Summary

  • Watch Sportscene highlights of Saturday's four matches

  • White has volley ruled out for Motherwell for offside in game of few chances

  • Point takes Hibs top above Rangers

  • Second consecutive draw for Motherwell

  1. Davidson makes three changes to Saintspublished at 14:50 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Kilmarnock v St Johnstone (15:00)

    St Johnstone's Michael O'HalloranImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Michael O'Halloran is back for St Johnstone

    Kilmarnock have gone with the same team that started the 2-2 draw with Ross County in midweek. Scotland striker Eamonn Brophy returns to the squad but is on the bench.

    Callum Davidson has made three changes to his Saints team. Shaun Rooney and Scott Tanser come int defence, while forward Michael O'Halloran, who is back from suspension, also comes into the team, with Callum Booth and David Weatherspoon dropping to the bench while Jamie McCart is injured.

  2. Sun drenched Ayrshirepublished at 14:47 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Kilmarnock v St Johnstone (15:00)

    Rugby ParkImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    The sun is shining in Kilmarnock, but who will benefit?

  3. Have Hearts been treated harshly?published at 14:45 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Now you have heard the SFA's reasoning for halting Hearts' training along with all football outside the Premiership, do you agree with the club's view that they have been harshly treated?

    Click thumbs up if you think they have been, thumbs down if you don't think they decision is unfair on them.

  4. LINE-UPS at BBSP Stadiumpublished at 14:41 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Kilmarnock v St Johnstone (15:00)

    Kilmarnock: Rogers, Millen, Broadfoot, Findlay, Waters; Power, Dicker, Tshibola, Burke, Pinnock, Kabamba.

    Substitutes: Doyle, McGowan, Haunstrup, Dikamona, El Makrini, Kiltie, Brophy, Cameron, Whitehall.

    St Johnstone: Parish, Kerr, Gordon, Rooney, Tanser, McNamara, Craig, Hendry, Conway, McCann, O'Halloran.

    Substitutes: Sinclair, Duffy, Wotherspoon, Booth, Olaofe, Robertson, Ballantyne.

  5. Scottish football in danger of being halted - Maxwellpublished at 14:40 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell believes the Scottish government will pull the plug on Premiership football if there are any further transgressions.

    “Absolutely believe that to be the case," he tells Sportsound. "I don’t think we have a leg to stand on in terms of putting up an argument after the things that have happened. That’s why it was so important we did instigate this pause to make sure everybody knows what their obligations are.

    “We are very aware we have stopped all football again. It’s not decisions we want to make, but circumstances have dictated that’s the road we have to go down.

    “It also lets us see what the updated government guidance will be, which is due around the 20th."

  6. I know Hearts feel harshly treated - Maxwellpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Ian MaxwellImage source, SNS

    SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has been on Sportsound explaining the reason for the decision to tell Hearts to pause pre-season training - a decision criticised by club owner Ann Budge.

    “I absolutely understand and I was very clear to Ann on the phone I knew it wouldn’t be a popular decision," he says. "They will feel harshly treated and I can understand why.

    "But I tried to make it clear to Ann that this is not about Hearts, it’s also unfair on the hundreds of amateur clubs who would have training lets organised for the next week and are losing money by cancelling them. There are a lot of people affected.

    “We had to make a decision to put that pause in place. There are Championship clubs that have already started testing and wanted to come back to raining on Monday. We were left with the decision to allow one club to train and tell others they can’t, or is it just a blanket one-week suspension."

  7. Dingwall debut for United's Freemanpublished at 14:30 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Ross County v Dundee United

    freemanImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Academy graduate Kieran Freeman makes his senior debut for Dundee United this afternoon

    Striker Billy Mckay and midfielder Harry Paton come into the Ross County starting line-up, with midfielders Josh Mullin and Regan Charles-Cook dropping to the bench after the midweek draw with Kilmarnock.

    Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland is missing through injury for a third game running for United.

    Academy graduate Kieran Freeman makes his debut in defence as striker Logan Chalmers and left-back Adrian Sporle also come in, replacing Ryan Edwards, Jamie Robson and Nicky Clark.

  8. Two sides looking for first winpublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Kilmarnock v St Johnstone (15:00)

    Kilmarnock's run without a win now stretches to eight games into last season but should come into this game with some confidence after following their fine 1-1 draw with champions Celtic with another point away to Ross County in midweek.

    Saints, who have played one game less, are also looking for their first win of the season and have only won one of their last seven games.

    They have yet to play at home this season and will be looking to take something out of today's game going into a run of three consecutive fixtures at McDiarmid Park.

    Since a 2-1 win at Rugby Park in August 2017, Saints are without a win there in four matches, failing to score and losing three times. However, they did leave with a point on their last visit in December.

  9. Hodson debut as both sides make two changespublished at 14:23 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Hamilton Academical v St Mirren (15:00)

    On-loan Gillingham defender Lee Hodson makes his Hamilton debut against his former club.

    Hodson's inclusion at right-back is one of two changes in Brian Rice's sid, with winger David Templeton also starting for the first time this season. Callum Smith and Markus Fjortoft drop to the bench.

    There's two changes also for Jim Goodwin's Buddies with midfielder Kyle McAllister and forward Junior Morias coming in for Conor McCarthy, who is not in the squad, and Ilkay Durmus, who is on the bench.

    Lee HodsonImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Hodson's last appearance was in St Mirren's win against Hearts, which ultimately saved the Paisley club from relegation

  10. Prof Leitch 'not targeting football'published at 14:19 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Prof Jason Leitch

    Professor Jason Leitch, Scotland's national clinical director, earlier told BBC Radio Scotland's Off the Ball why he and Scotland's sports minister Joe Fitzpatrick held a meeting with the Scottish FA and the Scottish Professional Football League after Covid-19 protocol breaches by eight Aberdeen players and Celtic defender Boli Bolingoli. The meeting resulted in the joint response group calling a halt to training for teams below the Premiership.

