Jim Goodwin praised his partying Dundee United players for handling the pressure and expectation of being cinch Championship title favourites as they celebrated their return to the Premiership at the first time of asking.

Almost 10,000 Tangerines supporters rolled up at Tannadice to see homegrown striker Chris Mochrie net in the 78th minute and secure a 1-0 win over 10-man Ayr, a result that sparked a jubilant pitch invasion at full-time.

Although they are not arithmetically assured of finishing top of the table just yet, United are six points clear of second- placed Raith Rovers, who would need an unrealistic goal difference swing of 36 over the closing two matches of the campaign to catch the champions-elect.

“The players are enjoying themselves,” said Goodwin. “Anybody who has been in this position before will tell you it’s more a sense of relief than anything else, especially when the expectation and pressure is all on you as a group of players and staff.

“It’s not easy to get over the line but the boys have handled that level of expectation really well, particularly the younger players. It’s been a really enjoyable league campaign.

“It’s great that we’ve been able to do this with a couple of games to spare. We can relax now over the next couple of weeks, we can enjoy our training and look forward to the celebrations we’re going to have after the Partick game with our supporters.”

Goodwin joked that he had no concerns about his side’s partying causing them to squander their healthy goal-difference advantage over the closing two weekends of the campaign.

“Defensively we’ve been solid and scored a huge amount of goals and that has put us in the position that we’re in today where we’re able to celebrate,” he said.

“Of course, it’s not mathematically impossible (to be caught) and people will still say we need to wait a little while before we can be crowned as champions but given how well we’ve been defensively, I don’t see us losing that amount of goals in the next couple of games, regardless of how hard we party over the next few days.”

Ayr boss Scott Brown was frustrated by the decision to send off Nick McAllister on the hour mark after he caught Glenn Middleton with his elbow.

“I thought our lads were exceptional today,” he said. “For us, it is a very harsh red card. But if you put your elbow up, you give the referee that decision to make.

“Fair play to Dundee United for winning the game and all the best for them next season. But I was proud of my lads today.”

Two goals in as many second-half minutes were enough to secure Morton a 2-1 Scottish Championship victory at already-relegated Arbroath.

Zak Delaney had the ball in the net for the hosts in the 11th minute at Gayfield, but his potential opener was chalked off for offside and it remained goalless at the break.

Robbie Crawford broke the deadlock with a lovely curled finish after 56 minutes, and the visitors doubled their advantage when George Oakley slotted home.

Michael McKenna tapped home Leighton McIntosh’s delivery to deny Morton the clean sheet, but they could not find an equaliser as they slumped to an eighth straight defeat.

Dundee United celebrated their return to the cinch Premiership at the first time of asking after substitute Chris Mochrie’s 78th-minute goal broke the resistance of 10-man Ayr to secure a 1-0 victory and spark a Tannadice title party.

A crowd of almost 10,000 home supporters looked like they might end up frustrated as Scott Brown’s stubborn side kept them at bay, but the dismissal of Nick McAllister on the hour paved the way for Jim Goodwin’s team to get the win they needed, resulting in a post-match pitch invasion.

Although they are not mathematically assured of finishing top of the Championship just yet – second-placed Raith Rovers would have to overturn a six-point deficit, while requiring an unrealistic goal difference swing of 36 over the closing two matches of the campaign.

A run of just five wins from 12 league matches in the opening months of 2024 had threatened to derail their title bid, but United regained their poise at the perfect time, with four consecutive wins over Rovers, Queen’s Park, Morton and now Ayr taking them clear of their rivals when it mattered most.

Goodwin can now start preparing with clarity for a return to the top flight, 11 months after his side were officially relegated from the top flight.

The absence of key midfielder Ross Docherty from the teamsheet through injury served as a pre-match blow for the expectant home support.

However, the hosts started with intent and Kai Fotheringham shot over from just outside the box before Tony Watt’s low angled shot was blocked in a crowded six-yard box. Fotheringham then headed wide from a Glenn Middleton cross.

Ayr had a couple of threatening moments when Kurt Willoughby saw an angled effort from inside the box deflected behind before Mark McKenzie had a low shot blocked.

At the other end, Craig Sibbald’s powerful strike from 25 yards out was deflected just wide.

United finished the half strongly and Fotheringham saw an attempt deflected just over the crossbar before Watt scuffed a tame effort straight at Josh Clarke after strike-partner Louis Moult flicked a throw-in into his path.

