Dundee

Kilmarnock will play Scottish Premiership football next season after a late double from Joe Hugill sealed victory over Dundee and consigned St Mirren to the relegation play-off.

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Dundee boss Steven Pressley: "I asked for a certain type of performance. I thought we got great intensity, great energy in the team and a really good attitude towards the game against a fully-charged Kilmarnock.

"At 1-1 we hoped we could go on and win the game, but credit to Kilmarnock.

"There was a lot to take from the game. We played a number of players who will feel they have deserved more minutes and understandably so.

"I thought Fin Robertson was exceptional, Callum Jones was exceptional. I was really pleased to see them perform in the manner they did."

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Back-to-back wins have confirmed Dundee will be playing Premiership football again next season.

It is mission accomplished for Steven Pressley and Dundee after a staggering turnaround.

We began the campaign behind schedule amid a complete rebuild of the football department, and everyone at the club deserves credit for playing their part in preserving our top-flight status.

Virtually every pundit, influencer and podcaster on the outside predicted relegation - and many expected it comfortably.

Now there are foundations in place for this side to progress next season. Dundee possess a promising young core and, realistically, many supporters have already resigned themselves to the likelihood of Luke Graham being sold this summer.

If that proves to be the case, the hope will be that some of the profit is reinvested into the first team.

Ryan Astley and Billy Koumetio could well be the ready-made partnership at the heart of defence next season. Both have been consistently impressive and appear to carry the trust of Pressley and the support.

Kilmarnock and Aberdeen come next and, for once, Dees can watch on without the usual stress and anxiety.

This comfortable feeling is almost alien given how often our ambitions tend to go right down to the wire. The change of pace is a very welcome one.

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• Kilmarnock are unbeaten in eight Scottish Premiership home games against Dundee (W3 D5) since a 1-0 defeat in May 2017.

• Dundee have only lost one of their past six league games against Kilmarnock (W2 D3), a 3-2 defeat in May 2025.

• Kilmarnock have lost their final home league game in both of the past two seasons, going down 5-0 to Celtic in 2023-24 and 1-0 to Hearts last term. Killie were unbeaten in five such games before this (W3 D2 – including curtailed 2019-20 season).

• Dundee have won their final away game in three of their past five Scottish Premiership seasons (L2), beating St Johnstone 2-0 last year.

• Kilmarnock have won five of their past seven home league games (D1 L1), more than their previous 17 beforehand (W4 D4 L9).

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Kilmarnock captain Brad Lyons and Jack Thomson have returned to the squad. Goalkeeper Kelle Roos is back from a facial injury but the game probably comes too soon.

Tyreece John-Jules (quad), Djenairo Daniels (knee) and Matty Kennedy (hip) are sidelined.

Steven Pressley will give some of Dundee's fringe players a chance. Goalkeeper Jon McCracken is out with an ankle injury while Clark Robertson is still working his way back after recovering from a thigh injury.

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Hearts' Claudio Braga could win an awards double after he was shortlisted for the Scottish Football Writers' Association player of the year award.

The Portuguese forward is nominated alongside teammate Lawrence Shankland and Motherwell duo Elijah Just and Tawanda Maswanhise.

The manager of the year award could also go to Tynecastle or Fir Park, with Derek McInnes and Jens Berthel Askou both nominated.

Falkirk boss John McGlynn and Celtic interim manager Martin O'Neill are also on the shortlist.

Four Scottish players are in the running for young player of the year - Falkirk striker Barney Stewart, Kilmarnock's on-loan Rangers winger Findlay Curtis, Dundee defender Luke Graham and Dunfermline's Andrew Tod.

The winners will be announced on Sunday, 17 May.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Kieran O'Hara - Dundee

A clean sheet and a penalty save as Dundee safeguarded their Premiership status.

Findlay Curtis - Kilmarnock

A star showing from Curtis with two huge goals over fellow relegation rivals St Mirren.

Stephen O'Donnell - Motherwell

What a block to deny Lawrence Shankland. Gave everything for the Motherwell cause.

Kieran Tierney - Celtic

There feels like there is so much more impetus about Celtic ever since the international break. Seasoned campaigners like Tierney have really come to the fore as Celtic make their final charge to defend their title. An assist for Maeda's first goal.

Jordan Obita - Hibernian

On the scoresheet in what was a big away win at the Falkirk Stadium.

