Heart of Midlothian 3 Partick Thistle 0

Heart of Midlothian 3 Partick Thistle 0

Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership, Saturday 22 August 2015 – Tynecastle

For a brief period on Saturday afternoon, Hearts were knocked off their perch at the top of the Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership table. League champions Celtic had defeated Dundee United in the early afternoon kick-off meaning Robbie Neilson’s side – tipped to be champions earlier this week by former captain Steven Pressley – were in second place going into the 3.00pm kick-off against Partick Thistle at Tynecastle. Their fall from top place didn’t last long. By 4.50pm, the marauding maroons were back on top of the league following a fine 3-0 win over the Jags.

Hearts had suffered a pre-match blow when the influential Jamie Walker was ruled out of the game due to a foot injury. Gavin Reilly took his place.

Hearts normally start games in Gorgie in a frenetic fashion. However, on Saturday it was Partick Thistle who applied the early pressure although they didn’t seriously trouble home keeper Neil Alexander. Inevitably, it was Hearts who came closest to scoring when fine play from the skilful Sam Nicholson was almost finished off by Juanma.

It was Sam the Man who almost broke the deadlock after 12 minutes with a ferocious effort from 20 yards which forced Thistle keeper Cerny to push the ball over the bar. Next, skilful play by Hearts captain Alim Ozturk found Prince Buaben who set up a shot for Callum Paterson but the Scotland Under 21 player’s effort on goal was deflected. Then Juanma found Igor Rossi but the defender showed why he is a defender when he volleyed an effort wide of goal.

It was all Hearts now and after 29 minutes, the Maroons duly went ahead. Nicholson’s corner was headed on by Paterson and as the Thistle defence tried desperately tried to clear, Osman Sow showed a predator’s instinct by prodding home from six yards.

Half-time Hearts 1 Partick Thistle 0

After an initial flurry from the visitors trying to get back into the game, Hearts almost doubled their lead ten minutes into the second half. Great play from Buaben set Sam Nicholson free. The young winger hared in on goal and looked certain to score. However, he pulled his shot agonisingly wide and Tynecastle collectively groaned.

Nonetheless, the youngster didn’t let his head go down. Minutes later, Hearts were awarded a penalty kick when Paterson was brought down in the penalty box. Juamna’s spot-kick was saved by Cerny but Sam Nicholson was the quickest to react to the rebound and blasted home for Hearts second goal.

Just two minutes later, Nicholson was involved again when he played Juanma through on goal and the Spaniard showed real composure to chip the ball over the Thistle keeper to make it 3-0 and seal the points for the Maroons.

The Firhill side have only scored two league goals all season so their chances of getting anything from the game were slim to say the least. They nearly pulled a goal back with ten minutes left when substitute Osman headed goalwards but Hearts young substitute Sean McKirdy cleared off the line.

Gavin Reilly almost made it 4-0 but the former Queen of the South striker’s fine effort was pushed away by Cerny.

There was just enough time for Hearts to introduce yet another product of their flourishing youth academy when 16-year-old Calumn Morrison was given a late run out.

At the end of another fine afternoon, Hearts were back on top of the Ladbrokes Premiership after a fifth league win on the bounce. Yet, afterwards, Robbie Neilson was still not entirely happy.

“We were a bit wasteful in the first half,” he told the official Hearts website. “We got into good areas but didn’t create a lot of great chances.

We were OK today, not great. The second half was better in terms of attacking, and I’m pleased with the clean sheet, but there’s a lot we could have done better.”

It’s this kind of attitude that will ensure Hearts continue to make such astonishing progress under Neilson and Craig Levein. A title challenge this season? Perhaps not. But a top six finish is certainly achievable.

Hearts: Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Rossi, Oshaniwa, Sow (King, 64'), Buaben (McKirdy, 74'), Gomis, Nicholson, Reilly, Juanma (Morrison, 86'). 

Partick Thistle: Cerny, Miller, Seaborne, Welsh (Osman, 61'), Booth, Amoo (McDaid, 74'), Bannigan, Doolan, Stevenson (Lawless, 56'), Frans, Fraser. 

Referee: John Beaton

Att: 16,657

Top man: Sam Nicholson

Soweto Afro Pop Opera

Among the plethora of big names at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe are some little golden nuggets of entertainment from those whose name may not be immediately recognisable to some.