    "Football has been allowed to get back to work before other things," Prof Leitch said.

    "Offices are not back, call centres are not back, football was allowed to come back on the basis they would follow the guidance religiously and it appears that some people within football haven’t done that.

    "So therefore there’s a price to pay in a pause to make sure the footballers understand that that’s the nature of what they are doing. I am not targeting football. I am trying to help elite sport come back safely. When the first minister looks at me and says, 'Are the sports bubbles safe?' I couldn’t have said 'yes' at the beginning of last week."

  11. LINE-UPS at Global Energy Stadiumpublished at 14:17 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Ross County v Dundee United (15:00)

    Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Donaldson, Iacovitti, Reid, Draper, Vigurs, Paton, Gardyne, Mckay, Stewart.

    Substitutes: Doohan, Shaw, Mullin, Charles-Cook, Erwin, Watson, Kelly, Tillson, Tremarco.

    Dundee United: Siegrist, Freeman, Connolly, Reynolds, Sporle, Bolton, Harkes, Butcher, Pawlett, Chalmers, Appere.

    Substitutes: Mehmet, Clark, C Smith, Powers, King, Glass, Neilson, Graham, Mochrie.

  12. Can County remain unbeaten?published at 14:16 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Ross County v Dundee United (15:00)

    Ross County's pitchImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Ross County's pitch is looking in good shape

    Ross County were held at home by Kilmarnock in midweek but will still be pleased with an unbeaten opening three games that have them sitting third in the Premiership.

    Dundee United's unbeaten start to the season ended with a 1-0 defeat at home to Hibernian.

    County and United last met when both were in the Championship in 2018-19, with the Dingwall side winning 5-1 at Tannadice before two defeats and a draw with the Tangerines. Can United make it three visits to Victoria Park without defeat?

  13. LINE-UPS from Fountain of Youth Stadiumpublished at 14:14 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Hamilton Academical v St Mirren (15:00)

    Hamilton Academical: Fulton, Hodson, Odoffin, Want, McMann, L Smith, Callachan, Martin, Templeton, Winter, Moyo.

    Substitutes: Gourlay, Hamilton, Ogkmpoe, Trafford, Fjortoft, Mimnaugh, Munro, C Smith, Johnson.

    St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Shaughnessy, Sheron, Tait, McGrath, Foley, MacPherson, McAllister, Morias, Obika.

    Substitutes: Lyness, Urminsky, Baird, Erhahon, Thorvaldsson, Durmus, Henderson, Jamieson, Jack.

  14. St Mirren have upper hand over Hamiltonpublished at 14:13 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Hamilton Academical v St Mirren (15:00)

    St Mirren players at HamiltonImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    St Mirren players are out early on the pitch at Hamilton

    Having had their midweek game against Aberdeen postponed, Hamilton find themselves at the foot of the table with only the Dons, who have played a game less, for company.

    You might imagine St Mirren are the kind of side you would prefer to face as you are looking to avoid a third consecutive defeat in your opening matches for the first time since 2009-10.

    However, the Buddies are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Accies since a 3-1 loss in Paisley in December 2018, winning 1-0 on their latest visit last season.

    St Mirren themselves had their midweek meeting with Celtic called off and are looking to recover from a 3-0 defeat away to Rangers.

  15. Burke, Power, or Davidson to be key?published at 14:08 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Kilmarnock v St Johnstone (15:00)

    Media caption,

    Relive all of Chris Burke's goals so far in the Scottish Premiership

    Former Scotland winger Chris Burke continues belie his 37 years and is leading from the front with Kilmarnock by scoring in all three of their opening games this season.

    However, Alan Power isn't far behind. According to the statistics, the Irish midfielder has completed the most dribbles (seven) and made the most successful passes (130) of any player in the Premiership so far this campaign.

    Power and central midfield partner Gary Dicker will no doubt have been told to keep a close eye on Murray Davidson today given the St Johnstone's man is particularly prolific against Kilmarnock - his five goals against them being as many as he has garnered against any club.

  16. Tune in to BBC Radio Scotlandpublished at 14:04 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    BBC microphoneImage source, SNS

    The build-up to today's game has just started on BBC Radio Scotland, with Open All Mics covering the three matches kicking off at 15:00 followed by full commentary of the 17:30 game involving Hibs and Motherwell.

    Billy Dodds, Jon Daly, Derek Ferguson are on pundit duty for the 15:00 games, with John Collins and Allan Preston taking in the game from Easter Road.

  17. Today's fixturespublished at 14:02 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Kick-off 15:00 unless stated

    Fixtures
  18. Four Saturday games survive difficult weekpublished at 14:00 British Summer Time 15 August 2020

    Eight Aberdeen playersImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Eight Aberdeen players apologised for breaking lockdown rules

    It's been another turbulent week in Scottish football.

    But, after lockdown breaches, apologies from Aberdeen and Celtic players, the announcement of possible sanctions and a training pause for clubs lower than the Premiership amid the threat of a red card from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, we still have some fixtures to talk about.

    With today's game in Aberdeen postponed, Rangers and Hibernian have the chance this weekend to extend their lead at the top of the top flight over inactive reigning champions Celtic.

    Rangers face Livingston tomorrow, so Hibs have the chance to establish a three-point gap at the top when they host Motherwell in the later kick-off.

    Before then, stay with us for all the build-up, live commentary and post-match reaction from three games kicking off at 15:00.