Steven MacLean gives Aberdeen breathing space with defeat of Falkirk

• Aberdeen open up nine-point gap over bottom side
• St Johnstone draw 2-2 with St Mirren after late equaliser

Aberdeen took a big step towards securing their Scottish Premier League status next season with a 1-0 victory over the bottom side, Falkirk. Steven MacLean, the on-loan Plymouth striker, broke the deadlock after 11 minutes when he pounced on a Davide Grassi flick to strike the ball past Robert Olejnik.

The Bairns were unfortunate to be denied a penalty just before the break when Ryan Flynn fell in the penalty area under pressure from home defender Zander Diamond. But despite dominating possession in the second half, Steven Pressley's side rarely tested Jamie Langfield in the Aberdeen goal as the Dons held on for their second win in 16 matches, to open up a nine-point gap over bottom side Falkirk.

St Johnstone substitute Paul Sheerin netted an injury‑time penalty as the Saints battled back to claim a point in a thrilling 2-2 encounter against relegation-threatened St Mirren at McDiarmid Park. Sheerin kept his cool to slot home the spot-kick, which was awarded after a Murray Davidson shot was kept out by a St Mirren hand on the goal-line.

Graham Carey had opened the scoring for St Mirren, while Andy Dorman made it 2-0 early in the second half. Michael Duberry brought St Johnstone back into the contest late on before Sheerin completed the fightback.

A 15-minute second-half blitz helped Hamilton sweep aside Kilmarnock 3-0 and secure their SPL status for a third successive season.

After a dull first half, the game came to life less than four minutes after the restart when Mickaël Antoine‑Curier and Mark McLaughlin were both appealing for what they appeared to think was handball on the line from Garry Hay after a Flavio Paixão corner.

Dougie McDonald, the referee, had a big call to make just after the hour mark when Antoine-Curier got the wrong side of Tim Clancy and fell under pressure from the defender. It appeared to be a decent penalty shout but McDonald decided to book the Hamilton striker for diving instead.

Hostilities briefly ceased when Tomas Cerny required treatment just outside his own penalty area before Antoine-Curier had a golden chance to put Hamilton ahead in the 68th minute.

A Steven Hamill clearance careered off Marco Paixão straight to the striker, whose shot was turned behind superbly by Cammy Bell.

Jimmy Calderwood made substitutions for the visitors but they fell behind almost immediately, Bell failing to claim a Marco Paixão corner and Dougie Imrie sweeping home from point-blank range 18 minutes from time.

The home side soon had a second goal and it was as spectacular as their opener was scrappy. Imrie's 77th-minute cross was headed clear by Pascali but the ball was met on the volley by Flavio Paixão and flew into the bottom corner.

Killie looked beaten, while Billy Reid's side were now full of confidence, though they had to replace Cerny with Sean Murdoch.

Accies' afternoon was capped three minutes from time when Thomas made it 3-0, outmuscling Simon Ford before striking a left-foot finish into the bottom corner.

Motherwell play Dundee United at Fir Park tomorrow, while Rangers host Hearts at Ibrox in the early kick-off. A victory for the visitors will take the Tynecastle side to within three points of their neighbours with an Edinburgh derby match remaining.

St Johnstone braced for fine after late postponement of Rangers game

• Failed undersoil heating blamed for Saturday's frozen pitch
• This will cost us a six-figure sum, says Saints chairman

St Johnstone's chairman Geoff Brown believes a fault with the club's undersoil heating system was the cause for their league game with Rangers being called off an hour before kick-off on Saturday.

The SPL is to investigate the postponement, which angered many supporters, and the Saints could be fined if they are found to have breached competition rules.

"We're still not sure what's happened but I fear there's ice in our pipes at the ground," Brown said. "Around Christmas, we were around minus 16 at McDiarmid Park. Those pipes are supposed to be just over 200 millimetres into the ground but considering they were put in with just a plough that pulled them through – they could easily be 50mm above that.

"So if there's ice in the pipes and its stopped the water going round, that's where the problem could lie. With undersoil heating, you heat the water to 42 degrees. To thaw ice at that temperature would take a bit of doing. There's obviously been a malfunction in our system."

