Scottish Premiership: Reaction as Rangers & St Mirren earn dramatic draws; Celtic & County win

Livingston manager David Martindale is unhappy with Ben Williamson's red card and then his own dismissal to the stand.

"The sending off changes the dynamics of the game," he said on BBC Scotland's Sportsound.

"I'm disappointed and I've not really had the chance to watch the sending off back.

"I didn't think it was a red card at the time. If I'm wrong I'll take that on the chin. Just frustrated because I thought it was a yellow card, and my own sending off because I don't think I did anything."

"First half, we were very poor, second half, we were very good," is the blunt assessment of Hibernian head coach Jack Ross. "And that period when we were very poor cost us the game.

"Large parts of our performance made it comfortable and easy for them and their combination play. We weren't aggressive enough and and on top of that we concede two desperately poor goals. That first 45 minutes was unacceptable for a number of reasons but I have to praise the players for the second half.

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"They showed character to produce that kind of performance against a good team. We have momentum at the point of Jamie Murphy's chance, with 15 minutes to go. It doesn't go in and the game drifts away from us...

"If fans want to be critical, direct it at me. At the moment the players need backing. It's my team and I need to lead them to better results.

"Saturday (away to Ross County) is now a massive game for our season. We need to reproduce the second-half performance again."

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin tells BBC Sportsound: "Obviously I’ve got to be pleased with the attitude from the players for going two goals behind and having the character to come back and take something from the game - it’s never easy.

"But I’m slightly disappointed to be honest with you when we’ve had such a dominant performance like we had. We completely controlled the first half. Albeit it I have to admit we didn’t work Liam Kelly enough in the first half.

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"Apart from that opening five or six minutes of the second half, I thought that players were absolutely outstanding, I can’t be too hard on them

"I think for 70/75% of that game tonight we were completely in control. If anybody was going to go on and win it at 2-2 it was going to be us and Liam Kelly makes two or three very good saves at the end."

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander tells BBC Scotland: “Two points lost because we’re 2-0 up. Going up 2-0 early in the second half is excellent from the boys who showed a brilliant attitude. Things conspired against us to take the points away from us."

When asked what he means by "conspired against us", he says: “I can’t, because I want to be honest - I feel I’m an honest guy - but if I’m honest I can’t do my job properly in future games because then I get punished. I prefer to do my job and let other people talk about things that went on tonight.

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“You can talk about the two-footed challenge, you can talk about the non-penalty that was given against us as it was when we played them in my first game here, and then the retake.

"People can take a pick which incident they want to talk about but if I’m honest, I can’t because then I won’t be able to work properly with my team in the next couple of games."

Hearts boss Robbie Neilson tells BBC Sportsound: "I thought we were outstanding again, similar to the game Saturday.

"The players are believing what they are doing, we just didn't get that final moment to win the game.

"We are probably playing better now than we were at the start of the season when we were picking up three points weekly.

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"We'd like to have more points but we are sitting third after getting promoted."

Ross County manager Malky Mackay: "It was a complete performance tonight, I'm very proud of them.

"For the last four or five games we've been playing well and it all came together in one evening. I'm delighted for the players who have scored but I'm also delighted with the defenders for keeping a clean sheet."

"I asked them to be ruthless and the goals showed that we were and in the second half we knew they'd come back at us but we stood firm.

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"We've gone toe-to-toe with everyone in this division and we've got to believe we can beat anyone. We knew we'd be tipped as everyone's favourite to go down but that's given us a cause to grab onto."

"I thought the first half was probably the best we've played all year," Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou tells BBC Sportsound.

"We were really fluent, played through the lines and created good chances. We scored three and could have had another three. It was really pleasing to see, especially here against a good side.

"Second half was a different game, they threw everything at us. We had to defend a bit more and work hard in certain areas. Joe Hart made one really good save but that's what we have to do at times away from home.

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"There's plenty of football come. A short turnaround for Livingston on Saturday. We've been pretty settled since the international break but the pleasing thing is we still have some players who can come in and help us."

On the injury to Tom Rogic, he explains that his fellow Australian felt something untoward in his hamstring but says the midfielder brushed it off as "not too bad".

St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson tells BBC Sportsound: "Both teams wanted to go and win the game. I enjoyed it, apart from a few decisions.

"We got off to a great start, but it's disappointing to lose a goal the way it happened.

On Hearts' equaliser: "Decisions are costing us points, that's more annoying than anything else - the consistency. I thought it was a handball then a free-kick on Ali [Crawford]. I try to stay calm, but first half wasn't my best."

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With league leaders Rangers playing out a 2-2 draw at home to Aberdeen, Celtic move to within two points of their rivals - leapfrogging Hearts and Dundee United in the process and into second place - courtesy of their victory at Easter Road.

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Ross County produce a five-star display to record their first league win of the season in style in Dundee, while St Mirren fight back from two down to earn a draw at Motherwell.

St Johnstone and Hearts share the spoils at McDiarmid Park, while Dundee United can't profit from an extra man as they drew 1-1 with 10-man Livingston.

Quote Message: Rangers wouldn't have dropped points to Aberdeen last year, they look nervy and are conceding chances, they are nowhere near last season at times.

Rangers wouldn't have dropped points to Aberdeen last year, they look nervy and are conceding chances, they are nowhere near last season at times.

Rangers came from two down to earn a draw against Aberdeen at Ibrox. The hosts' equaliser came from a penalty, after referee John Beaton pointed to the spot for a foul by David Bates on Fashion Sakala.

The Dons were unhappy with the award and Richard Foster, watching the game for BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound, described it as "very, very soft".

You can judge for yourself with highlights coming up on Sportscene at 22:40 tonight on BBC One Scotland.

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Tony Watt and Eamonn Brophy mirrored each other at Fir Park this evening as the two strikers scored an open play strike and a penalty - with both strikes coming within four minutes of each other.

Watt opened the scoring just after the break before Brophy’s strikes levelled the game for Jim Goodwin’s side as they rescued a point from two down.

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Livingston have been magnificent in defence in this second half. Maxime Biamou is so close to heading in a winner for United, but Max Stryjek denies him.

Rangers' late pressure fails to produce a winner, but considering the emotions around in the aftermath of Walter Smith's death, they will probably settle for a point considering the loss of two early goals.

However, they might start looking worryingly over their shoulder now that their lead at the top of the table has been cut to two points, with city rivals Celtic now their closest challengers.

For Aberdeen, the draw builds on that first league win over Hibs.

Celtic make it four wins on the bounce and are now up to second place.

All of the goals came in the first half, with the visitors totally dominant.

Ange Postecoglou's side are two points behind leaders Rangers after the first round of fixtures.

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Tempers are frayed in the closing moments at Ibrox as Rangers continue to press and Aberdeen hold on desperately and occasionally threaten on the break.