The Championship side had beaten cinch Premiership outfits Livingston and Kilmarnock on their way to Saturday’s Hampden Park showpiece but had finished sixth in the league.
Celtic proved too tough an opponent as goals from attackers Kyogo Furuhashi, substitute Liel Abada and Jota completed the domestic treble with Caley Thistle replacement Dan MacKay’s header a consolation.
However, MacGregor – a late second-half substitute for Scott Allardice – insists positives can be taken from the performance going into next season.
The 21-year-old midfielder said: “We went toe-to-toe with the best team in the country at the moment and in previous rounds we had beaten Premiership teams.
“It just shows that when we are on our game we can give any team a game and that definitely gives us confidence going into next season.
“We were disappointed obviously, it is never nice to lose in such a big game. It is not a nice feeling.
“Up against a team like Celtic it is always going to be tricky but I think we did reasonably well and limited their chances.
“We genuinely thought we could win the game and that’s the sign of a good dressing room and we are looking to go again next season and hopefully we have a fully-fit squad.”
MacKay, on loan from Hibernian, was pleased that Inverness proved the doom-mongers wrong with their spirited performance.
The 22-year-old winger said: “The boys can be proud of themselves. We put up a really good battle.
“Everyone doubted us and said it would be six or seven nil but we proved them wrong and showed that a Championship team that was midtable was more than a match at times for Celtic but they were clinical at the end of the day.
“If you get a goal you never know what can happen in these games. Pressure happens and chances come and go in games.
“We took our chance but unfortunately we never got another chance and Celtic were clinical.
“But we need to be proud, it was an achievement getting there.”
Asked about his future with Hibs, he said: “I don’t know yet. I wait to see what happens.”
Saints failed to test Motherwell goalkeeper Liam Kelly during a 2-0 defeat at McDiarmid Park.
Results elsewhere mean they are only five point off the bottom of the cinch Premiership and three ahead of 11th-placed Ross County, with Kilmarnock only two points behind.
Saints now face two away games at Rugby Park and in Dingwall before finishing their season at home to Livingston.
MacLean said: “We aren’t really interested in the other teams. It’s in our hands, we’d rather be in our position than the teams below us.
“We will go to Kilmarnock and be positive. The boys are disappointed but I will pick them up again. We will go down there and look to win the game.”
One major positive was Chris Kane’s comeback from a knee injury, which has been delayed by other minor fitness problems. The striker came on in the 84th minute for his first appearance since January 2022.
“It was great to see Chris back,” MacLean said. “I am delighted and now he has to push to be fit again for next week.”
Andy Considine went off with a head knock and will be assessed in the build-up to the game, while Melker Hallberg will be a doubt for the trip to Ayrshire after missing Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury he picked up in training 24 hours earlier.
Motherwell moved into seventh place after Kevin van Veen’s re-taken penalty and a stoppage-time strike from Mikael Mandron made it two wins from two games since the split.
Manager Stuart Kettlewell admitted some poor passing and St Johnstone’s aggressive approach had made life difficult for them in the first half but he was delighted with their improvement after the break.
“The most pleasing aspect for me is probably the character that they show, because it’s very easy to think you are in holiday mode and very easy to think you can stroll through that game,” he said.
“This is such a difficult venue to come and get anything from, especially when St Johnstone need points as well.
“The character, the personality and that wee bit of quality we came up with in the second half, and that element of going right to the very end, was pleasing.”
The 2-1 defeat by Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday was the first loss for manager Philippe Clement in 17 games since taking over from Michael Beale in October and it left the Light Blues trailing the cinch Premiership leaders by eight points, albeit with two games in hand.
The Gers skipper scored a terrific free-kick in the 88th minute to make it a nervy ending for the Scottish champions, who had been leading through goals from Paulo Bernardo and Kyogo Furuhashi before Rangers defender Leon Balogun was sent off at 2-0 for denying Celtic striker Daizen Maeda a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Tavernier looks forward to putting things right against Killie at Ibrox in the final game before the winter break.
He told RangersTV: “It is an important game and obviously we have to play really good football because Kilmarnock are in form.
“We have got to play the best we possibly can, the way the manager wants us to.
“It is important to get the three points to finish before the break and there are plenty of games after that.”
On the disappointing defeat by their Old Firm rivals which dented their title hopes, Tavernier reflected: “They were more clinical than us. Yes, we created some really good chances, but we couldn’t find the back of the net.
“We have just got be a bit more clinical in front of that goal and it could have been a different score line, but it wasn’t meant to be.
“So obviously there’s positives to take and like I said a few weeks ago, there’s plenty of games to play. And we’ll continue working hard.
“We have an important game on Tuesday before the break and we’re going to make sure we get three points on the board.”
Celtic had been leading the table on goals scored but their 1-1 draw at home to Kilmarnock on Saturday left the door open for the Light Blues to take command at the top for the first time since February, 2022.
Ivorian midfielder Mohamed Diomande lit up a dull first half in the 37th minute when he fired in from 25 yards for his first Gers goal since arriving in the winter transfer window.
Tavernier then dispatched penalties after 79 minutes and 87 minutes, both following VAR intervention, taking his tally for the season to 19.
With 12 fixtures remaining, Philippe Clement’s side are two points clear of their Old Firm rivals and will take the momentum of nine straight wins into next week’s game against third-placed Hearts at Ibrox.
