Hibs Lead Partick Thistle Amid Concerns Over Performance

Owen Elding’s strike has Hibernian 1-0 up on Partick Thistle at Easter Road, but the first half carried as much concern as celebration.

Elding provided the difference with a sharp finish, and the young forward almost doubled that advantage just before the interval when he thundered a shot off the crossbar. For long spells Hibs looked in control, yet looseness crept in after the goal and invited Thistle back into it.

Kanayo Megwa showed quick feet in the box, spinning and slipping a clever pass to Elding for another opening, only for the shot to be blocked. Adam Mayor then lashed into the side-netting from a tight angle, with Nathan Lowe raging in the middle, unmarked and waiting for a simple square ball.

The football paused for a more serious reason. A supporter in distress in the stand required lengthy treatment from paramedics and Hibs medical staff before being taken out of the stadium area, with fans urged not to gather nearby at half-time. The game resumed under a more subdued atmosphere, and the best wishes from both sets of supporters will travel with that fan tonight.

Hibs have the lead. Thistle have a cause. The second half promises a test of nerve as much as quality.

Hearts on top but wasteful against Inverness

At Tynecastle, Hearts hold a 1-0 lead over Inverness CT and, on the balance of play, they deserve it. The margin, though, should be bigger.

Inverness thought they had stunned the home crowd early when Alfie Bavidge volleyed in from an Alfie Stewart cross, only for the flag to cut celebrations short. That warning shot woke Hearts up.

The hosts then won a penalty when Amadou Ba-Sy was fouled, but VAR stepped in and ruled the contact had taken place outside the box. No spot-kick. No problem. From the resulting free-kick, the ball crashed into the wall, and Christian Borchgrevink reacted quickest, nodding in the rebound for the opener.

Hearts kept pushing. A worked corner routine found Calvin Miller in acres of space on the penalty spot, but he completely miscued his effort, a glaring miss at 1-0. Later, Ba-Sy produced a superb touch and hold-up run in the area before cutting the ball back to Sabah Kerjota, who clipped the crossbar from six yards. Inches from daylight.

Inverness still carry a threat. Adam MacKinnon went close when a cleared corner dropped to him at the edge of the box; he adjusted as referee Calum Scott moved clear of his line of sight, then sent his effort just over.

Hearts are ahead. They’ve dominated. Their finishing, though, has kept Inverness interested.

Stenhousemuir unsettle scrappy Motherwell

At Ochilview, the story is very different. Stenhousemuir 0-0 Motherwell at half-time, and it’s the Championship side who will be happier.

Stenhousemuir started aggressively and took control of the opening stages. Motherwell’s fringe players, handed a chance to impress, have instead looked disjointed and uncertain in possession. Manager Alfred Johansson’s patience will be tested if this continues much longer.

Home goalkeeper Darrien Jamieson has barely been involved, while opposite number Matty Connelly has been the busier of the two. Stenhousemuir almost cashed in on Motherwell’s dithering at the back when Lewis Hodgkiss ghosted in to meet an Andrew Shinnie cut-back, only for a foul in the build-up to spare the visitors.

Motherwell briefly stirred with a run of three corners, Jamieson flapping at the first delivery, but every set-piece fizzled out thanks to overcomplicated short routines and low balls that never beat the first line. The pressure didn’t last.

By the break, only one team truly looked like scoring. Johansson responded by turning to his bench, sending on Alex Lowry and Emanuel Longelo for the second half, with Ibrahim Said and Euan Wilson sacrificed. The message is clear: standards need to rise, and fast.

McInnes under the microscope as Rangers chase a win

Away from the early kick-offs, the tension at Ibrox is building. Derek McInnes summed it up bluntly this week: “We could just do with winning a game.”

He’s right. Four matches without a victory have left him with the worst start of any permanent Rangers manager. The Europa League qualifying exit in midweek drew a chorus of boos in Govan, and now the League Cup tie against holders St Mirren carries a weight that goes beyond a normal early-season cup fixture.

The League Cup remains the only major trophy on McInnes’ managerial CV, lifted with Aberdeen more than a decade ago. At Rangers, expectation is heavier, patience thinner. He needs to show he can deliver silverware regularly, not occasionally.

St Mirren arrive as defending champions and dangerous opponents. For McInnes, this is more than a cup tie. It’s a chance to steady a listing start, to quieten a restless crowd, and to prove this Rangers project still has a convincing future.