SPL Results - Week 2
Further Wins for Rangers and Hamilton as Celtic Stumble
Newly promoted Hamilton Academicals are top of the SPL, albeit on goal difference. The Lanarkshire side have won both of their opening league games, and are looking forward to a third straight win in their next fixture away to Kilmarnock on Saturday 23rd August. There were also wins for Aberdeen, Hibs and Rangers.
Saturday 16th August 2008
Hibernian 3 Falkirk 2 (HT 2-1)
A first-half double strike by Colin Nish set the Hibees on the road to their first league win of the season. Despite two counters from Falkirk striker Michael Higdon, the green half of Edinburgh held on for a morale-boosting victory when Paul Hanlon scored the decisive goal on 47 minutes.
Inverness CT 0 Hamilton Academicals 1 (HT 0-1)
Hamilton Accies scored with the last kick of the first half to secure their second successive SPL victory and and place them at the league summit at this early stage. Richard Offiong's goal on the stroke of half time ensured the win. Both teams cancelled each other out with a 4-5-1 tactical formation leading to a congested midfield. Chances were few, and some dogged defending by the Accies in the 2nd half ensured all three points on this occasion.
Motherwell 0 Aberdeen 1 (HT 0-0)
Charlie Mulgrew's stunning free kick in the 86th minute settled a disappointing encounter, and sent Motherwell to their second straight defeat in the SPL. Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood played a traditional 4-4-2 system in the game to counter the threat of Motherwell's forward line, and when the Scottish under-21 international Mulgrew fired his free-kick into the bottom left-hand corner of the net from 25 yards, the Dons headed home with all 3 points.
Rangers 2 Hearts 0 (HT 1-0)
Goals from Kris Boyd and new signing Kyle Lafferty gave Rangers victory over 10-man Hearts at Ibrox. Northern Irish international Lafferty showed great composure to finish a flowing move instigated by Madjid Bougherra on 37 minutes. When Saulius Mikoliunas was dismissed by referee Stuart Dougal on 74 minutes, Rangers exploited the extra numbers to record their second SPL win of 2008-2009 by virtue of Boyd's penalty in injury time.
St. Mirren 0 Kilmarnock 0 (HT 0-0)
Defences came out on top in this scrappy encounter, with the best chances of the game falling to Saints' Jim Hamilton whose header cannoned off the crossbar and his team mate Stephen O'Donnell whose fine effort following a mazy run was stopped by Killie keeper Alan Combe. Both teams happy with a point for their endeavours.
Sunday 17th August
Dundee United 1 Celtic 1 (HT 0-0)
Celtic are finding goals difficult to produce at present, with poor misses from Jan Venegoor of Hesselink and Scott McDonald costing the Champions all three points. The Parkhead side opened the scoring through midfield veteran Paul Hartley on 51 minutes with a deflected drive past Zaluska in the United goal. A spirited fightback from the Tannadice XI led to the equaliser from Francisco Sandaza. Despite a late penalty appeal from Roy O'Donovan, both teams settled for a point with the result meaning that Celtic have not lost to Dundee United since August 1999, home or away.
The next round of fixtures takes place on Saturday 23rd August:
Aberdeen v Rangers
Celtic v Falkirk
Hearts v St. Mirren
Inverness CT v Hibernian
Kilmarnock v Hamilton
Motherwell v Dundee United
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