Rangers fans travelled in great expectation for the lunchtime kick-off and again they noted that Clement had rung the changes, mostly in attack, with Borna Barisic, Oscar Cortes, Scott Wright, Diomande and Fabio Silva returning.
Craig Levein’s 10th-placed side had Dan Phillips back from injury, with Connor Smith and Ryan McGowan back.
A poor surface was always going to make passing football difficult and the ball spent a lot of time in the air in a scrappy start to the match.
Rangers had 43 attempts on goal in the 3-1 win over Ross County in midweek – 23 on target – but had yet to trouble Saints keeper Dimitar Mitov until Diomande stepped up to break the deadlock.
Another Rangers move looked to have broken down at the edge of the box with McGowan nicking the ball away from Silva.
However, it fell to Diomande and the midfielder, on loan from Danish side Nordsjaelland with the Light Blues having an obligation to buy in the summer and making his first league start, took a touch and drilled it past the diving Mitov.
Dujon Sterling, back from suspension, replaced Gers winger Wright for the start of the second half with Saints striker Benjamin Kimpioka on for David Keltjens, who had been booked in the first half, and the game opened up.
Within seconds of the restart Mitov made a fine save from Silva’s close-range drive from a Diomande cross before Sterling just failed to get enough on a cross from the hard-working Todd Cantwell, who was soon replaced by Tom Lawrence.
Rangers’ narrow lead ensured St Johnstone remained in the game but in the 65th minute Sterling had another chance when he was played in by Silva but took too long to get his shot away and was eventually crowded out.
Three minutes later striker Cyriel Dessers and winger Ross McCausland replaced Silva and Cortes as Clement looked to grab the second goal to give his side some breathing space.
When St Johnstone’s veteran defender Andy Considine fouled Sterling, although he did not point to the spot at first, referee Matt MacDermid was asked to view the pitchside monitor and he awarded the penalty and Tavernier gave Mitov no chance.
Dessers had a one-on-one with Mitov and rounded the keeper but skipper Liam Gordon shepherded the ball to safety.
The Gers substitute then headed a Tavernier cross against the bar and Lawrence’s shot struck the hand of Luke Robinson and after consulting his pitchside monitor again, referee MacDermid again pointed to the spot and this time Tavernier sent it high into the other corner for his 120th Rangers goal.
First-half goals from Lawrence Shankland and Stephen Kingsley earned Hearts their first league win at Celtic Park since 2007.
Shankland’s free header and Kingsley’s 25-yard free-kick saw Hearts end a 14-match losing run at Celtic Park and secure their first win at Parkhead in 25 games, since Michael Stewart’s penalty earned a League Cup win in 2009.
Celtic’s defeat, on the back of last weekend’s loss at Kilmarnock, leaves them five points ahead of Rangers in the cinch Premiership but their Glasgow rivals have two games in hand. It was March 2013 when they last lost consecutive league games, against Motherwell and Ross County.
With the Green Brigade ultras group still banned, the atmosphere among the home fans was again flat but it turned angry for a spell late in the second half as Celtic toiled.
One fan in the main stand sparked wider dissent when he shouted towards the Celtic directors, leading to chants of “sack the board” from around the stadium and more personal songs aimed at chairman Peter Lawwell.
The club’s summer recruitment again came into question with only one of their eight summer signings among the 16 players to feature.
Hearts won comfortably in the end to give manager Steven Naismith a positive end to a week in which his results and style of play came under criticism at the club’s annual general meeting. The Gorgie side moved up to third after scoring more than once in the league for only the third game this season.
The home side threatened first when Greg Taylor saw a powerful first-time strike from 25 yards pushed over but Hearts were ahead in the 15th minute.
Jorge Grant’s deep corner found Shankland completely unmarked and the Scotland striker bulleted a header into the roof of the net to net his 13th goal for Hearts this season.
Celtic pressed without testing Zander Clark and Hearts doubled their lead in the 30th minute after Cameron Carter-Vickers was penalised for a challenge on Nathaniel Atkinson. Kingsley again showed his dead-ball prowess as he curled the ball over the wall and into the corner of the net.
Celtic showed some urgency in response. David Turnbull’s left-footed strike forced a good save from Clark and Kyogo Furuhashi set up Luis Palma for what looked a certain goal until Kingsley threw himself at the shot to block.
Hearts continued to ask questions of their hosts, mostly from corners, and Rodgers made three changes at the start of the second half.
Anthony Ralston replaced Alistair Johnston, striker Oh Hyeon-gyu came on for midfielder Turnbull and Daizen Maeda made his comeback from a knee injury to replace Mikey Johnston.
The latter had been on the end of much of the Celtic support’s frustration as he struggled to make an impact, although Joe Hart twice incurred wrath for punching crosses he could have caught.
Hearts were forced into one switch as Toby Sibbick replaced the injured Kingsley.
Celtic had a couple of half chances as Frankie Kent put in a brilliant challenge on Oh and Furuhashi shot over, but there was little sign of a comeback.
Left-back Alexandro Bernabei came on for winger Palma for only his fourth appearance of the season and the Argentinian soon put in two poor crosses before James Forrest’s 71st-minute introduction for Taylor saw him revert to his normal position.
