Scottish Championship: Dundee United top first-quarter report card from second tier

Kai Fotheringham is enjoying a fine start to the season with table toppers Dundee United

The report card from the first quarter of the Scottish Championship is in.

Dundee United are topping the table, while promoted Airdrieonians and Dunfermline Athletic are soundly finding their feet. The second tier of Scottish football has even welcomed Big Dunc with open arms.

The 10 sides have faced off and weighed each other up as the first round of fixtures is recorded in the books. So BBC Sport Scotland has a look at the state of play as the BBC TV cameras once again tune into the action.

• Championship games live on BBC Scotland

The Championship has recently, and rightly, earned the tag of the most unpredictable league in the land. And, while it's still throwing up it's early shocks and surprises, there is a little less stun at the early pace setters.

As is routinely the case, whoever drops down from the Premiership is heavily favoured to shoot right back up. United are on course to do that with their uber-talented squad, but it is the manner in which Jim Goodwin's side are storming the league that is catching the eye.

Four players have four or more goals already - including centre-half Kevin Holt, who bagged a hat-trick against his former side, Partick Thistle, and 20-year-old forward Kai Fotheringham. Louis Moult is perhaps unsurprisingly leading the goal scoring charts alongside his fellow veteran striker, Thistle's Brian Graham.

Louis Moult has six goals in nine games for Dundee United

United's 30 goals is considerably the highest. They're not just winning games, they're romping to victory. Raith Rovers may not be doing that, but they certainly are picking up the points and remaining hot on the Tangerines' heels.

Ian Murray's side are reaping the rewards of early - and stable - summer recruitment. Rovers have suffered just one defeat and pocketed a point against the table toppers. They even ended a frankly ridiculous 23-year hoodoo by defeating Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

With a game in hand, too, they could move to within one point of United.

Then it all gets a little bit Championship-esque. Just five points separate third and eighth.

Current incumbents of eighth spot are Dunfermline, who make their first trip of the season to Cappielow on Friday night in front of the BBC cameras against bottom side Greenock Morton.

Following an impressive initial readjustment to life in the Championship, which included a comprehensive 3-1 win over Morton, things have gone a bit sticky of late for the Pars.

Losing their last three games - including a last-minute Fife derby against Rovers last week - and conceding five goals in the process, has unsteadied the ship a tad. However, they have only played nine games when others have played 11.

Despite the recent leak in defence, James McPake's side still boast the joint second-best defence in the league, alongside the Rovers and Caley Thistle.

Caley Thistle, who recently appointed Duncan Ferguson head coach, are sandwiched between the Fife side and their weekend hosts, Morton, who will be playing their third game in six days on Friday.

The week kicked off perfectly with a much-needed win over Ayr United, but they came up short against Rovers, despite impressing manager Dougie Imrie.

Hectic weeks like these are the kind that can define seasons, usually. But, when it comes to the Championship, it'd be beyond naive to think anything at this early stage could be season defining.

There is still a barrel load of time for anyone and everyone to get their grades up.