Ladbrokes SPFL: Aberdeen survive Saints scare to close the gap

A combination of Scottish Cup action and the good old weather ensured we had a somewhat depleted list of Ladbrokes SPFL fixtures this weekend, but that didn’t stop the drama.

Aberdeen headed to St Johnstone in the only Ladbrokes Premiership tie, while St Mirren’s home game with Queen of the South was the sole fixture in the second tier.

A fuller list took place in Ladbrokes Leagues 1 and 2, with Dunfermline taking full advantage at the top of the third division.

Here’s your weekend round-up…

Ladbrokes Premiership

Aberdeen had the chance to go level at the summit with Celtic if they could beat St Johnstone, and Adam Rooney put them on the way after just five minutes.

Peter Pawlett doubled the advantage 15 minutes later, before Peter Wotherspoon made the game interesting shortly after half-time.

Two goals in six minutes from the Dons however, from Niall McGinn and a second for Rooney, seemed to end the game as a contest.

The Saints made Derek McInnes’ men sweat however, with two goals in the final 11 minutes. It wasn’t enough however, and Abderdeen now sit joint-top on 55 points, although Celtic have a game in hand.

Ladbrokes Championship

St Mirren picked up a second win in succession, while simultaneously ending Queen of the South’s two-match winning run.

Stephen Mallan continued his tidy run of goals, with the midfielder netting his third in a row midway through the first-half.

Mallan’s strike proved to be winner and in an odd twist of fixtures these two will meet again next weekend.

Ladbrokes League 1

A waterlogged pitch took out Albion against Brechin, but four League 1 matches still made the cut.

After two games without a victory, Dunfermline needed a win and they did just that with a 3-0 success at Stenhousemuir. Faissal El Bakhtaoui put the Pars ahead shortly before the break, and an Andy Geggen braced seal the points.

There’s a new second-placed team in town now as Peterhead won 2-1 at Ayr. Shaune Sutherland and Rory McAllister scored either side of a Craig Moore effort in a breathless first-half ensured the Blue Toon claimed an eighth win in a 10-game unbeaten spell.

Elsewhere Airdrie ran out easy 3-0 winners at home to Cowdenbeath, while Forfar’s winless run extended to 15 league games with a 1-1 draw at home to Stranraer.

Ladbrokes League 2

With Annan in Cup endeavours, four ties went ahead in the bottom tier, and promptly produced four draws.

Leaders Elgin were held to a 0-0 draw away at Queen’s Park, while East Fife saw their four-game winning run end in dramatic style.

Having taken a 2-0 lead at Montrose, Gary Naysmith’s side were heading for a five-straight win, but the Gable Endies had other ideas.

Gary Fraser pulled one back midway through the second-half, before Terry Mason equalised late on.

East Stirlingshire will have been pleased to end their three-game losing streak with a 2-2 draw at Berwick, while the final game in the Ladbrokes SPFL saw Arbroath and Stirling both  net late goals in a 1-1 encounter.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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