That was the final throw of the dice from Rodgers and Oh missed a decent chance to spark some life into the game when he was well wide from Forrest’s cutback.
Fletcher sat out Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Livingston with a groin problem amid suggestions his season could be over.
However, the 36-year-old could be back in action in midweek as United chase the victory they need in their bid to beat the drop.
The Tangerines, who had Aziz Behich sent-off for two yellow cards, were left two points adrift at the foot of the Premiership after Ian Harkes’ stunning volley was sandwiched by goals from Livingston pair Bruce Anderson and James Penrice.
But, with Killie and Ross County also both losing, the Tannadice outfit know victory on Wednesday will lift them off the bottom and boost their chances of staying in the top-flight.
On the other hand, defeat – coupled with a win for County against St Johnstone – will see them drop back down into the Championship just three years after promotion in 2020.
And Goodwin admits Fletcher’s return would make a massive difference to his side at a critical time.
He said: “I think in a game like Saturday against Livingston, when physicality is a big thing, he would have been important.
“Young [Rory] Macleod worked his socks off up front in fairness to him. He’s a 17-year-old academy prospect who we have extremely high hopes for, but it does change the game-plan a little bit.
“Fletch leads the line well, he’s an experienced player. When the ball goes forward it tends to stick with him and he brings other people into the game.
“We had to adapt without him but that’s what football is all about.
“Teams all over the country have to go without their key players. It’s just how you adapt and adjust thereafter.
“He will be touch and go for Wednesday. It’s not a major injury but it was enough to keep him out of Saturday’s game.
“If he could have played through the pain barrier he would have, but with a groin strain it’s extremely difficult.”
United started brightly but went behind on 10 minutes when Anderson cashed in on a defensive misunderstanding and, despite levelling through Harkes’ stunner, Penrice fired home what turned out to be the winner on 59 minutes.
Behich was then red carded for two bookings just eight minutes apart as an increasingly scrappy game slipped away from the visitors.
It was a win that arrested a three-game losing streak for Livi, who were already safe from relegation but played with fight and determination.
Manager David Martindale said: “What you find at this point in the season is – when you’re playing teams in around relegation, which is what basically the bottom six is – the football kind of goes out the window and it becomes a wee bit risk averse, for obvious reasons.
“Part of the plan is to put the opposition under pressure as much as possible – and how you get the ball up to that offensive third is kind of irrelevant at times.”
Goodwin led United to three consecutive wins to get them out of the cinch Premiership danger zone after being appointed on an interim basis but a fourth loss on the bounce on Wednesday all but consigned them to automatic relegation.
A 3-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock means United need to win at Motherwell on Saturday and hope the Ayrshire side beat Ross County while achieving an eight-goal swing on the Staggies.
Goodwin has made it clear he would “love” to stay on as United boss beyond the end of the season but his future remains unclear.
The Irishman said: “I have just met the chairman for the first time face to face over the last couple of days. I spent hours with him just giving him my overview on what I have experienced during my time here.
“He has made a hell of an investment financially from his own personal wealth into the club.
“He is a man that in business is used to succeeding and he certainly didn’t come to Dundee United to be having this kind of experience.
“So whatever the outcome is on Sunday, he is fully behind supporting the club in trying to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again in the future.
“He is determined to put things right, from his own point of view but also for the supporters as well.
“We had good, positive talks but there has been nothing decided with regards to my long-term future.
“I have explained to him that I have loved my time at the club, I have met some great people here. There are some fantastic people behind the scenes doing some great things in a lot of the other departments.
“But unfortunately a club is always going to be recognised on what happens on the pitch and unfortunately as a team we haven’t been good enough and all the other good things have been brushed under the carpet.”
Goodwin wants his players to restore a modicum of pride at Fir Park.
“Although we are not mathematically down, we need a minor miracle to happen on Sunday to get that play-off place,” he said.
“We are not going to throw the towel in, of course, but I don’t want to sound silly and look silly by sitting here saying to you guys that we are going to achieve it.
“But we have to put a team on the park that is going to play with pride and try and finish the season on a positive note.
“It’s an eight-goal difference, we would need to score a hell of a lot of goals and hope Kilmarnock do similar to Ross County, but look, there is a one per cent chance possibly, but we know how difficult that task is going to be.
“We have to go and give a good account of ourselves as a group and not go down to Motherwell waving the white flag.
“There is personal pride at stake for the players, myself and the rest of the group. We owe it to ourselves first and foremost but more importantly we owe it to the supporters, because what has happened in the last four games has been unacceptable.”
United might have to aim for a glut of goals without their only experienced striker. Steven Fletcher played through a torn groin muscle during Wednesday’s defeat.
Goodwin said: “Steven is playing through the pain barrier for the club, whether he is going to be able to do the same on Sunday, we will wait and see.”
The Dark Blues skipper broke the deadlock in the 82nd minute before adding another three minutes later to help Dundee climb up to fourth in the table.
The visitors made their numerical superiority count after Livingston had Cristian Montano sent off in the 70th minute for violent conduct following a coming together with Malachi Boateng.
There was concern for the home team at the start of the game when goalkeeper Shamal George needed treatment for what looked like an ankle injury. But after a long delay, he was able to continue.
And George was relieved moments later when a deflection off Dundee striker Zak Rudden looped just over his crossbar.
