Scottish Premiership: Reaction to wins for Rangers, Celtic & Livingston

1. Celtic 2-0 Hamilton - Edouard adds to Griffiths opener
2. Hibs 0-1 Rangers - Morelos scores after being accused of stamp on Porteous
3. Livingston 2-0 Kilmarnock - Kabia & Pittman net late for hosts
4. St Mirren thrash Dundee Utd; Motherwell win at County; St Johnstone & Aberdeen goalless
5. Inverness CT & Morton draw in Championship
6. Watch Sportscene (23:00)

Goodbye

Another busy night of Scottish Premiership action is in the books.

Rangers maintain their 23-point lead at the top of the table, with Alfredo Morelos scoring the winner against Hibs but also fortunate not to be sent off.

Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard are on target as Celtic beat Hamilton Accies, while in-form Livingston leave it late to beat Kilmarnock.

St Johnstone and Aberdeen ends goalless and Motherwell come from behind to beat Ross County.

Lastly, St Mirren banish their League Cup blues by thrashing Dundee United at Tannadice.

Thanks for your company, tonight. Remember to watch Sportscene at 23:00 on the BBC Scotland channel. Cheers.

Coming up on tonight's Sportscene

Rice 'delighted' with side's spirit

Hamilton manager Brian Rice tells Sportsound: "I'm delighted with the spirit we showed. We stuck at it.

"You can come here and get rolled over quite easily. They had a lot of the ball, but for my boys to keep at it and create a few chances, I can't ask any more.

SNS

Brian Rice believes Hamilton can remain in the Premiership

"I believe we can stay in the division. I'm positive, I've not seen too much to say we will get cut adrift.

"We have a togetherness."

'We deserved the three points'

Livingston manager David Martindale tells BBC Scotland: "I think Kilmarnock will be getting sick of us and late goals. But I think we more than deserved the three points. I passed the fit and proper test this week so that was part of my pre-match speech: 'Don't let me down, don't let me down.'

"I think we were better when Marvin Bartley went off, I think that was the game changer, so I hope you're watching Marve."

SNS

David Martindale is delighted with Livingston's form

The Livi boss also reveals he may be close to a new signing.

He said: "I'm working on something just now, I'm trying to bring in a foreign player I like the look of, but I don't want to say too much just now."

Premiership table after tonight's games

BBC Sport

McInnes 'searching' for Dons quality

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes tells BBC Sportsound: "I thought we were good in the game, the better side in the first half, but it was a bit more even in the second half. We didn’t have the same control, St Johnstone squeezed the game a bit more.

"The pitch here at this time of year can be a bit difficult for running with the ball and we had to be a bit more pragmatic. We’re just searching for that bit of quality, somebody that’s going to make the difference for us.

SNS

"The effort of the team, the commitment... there was some good stuff played on a difficult surface. Unfortunately for us we have to take a point and move on.

"We got in some good areas, Matty Kennedy was outstanding the first-half, he was really carrying the fight. But at the end of the day it still comes to that last bit.

"We’re searching for somebody to go and be that regular goalscorer for us and produce that bit of quality and it didn’t help matters that Curtis got injured so we were a wee bit short in terms of options."

'It's a red card, it's an easy one'

Hibernian head coach Jack Ross tells BBC Sportsound: "It wasn't pretty at times with the state of the pitch but we knew we'd have to play the conditions and we were highly competitive throughout.

"Our most disappointing period of the game is when we concede but prior to that and the reaction to going behind was good. It was important for the players to provide that kind of performance, to regain a bit of belief."

SNS

Jack Ross says Alfredo Morelos should have been sent off

On the Alfredo Morelos challenge, he says: "It's a red card. It's quite an easy one. We get the benefit of seeing it again but it's one that looks relatively straightforward in real time as well. It should have been seen and I'll just keep it at that.

"I don't want to use that as an excuse for the goal because, in that moment, we should have defended it better."

Premiership results

BBC Sport

'One to build on' - Lennon

Celtic manager Neil Lennon tells Sportsound: "It was a good team performance.

"I'm delighted with three points and the clean sheets, but overall delighted with the team and their attitude.

"We created good chances, we need to be more ruthless. To be fair Hamilton threw bodies in the way and the goalkeeper played well.

