We've got a New Firm Derby and an Edinburgh Derby this weekend, not to mention the Diddy Cup Final on Sunday and there are plenty of other things to write about (the imminent collapse of Andrew Ellis'take-over bid for Rangers and Gordon Mackay's take-over of Stirling Albion to name but two).
Unfortunately, the Glorious Workers Collective For The Benefit Of Making Money For Our Shareholders (i.e, my "job") requires me to be slightly more curt with this weekends Weekender than I'd like to be, so today I can only cough up a (slightly predictable) Four(ish) to Follow.
The two derby fixtures this weekend are of interest given the wildly varying forms and fortunes of the teams in question. Aberdeen we all know about: with any hopes of a top-six gone, they desperately need a victory to stay away from the relegation zone just 10 points beneath them; there will be a good few fans keeping an eye on the score between Falkirk and Hamilton. Aberdeen's opponents, Dundee United need to keep winning to put some distance between themselves, Motherwell and Hibs and secure European football next season.
Hearts look like being the team to take the 6th place, but with St Johnstone coming up the rear (but facing a tough game away at Celtic, where Robbie Keane has finally hit form and will be looking forward to getting stuck into the most porous away defence in the league), they'd want to be on their best on Saturday against Hibernian, otherwise this could well be the last Edinburgh Derby of the season.
I just cant see Aberdeen doing anything here. Morale is low, McGhee is making utterances of a man on the verge of being pushed or walking and support from the stands is ebbing away. The Dons need a win and a performance, but it's hard to see United not making something of this. Aberdeen 0-2 Dundee United.
As for Hearts, they where ripped apart by Motherwell last Saturday so Jefferies will be looking for a reaction from his players. For Hibs gaffer John Hughes this will be his last game before his six-game touchline ban comes into force. A weary win against Kilmarnock in the league and a tougher than expected game against First Division high-flyers Ross County in the Scottish Cup has Hibs perhaps hitting a rough patch, but I reckon they'll pull it together on Saturday. Hearts 0-1 Hibernian.
Now, Division One has become a lot more interesting following Dundee's recent gaffs. A 1-1 draw with Ayr United has reduced their lead at the top of the table to only four points, hinting at a slightly tougher end to the season than Jocky Scott had predicted only a few weeks ago.
With the Division being as tight as it is at the top (only seven points separate first from fourth, and the team in fourth has quite a few games in hand...) every game can have a big influence on who we'll see in the SPL next season. Dunfermline travel to Raith Rovers, a side for whom everything seems to be coming up roses right now.
Apart from the league, that is. In seventh place and going nowhere (neither up nor down) they've concentrated their efforts on the Scottish Cup, where a semi-final appearance against Rangers or Dundee United awaits. Clearly then a team on some run of form, something worrying for Dunfermline who'll want to keep up their promotion challenge.
The First Division game of the weekend, and the one to follow however is up in Dingwall where another team within one game of an unlikely appearance in a Cup Final (and Europe, if you'll permit me some fortune telling) is hoping to make it a double-whammy season with promotion to the SPL. Yes, Ross County, Scottish senior football's most northerly outpost take on second-placed Inverness Caley, the team hoping to bounce back to the SPL.
Ross County have a tricky set of games coming up (either one of Rangers or Dundee United, with possible Celtic or Hibs to follow in the Cup), not to mention one more fixture against Dundee next week). Caley are four points behind Dundee (who take on the practically already relegated Airdrie United this weekend) so you can count on Terry Butcher to push his team to victory and keep the pressure on Dundee. If Caley can keep up the challenge going till the end of the season, we may well have a bumper end of this campaign on the final day. Guess who Dundee will be playing on the 1st May?
Elsewhere
There is a full fixture card in the Scottish Football League.
The First Division
Airdrie United v Dundee
Ayr v Queen of the South
Morton v Partick Thistle
Raith v Dunfermline
Ross County v Inverness Caley Thistle
The Second Division
Alloa v Stenhousemuir
Brechin v Clyde
Cowdenbeath v Dumbarton
East Fife v Stirling
Peterhead v Arbroath
The Third Division
Annan Athletic v Queens Park
Berwick v Elgin
East Stirling v Montrose
Forfar v Albion
Livingston v Stranraer
No comments:
Post a Comment