There was no shortage of effort from both teams but they cancelled each other out as there was a lack of action at either end of the park.
Luke McCowan tried to change that when he charged forward from midfield and despite being tracked by a host of Livingston players the Dundee playmaker still managed to get a shot away that was easily collected by George.
At the other end, Livingston’s first attempt at goal came in the 38th minute when Montano sliced a drive well wide from outside the box.
McCowan then fired an ambitious half volley over from distance before the half was over.
A lively start to the second half offered hope the match would finally generate some entertainment.
Livingston wing-back Montano raced the entire length of the pitch before firing a shot just past Trevor Carson’s post.
A mix up at the other end then presented Dundee substitute Amadou Bakayoko with a chance but the midfielder hit a shot straight at George.
Moments later Rudden then rolled just wide from a tight angle.
Dundee kept coming and Bakayoko thought he had given Dundee the lead in the 56th minute only for referee Willie Collum to rule the goal out for offside after reviewing VAR footage.
The home team were then reduced to 10 men when Montano was sent off in the 70th minute for a stamp on Boateng after Collum upgraded his initial yellow card to a red after a VAR check.
And the visitors made their numerical advantage count as Shaughnessy scored twice in quick succession.
The first came in the 82nd minute when the defender turned in an effort at the front post from Aaron Donnelly’s long throw.
And Shaughnessy then got on the end of Owen Beck’s corner to score from close range.
Substitute David Turnbull opened the scoring for the cinch Premiership leaders with an 86th-minute penalty, but the visitors stunned Celtic Park in the 90th minute when Obika glanced home Blair Spittal’s corner.
Luis Palma earlier had a penalty saved by Liam Kelly as Celtic struggled to break down a dogged Motherwell side, who restricted their hosts to few chances, although Yang Hyun-jun missed a sitter as Brendan Rodgers’ men dominated the majority of the second half.
Motherwell survived 10 minutes of stoppage time to get their second draw in succession at Parkhead and only a third point in their last 10 matches.
Stuart Kettlewell’s side also came within seconds of getting a point against Celtic at Fir Park during that run, only for Matt O’Riley to net moments after Spittal had equalised.
Celtic only made one change from the side that beat Aberdeen 6-0, with Anthony Ralston coming in for Canada right-back Alistair Johnston, while Motherwell lined up with Calum Butcher in midfield ahead of a three-man central defence, with Mika Biereth up front on his own.
Kelly made two good stops early on, from O’Riley’s first-time strike and a header from team-mate Stephen O’Donnell as he defended Palma’s inswinging corner.
The visitors generally protected Kelly for the majority of the first period, though, and grew in confidence towards the end of the half.
O’Donnell had an effort cleared from the goalmouth by Cameron Carter-Vickers, with Joe Hart stranded after a ball over the top, before Dan Casey fired over from the loose ball.
The Celtic goalkeeper then produced a diving parry from Harry Paton’s well-struck effort from 20 yards.
Rodgers decided a half-time change was needed and brought on striker Oh Hyeon-gyu for midfielder Odin Thiago Holm, although Kyogo Furuhashi dropped deeper as a result.
After a scrappy start to the second half, Furuhashi sparked the move that led to Celtic’s first penalty in the 66th minute when he won the ball on the halfway line and drove forward before releasing Palma.
The winger’s low delivery was nearly turned into his own net by Bevis Mugabi, only for Kelly to save, and the defender’s sliding challenge brought down Oh as the South Korean prepared to convert the rebound.
Mugabi escaped with a yellow card from Steven McLean after making a genuine attempt to play the ball and Motherwell survived the spot-kick after Kelly dived to his right to stop Palma’s effort after the Honduran had halted his run-up.
Palma had scored from the spot against Aberdeen but became the third Celtic player to miss a penalty this season following Reo Hatate and Turnbull.
Celtic brought on Turnbull and Mikey Johnston in the immediate aftermath of the miss.
It was one-way traffic now and Johnston set up a glorious chance for Yang as the South Korean ran into the middle to meet the winger’s cross. However, he sent his free header wide of a post.
Liam Scales soon came close with a more difficult header as his effort drifted wide of the far post from Turnbull’s corner, but the danger was not over for Motherwell as replays showed Butcher had held back Johnston as he followed in the header.
McLean pointed to the spot after taking a look at the incident on the monitor.
With Palma off, Turnbull stepped up and dispatched the ball right into the bottom corner for his seventh goal of the season.
Kettlewell immediately brought on two strikers to join fellow substitute Obika up front and the extra bodies paid dividends as they won a corner which sparked the equaliser from their only second-half effort at goal.
It was County’s first win in almost three months, moving them above Aberdeen and Motherwell in the Premiership table.
Adams continued to implement his new-look style, with the Staggies showing strong intent to play at a higher tempo than they had earlier in the campaign.
Most notable was the different approach Yan Dhanda took – instead of primarily looking to pass with his renowned technique, upon receiving the ball he was determined to run at St Mirren defenders and carry County into the final third.
Still, the first chance of the game came from a defensive error, as Marcus Fraser attempted to head the ball back towards his goalkeeper just a few minutes into the match, only for White to intercept and bear down on goal.
He looked well-placed to hit the target, but the shot wound up being a simple stop for Zach Hemming to make.
