28.09// The Weekend Roundup

Aye aye and welcome to another round-up of Scotland's football action.

We've got a batch of SPL games to get through, there is the action in the Scottish Football League to tell you about as well as some interesting scores and stats from the First Round of the Scottish Cup. Fort William, a regular name to appear on Inside Left where also in action and, as usual, they didn't disappoint. Keep reading on to find out how they got on.

But we start with a promise to you, dear readers.

We've said it before, but we really must stop doing predictions. We're fine with the match previews, but then we just wont let it rest would we? No, we have to go that extra bit and guess the scoreline. Once again, Inside Left shames itself with it's atrocious predictions: of the six we made, we got two right. The rest ... dear oh dear. So we pledge never, ever to do predictions again.

So, which ones did we get right? Easy: the two Old Firm scores. A bit like shooting fish in a barrel really, what else did we expect would happen? Well, for one we didn't think we'd find Aberdeen leading Celtic at Parkhead. Former Celtic player Charlie Mulgrew scored twice to give the Dons a 2-1 lead with 25 minutes to go, but it was not to be: Aberdeen eventually went down 3-2 and another three league places. Although we're disappointed with the result, the score line, and the fact that Celtic had to come from behind says more about their performance than it does about Aberdeen's.

Rangers won comfortably at Easter Road to consolidate their position at the top of the SPL. Kenny Miller's two goals will go a long way in helping the Rangers faithful to overcome their initial doubts about the Scotland international place at Ibrox. Madjid Bougherra completed the scoring as Rangers win 3-0.

Elsewhere, Dundee United trounced Hearts at Tannadice. A good write-up can be found courtesy of the Arab Blog, so you can get all the details there (just make sure you come back here). We had Hearts winning here on the basis of United's performance in the game against Aberdeen together with the sheer joy the Hearts players must have been feeling on being paid (at last) which would be reflected on the pitch in a tour de force of free flowing attacking football. But no, once again we get it completely arseways, and instead of a United pounding, we get a cracking victory.

Falkirk and Hamilton. Away win we said. Wrong. Low scoring game? Wrong again. A cracking 4-1 win, the equal highest scoring game in the SPL this weekend. We're happy for John Hughes and the Bairns for finally getting off the bottom of the table. Hamilton might feel a bit unlucky as they where by far the better side in the first half, but aye well, if you cant get the ball in the net, it doesn't do you much good.

We shudder to think what we said about the Caley versus Kilmarnock game, but we bet it wasn't the way this game actually turned out. A high scoring game (we did get that bit right), pretty much par for the course between these two sides. Are Killie starting the inevitable slide we had them down for at the start of the season? Time will tell, but well done to Caley for coming back from behind and for getting their first home win of the season.

Lastly,  Motherwell also had to come from behind to beat St. Mirren. Billy Mehmet had put the Paisley side ahead on the half-hour, but Motherwell recovered to take the three points and an all important morale boosting victory. The defeat puts St. Mirren back in their place, i.e. bottom.

So, twenty-three goals in six games, 21 yellow cards and three orderings off. Rangers and Celtic lead the table, Hearts in third, four points behind Celtic. It seems as if parity has returned to Scottish football.

Lower Division Round-up

Livingston go three points clear at the top of the First Division following their 3-1 win over Partick Thistle. Queen of the South move up into second thanks to their 2-0 win over Clyde, while there where much needed victories for Ross County and St. Johnstone, who beat close rivals Dundee 2-0 in an exciting game that saw the Saints denied two penalties. Paul Sheering and Steven Milne scored for the Perth side. Morton remain bottom, but where unlucky not to get all three points. Leading Dunfermline right into the last minute, Ross Campbell equalised for the Pars.

In the Second Division, only 228 people turned out in Stranraer to see an exciting game with 11 bookings and two remarkable come-backs by Arbroath. The game finished 2-2. Ayr United suffered a surprise defeat in Methil at the hands of East Fife. Both teams had where reduced to 10 men by the end of the game. The 3-0 defeat sees Ayr slip down to third place. Peterhead remain in second place despite only managing a goalless draw against Stirling Albion (their fourth in eight games).

Far be it for us to gossip like a daft fishwifey, but there's a few punters putting money on Peterhead's Neale Cooper being the next manager of Aberdeen. Just remember where you read it first.

Brechin City return to the top of the table. Their 2-0 win over Raith Rovers has them leading the table by one point from Peterhead and Ayr. Alloa remain bottom as they lost 1-0 away to Queen's Park.

Down in the Third Division, Stenhousemuir survived a scare at Albion Rovers, but take the three points thanks to an own goal by Albion's Michael McGowan. Annan Athletic lose again, this time 3-0 away to Berwick Rangers. Two penalties in the second half killed of the game which saw Annan's Gary Brown sent off for deliberate handball. Cowdenbeath beat Montrose 2-1 to remain in second place. The Gable Endies had Chris McLeod sent off for dangerous play. Elgin get another dose of 'Goals Against' as they go down 5-2 to East Stirling - at least they managed to complete the game with all 11 players on the pitch (they had three sent off in the 6-1 defeat to Albion last week).

The final game saw Forfar and Dumbarton sharing the points. An own goal from Forfar's Stephen Tulloch opened the days scoring and Paul McLeod's goal just after the restart looked as if it would be enough for Dumbarton. But Forfar fought back thanks to goals from Johnny Russell and Graham Gibson.

Scottish Cup, First Round

There where a lot of goals in the First-round of this years Scottish Cup. 72 goals in 18 games or an average of four per game. Ten of those 72 goals came in one game, the one at Spain Park, Aberdeen between Junior North Premier League side Banks O' Dee and - who else - Fort William FC. For most teams, a 10-0 gubbing would be a record of some sort but, as regular readers of Inside Left will know, not for Fort William. For the Fort, it's just another Saturday. Ritchie Taylor scored a hat-trick for the The Rechabites.

There were wins for Highland League sides Fraserburgh, Clachnacuddin, Huntly, Inverurie Locos (who beat fellow league side Deveronvale), Buckie Thistle and Wick Academy. Lossiemouth and Nairn County both lost (Nairn to Third Division applicants Edinburgh City), while Brora Rangers and Forres Mechanics all face a replay.

Right, that's it for another weekend! We told you it'd be good!