Soweto Afro Pop Opera are back in town following on from last year’s visit and although their show this year has reduced somewhat in size, it is still very enjoyable. The 2015 version has just three young men from Soweto but their talents showcase light opera and modern popular music as well as traditional South African music which had their audience clapping and foot-tapping enthusiastically.

The trio aren’t short on humour either and their interaction with their small but appreciative audience was warmly received. Although the talented threesome had to rely on backing tracks as their musical accompaniment, their version of 'Somewhere There's a Place For Us' from the musical West Side Story and 'There's Music in the Air' by Soweto-born jazz singer Letta Mbulu were excellent.

Soweto Afro Pop Opera are steadily building a reputation for musical excellence and versatility. Their wide-ranging repertoire is aimed at culturally bridging the UK and South Africa – and they are succeeding. My only minor gripe is that the show isn’t long enough and the fact there were fewer than 100 people watching such talent was a tad disappointing.

Their show at Chambers Street in Edinburgh (just off the Bridges, so it’s easily accessible) starts at 5.00pm and finishes before 6.00pm. So, if you’re heading to another later gig, why not pop in and see this splendid family show. You’ll be glad you did.

Hardeep Singh Kohli

Hardeep Singh Kohli’s show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is tagged ‘Big Mouth Strikes Again’. The blurb on the Fringe website states ‘The Fringe’s favourite comedian, broadcaster, journalist and chef explains all in a brand new show’.

Of course, reviews such as this are all a matter of opinion and what is funny to one person may not be even mildly amusing to another. His self-description as ‘Big Mouth’ certainly rings true. The Glaswegian certainly isn’t slow at giving his opinions on politics, faith and the good citizens of Edinburgh of which he now is, having decided to live in the capital city. The assertion that he is ‘the Fringe’s favourite comedian’ is surely open to debate, certainly if Thursday evening’s performance at the Pleasance Dome is anything to go by.

The die-hard fans in the audience certainly lapped up what was on offer although there were some who either didn’t get his humour (or couldn’t make out what he was saying given his propensity to mumble on occasion) or simply found him unfunny. One person actually walked out of the performance halfway through although it wasn’t clear if he had to dash elsewhere or had simply had enough.

Hardeep’s political views are well-known and while I personally agreed with the content of his rants about the Scottish independence referendum and Tony Blair’s input into the current Labour Party leadership contest, I suspect I wasn’t the only person who felt that they had come to see a stand-up comic and not a political rally.

The funniest line of the evening came not from Hardeep himself but a member of the audience who was called Daniel. When Hardeep made the assumption Daniel was Jewish on account of his name, the instant retort of ‘and I’m also an accountant’ brought arguably the biggest laugh of the evening. And that said a lot about the performance of someone who is reputed to be one of Scotland’s top comedians and broadcasters. It was funny in parts, repetitive in others (the Edinburgh Castle gag just became tedious after an hour) and for some ‘gags’ tumbleweed wouldn’t have been out of place.

As I left the theatre, I couldn’t help but feel there should be a revised tagline for the show: Hardeep Singh Kohli – Big Disappointment…

Whisky Galore!

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has a vast array of shows, the majority of which are in the centre of our stunning capital city. However, there are some fine performances to be seen away from the more obvious venues – and one of them can be found in Leith.

The Leitheatre’s fine production of Compton Mackenzie’s classic comedy Whisky Galore! is currently showing at South Leith Halls, just off Great Junction Street. Directed and produced by Lynne Morris and Stephen Hajducki from an original stage adaptation by James Scotland, Whisky Galore! is a gentle meander through a bygone age set on the fictional Outer Hebridean island of Todday during the Second World War.

When a ship bound for America is run aground on the island following dense fog, thousands of cases of the finest whisky are washed ashore. The locals are intent on ‘saving’ the cargo but the Home Guard Commanding Officer, the officious Captain Waggett is intent on spoiling these intentions.

The Leitheatre’s production of this famous story is humorous and couthy with a wee bit of romance thrown in for good measure (if you’ll pardon the pun)

At more than two hours it’s good value for money even if the first half of the show did seem overly long.  However, it’s a splendid evening’s entertainment.