The visitors would settle into the affair, earning more possession as the half went on, and Alex Gogic went close with a header at a corner late in the first half, only just missing the target as he was falling backwards.
Still, the second half would begin in much the same way as the first did, with Connor Randall very nearly putting the finishing touch on a well-worked passing move, only for his shot from the edge of the box to bounce back off the face of the post before being cleared.
Randall was guilty of missing what to that point was the best chance of the game on the hour mark, picking up a clever flick into space by White and going through one-on-one only to send the ball a long way over the bar.
Going into the final 10 minutes, all three results still seemed possible.
Conor McMenamin would test the glovework of Ross Laidlaw by cutting inside from the right channel and taking aim, but the Staggies stopper was able to dive to his right and push the ball safe.
There would be a goal, White converting from close range at a James Brown corner to score the first goal of Adams’ third stint in charge of Ross County – and seal the first win.
A large and expectant home support had turned out to try and roar their team towards safety while also celebrating the 40th anniversary of their club’s only top-flight title win in 1983.
But they endured a demoralising afternoon in the Tayside sunshine as striker White scored in the opening minute and then struck another two in the second half after Jamie McGrath had levelled things up with a penalty midway through the first half.
United boss Jim Goodwin made two changes to the side that started the previous weekend’s defeat at St Johnstone as Kieran Freeman and the suspended Charlie Mulgrew made way for Ryan Edwards and 17-year-old striker Rory MacLeod.
There were also two tweaks to the County line-up from their victory over Livingston as Josh Sims and Alex Samuel came in for Keith Watson and Simon Murray.
On a day when United honoured one of the most revered teams in their history, the spirit of 1983 was sadly lacking as they fell behind after just 38 seconds when White nodded over the line from close range after Jack Baldwin headed George Harmon’s corner back across the six-yard box.
The Tayside outfit had a great chance to get back in the game in the 13th minute when centre-back Loick Ayina surged out of defence to latch on to an Ian Harkes through ball and drove into the box, only to blaze his shot over the bar from 15 yards out.
After their slack start, United had cranked up the pressure and they got themselves level in the 23rd minute when, following a VAR intervention, County winger Sims was deemed to have handled Aziz Behich’s cross in the box and McGrath kept his cool to slot home the penalty.
The home support were revelling in the way their team had fought their way back into the match and MacLeod and Craig Sibbald both tested Ross Laidlaw with shots from the edge of the box as United finished the first half strongly.
They went desperately close in the 50th minute when Fletcher’s shot from inside the box was deflected just wide after MacLeod hooked Ilmari Niskanen’s cross down into his path.
Having enjoyed such a lengthy period of pressure, however, the Tannadice side then completely lost their way.
They were fortunate not to concede in the 55th minute when Mark Birighitti made a superb save after Sims nicked the ball off Ayina in the box and got a shot away.
But there was no reprieve for United in the 57th minute when White beat Scott McMann to the ball and clipped beyond Birighitti from close range after Nohan Kenneh’s cross-shot from the right came across the face of goal.
And County seized full control in the 72nd minute when David Cancola released substitute Simon Murray down the left and his cross was knocked over the line at the back post by White.
The Jambos midfielder took over penalty duties and opened the scoring in the 56th minute, with captain Lawrence Shankland opting to step down from his role as regular taker after missing his previous three spot-kicks.
The pressure was ratcheted up for Grant due to the time taken for the VAR check after Alan Forrest’s cross struck the arm of Aberdeen’s Nicky Devlin.
Asked whose decision it was to change the penalty-taker, Naismith said: “Shanks. I said last week Shanks will decide in the moment. And by the way, it was a pressure penalty.
“When you’ve missed your last three and the delay in taking it, I think Granty was the coolest man on the pitch as you could see from the penalty. It was some finish. It just eased everything, it made us be able to play the way we want to.”
Shankland still managed to get on the scoresheet with a magnificent finish from the edge of the box with the outside of his foot in the 76th minute to seal victory and take Hearts 10 points clear of Kilmarnock in the race for third place in the cinch Premiership.
“Overall I’m pleased with the performance,” said Naismith.
“In the first half, it was really about the fight. Aberdeen came out really aggressively and we were probably second best on that front.
“In the second half we tweaked it slightly but we started much better, and once we got the first goal it changes the dynamic of the game.
“We controlled the game after that, our decision making was good, and it could have been more than two eventually.”
Aberdeen manager Barry Robson was left to rue a pivotal moment in the first half when striker Bojan Miovski had a brilliant strike ruled out after being deemed to have tripped Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime in the build-up.
“We never got the luck today,” he said. “I’ve watched it back and it doesn’t look clear and obvious (Miovski’s foul).
“I thought we were very good first half, I really did, and I thought we could have scored another goal after the Bojan one.
“The one thing I was really angry about is when we gave the penalty away we never performed well after that.
“When you go a goal down then you’ve got to be better than that in the last 25 minutes – that’s what I was angry about.”
Having fought back from two goals down to level this bottom-of-the-table tussle, Livi threatened to turn the match on its head in the closing stages.
Trailing to Eamonn Brophy’s first-half double in the space of seven minutes, Livi mounted a brave comeback when substitute Bruce Anderson also struck twice.