SNS

Neil Lennon hailed his Celtic side's victory against Hamilton

"It was an excellent team performances and one to build on."

On whether or not the money from Jeremie Frimpong will be spent on the squad, he added: "I don't know. I'll speak to Peter tomorrow.

"We've not been immune to the pandemic financially. we felt it was good business and the timing of the deal was right for the club.

"Whether we get to spend, we'll see. There may be options coming up over the next few days that we don't expect, but we are looking at one or two players to bring in."

'I wish we had John Beaton on Sunday' - Goodwin

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin is a happy man after his side's thumping victory.

"We're absolutely delighted," he said. "I don't think the scoreline is a fair reflection of how the game was going. At 0-0 there wasn't a great deal in the game.

"We managed to get ourselves in front through a very good set-play, which we work hard on. The penalties, I've harped on about some of the penalties that we haven't had this season. It's great to have an experienced referee out there in John Beaton who in my opinion made the right call twice.

SNS

Jim Goodwin was delighted with St Mirren's emphatic victory

"It takes a bit of courage to give two in one game, but I felt they were obvious. We could've done with John on Sunday in the semi-final.

"It was a really great performance all round, in terms of the reaction from the players.

"It would've been easy for the players to feel sorry for themselves. They didn't do that tonight they showed great character and professionalism and I'm over the moon to get the three points."

Mellon bemoans 'soft penalties'

Dundee United manager Micky Mellon is unhappy with the two penalties against his side this evening.

"A lot of things went against us," he said. "Soft penalties which are going to change the course of the game, and chances missed at vital times.

"The second one is incredibly harsh [Lawrence Shankland was penalised for handball]. He's just blasted it and he's [Shankland] not even looking at the ball.

SNS

Micky Mellon says Dundee United will "pick up the pieces"

"But we just keep going. We'll come in tomorrow - we're a new team at this level - and we'll work forward again and pick up the pieces to get ready for the weekend."

FULL-TIME Livingston 2-0 Kilmarnock

Did anyone see that coming? With the game seemingly drifting towards a goalless draw, late goals by Jaze Kabia and Scott Pittman sees high-flying Livi move to within five points of fourth place with a game in hand.

David Martindale's side are now unbeaten in 12; Kilmarnock drop to eighth after back to back defeats.

Opta

FULL-TIME Celtic 2-0 Hamilton

Celtic fans will take that. Two goals, a clean sheet and an evening with little to fret over. Well, near enough.

Apart from David Moyo's miss just before half-time, this was a game Celtic controlled. Plenty of possession was accentuated by goals from Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard. A handful of chances in the first half could have killed the game earlier.

Accies never really looked like pulling this one back, and they now look towards a huge match against Ross County next week.

Opta

FULL-TIME Hibernian 0-1 Rangers

Rangers maintain their 23-point lead at the top of the Premiership thanks to that strike from Alfredo Morelos.

He was lucky to still be on the park after a naughty stamp on Ryan Porteous and - just to rub it in - it was the Hibs defender who was caught napping playing the striker onside for the decisive moment.

Hibs huffed and puffed and couldn't really involve strikers Christian Doidge or Kevin Nisbet, although Jackson Irvine might lose some sleep after two misses in front of goal.

Morelos could have wrapped it up with a close-range chance but the ball took a wee bobble as he shot wide of a gaping target.

Opta

GOAL Livingston 2-0 Kilmarnock

It's two goals in two minutes as Scott Pittman pokes the ball under Danny Rogers.

BBC Sport

ADDED TIME

Three minutes of added time at the end of the 90 at Easter Road.

GOAL Livingston 1-0 Kilmarnock

Late pressure from Livingston pays off, and Jaze Kabia thumps a shot in from close range.

BBC Sport

Any more goals?

We're entering the final five minutes in our late run of games. Celtic and Rangers are on course for victories, while Livingston and Kilmarnock remains goalless.

GREAT SAVE!

Glen Kamara glides away from a couple of tired looking Hibs players before the ball is worked to Ryan Kent in a central area. The Rangers winger leathers a shot on target from 18 yards and Ofir Marciano does well to push it away.

Hamilton seek lifeline

A late flurry here from Accies. A tricky corner drops to the front post with two Hamilton men getting in each other's road, with the ball eventually cleared to safety.