St Johnstone took a huge step towards securing cinch Premiership safety with a hard-fought 1-0 win over 10-man Dundee United at McDiarmid Park.
Saints captain Liam Gordon scored the opener just before the break, while United had Charlie Mulgrew sent off for bringing down Melker Hallberg as he went through on goal.
The Perth side’s first win since February and their first home victory since November sees them move five points clear of danger, while the visitors – who hit the goalframe through Steven Fletcher in stoppage time – remain just a point above Ross County as their three-game winning streak came to an end.
St Johnstone interim boss Steven MacLean had made three changes following his side’s 1-1 draw with Hibernian, with James Brown, Hallberg and Graham Carey all coming in to start.
United manager Jim Goodwin named an unchanged side for a third straight match.
Spurred on by a raucous away support, the visitors started brightly and they had four shots blocked in the first two minutes in a frantic opening to the game.
Fletcher then stung the palms of Remi Matthews in the 12th minute before Ian Harkes headed straight at the home goalkeeper when well placed.
United were dominant and they almost took the lead in the 21st minute when Ilmari Niskanen was released by Harkes but his shot was deflected wide as he opted to chop back inside.
St Johnstone eventually came to life around the half-hour mark and United keeper Mark Birighitti was forced to get down low to keep out Adam Montgomery’s cross that had flicked off Loick Oyina.
Birighitti then produced an even better save moments later to tip over Carey’s rising angled shot from just inside the box.
Despite their slow start Saints were now in the ascendancy, and they took a crucial lead two minutes before the break.
After United failed to clear a long throw-in, Stevie May’s miskick landed kindly at the feet of Gordon, who was able to steer the ball in off a post from eight yards out.
The second half was a fairly even contest before a moment of drama on the hour mark saw the away side reduced to 10 men.
Hallberg latched on to Carey’s neat ball over the top and he got his toe to the ball before Mulgrew, who appeared to catch the midfielder with an outstretched boot.
Despite the tackle occurring out wide, referee Alan Muir wasted no time in issuing the red card, with Mulgrew adjudged to have been the last man.
After an open first half, the game became far cagier after the red card, with United struggling to create and the hosts content to hold onto their lead.
Daniel Phillips and Drey Wright both had sights of goal from just outside the box but neither troubled Birighitti.
Saints could have put the game to bed with five minutes to go as Zak Rudden laid the ball off to fellow substitute Theo Bair, who sidefooted over from just inside the box, while Carey also tested Birighitti with a shot from a tight angle.
There was very nearly a late twist deep into stoppage time as Fletcher met Rory Macleod’s cross with a sweetly timed left-footed volley, but it cannoned off the angle of post and bar as Saints held on to secure three priceless points.
Kilmarnock 0-5 Celtic: Bhoys capture third straight Scottish Premiership title
Celtic have won the Scottish Premiership for the third consecutive season after a dominant 5-0 win at Kilmarnock on Wednesday.
Rangers beat Dundee United 5-2 on Tuesday to make Celtic wait an extra day to secure another league title, but the Hoops brushed aside Kilmarnock with little fuss.
Adam Idah, Daizen Maeda and James Forrest scored in a dominant first half, with Matt O'Riley helping himself to a brace after the interval to cap a memorable display.
Celtic now have an unassailable six-point lead over their Old Firm rivals with one game to play, and they will celebrate their latest crown at home to St Mirren on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Bhoys closing in on rivals
Celtic have won the Scottish title for the 54th time, pulling them within one of rivals Rangers, who have lifted 55.
They have also finished top of the pile in 12 of the last 13 seasons, their only failure to lift the trophy since 2011 coming when Steven Gerrard's Rangers went unbeaten in 2020-21.
Rangers 5-2 Dundee: Cantwell and Wright keep Celtic's title party on hold
Rangers kept Celtic's Scottish Premiership celebrations on ice after Todd Cantwell and Scott Wright inspired a remarkable turnaround to hammer Dundee 5-2 at Ibrox Stadium on Tuesday.
Philippe Clement's side could not afford to drop points in this clash and seemed set to do so after Jordan McGhee bundled home before Antonio Portales headed past Jack Butland in the first half.
Ross McCausland managed to slice the deficit on the stroke of half-time for the hosts, sliding in to convert from Leon King's cross and teeing up a monumental comeback.
The Ibrox crowd were offered further inspiration to keep the title race alive when Cyriel Dessers glanced in from Cantwell's delivery after 52 minutes.
Former Norwich City midfielder Cantwell's fortuitous cross then dipped over Jon McCracken as Rangers hit the front for the first time, before Wright's pair of late finishes sealed the much-needed three points.
Yet this Rangers salvaging act could still matter for little, with Celtic requiring just a point away to Kilmarnock on Wednesday to seal a third successive top-flight trophy.
Data Debrief: Attacking barrage pays dividends
Clement may apportion this victory to Rangers' unrelenting desire to keep the title race ongoing, blasting 31 shots – and 13 of those on target – at the Dundee target for their 3.34 expected goals (xG) tally.
A plethora of attacking opportunities must be credited to star man Cantwell, who created a game-leading six chances – four more than any other Rangers team-mate.
Rodgers hits back at criticism as Rangers triumph puts Celtic on brink of title
Brendan Rodgers hit back at his critics after Celtic overcame Rangers to put one hand on the Scottish Premiership title, with the Bhoys manager suggesting he had been treated "like a novice".
Rodgers' side moved six points clear of Rangers after Saturday's 2-1 victory at Parkhead, needing only a point ahead of Wednesday's trip to Kilmarnock to secure the top-flight trophy.
Soon-to-be champions Celtic have struggled at times after Rodgers' return to the club, though the former Liverpool boss has been hampered by injuries to numerous key players.
Cameron Carter-Vickers, Reo Hatate, Callum McGregor and Daizen Maeda have all suffered from fitness struggles this term, though Celtic have still responded to move within touching distance of the title.
Earlier in the season, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton suggested Rodgers was "going through the motions" after defeats against Hearts and Kilmarnock – and Rodgers clearly took note of those comments.
"From a professional perspective there will be doubt," Rodgers told his post-match press conference after downing Rangers.
"From a personal perspective, I am surprised in a way where I heard somebody saying 'Brendan Rodgers was going through the motions' earlier in the season.
"Now, I get to work between half seven and eight o'clock every day of my life. I leave the training ground between half six and seven o'clock at night. And then when I get home, I have my dinner and probably flip on the computer and watch more football.
"Now, if that's going through the motions, I want to know what every other manager is doing. So, from a personal level, I have been treated like a novice since I've come back here. Like it's my first job.
"However, my first objective is to make sure Celtic win. Part of that is a part of the criticism and I understand that.
"But it's the mentality of the team that is most important to me, and that mentality you can see from where we were, with injuries, how we progressed, how we stayed unified and together, and how we then get to this point where we are nearly crossing the finishing line.
"And we don't just want to cross it, we want to sprint over it. We have two games to go, plus a final, and that is our mentality."
Rodgers and Celtic's celebrations could start sooner than Wednesday, if Rangers fail to beat Dundee the day before.
Another title would mark Celtic's 54th Scottish Premiership trophy and their 12th in the last 13 seasons.
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