But Sims cancelled out Anderson’s 86th-minute leveller in the second additional minute to leave County six points ahead of their rivals and just two adrift of 10th-placed St Johnstone.
Livi were clearly boosted after ending a 16-match winless run with a home success against St Mirren last week, but it was County who posed the greater threat as they sought to record their first victory of 2024.
Brophy, back in favour after being given only a bit-part role for much of the season, lacked composure after six minutes, otherwise the home side would surely have been in front.
Michee Efete created an opening for the striker when he laid the ball off for Brophy, but his shot from the edge of the box was a little too high.
Victor Loturi went closer in the 13th minute with a cracking 25-yarder, forcing Shamal George to finger-tip the ball over the bar.
Livi’s best chance fell between these openings when Jamie Brandon made a smart dash down the right side before sending over a probing cross which George Wickens was glad to claw away.
Andrew Shinnie, following up, saw his effort blocked before the ball was eventually scrambled clear.
Livi proved to be much less composed under pressure and paid a heavy price as a consequence of failing to shackle Brophy, who followed up his 21st-minute opener with a second in the 27th minute.
But they threatened to eat into their two-goal deficit when Tete Yengi unleashed a powerful shot from the left side, forcing Wickens to push the ball over the bar.
It also served as a warning that the Livi players were not of a mind to simply roll over and accept their fate.
If the County players required any further proof that they were a long way from being home and dry they got it within 67 seconds of the restart.
Anderson made an immediate impact when he found the net from the centre of the box following a set-piece.
It then required the combined efforts of Wickens and Efete to deny Jason Holt a 61st-minute equaliser as Livi stepped up the pressure.
Holt was again at the centre of the action in the 71st minute, this time forcing a quick reaction block by Wickens.
And when Anderson struck with four minutes remaining Livi looked like they had salvaged a point – that was until Sims produced the cruellest of endings.
The Staggies must defeat the Jags over two legs to survive in the top flight for a fifth consecutive season after defeat in their final match at Kilmarnock on Sunday consigned them to 11th place.
Much has been made of the fact Partick have scored an impressive 16 goals in their four play-off matches so far against Queen’s Park and Ayr.
But Watson was keen to point out that his own side have been in good enough form to move off the foot of the Premiership table over the past month despite being four points adrift and seemingly doomed to bottom spot with five games to play.
“They are obviously on a decent run, because they have had to win games to get to the final,” the County captain said when asked whether Partick’s momentum might give them an edge.
“But going into the split we were four points adrift at the bottom and we just fell short on the last day, so I don’t think we are on poor form by any means.
“We have been picking up results recently, it’s not as if we have not been playing very well.
“The boys know what’s at stake. We need to try and keep as upbeat as we can, we can’t dwell on (finishing second bottom) too much.
“Anything can happen, and we want to make sure we stay in this league.
Although he admits Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Killie was “a sore one”, Watson believes the form and “fight” his team have shown recently will stand them in good stead for the play-offs, with the first leg at Firhill this Thursday.
“Going into the split we were four points adrift, and maybe a lot of people wrote us off a wee bit,” said the Staggies defender.
“But we just keep on fighting. We don’t know when we are down and we don’t know when we are beaten.
“We showed that against St Johnstone when we were 2-0 down and we came back (to draw 3-3 last Wednesday).
“There is plenty fight and effort in the team. We’ve just got to make sure we take that into the last two games and show the same effort and fight we have shown to get back involved again.
“We’ve got a few days to prepare and do our work on Partick. The boys are disappointed, but we are not down. We have got two games to stay in the league.
“We will be going into that first leg on Thursday really looking forward to it. We’ve got two games to save our season, and we will be giving it everything we’ve got.”
The Dons have been celebrating the 40th anniversary of their famous Cup Winners’ Cup triumph over Real Madrid this week, and Sir Alex Ferguson and his successful 1983 players will be at Saturday’s match against Hibernian as the tributes continue.
Goalkeeper Roos is hoping he and his colleagues can play their part in what promises to be a stirring afternoon in the Granite City.
“It shows what you can achieve within this football club if you make history in Europe,” he said of the Gothenburg Greats.
“I think it’s amazing that this group of players and management get the acknowledgement they deserve for making beautiful history for this football club.
“I’m sure they will enjoy the weekend. We will just focus on the game and try and make it an even better weekend for them by getting all three points.”
Roos feels the Dons – five points clear of Hearts and six ahead of Hibs with just four games to play – are thriving on trying to secure third place in the cinch Premiership.
A win over Lee Johnson’s side will keep them firmly on course for automatic European group-stage involvement next season, which will be the reward for finishing third as long as Premiership champions Celtic beat Championship side Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.
“I would love to play European football,” said Roos. “The whole team wants that.
“We are all pulling in the same direction. As long as we keep doing that, we have a strong front as a group.
“At the moment, we are very much looking like one strong unit and I think other teams don’t like it.
“Everything a football team should look like, we look like at the moment. We’re going toe to toe with the best teams and everybody is feeling great.”
Roos takes confidence from Aberdeen’s five-point cushion and is confident they will not be afflicted by tension as the race for third nears its conclusion.
“All the teams in the top six have their own pressure,” he said. “Our pressure is that we are getting chased, in a sense. But we can’t look at that too much.
“We just need to get results from game to game, and if we do that we’ll be fine. We can see it as pressure or we can see it that we have it in our hands, which ultimately is nothing but a luxury.”
