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Four matches were played on Saturday in the Scottish Premier League. After losing another two points at home in a draw, troubled Edinburgh Hearts and Glasgow Rangers, the match ended 1-1, and another meeting, while Falkirk crushed the outsider Dundee Utd at their home stadium.
Prior to the weekend match, second-placed Hearts were shaken by unrest - dissatisfied with Vladimir Romanov's threat to sell players if they did not win against Dunfermline, club captain Steven Pressley, along with team mates Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley, expressed their opinion, and although it was expected that all three might not appear on the field as a result, that did not happen.
Along with the three Scots and other team mates, interim coach Eduardas Malofejevas sent Lithuanians Deividas Česnauskis and Andrius Velička onto the field from the start of the match, and the latter, who was in great form, scored in the 12th minute to put the Edinburgh team ahead when he received the ball from P. Hartley and beat the opponents' goalkeeper with a close-range shot.
However, in the third minute of the second half after a header from Stephen Simmons, Jim Hamilton equalized the score, and neither Edgaras Jankauskas who appeared on the field after a substitution in the 52nd minute, nor other Hearts players, despite the pressure from the opponents, were able to secure a victory. D. Česnauskis played until the 77th minute, while Saulius Mikoliūnas and Marius Žaliūkas remained on the bench.
The Rangers, who are in third place, also play uncertainly, as they took the lead at home against Motherwell after Kris Boyd's goal in the 36th minute, but after the break, the visitors equalized the score and helped them earn a point thanks to Brian Kerr. Another match between St. Mirren and Inverness also ended in a 1-1 draw, while Falkirk, where Anthony Stokes scored a hat-trick, sent the fallen Dundee Utd to last place.
On Sunday, the leader Glasgow Celtic will try to increase their advantage against pursuers even further in a difficult away match against Kilmarnock, while on Monday 6-7 Aberdeen and Edinburgh Hibernian will meet.
Results of the 12th round of matches on Saturday:
5 - 1
2' [1 - 0] Russel Latapy
39' [2 - 0] Anthony Stokes
48' [3 - 0] Anthony Stokes
69' [3 - 1] Colin Samuel
75' [4 - 1] Marc Twaddle
89' [5 - 1] Anthony Stokes (pen.)
66' Noel Hunt (Dundee Utd) sent off
1 - 1
12' [1 - 0] Andrius Velička
48' [1 - 1] Jim Hamilton
1 - 1
36' [1 - 0] Kris Boyd
51' [1 - 1] Brian Kerr
1 - 1
34' [0 - 1] Craig Dargo
65' [1 - 1] John Sutton
League table:
