andy McNeil made a superb save, but Dunfermline′s win means they trail St Mirren by just four points.
31 03 2007
Celtic′s final push towards a second successive Bank of Scotland Premier League title suffered another minor setback at Tannadice on Saturday thanks to Jon Daly′s stunning late leveller for 10-man Dundee United.
Celtic took the lead when Shunsuke Nakamura scored a trademark free-kick just after the interval and the runaway league leaders looked to have all three points wrapped up when Barry Robson was sent off in the 89th minute for head-butting Lee Naylor off the ball.
But Daly scored two minutes into injury time with a terrific strike, as Celtic′s disappointing recent form - which saw them lose to Rangers and Falkirk in their previous two games - continued.
However Rangers failed to close the 13-point gap at the top as they too were held to a 1-1 draw at home to bogey team Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
The Highland side have now taken seven points from Rangers this season, following two wins earlier in the campaign.
Rangers should have cruised to victory this time when Charlie Adam netted after just 14 minutes, after Caley Thistle′s Darren Dods was sent off, but they were left rueing missed opportunities when Craig Dargo grabbed the equaliser with eight minutes to go.
Meanwhile third-placed Aberdeen kept their Champions League hopes for next season alive by closing to within five points of Rangers thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
After a poor first half had ended goalless, an own goal by James Fowler on 58 minutes handed the visitors an unlikely lead and Dons skipper Russell Anderson stabbed home number two 10 minutes later.
Killie striker Steven Naismith pulled a goal back from the spot with six minutes to go but it was too little, too late for the Ayrshire side.
Elsewhere Falkirk claimed a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened St Mirren to strengthen their grip on seventh place.
John Hughes′ men followed up their victory over Celtic with a comfortable success against a Love Street outfit badly lacking in confidence and goal threat.
Pedro Moutinho - starting in place of the suspended Carl Finnigan - claimed his first league goal of the season after 20 minutes to set the Bairns on their way, before Stephen O′Donnell swept home the second four minutes from the break.
And it was also 2-0 at Fir Park as Scott McDonald justified Motherwell manager Maurice Malpas′s decision to play him after he agreed a summer move to Celtic with a double to down Dunfermline.
The Australian kept the Fifers six points adrift at the bottom of the SPL.
There was no backlash against the striker from the Well fans but he was not popular with the away support after winning a penalty from Phil McGuire′s clumsy challenge early in the second half.
McDonald then made it 2-0 soon after with a cool finish after latching on to Paul Keegan′s flick on.
18 03 2007
Champions Celtic slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Falkirk on Sunday in a Scottish Premier League encounter which featured two red cards.
Celtic′s Craig Beattie missed a penalty after six minutes and seventh-placed Falkirk made the visitors pay when Steven Thomson scored with a header 10 minutes later.
The match boiled over seven minutes before the interval when Celtic′s Stephen McManus squared up to Carl Finnigan of Falkirk outside the penalty box.
McManus hauled down Finnigan who then appeared to elbow the defender as they tangled on the ground, referee John Underhill sending off both players.
Leaders Celtic have 74 points from 31 matches. Rangers are second on 61 after their 3-0 win over Aberdeen on Saturday.
"I am disappointed to lose the three points but I am not disappointed we created chances," Celtic manager Gordon Strachan told BBC Radio.
"Our defending was good but we didn′t take our chances and one or two decisions didn′t go our way."
Falkirk manager John Hughes said: "We rode our luck a bit. It′s about time things went our way."
18 02 2007
Rangers beat Falkirk 2-1 with a late goal from captain Barry Ferguson in Sunday's Scottish Premier League clash to move seven points clear of third-placed Aberdeen.
Rangers are 19 points behind champions Celtic on 52 points from 28 games while Aberdeen, who lost 2-1 to the leaders on Saturday, are level on 45 points with Hearts but have a better goal difference.
"After coming back from a European game, (and a) long journey, we didn't reach the level we have done in previous games," Rangers manager Walter Smith said.
"The important thing was that we won the game. When you look at the weekend results the teams who are vying for second place all dropped points. Aberdeen have a game in hand, but they are all going to be tough games until the end of the season. So, if we do harbour any ambitions of finishing in second place then we will need that little bit of a gap," he added.
