The former Celtic and Motherwell striker, who also had a spell at Bolton, scored both Hibs’ goals in a 2-2 draw with Aberdeen. While the Dons remain rooted at the foot of the table, comments this week from Scotland’s top 10 clubs who are seeking a “breakaway” league will cause concern for those in the First Division.The threat from the 10 is that they will pull up the drawbridge and prevent promotion or relegation, a tactic which would almost certainly lead to First Division clubs who have taken a gamble on remaining full-time going to the wall. They found Ian Westwater in the home goal in determined mood as he laid the ghosts of a 7-0 defeat at Ibrox earlier in the season. Yet, despite horrendous injury problems and a five- match suspension for Paul Gascoigne, Walter Smith’s side are just one point behind Hearts.It was a good day for Andy Walker, who was signed by Hibernian from Sheffield United on Friday. “The way the fans responded to me was indescribable, the crowd was five times what I was used to at Rosenborg.”Rangers, meanwhile, failed to make a breakthrough at Dunfermline despite dominating the entire 90 minutes.

The Norwegian striker, who cost pounds 2m from Rosenborg Trondheim, deferred the scoring to Craig Burley, who struck the only goal 10 minutes from time – but the new man later insisted this Celtic side is good enough to break Rangers’ title monopoly.”We played as a team and if we continue to do that and create as many chances as we did today, then we’ll very much be in contention for the championship,” he said. After their defeat to Celtic on Saturday, Jim Jefferies, their manager, knows they have to avoid defeat by Rangers on Saturday if they wish to hold on to pole position.Celtic supporters were given a first look at the man they hope will lead them to the title, when Harald Brattbakk came on for Regi Blinker. With 14 points between Celtic and fourth-placed Dundee United, it seems impossible even this early that there can be any other challenger for the title.
Praise, then, has to be given to Hearts, who are still top despite losing every match against Celtic and Rangers this season. Scotland’s Premier Division is becoming a three-horse race. Two points separate Heart of Midlothian, Rangers and Celtic as the trio fight out their own league campaign, leaving the other seven clubs languishing as distant also-rans.

Forest: Woan, Van Hooijdonk.Attendance: 24,635.Man of the match: Curle.. Substitutes not used: Paatelainen, Wright.Nottingham Forest (4-4-2): Pascolo; Lyttle (Moore, 88), Hjelde (Armstrong, 12), Chettle, Rogers (Johnson, 77); Bonalair, Cooper, Gemmill, Woan; Campbell, Van Hooijdonk.Referee: M Bailey (Impington, Cambs).Bookings: Wolves: Goodman. Paul Simpson lifted the ball into the six-yard box, whereupon Craig Armstrong inexplicably ducked. Robinson sliced his shot from five yards but the miskick took the ball out of Marco Pascolo’s reach.Johnson gave Forest hope when he beat the hesitant Stowell to Kevin Campbell’s flick-on from a Colin Cooper pass. The substitute’s first goal since a summer switch from Norwich came too late to undermine Wolves’ determination to sustain their new-found consistency at Molineux.Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-3-1-2): Stowell; Atkins, Curle, Sedgley, Froggatt; Robinson, Osborn, Simpson; Keane; Freedman (Ferguson, 77), Goodman. Woan, on his 30th birthday, then sent a long-range drive inches wide and ought to have done better than head over Des Lyttle’s cross.But by the time Van Hooijdonk threatened from 35 yards, with a free-kick that Mike Stowell tipped over, Wolves had sunk their teeth in a second time. Freedman pounced to collect his first goal in six matches.Three minutes later, after taking a Robinson pass and turning a defender, Freedman hit the bar from 18 yards, and it took Forest until well into the second half to regain ascendancy.

He mis-hit his shot, only for Keane to step over the ball and throw Forest into confusion. Don Goodman’s centre from the right went all the way across to the left flank, where Steve Froggat was charging forward. Keith Curle and Pierre van Hooijdonk were frequently at odds, as were Freedman and Steve Chettle, but the referee largely avoided what Bassett termed “the yellow confetti” and issued only three cautions.Forest, deprived of Dave Beasant and Steve Stone by illness and injury, dominated until Wolves struck midway through the first half. It had nothing on the battle of Stamford Bridge, but the undercurrent of antipathy often bubbled over into nastiness.