Josh Campbell - Hibernian

Two well taken goals on the way to a big result which keeps alive Hibs hopes of catching Motherwell.

Callum McGregor - Celtic

A captain's performance as the Celtic leader marshalled his teammates to great effect throughout a potentially pivotal Old Firm victory.

Cam Congreve - Dundee

Another goal for the consistently excellent Welsh international on loan from Swansea.

Toyosi Olusanya - Aberdeen

Finally, his first goal for Aberdeen. Big moment for the former St Mirren man.

Lawrence Shankland - Hearts

Denied by O'Donnell, but you don't keep the Hearts captain down for long. When the next chance came along there was never any doubt Shankland would find the net. Could be a huge goal.

Daizen Maeda - Celtic

In a decidedly mixed season, Maeda was outstanding in the Old Firm derby. Time seemed to stand still as his stupendous overhead kick looped into the net behind Jack Butland. Maeda never stood still throughout this match, his energy levels saw him chase down Rangers players throughout. Two goals on the day and six goals in four games. Coming to the boil at just the right time.

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Head coach Steven Pressley has told Dundee's fringe players they will get their chance in the final two Scottish Premiership games of the season.

The Dark Blues secured their top-flight status on Saturday with a 3-0 win over relegated Livingston at Dens Park.

It means the pressure is off Dundee as they visit Kilmarnock on Tuesday night then host Aberdeen in the final game of the season on Sunday.

"Well, it gives me an opportunity," Pressley said. "We've got a lot of good players within the group and some will feel that they've not had the opportunities in the last couple of months that they would have liked.

"Securing our status allows us to give several players the opportunity to play and I intend to do that.

"You have to keep moving forward and it's not easy. So the players have done it.

"They've responded to all the setbacks this season and, as a result of that, I think there's been great growth in them, not just as football players but as human beings."

Dundee fans, we asked for your opinion on the 3-0 win over Livingston that secured Premiership safety. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

George: Now get the same scores over Kilmarnock and Aberdeen. That would place us eighth. Increases the payment. Start preparing for next season. Get a few youngsters playing now that we are safe.

Mark: Happy to get it done with games to spare. Need to get the contract sorted for next season as soon as possible. Well done Elvis!

Gary: Well done to Steven Pressley and his players. I wasn't enthused by his appointment but he's won me round and I've enjoyed most of the play this season, even if it's been frustrating. A workmanlike performance today is maybe the best way to describe it.

Kieran O'Hara has definitely given us solidity, as does Brad Halliday. Yan Dhanda needs to be signed permanently & given a free role.

Sean: I hope all those who complained about Stephen Pressley becoming our manager enjoy their humble pie, there's a large portion awaiting.

Iain: I was strongly outspoken when Pressley was appointed. I still have reservations, but we have avoided the play-offs, we've recorded wins against Celtic and Aberdeen away, and we've stopped shipping goals. On the whole, there's a lot to be positive about.

Sean: Good, not great, performance, but done enough to get us over the line. Love the fact now that we're safe. Pressley has now instructed the recruiting to begin for next season, which hopefully provides us another top six finish and not have to worry about these relegation battles anymore.

Grant: Safe again, late like last season. Our owners must now address two things: How we can improve on the park to become a stable top flight club? And how do we grow the second lowest home support in the league?

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley: "At times, it's been very difficult this season, especially in the early stages. There was a lot of doubt. There was a lot of difficult moments. There was a lot of soul searching.

"To keep going, to keep fighting away, I couldn't be prouder of the group. There was some bleak times in December and it takes a lot to keep going and this group just kept finding a way, kept taking those small steps forward and eventually came through. We've proved some people wrong.

"It's nice to hear [supporters singing my name] but the reality is in the early parts of the season there was some other Pressley songs that weren't too complimentary, like 'get out of our club'.

"It allows us to look more aggressively at the market now. Now, I can have a little bit more focus towards next season."

Dundee made sure of their Scottish Premiership status for next season with a convincing win over relegated Livingston.

MATCH REPORT

HAVE YOUR SAY

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Dundee goalkeeper Jon McCracken is out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Clark Robertson is still working his way back after recovering from a thigh injury while Scott Wright has returned to training this week.

Livingston forward Jeremy Bokila is improving his fitness but Connor McLennan (ankle) is still out.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley believes Livingston's relegation from the Premiership will make his own side's bid to secure their top-flight status harder.