Striker Kris Boyd gave Rangers the lead with a neat, flicked shot over keeper Kasper Schmeichel from 10 metres in the 34th minute, following a diagonal ball into the box from Alan Hutton.
Falkirk fought back in the second period and Carl Finnigan latched on to a pass from Alan Gow to rifle a shot across Rangers keeper Allan McGregor from 15 metres in the 65th minute.
Rangers snatched the lead again in the 73rd minute when Charlie Adam's free kick near the right touchline sparked chaos in the box before Ferguson hooked the ball into the net from a metre out at the near post
The misery piled up for Falkirk when Thomas Scobbie was shown a straight red card by referee Stuart Dougal for bringing down Rangers substitute Chris Burke eight minutes from time.
Dundee United and Hibernian slugged out a 0-0 draw in the other Sunday fixture.
31 01 2007
St Mirren have signed midfielder Stephen O'Donnell and wing-back Eddie Malone after agreeing an undisclosed fee for the pair from Clyde.
O'Donnell set has committed himself to the Paisley outfit until June 2008 and Malone until June 2009.
Buddies manager Gus MacPherson said: "We're really delighted, especially as this deal has been going for a wee while now. They bring in competition for places and I hope they relish the challenge."
MacPherson is hoping to further add to his squad before the end of the transfer window on Wednesday.
"But, if we have to go as we now are for the remainder of the season, I have absolutely no problems with that," MacPherson told his club website.
The 21-year-old Malone was previously with St Johnstone, while 23-year-old O'Donnell had spells with Dundee United, Ross County and Boston United before moving to Broadwood in summer 2005.
St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson had been ready to switch targets after a combined bid for the pair was rejected last week.
He was prepared to wait until the summer to sign the pair as they were due to be out of contract with Clyde by then.
But, instead of them signing pre-contract agreements, they are poised to move immediately to aid St Mirren battle against relegation from the Scottish Premier League.
MacPherson has endured a frustrating time during the transfer window and was beaten by SPL rivals Falkirk to the signature of Newcastle striker Carl Finnigan.
Some of the pressure now switches to Clyde player-manager Joe Miller, whose side could yet be dragged into the First Division relegation zone.
He had already lost captain Paul McHale to Dundee, accepting a fee after the midfielder signed a pre-contract agreement.
Craig Bryson, who is also out of contract in the summer, was on trial with Derby County.
But, while the 20-year-old midfielder impressed at the English Championship club, manager Billy Davies decided against making a bid during January.
The First Division club did manage to thwart interest in Neil McGregor after the defender signed a new, 30-month contract.
That battle was won thanks to funding from the Clyde Supporters' Trust.
And the club's website suggested that it was a similar situation with goalkeeper David Hutton.
A Trust spokesman said: "A while ago we recognised that there was going to be shortfall between our ambitions for the club and the income that can be derived through the gates to fund the players' budget. That is why we wanted to start this initiative where fans can either contribute amounts on a one-off basis or, better still, pay smaller amounts on a regular basis. If more people sign up even in a small way then we will have more nights like this where we can celebrate the fact that we have secured one of the best young talents in the SFL."
29 01 2007
Falkirk defender Kenny Milne has said the players can become legends if they win the CIS Cup semi-final against Kilmarnock at Fir Park.
"We're all buzzing about the game and it would be a major achievement for Falkirk to get to the final," Milne said ahead of Tuesday's game.
"We're on the crest of something massive if we can pull off a win in this cup," Milne added.
Milne, 27, said the absence of the Old Firm in the cup was a huge incentive.
The Bairns last reached a major final in 1997 when they lost in the Scottish Cup 1-0 to Kilmarnock at Ibrox.
More than 22,000 Falkirk fans supporters turned out for the Bairns that day and Milne said he was hoping for more of the same.
"Half the town went to the Scottish Cup final and by all accounts Falkirk was a ghost town but that is what we have to aim for again and give the whole town a buzz as well," he said.
"It's a huge incentive, the Old Firm both being out. People knock this tournament and say it's the worst out of the three but it's a massive tournament for a club like Falkirk."
Falkirk's newest signing Carl Finnigan, who joined last week on an 18-month deal from Newcastle, said: "This will be the biggest game of my career without a doubt. It's a massive game for the club and for me. This will be my first real experience of a big cup game."