Craig Hill - Playing With My Selfie

There are some comedians I look for every time the programme for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe comes out in the spring. One of them is Scotland’s very own Craig Hill.

I’ve gone to see the lad from East Kilbride appear in the capital for several years now. Every year he never disappoints. And this year is no exception. In fact, I would go as far to say this year has been his best show yet.

If you’ve not heard of Mr Hill – where the hell have you been? Okay, no need to answer that. Just don’t do as many innocent naïve people have done when they go to see the great man for the first time - and sit in the front row.

Hill scans his audience and selects his ‘victims’ for general mickey-taking but his fans, of whom there are many, simply love it. His comedy is gloriously camp and no-holds barred. Resplendent in kilt and tee-shirt, Hill seeks to discover where his audience are from and the mockery begins, particularly if you’re from Fife or parts of East Lothian (Prestonpans was given the Craig Hill treatment at his show at the EICC on Tuesday evening)

The show has been described as wickedly subversive as well as risqué and rib-tickling. If you’re easily offended his show is, perhaps, not for you. But most of the near sell-out shows have the hugely appreciative audience lapping it up and begging for more.

Craig Hill is one of the funniest men in Scotland. If you only see one show at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe go and see his. You will simply love it.

Rodney Bewes - Whatever Happened to The Likely Lad?

For those people of my generation who grew up in the 1970s, 2015 has been a sad year. So many ‘weel-kent’ faces from that era have passed away this year. The likes of Patrick Macnee – John Steed of The Avengers – Irish singer Val Doonican, Liverpool’s Cilla Black and Stephen Lewis aka Inspector Blake of hit comedy series On the Buses, have all taken their leave in recent weeks.

So when I saw another favourite of mine from four decades ago – comedy actor Rodney Bewes – was appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this month, I simply had to go and see him live.

Bewes and his co-star James Bolam played Bob and Terry in the hit television comedy series The Likely Lads in the 1960s and its 1970s follow-up Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads. Bewes and Bolam played a couple of loveable Geordie ‘characters’ who kept the nation amused with their antics for more than a decade.

While Bolam has a string of television credits to his name in the intervening years, most recently in the BBC series New Tricks, one may be forgiven for asking whatever happened to his pal Rodney Bewes? Well, during his one hour show at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms in George Street, Bewes – now 78 – is happy to tell his adoring public what he has been up to. He has been heavily involved in the theatre in a variety of shows including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Funny Money, The Odd Couple, Three Men in a Boat and The Diary of a Nobody.

Bewes told the story of how he got the part in Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads thanks to his part in the film Billy Liar where he played alongside his good friend Tom Courtenay in the early 1960s. He also regaled the story of a working-class boy from the North who washed-up by night to fund studying at RADA. In his own words, Bewes describes his laddish behaviour in swinging London with some of the biggest stars of the day.

Bewes entertained those in attendance at the Assembly Rooms with tales of his career and, while he may have ‘struggled with new technology’ (a cd player that played the theme tune to Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads at the beginning of his show) and had to refer to his notes a couple of times, the glint in his eye displayed a sharp sense of humour that hasn’t diminished over the years.

After the show he gladly signed photographs and chatted with those who had seen his show – something not all of today’s ‘stars’ can claim.

The show will appeal to those who still remember Whatever Happened to The Likely Lads (the programme is still being shown on the UK Gold channel) although perhaps not so much to those who have never seen the show. But it’s a splendid hour nonetheless.

Ticket Information

Scottish Labour Appoint New Leader

Cartoon by Chris Cairns - published in Wings Over Scotland

Heart of Midlothian 2 Motherwell 0

Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership, Wednesday 12 August 2015 – Tynecastle

Hearts impressive return to the top flight of Scottish football continued at Tynecastle on Wednesday evening as they defeated Motherwell in front of a near sell-out crowd – a result which takes the Maroons clear at the top of the table.

Head Coach Robbie Neilson had hinted at changes from the team which won at Dundee at the weekend and, indeed, three changes were made as Gavin Reilly, Sam Nicholson and Billy King came in with Blazej Augustyn injured and Juanma and Jamie Walker dropping to the substitute’s bench.

As is nearly always the case at Tynecastle, Hearts posted their intentions early on and Nicholson came close after just two minutes with a shot which had Well keeper Ripley beaten but whizzed past the post.

