Celtic and Rangers both secured victories in last night’s Scottish Premiership fixtures, with the champions maintaining their perfect start and the Ibrox side building momentum with back-to-back wins. Motherwell ended a four-game winless run in style, while St Mirren piled more pressure on Kilmarnock and Dundee were held by a late St Johnstone equaliser.
Celtic 3-0 Aberdeen
Celtic made it four wins from four in the league with a commanding first-half display against Aberdeen at Celtic Park. Camilo Durán opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the box that flew into the top corner, before Benjamin Nygren doubled the lead in the 34th minute, finishing low after good work down the right. Yang Hyun-jun sealed the points in first half injury time, coolly slotting home after a perfectly weighted pass from Durán. Aberdeen had a chance to pull one back when Gavin Molloy headed against the crossbar, but Celtic’s control and clinical finishing ensured a comfortable night for Martin O’Neill’s side. Durán now has six goals in his last seven games as Celtic stay top of the table.
Falkirk 1-2 Rangers
Lawrence Shankland scored twice as Rangers beat Falkirk 2-1 at The Falkirk Stadium, easing pressure on Derek McInnes. Shankland gave Rangers an eighth-minute lead, finishing neatly after being teed up by Djeidi Gassama, but Falkirk equalised just before half-time when Kosta Nedeljkovic turned Ethan Ross’ low cross into his own net. Shankland restored Rangers’ lead in the 79th minute, sweeping home from Ross McCrorie’s pass. Falkirk spurned several chances to go ahead after the break, with Jacob Murrell twice shooting straight at Ivor Pandur when better placed. Rangers move up to fifth on seven points from four games; Falkirk remain without a league win.
Motherwell 3-0 Dundee United
Motherwell ended a four-game winless run with a dominant 3-0 victory over 10-man Dundee United at Fir Park. Emmanuel Agyei was sent off in the 14th minute for a foul on Alex Lowry, leaving United with a mountain to climb. Seb Palmer-Houlden opened the scoring in the 19th minute, finishing Tom Sparrow’s cross, before Alex Lowry scored a superb 25-yard strike in the 65th minute. Dylan Levitt netted on his debut just two minutes later with a low shot from distance. Motherwell dominated possession and chances, climbing to third in the table while Dundee United suffered a third defeat in four league games.
Kilmarnock 0-1 St Mirren
St Mirren took advantage of Kilmarnock’s defensive woes to win 1-0 at Rugby Park, leaving Neil McCann’s side still searching for their first point of the season. Fraser Taylor scored the only goal inside four minutes, side-footing home after St Mirren sliced through the home defence. Kilmarnock, who have now conceded 14 goals in four league matches, failed to create enough to earn even a draw on a wet night in Ayrshire. St Mirren made it three wins from four under Craig McLeish and remain second in the table; Kilmarnock are rock bottom with zero points.
Dundee 1-1 St Johnstone
Dundee were denied a late win at Dens Park as St Johnstone grabbed a 90th-minute equaliser to share the points. Charlie Reilly headed Dundee into the lead with just three minutes remaining, nodding in after Joe Westley’s header came off the crossbar. St Johnstone responded almost immediately when substitute Josh Fowler curled a powerful shot past Owen Goodman to level at 1-1. The draw extends Dundee’s strong recent record against Saints, with only one defeat in the last 11 meetings, but both sides will feel they could have taken more from a tight contest.