Brown added: "This is a desperate apology from myself and St Johnstone to Rangers and supporters of both clubs. The game going off will cost us a six-figure sum because of everything that goes with a match of that size.

"I want to apologise to all the fans and we'll be very thorough in solving the problem as quickly as we can to ensure this never happens again."

Hearts ensure no happy return for Steven Pressley

• Kilmarnock snatch fourth straight win
• Goodwillie scores an injury-time winner

Steven Pressley's reign as Falkirk manager started with a 3-1 defeat at his former club Hearts. The Bairns are now four points adrift of Hamilton at the bottom of the SPL.

Home defender Dawid Kucharski scored an injury-time own goal to cancel out an unusual opener from team-mate Lee Wallace in the first half. Wallace netted in the fifth minute when his diagonal cross into the area caught goalkeeper Robert Olejnik by surprise as it sailed into the net. However, Kucharski put the ball in his own net seconds before the break as a Marc Twaddle cross cannoned off him and edged past keeper Marian Kello.

Pressley made his intentions clear at half-time by going with two in attack. Striker Enoch Showunmi came on for winger Jack Compton. Despite Falkirk's pressure, the home side added a second goal a minute later through Suso Santana. A deep cross from Arvydas Novikovas from the left was not dealt with by Olejnik and the Spaniard cracked a shot into the net from six yards.

Ian Black gave Hearts a two-goal cushion with a 25-yard strike that flew past Olejnik in the 67th minute. The midfielder edged past Brian McLean and unleashed an unstoppable left-foot drive past the Falkirk goalkeeper for his first goal for the Jam Tarts. Substitute Pedro Moutinho set up a tense finish by finding the net seven minutes from time. Wriggling free in a congested penalty area, the substitute struck a shot high into the net from close range for the visitors' consolation.

Kilmarnock striker Kevin Kyle was St Johnstone's nemesis once again as resurgent Killie twice came from being a goal behind to snatch a fourth straight win in another Rugby Park thriller. The home team's strong recent run under new manager Jimmy Calderwood looked like coming to an end when goals from Peter MacDonald and Graham Gartland put Saints 1-0 and 2-1 ahead in the clash. But equalisers from Chris Maguire and Garry Hay – the latter's first goal since December 2008 – set the stage for Kyle to score his fourth against Derek McInnes's side this season.

A 93rd-minute winner from substitute David Goodwillie earned Dundee United a last-gasp 2-1 win at St Mirren as United kept the pressure on Hibernian for third place in the SPL.Saints must have thought they had the game won when Michael Higdon grabbed the opener on a day when both sides passed up decent chances. However, United did manage to haul themselves back into the game with 83 minutes on the clock when Goodwillie's lay-off was collected by Danny Swanson and he drove a low shot into the back of the net. But there was further drama to come when Goodwillie snatched the winner deep into injury time. A Prince Buaben free-kick was not properly cleared by the Saints defence and John Daly was able to chip the ball back into the area for the substitute to force home.

Hamilton Academicals and Motherwell cancelled each other out in their clash at New Douglas Park. Goalkeeper John Ruddy made a succession of second-half saves to maintain Well's unbeaten league record under former Scotland manager Craig Brown. The Motherwell goalkeeper denied Simon Mensing three times in around five minutes as Hamilton pushed forward after an even first half. But the home side could not maintain their pressure and John Sutton missed a good chance to take the points across the M74. A scrappy goal from Lukas Jutkiewicz had been all that separated the Lanarkshire rivals the previous weekend in a tight rearranged match at Fir Park, and the latest derby was even closer. The Steelmen have now lost only one goal in seven SPL games under Brown and they maintain fifth place in the SPL table.

Weather starts to take toll on Saturday’s fixtures

• Sheffield Wednesday v Peterborough called off
• Six of Saturday's Scottish Cup ties already postponed

Saturday's Football League action has been decimated as the freezing weather conditions tighten their grip on sport.

Three matches in the Championship have fallen foul of the cold spell and Leagues One and Two have been even harder hit, with only five of the 24 scheduled fixtures surviving inspections today.