Nicholson and Billy King seemed to be taking it in turns to torment the Motherwell defence and it was from a King free-kick that Igor Rossi almost gave the home side the lead but the defender’s header was deflected away from goal.

Just after the half hour mark, Hearts pressure told when the ever-dangerous Nicholson danced his way past the visiting defence into the penalty box only to be fouled by McDonald. Penalty said referee Brian Colvin and Gavin Reilly confidently stroked home the spot kick to give the home side the lead.

Hearts should have doubled their lead five minutes later when Nicholson delivered a teasing cross which Prince Buaben met with his head but his effort on goal was inches wide.

Good work by King then presented Reilly with another chance but his shot on goal was straight at Ripley.

Half-time Hearts 1 Motherwell 0

After posing little threat in the opening forty-five minutes, Motherwell looked more determined at the start of the second half. That said, the hard-working Gavin Reilly came closest to scoring again with a shot which was saved by Ripley.

Billy King then tested the overworked Well keeper with a 25 yard low shot which the goalie pushed away. However, the impressive King was not to be denied and he doubled Hearts lead in the 65^th minute. Great build-up play by Buaben saw King collect the ball on the right and he cut in before firing a shot which Ripley could only parry into the net to put Hearts two goals ahead.

Hearts substitute Juanma came close when he almost connected with Callum Paterson’s dangerous cross but the scoring ended at 2-0 to the home side.

Hearts looked much more assured in defence and Robbie Neilson will be delighted not only with another three points but his side’s first clean sheet of the season.

Hearts are playing a lot more ‘direct’ football this season than last, when Neilson was quoted as saying his side would never play the long-ball game. However, when they play the passing game that has become their trademark, they can still do it to devastating effect. New signing Oshaniwa looks very comfortable on the ball and the Nigerian World Cup star’s pace and trickery will cause problems to many teams.

Another fine victory for Hearts who are now clear at the top of the Ladbroke’s Premiership following champions Celtic dropping a couple of points at Kilmarnock. Hoops assistant John Collins was quoted this week as saying that other teams in Scotland aren’t clever enough to test the Glasgow club.

Well, if Mr Collins would care to look at the league table tonight he will see Hearts are in a very clever position indeed…

Hearts: Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Rossi (McGhee, 84'), Oshaniwa, King (Oliver, 88'), Buaben, Gomis, Nicholson, Reilly, Sow (Juanma, 59').

Motherwell: Ripley, Hammell, Laing, McManus, Ainsworth, Johnson, Lasley (Leitch, 67'), Law, Moult (Thomas, 76'), Taylor, McDonald (Clarkson, 87').

Referee: Brian Colvin

Att: 16,645

Top man: Sam ‘The Man’ Nicholson

Happy 8th Birthday, Hannah

The apple of her Papa's eye...

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue

Aficionados of BBC Radio Four’s long-running antidote to panel shows I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue knew what to expect when host Jack Dee brought the team to the Edinburgh Playhouse on Sunday evening. And the hundreds who turned up weren’t disappointed.

Regular team members Barry Cryer – whose 80^th birthday bash is also being celebrated in the capital as part of the Fringe – Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor were joined by a favourite son of the show, Jeremy Hardy with resident pianist Colin Sell the butt of Dee’s acerbic wit as usual.

All the old favourite games were there; One Song to the Tune of Another, Pick Up Song, Sound Charades and Mornington Crescent and others were lapped up by an appreciate audience who couldn’t get enough. Dee brought a local touch to the humour with a couple of digs at Hibernian FC, much to the delight of those Hearts fans in the audience.

Provided with kazoos as part of the show, the audience joined in the swanee kazoo round with gusto and the veteran stars of arguably the most popular comedy radio show in the country provided brilliant entertainment. Even the mythical ‘Samantha’ provided comedy of the ‘double entendre’ variety – most of the audience had heard these gags before in the course of the show’s 43 year history but lapped it up nonetheless.

A wonderful evening’s entertainment and a cracking way to end the weekend.

A Sky Full of Stars

Those of you who are my age group - early twenties fifties - may well be reflecting that 2015 has been something of a sad year. By this, I mean the demise of so many people - celebrities as they're known as these days - who have shifted off this mortal coil this year.

