Celtic 1-1 Rangers
Rangers maintained a seven-point lead over Celtic after a fiercely-competitive Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash at Celtic Park.  Celtic enjoyed vast territorial superiority with 18 shots on goal to Rangers' four but it took them until eleven minutes from time to break the deadlock.  Tony Mowbray had surprisingly left Scott McDonald on the bench and the Aussie came on as sub for Marc Crosas and immediately came close with a drive which almost squirmed under Allan McGregor.  McDonald seemed to have earned Celtic the points when he headed Aiden McGeady's cross home.  But Rangers' Lee McCulloch levelled two minutes later with his side's first effort on target when he headed in Steven Davis' corner.  Visiting 'keeper McGregor prevented Celtic retaking the lead after 84 minutes when he turned Georgios Samaras' curling 20-yarder over the bar.  Rangers had suffered an early blow when Nacho Novo was injured and replaced by Maurice Edu.   But it seemed Celtic had taken the lead when Marc-Antoine Fortune headed home after 19 minutes only for referee Steve Conroy to rule the striker had led with his arm as he challenged goalkeeper McGregor to a mishit McGeady volley.

Dundee United 0-1 Aberdeen
Charlie Mulgrew ended Aberdeen's three-game losing streak with an early goal at Tannadice to move the Dons into the top six.  Mulgrew slotted loan signing Paul Marshall's pass home after 16 minutes to give his side their first away win since August.  Aberdeen suffered their seventh ordering-off of the season when defender Davide Grassi saw red for a kick at Andy Webster in the 63rd minute but it was Mark McGhee's side who came closest to scoring again when Nicky Weaver saved well from Mulgrew's free-kick.  United almost snatched a point in injury-time when Garry Kenneth's header hit the bar.

St Mirren 1-0 Kilmarnock
Sub Chris Innes' late goal was enough to send Saints up to ninth in the SPL table.  A competitive but scrappy game looked to be heading for stalemate when Innes headed Andy Dorman's cross home.  Earlier, Killie 'keeper Mark Brown had saved well from Dorman's effort after the Welsh midfielder's mazy run.   Full-back Jamie Hamill shot straight at Paul Gallacher in the first-half for Killie and the visitors missed striker Kevin Kyle, who was relegated to the bench because of a virus.  Craig Dargo missed a chance to seal it for Saints when his shot was deflected wide and Innes saved his side when he blocked Mehdi Taouil's late shot on the line.

Hibernian 1-1 Hearts
The second city derby of Sunday also ended in stalemate with both sides finishing a fiery encounter with ten men.  Hearts went in front in first-half injury-time when 18-year-old striker Gordon Smith, making his first start, volleyed in from 12 yards from Ruben Palazuelos' cross.  But Hibs levelled nine minutes after the break when Anthony Stokes headed in from Derek Riordan's cross.  Both sides were reduced to ten men a few minutes later when ref Charlie Richmond showed red cards to Hibs' Darren McCormack and Hearts' Palazuelos as they awaited a free-kick.

Motherwell v Hamilton and Falkirk v St Johnstone were postponed.

By cbfootball.co.uk   Last updated: 04 January 2010