It was a seismic weekend in the Scottish Premiership.
A four-way tie for last and a manager sacking added to the drama after big wins for Ross County and Hibs.
Only 10 points separate 12th from 5th. With ten games remaining before the league splits, it’s still unclear who will fill out the top 6 and who will be battling for survival in the bottom 6.
The Bottom Two Trade Places
Bottom-of-the-table Ross County put three goals past Kilmarnock to set up a four-way tie for last place.
The win took the Staggies off the bottom on goal difference, with Killie now footing the table. Kilmarnock are still the only team yet to record an away win this season.
Dundee Utd and Motherwell, who share the bottom spot on 20 points, both have a game in hand. St Mirren beat Motherwell to move into the top half of the table, pushing Aberdeen into 7th.
Aberdeen Slump Deepens
Last Monday, Aberdeen suffered that has to be one of the most humiliating defeats in the long history of the Scottish Cup. Darvel, who play in the Scottish sixth tier, stunned the Premiership side 1-0.
The humiliation continued as Hibs put six past Aberdeen, including a hat-trick from Josh Campbell. Minutes after the game, Jim Goodwin’s dismissal was announced, leaving Aberdeen 7th and now managerless.
Last season was the first time Aberdeen has finished outside the top 4 since 2014. They now find themselves in the bottom half of the table again. They have a 9-point cushion over the four teams tied for last place, but if this dismal form doesn’t change soon, they may find themselves fighting for their top-tier survival.
Though they have finished bottom of the league before, they were spared relegation both times. Whoever takes the big job next has plenty of work to do to get the team performing again.
Top Four in Action
Elsewhere, it was “as you were” in the top four by the end of the weekend’s games. Celtic and Rangers won their games 2-0, and Livingston and Hearts shared a point each in the weekend’s only tie.
Rangers remain 9 points behind league leaders Celtic. Even with 15 games left, it’s Celtic’s title to lose.
Photo credit: IMAGO / Action Plus