The 30-year-old came off at half-time in the 4-0 Viaplay Cup win over Livingston at Ibrox on Wednesday night.
Roofe has been bedevilled by injuries since signing for the Light Blues from Anderlecht in 2020 and ahead of the visit of Aberdeen in the cinch Premiership on Saturday, Gers boss Michael Beale confirmed the former Leeds forward would miss that game at least.
Beale said: “He is away for a scan so no news on that one at the minute. He didn’t train today with the rest of the team.
“Until we get the news back from the scan, we don’t really know what we are dealing with. It is not an area which has ever been an issue before.
“Obviously it is disappointing for Kemar because he came back into the team and did so well until the other night.
“He said he felt it halfway through the first half and I would like him to hold his hand up. Then he felt he could continue on and at half-time I asked if there was an issue and he said ‘yes’ so then we take no risks with him.
“Let’s hope it is nothing too serious and he will be available in the short term rather than the long term.
“At this moment in time tomorrow is too soon. It is frustrating because he is such a big player and such a very good player.
“It is hard because he has not been available as much as he likes for three managers, not just myself.
“It looked like he was in a really good place, he was contributing well. He just felt a niggle and came out and the right thing is to get the scan and he is for that this afternoon.”
The Dutchman dinked home a re-taken penalty in the 52nd minute at McDiarmid Park after having his initial effort saved.
Motherwell survived a brief spell of late pressure before Mikael Mandron’s stoppage-time goal sealed a 2-0 victory which removes any lingering doubt about the Lanarkshire side’s top-flight status.
Van Veen has scored 11 goals in eight matches and 26 in total this season, while his 22-goal Premiership haul leaves him just two short of fellow PFA Scotland player of the year nominee Kyogo Furuhashi.
The only concern for the visiting support was the sight of the forward limping slightly with an apparent foot knock after being taken off late on.
Saints could not manage any shots on target and are only three points ahead of 11th spot with three games left and five ahead of bottom club Dundee United after Steven MacLean suffered his first defeat in three matches as interim boss.
Both sides made one change because of the absence of St Johnstone midfielder Melker Hallberg and Motherwell wing-back Max Johnston. Former Well attacker Jamie Murphy and Stephen O’Donnell came in.
There was little in the way of first-half action but Van Veen was at the centre of it. The Dutchman shot not far over from 22 yards with his left foot and had a goal disallowed for offside.
Motherwell’s Dan Casey had the only shot on target in the first half while Saints midfielder Graham Carey twice shot over the bar from half chances.
The breakthrough came out of the blue as Andy Considine tried to nip in front of O’Donnell just inside the box after Van Veen had helped the ball on. The wing-back got his body in the way and referee Grant Irvine pointed to the spot as soon as the Motherwell player went down.
Remi Matthews saved Van Veen’s initial spot-kick but referee Irvine quickly signalled a VAR check and soon pointed to the spot again for an encroachment.
Matthews dived the same way but his time Van Veen chipped down the middle of the goal.
The Dutchman soon threatened again after being left one-on-one with Considine but Matthews held his stabbed effort.
Stevie May and Drey Wright were off target from two decent openings for Saints, who lost Considine following a collision with Matthews.
Interim manager Steven MacLean brought on Chris Kane in the 84th minute as the striker made his first appearance since January 2022 and St Johnstone forced some corners but could not capitalise.
The win was wrapped up in the third minute of added time when Mandron finished from six yards after getting the ball back from Blair Spittal’s low cross.
The Ayrshire side knew a point would be enough to keep them ahead of the Staggies and out of the bottom two, but they made it a final day to enjoy for their supporters as goals from Brad Lyons, Daniel Armstrong and Kyle Vassell secured a well-deserved victory.
County gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Yan Dhanda reduced their arrears to 2-1 just after the hour mark but they were unable to enough to get out of 11th place and they must now overcome free-scoring Partick over two legs if they are to remain in the top flight for a fifth consecutive season.
Killie manager Derek McInnes selected the same team that started Wednesday’s 3-0 win at Dundee United.
County boss Malky Mackay made three changes to the team that kicked off the 3-3 draw at home to St Johnstone as David Cancola, Alex Iacovitti and Alex Samuel replaced Victor Loturi, Dylan Smith and Simon Murray.
After a frenetic opening to proceedings, County had the first notable sight of goal in the 13th minute when Iacovitti headed over from Jack Baldwin’s long throw.
Killie were generally enjoying the bulk of the possession but they had to wait until the 29th minute for their first proper chance when Christian Doidge saw a powerful header tipped over by Ross Laidlaw from a Liam Polworth cross.
The hosts had been knocking on the door and they took the lead in the 36th minute when midfielder Lyons got himself free at the near post to steer home Armstrong’s corner for his first goal since joining Kilmarnock almost two years ago.
Nohan Kenneh fired a shot just wide from the edge of the box four minutes before the break as County tried to find a response
The Staggies made a change for the start of the second half as Jordan White, who had suffered a head knock in the first half, was replaced by Murray.
Killie extended their lead within four minutes of the restart.
Armstrong was tripped by Iacovitti as he tried to cut into the box from the right and a free-kick was initially awarded. Following a VAR check, it was established that the foul had taken place inside the area and a penalty was given.
