Hearts 2 – 1 Celtic
Hearts ended Celtic's five-match unbeaten run thanks to Ismael Bouzid's late winner at Tynecastle.  Celtic went in front when Georgios Samaras poked the ball home after 21 minutes but Michael Stewart levelled from the penalty spot twelve minutes later – an incident which saw Celtic reduced to ten men when Gary Caldwell was red-carded by ref Willie Collum for the foul on Jamie Mole which led to the spot-kick.  Bouzid headed the winner with fourteen minutes to go, lifting Hearts to seventh and leaving a four-point gap between Celtic and Rangers at the top of the table.

Aberdeen 0 – 2 Hibernian
Hibs opened up a five-point gap ahead of Dundee United after a fine win over ten-man Aberdeen.  Anthony Stokes opened the scoring from Merouane Zemmama's pass against the run of play five minutes before the interval and the same player added the vistors' second shortly after the break when he turned in Colin Nish's shot.  Hibs 'keeper Yves Ma-Kalambay made good saves from Charlie Mulgrew and Darren Mackie as the home side tried to get back in it.  But their hopes evaporated when they had Lee Miller ordered off late on for a crunching tackle on Zemmama.
 
Hamilton v Dundee United
Match postponed due to snowstorm.
 
Kilmarnock 1 – 2 Falkirk
Falkirk closed the gap at the bottom of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League to a point between them and Killie.  Carl Finnigan put them ahead after three minutes when he volleyed in Pedro Moutinho's cross but Danny Invincibile equalised for the home team five minutes later.  But Falkirk always looked the stronger side and Ryan Flynn, on loan from Liverpool, scored their winner direct from a corner thirteen minutes after the break.
 
Rangers 6 – 1 Motherwell
Rangers opened up a four-point lead at the top of the table after the weekend's results with this comprehensive win over Jim Gannon's side.  Kenny Miller fired them ahead after five minutes, but the Champions had to wait until the early stages of the second-half for Kris Boyd to poke in their second.  Miller added a third after 58 minutes when he raced through to beat the offside trap and although defender Shaun Hutchinson bulleted in Tom Hateley's corner for 'Well, sub Kyle Lafferty added Rangers' fourth after 75 minutes.  DaMarcus Beasley grabbed the fifth before Lafferty took Beasley's pass to wrap up the victory with two minutes remaining.
 
St. Johnstone 1 – 0 St. Mirren
Chris Millar's strike after 19 minutes saw the Perth side win the battle of the Saints.  Millar latched on to David Barron's miscued clearance and drove past Paul Gallacher to seal the points which took St Johnstone to seventh in Clydesdale Bank Premier League table.  St Mirren had striker Michael Higdon sent off halfway through the second-half for the second of two bookable tackles, both on home defender Graham Gartland.

By cbfootball.co.uk   Last updated: 21 December 2009