Shinnie, Cowie & relegation shootouts in focus

The penultimate round of Scottish Premiership football is staged on a hectic Wednesday night when all 12 teams are in action and key tussles at either end of the table could be settled.

Hibernian would effectively secure third place if Aberdeen fail to take something against champions Celtic at Pittodrie, while a win over Hibs could propel St Mirren into the European places.

The shootout at the bottom is more compelling, though, with basement club St Johnstone travelling to Heart of Midlothian and flatlining Ross County, one place above them, pitted against 10th-placed Dundee.

One of the current bottom three will be condemned to relegation.

Might St Johnstone's fate be sealed in Gorgie? Or will dreams of a great escape endure to the final matchday?

They were calling time up in Perth's Last Chance Saloon when County came south on Saturday, and anything but three home points would have ended St Johnstone's 16-year stay in the Premiership.

Simo Valakari's men won a nerve-shredding battle, squandering a glut of chances and seeing Ronan Hale's last-gasp equaliser disallowed in a 2-1 victory.

St Johnstone slither a little higher on the greasy pole, moving within three points of the Highland side with six more on offer.

They have another whopper on the cards this midweek.

Hearts have nothing tangible to play for, but have roused themselves following Neil Critchley's dismissal, Lawrence Shankland rediscovering his best position and his goal-scoring mojo, and the club extinguishing any fears of being sucked towards the play-off berth.

And to make matters worse for their visitors, St Johnstone have a heinous record in this fixture.

They have lost nine matches in a row against Hearts, last winning in September 2022, and have not prevailed at Tynecastle in five-and-a-half years, when a Christophe Berra own goal earned them a 1-0 triumph and current St Johnstone striker Uche Ikpeazu was leading the line for the home team.

If they fail to arrest that barren streak, and County take anything from Dens Park, the Saints are doomed.

Aberdeen were shredded by Rangers in a chastening second half on Sunday afternoon.

Competitive in a tepid first 45 minutes, they capitulated after the interval, shipping four unanswered goals and raising searching questions about their Scottish Cup final credentials.

Aberdeen totem Willie Miller hammered the Dons defence, highlighting their full-backs' propensity to run forward rather than dig in to help their centre-backs, leaving vast expanses of Govan turf for Rangers to exploit.

A similarly porous display against Celtic would not only torpedo Aberdeen's bid to finish third, but strike a huge psychological blow against their cup final opponents 10 days out from the Hampden showpiece.

In that regard, captain Graeme Shinnie's experience, leadership and snarl will surely be key.

Deployed at left-back, he is likely to face fit-again Nicholas Kuhn, one of the stars of the Premiership season, and an array of attacking ammunition from the champions' arsenal.

Jimmy Thelin needs a big performance before a packed Pittodrie, and his skipper should be the standard setter.

Rewind a few months and there was little anxiety over Ross County's Premiership status.

They had a clear identity, claimed some decent scalps and seemed secure enough in mid-table. As recently as early March they occupied eighth place, seven points clear of the bottom two and 10 ahead of St Johnstone at the foot of the log.

A seven-game losing run has dynamited any positivity and placed Don Cowie in the crosshairs of angry fans, some of whom have grown tired of his post-match mantra that County "can't feel sorry for ourselves".

The Staggies have set a new club record for consecutive top-flight defeats at the worst possible time, and with ever diminishing opportunities to haul themselves out of trouble.

They have plummeted to 11th spot, three ahead of St Johnstone and two behind Wednesday's hosts Dundee, but with the poorest goal difference of the trio.

There are two crumbs of comfort.

Firstly, County have beaten Dundee three times already this season, and handsomely at that - an aggregate scoreline of 8-1.

And secondly, the club acquired the slightly unenviable tag of play-off specialists, having eased Raith Rovers aside last summer and stunned Partick Thistle with an incredible comeback victory on penalties a year earlier.

Cowie was involved in both those campaigns. He will back his side to beat the drop once more, but how he'd love them to make things a little easier for themselves - and for him.