Armstrong stepped up to net from the spot, sparking chants of “we are staying up” from the home support.
County got themselves back into it, however, with a penalty of their own in the 62nd minute as Dhanda fired high into the net from the spot after Ash Taylor was deemed to have pulled Keith Watson in the box following another VAR review.
Dhanda then spurned a chance to equalise three minutes later when he blazed over after being picked out by a Randall cross.
But Killie were able to breathe easily in the 78th minute when Vassell headed the rebound in off the underside of the bar after he had two consecutive shots charged down in the box by County defenders.
The home side’s storming start saw 18-year-old midfielder David Watson thunder in a long-distance drive in the sixth minute before veteran striker Marley Watkins doubled the lead in the 17th minute and more goals should have separated the sides at half-time.
Just after the hour mark, with no let up in the foul weather, Saints substitute Nicky Clark reduced the deficit from close range and a game that looked in Killie’s control had to be managed until the end against the rejuvenated Perth side.
Derek McInnes’s side, now unbeaten in four games, are one point ahead of St Mirren whom they play in Paisley on Wednesday, but it could have been a more comfortable afternoon for them.
St Johnstone boss Craig Levein had predicted a “scrap” but his side could have been counted out of the game before half-time.
Amid swirling wind and rain in Ayrshire the unchanged home side blew their opponents away in the early stages.
In the fifth minute Killie midfielder Brad Lyons did well to get to a terrific cross from left-back Corrie Ndaba but he headed over the bar from 12 yards.
However, the home side soon took the lead when Watson, who had scored the winner at Aberdeen earlier in the month, took a Danny Armstrong pass 25 yards out and rifled his shot past diving Saints goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov and in off the post.
Levein had brought back Ryan McGowan, Tony Gallacher, Graham Carey and Chris Kane while fit-again Clark started on the bench, but they were strangely subdued.
Watkins’ goal came when he picked up the ball on the right, played in the ever-dangerous Armstrong and when the 33-year-old took the return pass inside the box, he poked it low past Mitov from 12 yards.
Killie captain Kyle Vassell then turned a tantalising cross from Lyons over the bar from six yards when a goal looked certain.
Saints threatened for the first time in the 25th minute when Max Kucheriavyi made a yard of space for himself inside the Killie box and thrashed a shot at keeper Will Dennis, who beat it away with defender Lewis Mayo completing the clearance.
As conditions deteriorated towards the interval, Vassell sent a driver over the bar from a Watkins pass as St Johnstone’s defence again looked hesitant.
There was some surprise that Levein did not make changes for the second half but after 56 minutes, with the Ayrshire side still in control, he brought on Clark for midfielder Dan Phillips and five minutes later he made an impact.
From a Matt Smith free-kick wide on the left, Clark nipped in front of the Killie defence to knock the ball past Dennis, with a VAR checking confirming he was onside.
Killie responded and after being booked by referee John Beaton for fouling Vassell outside the box – the home fans claimed he had denied a goalscoring opportunity – Mitov tipped a Liam Polworth free-kick over the bar.
At the other end, as nerves seeped into the Killie defence, Clark tested Dennis with a low drive from inside the box before Gallacher somehow flashed a shot over the bar from a Fran Franczak cross when a leveller looked inevitable.
Dennis made a fabulous diving save from a powerful Smith volley in the 81st minute as St Johnstone kept up the pressure but the visitors steadied and in the end did enough to secure another three crucial points.
Graham missed two open goals in the first half following Jack McMillan’s 16th-minute opener but he was on hand to net twice from inside the six-yard box after the interval.
Doolan said: “It’s the mark of a good number nine for me, because if you miss a chance and keep dwelling on it you end up missing another one, another one, another one.
“As a good number nine you miss chances but you are in the position to miss them. You put it to bed, you move it out your mind and you score the next one, and that to me is what Brian does.
“He will miss chances, strikers will miss chances, but ultimately if you keep feeding him the ball they will score more than they miss.
“We talk about a lot going in the six-yard box – that’s where the goals are.”
Doolan hailed his side’s “brilliant” performance as they took their goal tally to 11 in their three play-off games so far.
“It was 3-0 but could have been five or six looking at the chances we had. That’s the way we’re known to play and when we do it well, teams struggle to deal with us.
“Those patterns of play we put together and the way the players execute it is different class.”
Ayr were missing 24-goal striker Dipo Akinyemi through illness but manager Lee Bullen bemoaned their defending at Firhill.
“I stood in front of the TV cameras last week at the Queen’s game talking about giving Brian Graham two yards of space and we have just done the exact same thing,” Bullen said.
“It was ludicrous. It’s not as if we have not told the lads all week what we needed to do. McMillan’s runs forward, Graham in the box, stopping crosses, basically we let ourselves down from that side of things.
“You are talking about Dipo, yes it’s a big loss, but you can’t afford to lose goals like that. Even if Dipo is in the team losing goals like that is giving yourself a mountain to climb.”
Bullen hopes to have his top goalscorer back before next Friday’s second leg at Somerset Park.
“It’s only going to be day by day before we know exactly where we are but we are hoping because it’s a week break it gives us a good chance,” he said.
“He tried to train a couple of days but it wasn’t any good. We couldn’t have thrown him out there, it would have been ridiculous.”
