Dunfermline Athletic 3 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3

Martin Hardie's injury-time goal earned Dunfermline a last-gasp point in an East End Park thriller.  Andy Kirk put the home side ahead after 26 minutes after Andy Barrowman's flick on, and they were well worth their half-time lead - but the visitors levelled two minutes after the re-start when Greg Tansey's drive deflected off Alex Keddie to beat Paul Gallacher.  Kirk headed the home side back in front from Joe Cardle's cross - but Gallacher fumbled a deflected drive from Owain Tudor Jones and Jonny Hayes prodded home from six yards to make it 2-2.  Tansey seemed to have won it for the visitors when he turned in Richie Foran's header back across goal with seven minutes to go - but Hardie curled in a terrific 30-yard free-kick to earn Jim McIntyre's side a second successive point on their return to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Dundee United 1 St Mirren 1

United failed to win any of last season's three meetings with Saints - and they again found it tough against Danny Lennon's side, who finished with ten men.  However the game was over-shadowed by the double leg break suffered by home defender Scott Severin following an early collision with Jim Goodwin.  Steven Thompson opened the scoring for Saints from Nigel Hasselbaink's cross and the visitors almost increased their lead when Hasselbaink eluded Garry Kenneth only for Dusan Pernis to save his effort.  However Hasselbaink was shown a straight red card in first-half stoppage time by ref Crawford Allan after swinging an elbow at Paul Dixon.  With the numerical advantage, United pressed for an equaliser and John Rankin and Johnny Russell both came close before skipper Jon Daly turned in Scott Allan's cross - the first goal St Mirren have conceded this season.  Youngster Allan almost won it for United but Craig Samson made a great stop from his drive.

Aberdeen 0 Celtic 1 (Sunday)

Celtic continued their unbeaten start to the season but were made to fight all the way against Aberdeen.  Neil Lennon's side had scored 21 goals in five games against the Dons last season but were grateful for Anthony Stokes' second-half winner.  Stokes made it ten goals in eleven matches against Aberdeen when he struck towards the end of a hard-fought encounter which was overshadowed by an injury to Emilio Izaguirre.  The Honduran was stretchered off with a broken ankle after 15 minutes after landing awkwardly following a challenge by Peter Pawlett.  After that, Beram Kayal and Anthony Stokes fired in long-range efforts and Joe Ledley came close with a header, but Celtic couldn't make the breakthrough their possession merited.  Aberdeen came close just before the interval when Scott Vernon forced a save from Lukasz Zaluska after Stokes had given the ball away.  Craig Brown's side again came close ten minutes after the break when Vernon just failed to convert Darren Mackie's cross.  Celtic seemed to have run out of ideas until Kris Commons robbed Ricky Foster and played a one-two with Stokes before crossing for the striker to convert with an assured low finish after 73 minutes.  Home 'keeper David Gonzalez denied sub James Forrest as Celtic pushed for a second goal.

Motherwell 1 Hearts 0 (Sunday)

Motherwell overcame Paulo Sergio's Hearts to return to the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League in a tough encounter which saw both sides finish with ten men.  Celtic had moved top following their lunchtime win at Aberdeen but Jamie Murphy's second-half strike ensured Stuart McCall's men returned to the top of the table.  After an even first-half in which Murphy missed the best chance when he headed Chris Humphrey's cross over the bar, Hearts were reduced to ten men five minutes after the break when Ian Black was shown a straight red card by Stevie O'Reilly following a bad tackle on Keith Lasley.  The home side took immediate advantage and Murphy supplied a cool finish after Eggert Jonsson's poor positioning played Motherwell onside and Nicky Law picked the striker out.  Marian Kello denied Murphy with a good save as Motherwell came close to extending their lead but they also finished with ten men, with Lasley shown a second yellow card in the closing minutes for a late challenge on Hearts sub Arvydas Novikovas.

By cbfootball.co.uk   Last updated: 08 August 2011