FootyChatter.com

By PAUL FORSYTH Published: 05: 08 AEST, 7 April 2025 | Updated: 05: 15 AEST, 7 April 2025 View comments Every year around this time, the relegation battle is analysed and the theory goes that the team who stay up will be the team with a recognised goalscorer. If you have a Simon Murray who can make the difference in tight games, as Dundee did in their 2-0 win against St Mirren yesterday, there is every chance you will beat the drop. There is a lot to be said for that argument, especially when nobody else in the bottom half has such a reliable source of goals, but it is far from the only factor at play. You might just as easily point out that a team’s destiny very often hinges on a match-winning goalkeeper, or perhaps more pertinently a match-losing one. Andy Fisher certainly doesn’t fall into the latter category. The St Johnstone No 1, on loan from Swansea City, was outstanding in their shock 1-0 victory against Celtic at Mc Diarmid Park. Still five points adrift of the play-off spot, the Perth club’s survival hopes remain slim, but so far they have been able to depend on their goalkeeper, which is more than can be said for a few others. Andy Fisher kept St Johnstone's survival hopes alive with a match-winning performance Zach Hemming's mistake gifted Dundee a second goal in their 2-0 victory against St Mirren Jack Butland made the latest of several high-profile errors in Rangers' defeat by Hibs at Ibrox The weekend programme was littered with a catalogue of handling errors, not least at Ibrox where Jack Butland’s latest howler put Hibs on their way to a 2-0 triumph against Rangers. Elsewhere, Murray got both goals at Dens Park, but his second would not have been possible without an eccentric assist from Zach Hemming, who passed straight to the striker and then jumped over the resulting shot. In the first half of the season, Ellery Balcombe wore the gloves for St Mirren before returning to Brentford and then joining Motherwell, where he hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory. At Rugby Park on Saturday, his failure to command the six-yard area proved costly for Motherwell as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat that leaves them — and St Mirren — in a bizarre position as they await the final game of the regular season.   While both clubs can leapfrog sixth-placed Hearts, they are also just four points clear of the play-off spot. Only by finishing in the top half can they guarantee safety. Of those already consigned to the dogfight, Ross County have a goalkeeper, Jordan Amissah, who has been a revelation. And Dundee have the experienced Trevor Carson behind a defence that has been stabilised by the return of Joe Shaughnessy. Kilmarnock manager Derek Mc Innes dropped the struggling Robbie Mc Crorie for the Motherwell game. His replacement, Kieran O’Hara, recorded a clean sheet, albeit against a team who played most of the game with 10 men. A visit to Celtic Park on Saturday will be a much bigger test for O’Hara. While Fisher’s performance against Celtic might not be enough to save St Johnstone, similar heroics by the Kilmarnock stopper could make all the difference for his team. Queen's Park have gone to pieces since Callum Davidson led them to a historic victory at Ibrox  Misery for Mulgrew Charlie Mulgrew is having a wretched time with Kelty Hearts, who gave him his break as a manager in January. Since taking over from Michael Tidser, he has presided over just one victory in 11 games. In a quite gruesome sequence, Kelty have scored five goals, conceded 21 and slipped to within four points of the relegation play-off place. The nadir was reached at New Central Park yesterday when they were spanked 6-0 by already-relegated Dumbarton. Needless to say, supporters of the Fife club are not best pleased. As Mulgrew might put it: ‘They’re raging aren’t they? ’ Spiders’ grand plans in ruins Who would have thought that the consequences of Queen’s Park’s historic Scottish Cup victory against Rangers would be so far-reaching? Never mind the resulting crisis at Ibrox, the wee club from across the city have gone to pieces, sacking manager Callum Davidson, losing their main sponsor and scrapping their youth academy in the process. Eight straight defeats, the latest a 3-0 loss at Livingston, has sent the Championship side careering to within three points of the relegation play-off place. Less than two months after Seb Drozd’s Ibrox winner and Calum Ferrie’s goalkeeping heroics, the ambitious project to make Queen’s Park great again lies in tatters.

Share what you think

No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts,

or debate this issue live on our message boards.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual.   Do you want to automatically post your Mail Online comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to Mail Online as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on Mail Online. To do this we will link your Mail Online account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy. Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group