Mail on Sunday

Iceman Gets Hothead Stewart Off the Hook ; St Mirren 0 Hearts 1 Jonsson (79) Jonsson to the Rescue As 10-Man Hearts Stage Smash-and-Grab Raid

COMBUSTIBLE midfielder Michael Stewart saw red when he lost the plot at Love Street and appeared to hand St Mirren the keys to victory. Instead, Icelander Eggert Jonsson stayed cool to snatch an unlikely win for 10-man Hearts. Stewart was ordered off by referee Mike McCurry five minutes from half-time after lashing out at midfielder Hugh Murray as the pair tussled for the ball.

Saints Soar Clear After Samuels Late Strike ; St Johnstone 2 Hardie (45), Samuel (81) Ross County 1mcculloch (83)Battling County Push League Leaders to the Brink

LEAGUE leaders St Johnstone opened up a four-point advantage over Livingston with a hard-fought victory over battling Ross County. Martin Hardie eased the home sides nerves with the opening goal on the stroke of half-time and when substitute Collin Samuel scored Saints second in 81 minutes, it looked all over.

Mcinnes Cool in Dressing-Room Drama

ST JOHNSTONE boss Derek McInnes delivered an inspirational half- time team talk as one of his stars received oxygen from worried paramedics a few yards away. The astonishing incident was revealed last week by striker Steven Milne, the Irn-Bru Player of the Month.

Jocky Brings That Winning Feeling Back to Dens Men ; Dunfermline 0 Dundee 1

THE manner of the victory was not pretty but new Dundee manager Jocky Scott was not complaining. He was just delighted to see Mickael Antoine-Curiers 68th-minute goal earn the injury-hit Dens men their first win in 10 matches.

Weathersons Double Leaves Queens Down in the Dumps ; Qos 1 Morton 4

MORTON striker Peter Weatherson returned to haunt his old club with a first-half double that earned his side their first away league win of the season. He latched on to a woeful headed passback from Craig Sives at the edge of the box before slotting a low shot under keeper Cammy Bell after 19 minutes.

Black Mood As Airdrie Deny Livvy

AIRDRIE UTD 0 LIVINGSTON 0 FURIOUS Airdrie manager Kenny Black rounded on his players last night after his side struggled against second-top Livvy. He warned his charges that no one is sure of an ALBA Challenge Cup Final place next Sunday against Ross County.

Buchanans Goal Return

PARTICK THISTLE 2 CLYDE 0 PARTICK got their title challenge back on course and dumped hapless Clyde to the foot of the table. Liam Buchanan put the Jags in front after nine minutes when Willie Kinniburgh cleverly laid off a cross. Buchanan fired home from eight yards, his first goal in nine months after a long injury lay-off.

Standing Up to Scrutiny ; After Withstanding a Barrage From the Best Attacking Force in the World, Celtics Centre-Half Axis has Earned Comparison with Mcleish and Me, Insists Miller

AFTER naming his first Scotland squad of the season in August, George Burley suggested that Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell had the potential to be the Willie Miller and Alex McLeish of their era a club and country defensive partnership with exceptional qualities to augment a durable understanding. If there was plenty of scoffing at the comparison a few months ago, then surely most of it was taking place in the boardroom at Pittodrie. The unflappable Miller could have read those words with...

Wilson Is Still Wary of Being Dropped Despite Keeping Ronaldo Quiet

TO be asked to play out of position on the wrong side of the pitch and contain the World Player Of The Year for 90 minutes was the unlikely briefing that spawned the best performance of Mark Wilsons career. Yet the 24-year-old is not convinced that his effort on the left side of the Celtic defence, in preference to Lee Naylor, in a match- up with Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday night at Parkhead will spare him the axe from the major games to come.

Brown Calls Forban On Ball He Blames Forboruc Gaffe

MARK BROWN is dreading the prospect of being in the firing line of the Champions League match ball that he believes cost Celtic victory against Manchester United. Set to deputise for Artur Boruc if the Parkhead No 1 has not recovered from knee surgery in time to face Aalborg on November 25, Brown has called for the adidas ball used in the competition to be banned.