The home support were starting to suspect they might be made to wait a while longer, but a straight red card for McAllister after he caught Middleton with an elbow gave them fresh impetus for the closing half hour.

Moult shot over from a Middleton cross and Sam McClelland and Fotheringham both headed wide from corners as United continued to be frustrated.

But they eventually made the breakthrough with 12 minutes remaining when substitute Mochrie – who had just entered the fray two minutes previously – forced home the rebound from eight yards out after Watt’s header from Wotherspoon’s cross had been blocked by Clarke.

Dunfermline and Queen’s Park played out a goalless draw to leave the visitors a point adrift of cinch Scottish Championship safety.

Spiders keeper Calum Ferrie found himself in the thick of the action early on, punching clear from Lewis McCann and then blocking Chris Kane’s effort at point-blank range.

McCann headed wide from a Malachi Fagan-Walcott cross and the latter picked out Ferrie with another attempt as the home side finished the first half strongly.

Stuart McKinstry forced a 62nd-minute save from Athletic keeper Deniz Mehmet but, although Chris Hamilton and Kane both went close with late headers for the hosts, the game ended in stalemate.

Brian Graham scored twice in seven second-half minutes to help ease Partick Thistle to a 4-0 cinch Championship victory over Airdrieonians as both sides made it to the play-offs.

Airdrie keeper Robbie Hemfrey had to beat away Harry Milne’s early shot and then saw the defender head just over with 23 minutes gone at the Energy Check Stadium.

However, Lewis McGregor had a chance to put the visitors ahead 12 minutes before the break when he was played in one-one-one with David Mitchell, but the keeper blocked with his legs.

Thistle took the lead seven minutes after the restart when Kerr McInroy played in Aidan Fitzpatrick over the top and he evaded Hemfrey before firing home.

It was 2-0 within nine minutes when Graham pounced after Hemfrey had parried Ben Stanway’s effort, and he added his second seven minutes later before substitute Ricco Diack made it 4-0 as time ran down.

Raith Rovers rode their luck to keep alive their slender cinch Championship title hopes with a smash-and-grab 1-0 win at third-bottom Inverness.

Caley Thistle, looking for a third successive win to further boost their survival push, hit the goal frame four times and saw visiting goalkeeper Kevin Dabrowski produce a host of stunning saves.

But in the end it was Lewis Vaughan’s 49th-minute strike that settled the contest as Raith, who could have seen leaders Dundee United win the league on Saturday if they had lost at Caledonian Stadium, close the gap on the pacesetters to three points.

Duncan Ferguson’s Inverness created several good chances to take the lead in a one-sided first half, with Dabrowski keeping out Cammy Harper’s 25-yard free-kick before Alex Samuel was denied by a goalline block.

The hosts came even closer in the 21st minute when Harper fired against the bar and then saw Dabrowski fling up a leg and somehow manage to block his follow-up.

Rovers had done little to prove they were the team at the top end of the able in the first half but four minutes after the restart they took the lead, top scorer Vaughan getting on the end of a flick-on to coolly guide the ball past Mark Ridgers.

That proved to be the game’s decisive moment as the Raith goal continued to lead a charmed life, Samuel seeing a curling shot come back off the far post and the brilliant Dabrowski turned over a shot from the same player.

Inverness then hit the crossbar twice in quick succession, Danny Devine and James Carragher seeing headers come back off the goal frame, before Dabrowski tipped over a stoppage-time effort as Raith somehow held on for the three points.

Dean McMaster and Gavin Gallagher scored their first Airdrie goals as the cinch Championship play-off hopefuls earned a 2-1 victory over Dunfermline.

McMaster, celebrating his 21st birthday, put the home side in front on the brink of half-time as he rifled home from just outside the box.

Malachi Fagan-Walcott levelled things up for Dunfermline on the hour mark but Airdrie were soon back in front.

Gallagher restored the hosts’ lead in the 63rd minute and they held on to claim all three points.

Ayr put further daylight between themselves and the relegation play-off spot in the cinch Championship with a thumping 5-0 win against bottom club Arbroath.

The home side were cruising at the break.

Kurt Willoughby won and scored a penalty after 23 minutes to put them in front and Frankie Musonda doubled the Honest Men’s lead nine minutes later when he tucked home the rebound after goalkeeper Max Boruc had kept out the first effort.

A second penalty shortly before half-time made it comfortable for Ayr, with Anton Dowds scoring after Harry McHugh had been fouled.

Ben Dempsey added a fourth after 68 minutes, slotting home after a quick free-kick from Jamie Murphy, and Logan Chalmers capped an impressive display from the home side with a fifth in stoppage time.

