Scottish Premiership: Reaction after victories for Celtic, Motherwell & St Mirren

1. FT: Celtic 1-0 Aberdeen - managerless hosts given lead by deflected Edouard strike
2. FT: Hibernian 0-2 Motherwell - Roberts races through to slip ball under Marciano, Cole doubles lead straight after break
3. FT: Kilmarnock 1-1 Dundee United - Sporle's strike takes wicked deflection to give visitors advantage; Medley slams home deserved equaliser
4. FT: St Mirren 1-0 Ross County - McGrath nets late penalty for on-top hosts

Tune into Sportscene later

You can catch highlights from all of today's matches on Sportscene at 19:30 BBC Scotland.

We'll be back tomorrow for the Scottish League Cup final, with Livingston and St Johnstone facing off at Hampden for the season's first silverware.

Cheers for now.

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How the land lies now

St Mirren are almost there in the race for a top six place, having pulled away from Dundee United and St Johnstone.

The Paisley side play Rangers and Hamilton before the split.

Dundee United are at home to Celtic and Aberdeen, which looks tough.

St Johnstone are away to Hamilton before home games against Hibs and Ross County.

At the bottom, it looks like a three-way scrap after Motherwell's victory.

BBC

United should have 'dogged it out' - Mellon

Dundee Utd manager Micky Mellon felt his side should have seen out the victory at Rugby Park.

"Before we came here we knew it would be a tough game but to score the first goal and get into half time you'd expect to be able to dog that out," he says. "We know that there are areas that we need to get better at, we invited the pressure onto ourselves. But then on the flip side of that we've probably had the better chances in the game to win it.

"To come to Kilmarnock and get a point you would be happy but we understood that in order to try and keep pushing it forward to where we want it to get to you would have probably need to have taken three points today but we'll go again."

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Goodwin admits penalty 'dodgy'

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin says he will deal with Collin Quaner if he believes he has dived to win a penalty against Ross County.

He tells BBC Scotland: "I've not watched the penalty back. I thought Quaner got goal side of the defender but it was minimal contact. It's a terrible time to be a defender, it's not a stick-on stonewaller, but we've had a few dodgy ones given against us so to get a dodgy one for us, we're pleased, But I'd rather have won it in other terms.

"If there is any indication that our player has dived, I'll be the first person to tell him it's not acceptable.

"There's far too many players getting far too many soft penalties out there. If my player is the one to get the book thrown at him then so be it. I don't think it's simulation, I think there's contact, but is it enough to go over - I don't know."

'Kilmarnock should have won it' - Wright

Kilmarnock manager Tommy Wright was pleased with his players' effort but rued missed chances in their draw with Dundee United.

"The players gave everything and I think they showed a lot of character in the game when you consider they go one-nil down to come back and get back in the game and we ultimately should have won it," he tells BBC Scotland.

"It's a point closer to where we want to be. The confidence has never really dropped. To be on the front foot against a side pushing for top six shows how good we can be. Out of the four games we've had four really good performances. But we've only got one point so there's still a lot of work to do."

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Tommy Wright picked up his first point for Kilmarnock

Hibs boss bemoans loss of 'incredibly soft goals'

Hibernian head coach Jack Ross tells BBC Scotland: "Frustrating afternoon for us. In the context of the month, we've had a good period.

"The concession of the two goals, they're incredibly soft goals. At key moments, we probably miss chances that could enable us to get back in the game.

"Our reaction to the concession of the second goal was very good. We performed like a team in the second half that was still desperate to win it."

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Quaner 'dived' for penalty - Hughes

Collin Quaner won St Mirren a decisive 82nd-minute penalty and Ross County manager John Hughes is not at all happy with the decision.

He tells BBC Scotland: "I get a closer look, I get to see it on the video. The referee gets one look at it and he's got it wrong, the boy dived. You could see that, and he's bought it.

"You're expecting better and that decision has cost us three points today.

"The referee is paid to make these decisions. I know it's a hard job, but this time of year, what's at stake, he's got to get it right. It was never a penalty, it wouldn't even be a free-kick in open play. It's just another sore one we have to take.

"In the second half I thought we created the better chances and a little lady luck deserted us."

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Hughes claimed St Mirren's Colin Quaner (grounded) dive to win the spot kick

McInnes 'frustrated & annoyed' by defeat

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Sportsound: "It was similar to our recent defeat here. This time a moment of luck won it and was harsh on us.

