Ladbrokes SPFL: Rangers extend lead as Hibs slip up again
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As the dust settles on another busy weekend of Ladbrokes SPFL action, the mood is likely to be vastly different across the major players in Glasgow and Edinburgh with Hibernian rueing the past week of football.
Rangers have strengthened their grip on this season’s Ladbrokes Championship after the weekend’s results, while Dunfermline can’t quite shake off Peterhead in League 1.
The unpredictable nature of League 2 continued this weekend with another change at the top, while at least four teams can still harbour ambitions of winning the division.
Here’s your weekend round-up…
Ladbrokes Championship
If winning when you don’t play well is the sign of champions then the title run-in is looking pretty rosy for Rangers.
Mark Warburton’s men needed Harry Forrester to pop up four minutes from time to see off St Mirren, and their relief was turned to joy when news of the result at Dumbarton came through.
The Sons raced into a 2-0 first-half lead against Hibernian, and whatever Alan Stubbs’ said at half-time would have been thrown out of the window when Darren Barr put the hosts 3-0 four minutes after the interval.
Two late strikes gave Hibs hope, but two defeats on the spin has seen their title odds balloon from 4/1 to 10s inside seven days.
Falkirk are now just two points behind the Hibees after a 3-1 win at home to Queen of the South, while Raith are putting themselves in a strong position for a top-four spot after Ryan Hardie’s 89th minute winner in a 3-2 thriller against Morton.
The final game of the weekend saw Alloa continue their search for a first home win of the year, but two early goals from Livingston but the visitors well on course for a 3-1 victory.
Ladbrokes League 1
The incredible form of Dunfermline and Peterhead continued this weekend, with the Pars hammering Stranraer at East End Park.
Joe Cardle helped himself to a hat-trick while Faissal El Bakhtaoui grabbed a brace but Peterhead’s result ensured the gap at the top remains eight points.
The Blue Toon are now 15 games unbeaten in the league and have won five on the spin after a 4-1 success at home to Brechin. Rory McAllister’s hat-trick saw his odds of being the league’s top scorer tighten from 4/11 to 2/9.
Behind the runaway duo, Ayr picked up a second straight victory with a 1-0 result at Airdrie, while after waiting months for a win, Forfar claimed two in a week with a 1-0 success against Albion.
Finally Stenhousemuir and Cowdenbeath played out a belter at Ochilview Park. After sharing four goals in ten second-half minutes, Lewis Milne handed the Blue Brazil a welcome result after five-straight defeats.
Ladbrokes League 2
The fourth tier saw another change of leadership as Elgin took over at the helm thanks to a 2-0 win over East Stirlingshire.
They’re only top however thanks to East Fife’s 3-0 slip at fellow title-hopefuls Queen’s Park, with the Spiders netting twice in stoppage time at Hampden Park.
Barry Ferguson’s Clyde will rightly still hold ambitions of winning the league this year too, after a 1-0 win away at Arbroath.
The Bully Wee are seven points off the pace in fourth, but have two games in hand on Elgin and Queens Park, and three on East Fife.
Annan will be rueing the two-goal lead they lit slip at home to Stirling in the Ladbrokes SPFL’s only draw of the weekend, while Blair Henderson handed Berwick the points at home to Montrose.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