Rugby and racing, too, have been badly affected, with no National Hunt racing in Britain set to take place until Tuesday at the earliest.

The Championship basement battle between Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough is one of the biggest casualties, along with Reading's match at home to league leaders Newcastle, Watford v Sheffield United and Preston v Doncaster.

The pitch at Hillsborough is protected by undersoil heating but areas immediately surrounding the stadium have been covered in a thick blanket of snow, making roads and pavements in the vicinity treacherous.

Wednesday's chief executive, Nick Parker, said: "While we are still two days away from the fixture against Peterborough, the areas surrounding Hillsborough are covered in snow and ice. It is highly unlikely these areas could be cleared to the extent that would allow fans to come to the game and be guaranteed of their safety. Obviously the safety of our supporters is the club's main concern in these circumstances and we would not want to put fans in danger by encouraging them to use icy roads and pavements around Hillsborough."

Preston's match against Doncaster was called off after a lunchtime pitch inspection and earlier the League One matches between Brighton and Brentford, Charlton and Hartlepool and Oldham and Leyton Orient as well as the League Two game between Cheltenham and Hereford were also postponed.

A decision will be made tomorrow on whether Sunderland's Premier League home clash with Bolton on Saturday can go ahead. The city's Safety Advisory Group called an extraordinary meeting today to discuss the implications of the ongoing wintry conditions gripping much of the country.

The group, which comprises representatives of Sunderland City Council, police, ambulance and fire services as well as the club, will meet again tomorrow, with weather forecasts suggesting that conditions will worsen over the weekend.

Group chairman Ken Scott, of Sunderland City Council, said: "It is too soon at this stage to make a definitive decision regarding the status of the match. However another meeting will take place tomorrow after which we will make a further announcement. In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the weather conditions and associated safety issues."

In Scotland the early casualties include the fourth-round Scottish Cup ties between Ayr United and Brechin City, Forfar Athletic and St Johnstone, Raith Rovers and Airdrie United, Morton and Celtic and Kilmarnock and Falkirk.

The ties between Albion Rovers and Stirling Albion, Edinburgh City and Montrose, and Ross County and Inverurie Loco Works were all subject to 1pm pitch inspections this afternoon and failed.

In the Irn-Bru Scottish Second Division match between Cowdenbeath and Arbroath and the Third Division game between Berwick and Stranraer have also been called off.

Matches postponed because of weather

Coca-Cola Championship

Preston v Doncaster

Sheffield Wednesday v Peterborough

Watford v Sheffield United

Reading v Newcastle

League One

Brighton v Brentford

Bristol Rovers v Stockport

Carlisle v Millwall

Charlton v Hartlepool

Gillingham v Tranmere

Milton Keynes Dons v Swindon

Oldham v Leyton Orient

Southampton v Huddersfield

Yeovil v Colchester

League Two

Aldershot v Rochdale

Bury v Darlington

Cheltenham v Hereford

Crewe v Grimsby

Lincoln City v Accrington Stanley

Port Vale v Bradford

Rotherham v Bournemouth

Shrewsbury v Barnet

Torquay v Dagenham & Redbridge

Notts County v Macclesfield

Active Nation Scottish Cup fourth round

Albion Rovers v Stirling Albion

Ayr United v Brechin City

Edinburgh City v Montrose

Forfar Athletic v St Johnstone

Inverness CT v Motherwell

Kilmarnock v Falkirk

Livingston v Dundee

Morton v Celtic

Raith Rovers v Airdrie United

Ross County v Inverurie Loco Works

Irn-Bru Scottish Second Division

Cowdenbeath v Arbroath

Irn-Bru Scottish Third Division

Berwick v Stranraer

East Stirling v Queen's Park

The postponed matches list will be updated throughout the day

Peter MacDonald hat-trick inspires St Johnstone against Motherwell

• St Johnstone lifted to seventh with 3-1 win over Motherwell
• Dundee Utd frustrated by Kilmarnock in goalless draw

Peter MacDonald put his injury frustration behind him as he struck a second-half hat-trick to inspire a 3-1 victory for St Johnstone over Motherwell at Fir Park. The victory lifts Saints into seventh, ahead of Aberdeen whose game at St Mirren was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

