Who’ll beat the drop ... and who will not
KILMARNOCK’S thumping 4-1 home victory over Motherwell before the international break served to turn up the heat in an already intense battle against the drop.
Ahead of the post-split fixtures resuming this weekend, just two points separate tenth-placed Ross County from bottom side Hamilton — with the Rugby Park side stuck in the middle.
Motherwell are eight points above bottom and seven ahead of the relegation play-off place but the Fir Park side can’t claim to be safe just yet.
Here Sportsmail runs the rule over the drop zone contenders as the business end of the season gets ready to start.
MOTHERWELL Position: 9th; Points: 35; Goal difference: -19.
OVERVIEW: Motherwell and Scotland defender Stephen O’Donnell insisted after his side’s 4-1 loss to Killie that the Steelmen still had it all to do to avoid the drop.
But, in all likelihood, we’re looking at a three-horse race to avoid going down to the Championship.
Managers may talk about the 40-point safety mark but, since 2013-14, an average of 35 points — Motherwell’s current total — has been enough to avoid both outright relegation and the play-offs.
A 5-0 Scottish Cup win at Formartine on Saturday will have brought confidence back to this Motherwell side and they will be hoping to swiftly make their Premiership survival official.
STRENGTH: Graham Alexander’s side possess a formidable front three in Tony Watt, Devante Cole and Christopher Long. They are capable of shooting the team away from any danger.
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO? Eight of Cole’s nine goals this season have come since January 9, making him a striker bang on form.
FIXTURE LIST: St Mirren (h), Hamilton (a), Kilmarnock (h), Dundee United (a), Ross County (h)
SPORTSMAIL PREDICTION: Ninth.
ROSS COUNTY Position: 10th; Points: 29; Goal difference: -33.
OVERVIEW: Ross County are the lowest scorers in the Premiership and have lost more goals (59) than any other team outside Hamilton (60).
The Dingwall side are just two points off the bottom and three of their last five matches are away from home.
In John Hughes, they have an experienced manager who steered Falkirk to Premiership safety in 2009 but whose Raith Rovers side were relegated to League One via the play-offs by Brechin City in 2017.
Comprehensively outplayed in a 3-1 Scottish Cup defeat by Championship outfit Caley Thistle last Friday night, defender Jason Naismith warned relegation is a real danger.
‘We were terrible,’ sighed the full-back. ‘The goals we gave away were comical. All three were Under-17s stuff. We need to improve vastly to stay in the league.’
STRENGTH: There is a good team in this group of players as victories this season over Celtic (twice), Aberdeen and Hibs suggest. Now it is time for County to prove they can do it in the less glamorous but most vital matches.
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO?
Veteran striker Billy Mckay is in good form with five goals in his last six matches.
FIXTURE LIST: Kilmarnock (a), St Mirren (h), Dundee United (a), Hamilton (h), Motherwell (a).
SPORTSMAIL PREDICTION:12th.
KILMARNOCK Position: 11th; Points: 28; Goal difference: -14.
OVERVIEW: Kilmarnock had nine defeats and a draw in ten matches but they go into the split on a high after thumping Motherwell 4-1 to move off the foot of the table.
A 4-0 Scottish Cup win at Stenhousemuir on Saturday made it ten goals in three games for a side who had scored just three in their previous nine.
‘We have got a little bit of momentum going now,’ said boss Tommy Wright. ‘We just have to keep that going into the final five league matches.
‘It’s important to keep clean sheets but goals win games and we have scored ten in three, so we are doing things right in the attacking end of the pitch.’
Killie have the worst away form in the Premiership, picking up just ten points from an available 51. But they have three home matches after the split.
STRENGTH: Wright’s appointment appears to be bearing fruit now. The Scottish Cup-winning former St Johnstone boss is a master at wringing every last drop out of players at his disposal and Killie will certainly not go down without a fight.
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO? Kyle Lafferty’s hat-trick at Ochilview made it six goals in his last three matches for Kilmarnock. The Northern Ireland international is traditionally a player who comes alive at the business end of the season.
FIXTURE LIST: Ross County (h), Dundee United (h), Motherwell (a), St Mirren (h), Hamilton (a).
SPORTSMAIL PREDICTION:10th
HAMILTON Position: 12th; Points: 27; Goal difference: -29.
OVERVIEW: Hamilton are in a worrying run of form of just one win in 13 in all competitions, and no victories in their last seven.
Boss Brian Rice looked a man under pressure as he took aim at referees and the media in the wake of his side’s 3-0 home loss to St Mirren in the Scottish Cup on Saturday.
The Accies possess the most porous defence in the Premiership and the worst home form in the division.
So having three of their five post-split games on the road may not be the blow it seems at first.
STRENGTH: Scottish football’s very own Harry Houdinis, the Accies prove adept at performing an act of sporting escapology every season.
The Premiership’s great survivors may have the smallest budget in the league but they also have the biggest hearts when it comes to the crunch. They possess a useful knack of pulling a big result out of the bag when least expected.
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO?
Midfielder Ross Callachan has been a standout for Accies this season with eight goals including some spectacular strikes.
FIXTURE LIST: St Mirren (h), Dundee United (a), Motherwell (h), St Mirren (a), Ross County (a).
SPORTSMAIL PREDICTION: 11th.