Raith saw their cinch Championship title hopes suffer another blow after being held to a 0-0 draw by Partick at Stark’s Park.

Ian Murray’s side are now six points behind leaders Dundee United with three games left having won just one of their last five matches.

It could have been worse for Raith as Blair Alston saw his free-kick hit the crossbar deep into stoppage time moments after coming on as a substitute.

Before that, the best chance of the game arrived on the half-hour mark when Partick goalkeeper David Mitchell produced a fantastic save to keep out Zak Rudden’s close-range header.

Mitchell also saved from Sam Stanton and Dylan Easton while Aidan Fitzpatrick, Zander Mackenzie, Brian Graham and Harry Milne tested Raith keeper Kevin Dabrowski.

Inverness leapfrogged Queen’s Park and out of the cinch Championship relegation play-off spot with a 1-0 win over the Spiders at Hampden.

Cameron Harper’s brilliant 25-yard free-kick midway through the first half proved the difference as Duncan Ferguson’s men built on their win over Arbroath last time out to move two points above Queen’s Park.

The visitors created several decent openings to increase their lead but Billy Mckay and Samson Lawal were unable to find a way past Calum Ferrie.

However, Queen’s Park could not take advantage at the other end, with Jack Turner and Cillian Sheridan being denied by Caley Thistle keeper Mark Ridgers.

Dundee United took a big step in earning promotion straight back to the cinch Premiership as a 4-1 victory at Morton moved them to within two wins of the Championship title.

With just three games remaining, the Terrors look set for an immediate return to the top flight after another convincing result saw them open up a seven-point lead at the top – with closest chasers Raith Rovers in action against third-placed Partick Thistle on Saturday.

Captain Ross Docherty nodded the visitors in front before Glenn Middleton and Louis Moult struck either side of the break.

Tony Watt made sure of the points just before the hour but Morton did pull one back through Robbie Muirhead, although any sort of comeback never looked like materialising.

Ayr moved four points clear of the Scottish Championship relegation play-off spot as Anton Dowds’ header earned a 1-1 draw against Greenock Morton at Somerset Park.

Dowds nodded in just before the interval as he connected with a fine Francis Amartey cross.

That cancelled out Kirk Broadfoot’s 21st-minute opener for the visitors, the veteran defender meeting Michael Garrity’s free-kick to flick past Josh Clarke.

Dowds went close to hitting a winner, rattling the crossbar with a shot eight minutes after the break.

Ayr, in seventh, moved another point clear of ninth-placed Inverness with four matches to go, and are two points behind sixth-placed Morton.

Adam Frizzell’s quick double dented Raith Rovers’ Scottish Championship title hopes after they were beaten 3-1 by Airdrie.

Rovers missed the chance to close the gap on league leaders Dundee United, who they trail by four points with four games to play, while Airdrie tightened their grip on fourth place.

Airdrie took the lead in the 26th minute when Frizzell smashed into the top corner with the outside of his boot.

The captain was on the scoresheet again just four minutes later after picking up the ball up from Gabby McGill and firing home into the bottom corner.

Rovers pulled one back in the 68th minute when Josh Mullin found the bottom corner from outside of the box, but Lewis McGregor prevented any potential comeback with a top-corner finish in the 80th minute.

Dunfermline salvaged a valuable point in their push for the cinch Championship play-offs following a 1-1 draw with third-placed Partick Thistle at KDM Group East End Park.

Brian Graham broke the deadlock in the 25th minute as the ball fell kindly to the 36-year-old striker, following Scott Robinson’s initial blocked effort, and managed to bundle over the line.

Dunfermline replied, however, with 12 minutes remaining when Chris Kane was brought down by Aaron Muirhead in the penalty area and the striker picked himself up to send David Mitchell the wrong way.

Thistle almost snatched victory three minutes later when Kerr McInroy hit the outside of the post from the edge of the box with home goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet beaten.

Raith kept pace with Scottish Championship leaders Dundee United with a 2-1 home victory over Ayr.

Dylan Easton celebrated his 30th birthday in style by netting the opener on the stroke of half-time, curling an effort into the top corner from the edge of box.

Ayr equalised 10 minutes after half-time when substitute Logan Chalmers struck.

But Jack Hamilton restored Raith’s lead in the 65th minute, keeping his cool to score from the penalty spot after Mark McKenzie committed a foul in the box, to leave Rovers four points behind Dundee United with a game in hand.