The teams meet at Dens Park on Saturday and a win for Dundee would all but guarantee their Premiership survival.

Livi's relegation was confirmed last weekend when Kilmarnock beat Dundee United 3-0.

Pressley was asked if the visitors' fate already being sealed makes their own mission more difficult.

"I think harder," he said. "The biggest thing that affects performance is pressure and anxiety and Livingston are free of that, so in my opinion become a dangerous animal," he said.

"They have been a very unlucky team this year. They have performed well in many games that they haven't come away with anything.

"We have found the level of game really difficult [against Livingston]. They have been very narrow games, we have drawn two and come out winners in one where we scored pretty much in the last minute of the game.

"It is an opportunity that we don't want to give up, but we are also aware we are against a very difficult opposition."

• Dundee are unbeaten in six Scottish Premiership meetings with Livingston (W4 D2) since the start of the 2023-24 season, last losing to them in the competition in May 2022 (2-1).

• Livingston have only won two of 15 top-flight trips to Dundee (D5 L8), a 1-0 victory in March 2005 and 4-0 triumph in February 2022.

• Dundee have only lost one of their past eight home league games against sides starting the day in the bottom six (W5 D2), a 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen in December.

• Livingston's 2-0 win at St Mirren was their first in 35 away games in the Scottish Premiership (D9 L25), while they last won back-to-back outings on the road in the division in January 2023.

• Since the start of 2022-23, no player has been directly involved in more Scottish Premiership goals for Livingston than Joel Nouble (15 – nine goals, six assists), who has a goal and two assists in his last four league appearances.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee captain Simon Murray is adamant he still has "a lot to offer" despite struggling for form this season.

After following up a prolific spell at Ross County by netting 22 in his debut campaign at Dens Park, the 34-year-old striker has mustered just nine goals this term after playing catch-up from the start.

"For myself, coming off the back of two or three really good seasons in terms of goals and everything else, obviously with getting the injury at the start of the season it took me four or five months to get properly back and feeling back to my best fitness wise," said Murray.

"It has definitely been one season I can look back on and reflect I have learned a lot about myself and football under the gaffer. I am looking forward to ending the season as strong as possible and having a good pre-season under my belt as well.

"You are always learning, nobody is ever going to master football so there is always something to take from each season, but I have still got a lot to offer.

"I am still throwing up good running stats and everything else so as much as it has been difficult, I have enjoyed it as well and I'm looking forward to ending the season strongly and going again.

"I think we have got a habit of when a player goes through a bad period in Scotland that we just shut them off immediately. People say 'Oh, you are 34', it is not like I am an old man, it is quite young I would say.

"I look after myself well and I have still got a lot to offer."

A home win over already-relegated Livingston on Saturday will secure Dundee's Premiership status.

Murray said: "We just talked about my age but at the other end of that we have a lot of young players.

"I know fans and people only see the 90 minutes of football a week but these guys, they had probably never even cooked meals for themselves and they are leaving their home, leaving their parents to come up to Scotland, a league that they have never played in, and it is demanding.

"So they go through these spells where it is tough but we have managed to keep that real togetherness and that is credit to the manager and coaching staff. We have built a really good dressing room with the characters that are there."

Head coach Steven Pressley says a new contract for Jon McCracken is Dundee's priority and his hopeful the goalkeeper will stay but stresses that they will have to turn their attention elsewhere the longer negotiations continue. (The Courier), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley says he has "seen a lot of growth in myself as a human being" during an "exceptionally challenging" campaign.

They sit ninth in the table and know that a win over already-relegated Livingston at Dens Park on Saturday will secure their Premiership status.

After six years away from management, Pressley's arrival at Dundee last summer raised a few eyebrows.

As he nears the end of his first season back in the dugout, he was asked how he has found it and whether it has been different to what he expected after so long away from the front line.

He said: "I think that a job like ours, where you are fighting constantly for survival - and when you look at the history of our club, it would suggest that we are a club that spends most of our time fighting for survival or in the division below trying to get promotion.

"It means it is a really challenging job and can be a difficult job and a lonely job at times. It has been exceptionally challenging on many fronts and you learn a lot about yourself during these dark periods, but that is football management and we have to accept that.

"I have been in the game long enough to know that it is part of the journey, part of the job. The one thing that I will say about it is it probably challenges you more than most other jobs and, as a result of that, on a personal level I have seen a lot of growth in myself as a human being – and that is important to me."