"We had two really good chances prior to Celtic's goal and after they scored we lost a degree of confidence.

"We kept the ball better second half. I'm really pleased with the performance, but frustrated and annoyed we didn't get something from it.

"Celtic were pinned back second half and struggling to deal with the amount of balls into the box, but we have to take responsibility for getting it over the line."

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Derek McInnes felt his side deserved a point

Celtic 'put their bodies on the line' - Kennedy

Celtic interim manager John Kennedy is thrilled - and a touch relieved - to start with a victory.

"We started positive, played well and pushed Aberdeen back," he tells BBC Sportsound.

"We scored a good goal and had a few good chances but when you don't get that second goal it changes the game.

"We knew Aberdeen would come after us and probably didn't respond well enough. We gave the ball away too much in the second half in areas we shouldn't and when the game is stretched it doesn't suit us.

"But credit to the players in the way they defended the box and dealt with the pressure. They put their bodies on the line and everybody was working for the cause."

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John Kennedy enjoyed a winning start as interim Celtic boss

'Dogs of war' delight Motherwell boss Alexander

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander tells BBC Scotland: "It's a brilliant three points for us. They were prepared to put everything into winning a game of football.

"They didn't let each other down, they fought for each other on every inch of the pitch and we deserved to win against a very good opponent away from home.

"You saw the front three pressing the life out of the opposition, the midfield three were absolute dogs of war and the back four were superb with the keeper."

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'Dons raise their game after the break - again'

Willie Miller

Former Scotland defender on BBC Sportsound

That's two games here that Aberdeen have been good in the second half. The change of shape worked and their attitude was much better

'Celtic lose their way after good first half'

Pat Bonner

Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

John Kennedy can be pleased with the first-half performance, they controlled most of it with good passing and movement, but Celtic didn't have the same answers when Aberdeen asked them questions in the second half

'Huge three points for St Mirren's ambitions'

Leanne Crichton

Former Scotland international on BBC Sportsound

Ross County did have a couple of decent chances and Jak Alnwick got man-of-the-match for that top class save but St Mirren looked the stronger side and it's a huge three points in terms of top six

'Deserved draw something to build on for Kilmarnock'

Billy Dodds

Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Kilmarnock kept at it and got the goal they deserved. It might just be a springboard to go on and keep themselves safe

'Can managers contest red cards?'

Michael Stewart

Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

I don't think anything happened for Graham Alexander's red card. Can managers appeal?

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Graham Alexander was dismissed in the closing minutes of a 2-0 victory

Welcome win for Motherwell

Motherwell's relegation worries have eased considerably after that win at Easter Road.

The visitors were set up well, with Hibs struggling to break them down.

"Motherwell never really looked in any trouble and Hibs were wasteful," says BBC Sportsound pundit Michael Stewart.

FULL-TIME

BBC

FULL-TIME St Mirren 1-0 Ross County

Jamie McGrath's late penalty earns St Mirren victory and puts them on course to finish in the Scottish Premiership top six for the first time since the 1980s.

The hosts were heading for their fifth draw in a row when Collin Quaner was felled in the box by Leo Hjelde.

Irish midfielder McGrath's spot-kick ensured Saints are now four points clear of seventh-place Dundee United, and one behind fifth-placed Livingston.

County, who twice hit the woodwork, remain in tenth. And bottom-of-the-table Hamilton have a game in hand over John Hughes' strugglers, who couldn't build on last week's win over Celtic.

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Jamie McGrath scored a late penalty

FULL-TIME Hibernian 0-2 Motherwell

A good day's work for Motherwell and they are now eight points clear of bottom place in the Scottish Premiership after goals from Jordan Roberts and Devante Cole.

A subdued performance from third-placed Hibernian and though they still have a four-point lead and game in hand over Aberdeen that has to go down as a big opportunity blown.

The hosts' best chances fell to Christian Doidge, who just can't buy a goal these days.

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Cole doubled Motherwell's lead

FULL-TIME Kilmarnock 1-1 Dundee United

Kilmarnock end a losing run of eight games and nudge a point away from bottom club Hamilton.

Adrian Sporle's deflected strike gave Dundee United a half-time lead but Zech Medley found a precious equaliser for the host, slamming the ball home from a corner.

Tommy Wright is off the mark in his fourth match in charge at Rugby Park.

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Zech Medley found a deserved equaliser for Kilmarnock