Scottish Premier League - Round-up: Gers close in

Eurosport - Sat, 31 Jan 18:24:00 2009

John Fleck netted his first goal for Rangers as they beat Dundee United 2-0 to move within a point of leaders Celtic in the Scottish Premier League.

John Fleck, FOOTBALL - 0

The teenager won, and then converted, a second-half penalty before Kyle Lafferty sealed the win in injury time.

The previous meetings between the clubs had both ended in draws but United were forced to return to Tannadice empty-handed this time as Rangers piled the pressure on Celtic ahead of their trip to Inverness.

Elsewhere, Simon Mensing scored both goals as Hamilton recorded their first-ever top-flight victory over Hearts to move up to eighth.

Jambos owner Vladimir Romanov joined the New Douglas Park crowd to take in his first Hearts game since November 2007, but his side offered little attacking threat as Accies completed a perfect January with their fifth win.

Mensing opened the scoring 11 minutes in after converting a Brian Easton corner and then made it four goals in as many games with a penalty early in the second half after Robbie Neilson brought down James McCarthy.

Michael Higdon's second-half strike gave Falkirk a vital three points in their bid to ease themselves away from relegation trouble as they beat Aberdeen 1-0.

The former Crewe striker latched on to a pass from strike partner Steve Lovell 10 minutes after the break to net the only goal of the game and stretch the Bairns' gap over bottom side Inverness to five points.

The defeat brought to an end a run of only one defeat in nine games for Aberdeen, whose best chances fell to skipper Scott Severin on an afternoon of frustration in front of goal.

Motherwell striker David Clarkson rescued a deserved point to cancel out Derek Riordan's opener for Hibernian in a 1-1 draw.

Clarkson converted a penalty with 15 minutes remaining following substitute Steven Thicot's foul on Jamie Murphy.

Hibs had taken the lead in the eighth minute when Riordan found the net with a composed finish from 10 yards from Ross Chisholm's cut-back.

In the day's early game, Dennis Wyness came off the bench to rescue a 1-1 draw for St Mirren after Kilmarnock's Kevin Kyle had threatened to upstage the Paisley club's first game at their new stadium.

Kyle headed home on his Clydesdale Bank Premier League debut and it looked like his would be the only bright new start after Alan Combe saved Jim Hamilton's penalty.

But Wyness grabbed a late equaliser after a mistake by Combe, who had controversially escaped a red card for hauling down Dargo earlier in the game.

Sporting Life / Eurosport

Comment 5 - 24 of 24

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  1. pt 29 the songs sung were folk songs try listening again paradise band let the people sing what about the terrorists that terrorised manchester very short memorys your lot

    From paul, on Tue 3 Feb 1:21PM

  2. The singing by the celtic fans at yesterdays game in inverness is beyond sectarian .Its inciting terrorism @ a time when islamic fanatics need no goading .After the events at glasgow airport when a good rangers fan protected all those tims against their terrorist friends, u would think they would be grateful,but no not this mob of low brow neanderthals.Im sure our zero tolerance police force will take the appropriate action this time against the repeat offenders.No decent minded celtic fan wants associated with this horrible terrorism ,that has nothing to do with football and nothing to do with scotland .

    From nice_mr_mofo_bastard, on Mon 2 Feb 8:37PM

  3. pont 28 fleck and mgeady would have been great for scotland but alas septics f.c policys denied it shame on irelands scottish brittish club

    From JAMESM WATP, on Mon 2 Feb 7:00PM

  4. lol @ the green eyed monsters salivating over a little boy ...the hero of scottish football John Fleck .This lad is no mcgeady ,he's scottish but that doesnt stop the stupid ppl that support an irish team playing in scotland from being utterly pig sick at the boys ability .

    From lightspeedmorpheus, on Mon 2 Feb 9:15AM

  5. 24 - aye, MICKY ROONEY! And I'm talking about the actor, not the roman catholic! GIRFUY!