There were many doubters among the Dundee support following his appointment. But with his team on the brink of Premiership survival and largely praised for their style of play, does Pressley believe he has won those doubters over?

He said: "I don't know, because football changes so quickly and people change, normally based around the results.

"So I get it, I get the environment, I understand the environment, but I am very process-driven so I try to stay very balanced about things and not get too high with the result or too low.

"I am very much looking at the performance. I never really look too much at myself. I am a bit of a servant - I support the staff, I support the players, that is my job.

"The thing with football management is that it is such a rollercoaster and although you have said that maybe I have proved some doubters wrong, that could change within no time and I am well aware of that.

"I never think too much ahead in football."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media ahead of Saturday's visit of relegated Livingston.

Here are the main points:

• Pressley confirms goalkeeper Jon McCracken's season is over after he injured ligaments in his ankle. He describes it as a "massive blow" but points out that they have huge faith in back-up keeper Kieran O'Hara.

• "[McCracken] is better than first feared but the reality is he has injured a ligament in his ankle," Pressley says. "The positive news is that he doesn't need any surgery but the disappointing news is he is going to be out for four to six weeks."

• A win this weekend would secure Dundee's Premiership status with two games to go and Pressley insists "it is an opportunity we don't want to give up".

• But he believes their challenge is "harder" now that Livingston have been relegated, as the visitors can play without pressure or anxiety.

• The head coach "doesn't know" if he has won over some of the doubters who questioned his appointment last summer.

• The Dundee boss says this season has been "exceptionally challenging on many fronts" but adds that what has been really satisfying is the growth in his young squad.

• Pressley adds that he has learned a lot about himself during the season, saying: "On a personal level I see a lot of growth in myself as a human being and that is important to me."

• On contract news, Pressley says "we are getting very close on a couple of players" and hopes there will be some "positive news" in the coming week.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

In the aftermath of Dundee's 1-0 win over St Mirren last time out, head coach Steven Pressley declared "we still have work to do".

That result moved his side six points clear of second bottom Saints, who now occupy the dreaded relegation play-off spot.

With three games to play, those of a Dark Blues persuasion will probably be breathing a little bit easier in terms of the likelihood of them getting properly sucked in to things at the bottom. But Pressley is right to be delivering the "work to do" mantra.

Things can change quickly in football.

Dundee have a lot in their favour – as well as their six point cushion, two of their remaining trio of fixtures are at home, starting with this weekend's visit of already relegated Livingston.

But they also have to go to tenth place Kilmarnock, a side who can be a real handful - particularly at home.

Their goal difference (-21) will also be a source of concern, yes it is better than Killie (-26) and St Mirren (-24), but not by much.

A win over Livingston this weekend would secure Dundee's top division status – a draw may also possibly be enough.

A defeat however will leave them looking over their shoulders and with, to quote Pressley, "work to do".

Dundee defender Ryan Astley wants to remain at Dens Park, with the 24-year-old out of contract this summer. (The Courier), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Max Stryjek - Kilmarnock

A clean sheet for the keeper who underwent heart surgery earlier in the season - a remarkable story.

Findlay Curtis - Kilmarnock

Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann put him at right-back and it proved a masterstroke as Curtis scored when Killie blew Dundee United away.

Craig Halkett - Hearts

A giant performance from the Hearts centre-back in a seismic victory against title rivals Rangers.

Ryan Astley - Dundee

Solid showing as Dundee earned a clean sheet and a vital three points.

Stephen Kingsley - Hearts

Great reactions to grab that vital Hearts equaliser.

Yang Hyun-Jun - Celtic

Celtic were not scintillating again, but Yang was a bright spark against 10-man Hibs.

Brad Spencer - Falkirk

The captain set the tone as his side once again got the better of Motherwell.

Aaron Tshibola - Kilmarnock

Great overall performance at the heart of the Killie midfield.

Joe Westley - Dundee

A big goal that takes the heat off any Dundee survival anxiety.

Kelechi Iheanacho - Celtic

He brought that scalpel-like sharpness in the Celtic penalty box that the defending champions sorely needed.

Lawrence Shankland - Hearts

The Hearts captain underlined his credentials as an inspirational leader once again with a goal of seismic proportions. His ability as a striker is clearly never in question, but even by his standards the left-foot finish to sink Rangers was outstanding.