United Happy to Throw Dixon Into the Mix Feeney Hails Threat Posed by Tannadices Answer to Delap

IT would be unfair to brand Dundee United the Stoke City of the SPL but in Paul Dixon they have a long-throw expert who is in the process of developing into Scotlands answer to Rory Delap. Delap has been Stokes prime attacking weapon this term lobbing, looping and shelling seemingly undefendable crosses into Premier League penalty areas to the tune of seven assists.

Simple Life Makes It a Lot Easier for Mark

WHEN Mark Kerr swapped Tannadice for Pittodrie during the summer, the prospect of playing on a bigger stage was the main reason behind his decision to move up the A90. Yet the midfielder is the first to admit that performing in front of a larger audience has been the main reason for failing to make the impact expected at Aberdeen.

Being an Arsenal Fan Is Like Having an Italian Lover ; ...You Never Know What's Going to Happen Next but It's Always Exciting

I HAD intended using this column to salute Stoke manager Tony Pulis after his magnificent use of President Abraham Lincolns words to damn Arsene Wenger last weekend: You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. But if a week is a long time in politics, then it is an eternity for Arsenal fans at the moment. Embarrassed by Spurs, humiliated by Stoke, nullified by Fenerbahce then we go and hammer ...

Get Tough ; Fletcher Is Destined for the Top, Like Berbatov, Provided He Adds Some Aggression, Says Mixu

MIXU PAATELAINEN describes Steven Fletcher as a technician in the mould of Dimitar Berbatov. The Hibernian manager is by no means seeking to put his star player in the same bracket as Manchester Uniteds [pounds]30million acquisition, but he would like to see the 21-year-old add the sort of aggression which is missing from Berbatovs armoury.

Previously Bitter Rivals Perform Love-in As Arsene and - Sir Alex Form Mutual Appreciation Society

ARSENE WENGER and Sir Alex Ferguson were united in a rare moment of mutual appreciation yesterday as Arsenal recorded an exhilarating victory over Manchester United in what is likely to be the greatest game of the season. In an extraordinary match of attacking football from both sides, Wengers Arsenal team managed to drag themselves back into the title race and banish the nightmare of the past 10 days with a defiant display and two goals from Samir Nasri that lifted them above United and up t...

Crewe 1 Ebbsfleet United 0

CLAYTON DONALDSON spared Crewes blushes after non-league cup specialists Ebbsfleet United gave them a real fright. Despite suffering five straight league defeats, FA Trophy holders Ebbsfleet hadnt been defeated in any cup tie since February. But Donaldsons first-half strike ended that run and gave the home side an undeserved passage into round two.

Keane Off the Mark in League As Liverpool Keep Up a Hot Pace ; Round-Up

ROBBIE KEANE struck twice in the first half to open his league account for Liverpool at the 12th attempt and provide the platform for a comfortable 3-0 win against West Brom at Anfield. The Irish striker, who had managed just two other strikes in the Champions League since his [pounds]20million summer move, profited from a fine pass from Steven Gerrard after 34 minutes.

Away Wins Keep Leaders On March ; Second and Third Divisions

RAITH and Brechin are locked together at the top of the Second Division after both secured away victories. The men from Kirkcaldy won a derby with East Fife 2-0 thanks to goals from Kevin Smith and Robert Sloan. Gary Twigg bagged a double as Brechin got the better of Arbroath 2-1 at Gayfield. The home side had opened the scoring through Bryan Scott. Ayr United occupy third spot following their 3-2 home win over Stranraer, while Peterhead are four points behind the Honest Men in fourth after a...

Help or Hindrance? ; Fears Grow That Beckhams Milan Move May Destabilise the Surprise Leaders, Just As Asprillas Did at Newcastle

HERE isnt a specific phrase in the Italian football lexicon for doing a Faustino TFears Asprilla, even though the anarchic Colombian played in Serie A before helping to destabilise what remains Newcastles last proper chance of winning the English Premier League. Milan move Back in season 1995/96, Asprilla arrived as the Magpies appeared to be on the verge of something miraculous, added some thrills around the frills but was widely, perhaps unfairly, the pin-pointed as the loose thread which u...

It'senough to Madden Hadden ; Scotland 6 N Zealand 32

COACH Frank Hadden lamented his side's inability to turn possession and territory into points as New Zealand's victory preserved their 103-year-old unbeaten record against Scotland. Hadden's men competed bravely against a secondstring All Black side but only had two Chris Paterson penalties to show for it.