When I was a boy - no, bear with me on this - there were nowhere near the number of television channels there are in these satellite times. In Aberdeen in the 1970s there was BBC1, BBC2 and ITV - which in Aberdeen's case was Grampian TV. And, er, that was it. But this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

I spent many a contented Sunday afternoon watching the likes of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) and The Avengers on our small black and white telly. The Avengers featured Patrick Macnee as the suave and sophisticated John Steed, a debonair fellow who tackled any challenge thrown at him with good humour and his trademark bowler hat and umbrella. The man who created The Avengers - Brian Clemens - died earlier this year and his death was soon followed by Patrick Macnee himself. I still fondly remember the show with its instantly recognisable theme tune and opening sequence and it's sad that its main star is no longer with us (I also had a fascination with Diana Rigg aka Mrs Peel but I won't go into that...)

At the beginning of 2015, another actor who began to make her mark in the 1970s - Anne Kirkbride - also passed away at the far too early age of 60. Anne played Deirdre Barlow in the UK's best known soap opera - Coronation Street - and was involved in some of the programme's most famous storylines for over 40 years.

A well-known Scots actor, Geraldine McEwan, was famous for her role in the television adaptation of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie in the 1970s. This programme was set in Edinburgh and was filmed in Scotland's beautiful capital city. She passed away, aged 82, a couple of weeks after Anne Kirkbride.

The film Oliver! from the 1960s is one of the most famous British films ever produced. One of its stars, Ron Moody, who famously played Fagin, died this year at the age of 91. In the same week another legend of the British screen and stage - Christopher Lee - died aged 93.

I was never a fan of the US television sci-fi series Star Trek. Nonetheless, I was still saddened to hear of the passing of perhaps the show's most iconic member Leonard Nimoy, aka Mr Spock, who died in February.

Talking of iconic US television series, the creator of The Simpsons - Sam Simon - died in March aged just 59.

A famous film star from when I was growing up was Omar Sharif, star of landmark films such as Dr Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia. Sharif died in July aged 83.

Back in the UK, Keith Harris, the ventriloquist who brought us Orville the Duck - yes, he's the one - died in April.

A feature of Saturday evenings in the 1970s was Irish singer Val Doonican who had his own BBC1 television show and was a staple of Saturday night television for many years. Doonican died this year aged 88.

On the music front one of the major players in the new romantic age in the late 1970s/early 1980s - Steve Strange of Visage - died in February following a heart attack. He was just 55. His biggest hit - Fade to Grey - is still played regularly on the radio today.

One of the songs I most associate with the 1970s is Free's All Right Now, co-written by Andy Fraser. Andy died in March at the age of 62.

A singing voice of the 1970s - although I use the term singing loosely in his case, rather like the kaftan's that were his trademark - was Greek star Demis Roussos. He also passed away in January this year.

When a Man Loves a Woman was one of the biggest hit songs of the 1960s. Its singer, Percy Sledge died in April. Ben E King, who famously recorded Stand By Me also died this year at the age of 76.
And BB King, the legendary blues singer, died in May at the age of 89.

The UK had a band called Hot Chocolate, famous for a number of songs such as So You Win Again in the 1970s/80s. Their lead singer, Errol Brown, passed away in May.

In the last week the procession of stars from the 1970s and 80s to the stage 'upstairs' has continued with the passing of British television and singing star Cilla Black and distinguished actor George Cole - star of stage and screen and who had a huge television hit with Minder in the 1980s.

We're only in August but already this year, far too many stars from my childhood/teenage years have departed, some far too early. There are others who have passed away this year who I haven't mentioned but those names above are the those who meant something to the Auld Reekie Ranter as he grew up (some might say I still haven't grown up)

Perhaps I'm at that age but I always feel a twinge of sadness when someone or something from my childhood is taken away.

There was a song by Coldplay called A Sky Full of Stars a few months ago. Sadly, that certainly seems to be the case in 2015.

Heart of Midlothian 4 St. Johnstone 3

Ladbrokes SPFL Premiership, Sunday 2 August 2015 - Tynecastle

There were some football pundits who thought this particular fixture in the opening weekend of the Ladbrokes SPFL Championship may have brought a scarcity of goals. This was on the premise that Hearts new-look team may find things tough on their return to top-flight football while the Perth Saints have struggled to find goals of late. How wrong those pundits were as Hearts and St. Johnstone served up a seven goal thriller in front of a near full house at an overcast Tynecastle.

Hearts Head Coach Robbie Neilson gave Igor Rossi, Blazej Augustyn and Juanma their debuts and there was a welcome return for Prince Buaben who missed the final part of last season through injury.

Before kick-off Hearts owner Ann Budge unfurled the SPFL Championship flag, presented to the Gorgie club after their emphatic title win last season. The majority of the huge Tynecastle crowd lapped it up and they had barely settled into their seats when their favourites took the lead.

Just four minutes had been played when Saints defender Brad McKay – released by Hearts during the summer – stumbled inexplicably on the edge of his own penalty box allowing Hearts new striker Juanma to run in on goal the slip the ball beyond goalkeeper Mannus to give the home side an early lead.

The impressive Juanma was proving a real handful to the Saints defence and he came close again with an effort which went wide before another new Jambo – Igor Rossi – also had an effort on goal which was blocked.

However, it was far from one-way traffic. The Perth Saints were dangerous on the counter-attack with Lappin, Shaughnessy and another former Jambo John Sutton causing problems.

Just after the half-hour mark, Hearts Osman Sow did brilliantly to create space for himself but his effort on goal was blocked. However, it was Saints who nearly scored the next goal when Sutton’s header was scooped off the line by Sam Nicholson.

Half-time Hearts 1 St. Johnstone 0

St. Johnstone resumed after the break in determined fashion but it was Hearts who scored again with their first real attack of the second period. Brilliant play by Juanma saw the Spaniard racing through on goal with the visiting defenders trailing him. He slipped the ball to Sam Nicholson whose run into the penalty box was foiled illegally. Penalty said referee Steven McLean – one of the few decisions he got right all afternoon – and Osman Sow duly took the spot kick. His effort was saved by Mannus but Jamie Walker reacted to the rebound quicker than anyone to blast the ball home to put the home side 2-0 ahead.

Hearts two goal advantage didn’t last long. Shaughnessy’s long throw into the Hearts penalty box startled home keeper Neil Alexander who could only palm the ball to Lappin who fired home. 2-1 to Hearts now and there were accusing looks among the home defence.

After Jamie Walker almost scored his second goal, the young forward then played a delightful pass to Callum Paterson and the big utility player drove the ball past Mannus to put Hearts 3-1 ahead. Sam Nicholson then had a glorious chance to put the game to bed but he opted for power rather than precision with his shot on goal from six yards out and his effort sailed into the Gorgie Stand.

It looked like the youngster’s miss would prove costly for the home side. St. Johnstone pulled a goal back when Sutton glanced a header beyond the despairing Alexander before Shaughnessy’s effort spun off Cummings to equalise for the visitors.

Anguish emanated from the Tynecastle stands as Hearts appeared to have thrown away a two goal lead. But Sam Nicholson made up for his earlier miss when he got on the end of a superb cross from the hard-working Callum Paterson to give Hearts a sensational winner.

Gorgie gaffer Robbie Neilson was a relieved man after the game.

"It was a really nerve wracking game for us," he told BBC Radio Scotland. "We wanted to get three points, we managed to do it, but the manner in which we did it wasn't what we were looking for.

"We pride ourselves in being defensively strong, but fatigue played a big part in this because we had four or five boys who have hardly any pre-season.

"We patched them up to try to get them out for this game - Rossi, Augustyn, Juanma, Prince Buaben as well, but I thought they were all fantastic.

"They really worked hard and you could see in the last 30 minutes they were out on their feet, but they kept their character and kept going, winning their headers, winning their tackles, and got us the three points."

Hearts: Alexander, Paterson, Ozturk, Augustyn, Rossi, Nicholson, Buaben, Gomis, Walker (McGhee, 87'), Sow (Reilly, 90'), Juanma (McHattie, 77'). 

St Johnstone: Mannus, Scobbie, Lappin (Cummins, 68'), Millar (Brown, 20'), Wotherspoon (Kane, 85'), Sutton, Shaughnessy, McKay, Easton, Craig, OHalloran.

Referee: Steven McLean

Att: 16,334

Top man: Callum Paterson – what a power of work this laddie put in.