Rangers still on course

Rangers still on course for title after draw

GLASGOW, Scotland (UPI): Rangers' 10-match winning streak came to an end when it was held 1-1 by Aberdeen at Ibrox Saturday, but the visitor needed a win to halt the champion's march to a sixth successive title.

Aberdeen midfielder Paul Kane drilled home a powerful shot 12 minutes from the end of an uninspired collision between the sides which have dominated the Premier Division title races in recent seasons.

Rangers approaches the final stretch of the campaign with its seven-point advantage over Aberdeen still intact. And with closest challengers Motherwell being held 2-2 at home by Partick, the Ibrox side emerged from another weekend with no damage inflicted on its prospects.

Rangers has 51 points from 36 games, Motherwell 46 from 37 and Aberdeen 44 from 36. Hibs, which was held 0-0 at home by St Johnstone has 42, as does Celtic, a 3-1 winner at Dundee United.

Stuart McCall scored for the second successive home game to put Rangers into an early lead, but Aberdeen's weak finishing cost it dearly until Kane pounced with his late strike.

Rangers should have wrapped up both points but was denied an 11th straight win inside the final minute. Gordon Durie rounded goalkeeper John Burridge and looked sure to score, but Alex McLeish produced a remarkable goal-line clearance.

A last-gasp equalizer from Roddy Grant gave Partick a precious point and dented Motherwell's slim championships hopes.

The Fir Park side overcame an early setback, when Isaac English gave the visitor a 13th minute lead.

Motherwell pressed relegation-threatened Partick for most of the match and Took only four minutes to level.

A long throw in was not properly cleared leaving Tommy Coyne to snatch his 11th goal of the season from four yards.

Coyne and fellow striker Dougie Arnott wasted good chances to give the home side the lead before defender John Sullivan showed them how.

With 69 minutes played he followed up a pass back from Coyne to hammer the ball past a helpless Craig Nelson to make it 2-1.

Motherwell pushed for a third but paid the penalty two minutes from time when slack defending by Paul Lambert provided Grant with the opportunity to slot the ball past the advancing keeper and make it 2-2.

In the day's other games Hearts eased its relegation worries with a 1-0 win at Kilmarnock while the bottom two, Raith and Dundee battled to a 1-1 draw. Results Premier Division Dundee Utd 1, Celtic 3 Hibernian 0, St Johnstone 0 Kilmarnock 0, Hearts 1 Motherwell 2, Partick 2 Raith 1, Dundee 1 Rangers 1, Aberdeen 1 Division One (--- ini boleh buang kalau lebih) Airdrie 0, Falkirk 0 Ayr 0, Brechin 0 Dumbarton 2, St Mirren 3 Dunfermline 2, Stirling 1 Hamilton 2, Clyde 1 Morton 1, Clydebank 1

Standings Premier Division

P W D L F A Pts

Rangers 36 20 11 5 66 35 51 Motherwell 37 17 12 8 49 36 46 Aberdeen 36 14 16 6 49 32 44 Hibernian 37 15 12 10 51 38 42 Celtic 36 14 14 8 42 29 42 Dundee Utd 36 9 18 9 38 37 36 Hearts 36 9 15 12 29 36 33 Partick 36 10 13 13 40 49 33 Kilmarnock 37 9 14 14 30 42 32 St Johnstone 36 7 16 13 29 43 30 Raith 37 5 15 17 37 66 25 Dundee 36 6 10 20 34 51 22