Steve Jennings headed his first goal for Motherwell to give the Steelmen a deserved half-time lead. The midfielder met a 39th-minute cross from Yassin Moutaouakil to capitalise on a period of sustained pressure. MacDonald struck his first goal since August 2008 to cancel out Jennings's opener early in the second half. MacDonald, making his third league appearance of the season following a recurring hamstring injury, added his second goal with a similar strike after 57 minutes. He completed his hat-trick after a 70th-minute breakaway when he headed in a cross from Chris Millar. Jim Gannon's team have now gone seven games without a victory in the SPL.

The post-Craig Levein era at Dundee United began in frustrating fashion as wasted chances saw them held to a goalless draw by Kilmarnock. United passed up an opportunity to close the gap on third-placed Hibernian, who play host to Rangers today. Their caretaker manager, Peter Houston, watched his side dominate the first half at Tannadice only for Jon Daly and David Goodwillie to pass up opportunities. Sean Dillon also hit the bar and Damian Casalinuovo missed a golden opportunity, while Killie twice saw goals chalked off but gained a valuable point in their battle against the drop.

A decisive penalty from Michael Stewart, the Hearts captain, at Falkirk propelled the Tynecastle club into the top six for the first time this season with a 1-0 win. The midfielder's goal two minutes before the interval, after José Gonçalves was fouled in the penalty area, was the difference in a game bereft of clear-cut chances. After a hard-fought first half, Falkirk upped the pressure after the break but failed to find a way past Hearts' rearguard.

Rangers face a daunting trip to Easter Road today with Hibernian, 12 league games without a defeat, having impressed Rangers manager Walter Smith. "I'm not surprised," said Smith, when asked about the Edinburgh club's form. "John Hughes has added a couple of players to his squad, Anthony Stokes has done well for them and Derek Riordan is always someone who can get a goal."

Sasa Papac strikes late for Rangers to deny inventive St Johnstone

Sasa Papac came to Rangers' rescue with a late winner against St Johnstone to send the Scottish champions to the top of the SPL.

The full-back's decider at McDiarmid Park - which came after Kris Boyd had cancelled out Collin Samuel's opener - was harsh on a plucky Saints side who had enough chances to follow up their first league win last week with another victory.

There was mystery surrounding the Rangers team ahead of the game with Madjid Bougherra absent amid reports of being dropped after going AWOL while on international duty. The defender - who missed the Old Firm derby with flu - helped Algeria to a win over Rwanda last weekend but was missing from training at Murray Park on Friday.

Only the woodwork prevented St Johnstone taking a shock lead with just three minutes gone. Samuel burst down the left flank before delivering a cross into the box for Martin Hardie, whose header cracked off Allan McGregor's right-hand post.

Rangers failed to heed the warning signs and found themselves trailing with 17 minutes gone when Samuel raced onto a superb ball from Murray Davidson before bearing down on goal and doing well to keep his composure and slot under McGregor.

Rangers claimed for handball when a Boyd ball came off David MacKay but the pleas were ignored by referee William Collum, who awarded a corner rather than a penalty. But Walter Smith's men were back on level terms four minutes before the break anyway when a Kevin Thomson shot was inadvertently blocked by Papac and broke for Boyd to rifle home the rebound from eight yards.

Saints should have had the stuffing knocked out of them after conceding an equaliser but emerged for the second half determined to reclaim their advantage. Chris Millar saw a 25-yard drive fizz past the post before Davidson squeezed between David Weir and Lee McCulloch and threw himself in front of a Hardie cross only to connect awkwardly and nod just wide.

St Johnstone appeared unwilling to settle for the point and could have snatched victory when Filipe Morais set up Samuel but his ferocious shot was blocked by the body of McGregor.

Rangers had already thrown Steven Naismith and Nacho Novo into the action and they were joined by Kenny Miller with less than 10 minutes to go in a desperate late push for a winner.

They did claim the decisive goal after 83 minutes but it came from an unusual source. Naismith provided the pass for Papac in plenty of space and he had time to switch from his right to his preferred left foot before lashing into the back of the net.