    From Singin' Ginger!!, on Sun 1 Feb 10:49PM

  6. John Fleck is the next Rooney

    From connorhart, on Sun 1 Feb 5:17PM

  7. POINT 20, YOUR WRONG, AT LEAST WHEN WE PLAY WELL WE DONT THINK WERE BRAZIL (LOL) I HEARD IT ON THE RADIO AND DONT THINK THEY PLAYED THAT WELL,

    From THE HOOPS, on Sun 1 Feb 1:15PM

  8. There is one point in the league and its supposed to be 4 in a row, league's over. Are you nuts. We all know the league goes down to the last game

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Sun 1 Feb 12:20PM

  9. Hmmmmm think your wrong there. Celtic lose strachans hounded

    From Paul G CHAMPIONS, on Sun 1 Feb 12:14PM

  10. TO ALL YOU HUNS, YOU LOSE YOU WANT SMITH SACKED, YOU WIN YOU THINK YOU ARE BRAZIL (LOL), POINT 14 YOU ARE SICK, I AM A CELT BUT WOULD NOT WISH THAT ON ANY PLAYER YOU NEED TO GET A LIFE.

    From THE HOOPS, on Sun 1 Feb 11:21AM

  11. Gardner a decent supporter?? Someone who calls himself a "Hibee" and cant help discussing Septic on every messageboard

    From World Record 52 Champions, on Sun 1 Feb 1:48AM

  12. blue tinted glasses rangers were very lucky to come away with a point let alone 3 celtic have won the legue you will be lucky to come third the way you are playing and when you lose a key player sun or mon which you will,i realy belive you will struggled
    big time nothing you say will change decent supporters mind

    From paul, on Sun 1 Feb 12:44AM

  13. That referee ur talking about was the same referee that chalked off an Aberdeen goal at Septic at the end of last season,a crucial decision that affected the outcome of the title after seeing an "imaginary handball" by Diamond when his hands were nowhere near the ball.

    Typical blinkered tarrier view,it was a stonewall penalty today and you're just crapping it cos Rangers will top the table after humiliating ur rotten mob AGAIN at the piggery on the 15th!!!

    From World Record 52 Champions, on Sun 1 Feb 12:14AM

  14. back to four points?? Hahaha thats what u said before Septic played the sheep and they gubbed u 4-2.

    Big Tel will get the Inverness Rangers fired up to give u a similar beating,LOL!!!

    From World Record 52 Champions, on Sun 1 Feb 12:06AM

  15. back to 4 points tomorrow

    From Bateman, on Sat 31 Jan 11:25PM

  16. i can remember when you lot used to slag flecks uncle to fu''.i also remember the last great thing that came out of murray park that was going to be brilliant,you sold him a couple of weeks ago.chris burke.FTQ

    From docherty686, on Sat 31 Jan 10:25PM

  17. like watching brazil?aye cowdenbeath the blue brazil.and i unreservedly apologise to all the people of cowdenbeath for lumping you in with that shower o sh''.4 in a row.treble in 2008-2009.FTQ

    From docherty686, on Sat 31 Jan 10:20PM

  18. It's nice to see the rangers fans happy, isn't it?

    From Alan R, on Sat 31 Jan 10:02PM

  19. Its only a matter of time before the Mighty Gers reclaim top spot!!!

    Wee Flecky,a star in the making,his uncle must be very proud of him,taking a penalty in pressure conditions in front of a capacity crowd for a 17 year old kid,coolness personified.

    Bring on the Septic!!!

    From World Record 52 Champions, on Sat 31 Jan 9:00PM

  20. Gers outstanding today....total football again...passing, skill, vision, and a real cutting edge...fleck?......better than Van Basten when he was at his peak.......was like watching Brazil today....c'mon the rainjurz....we can get second if we keep gaun like this......

    From u2fns, on Sat 31 Jan 8:43PM
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