Wins for Celtic and Falkirk, while the points were shared at Easter Road and in the battle of the bottom two.
You can catch highlights of today's games on Sportscene on BBC Scotland at 19:15.
Join us again tomorrow for Dundee v Hearts and Aberdeen v Rangers.
FT: Hibernian 1-1 Motherwell
A thoroughly entertaining game at Easter Road ending in a scoring draw which was exactly what I expected. Elliot Watt was a big miss in midfield for Motherwell and had he been available, I’m convinced his contribution would have been decisive. All in all, a point each is a fair outcome, but any hopes of an unlikely title challenge from either team has now surely been extinguished. That said, both teams remain firmly in the hunt for European football.
Gaz
Game after game Hibs fail to convert their chances. And here we are again with another draw from a game we should be winning with the chances we have created.
Mac
Kieron Bowie has equalised for Hibs against Motherwell in the 69th minute on the 10th anniversary of David Bowie’s untimely death at the age of 69.
Ade
FT: Hibernian 1-1 Motherwell
Hibs head coach David Gray tells BBC Scotland: "Because you lose the first goal in the game, you can't be disappointed with a point, especially against a good side. Our first half an hour was very good. We were more like ourselves. Really good, aggressive patterns of play.
"Frustrating thing from my point of view is the majority of chances we give up are through transitions. The biggest thing is to make sure you find a way back in, a test of character. The game probably became a little bit too stretched.
"A draw is probably a fair result. We haven't lost any ground [on Motherwell], which is positive. We're working really hard to try to add to the group. If we can get January right, it gives us a real chance to end the season strongly."
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 4-0 Dundee United
Goodwin has to go. He's more than happy to go to Parkhead and roll over for his favourite team. Results and performances have been atrocious for a long time. We're undoubtedly the worst footballing team in the league.
Dave
Goodwin clearly cant get any performance or consistency out of these players. His time is up!!!
Sean
Goodwin deserves to be sacked after the interview with the Daily Record. He totally undermined the United team. the United teams have always had a confidence problem and that interview just floored the team with his negativity. get rid of him. He is a loser.
Derek
Image source, SNSFT: Livingston 1-1 Kilmarnock
Livingston manager David Martindale tells BBC Scotland: "I'm disappointed with the two points dropped, that's how it feels.
"There's a lot to like within the performance in terms of control in the game, chance creation. Final third, we've got to be a wee bit cleaner up there.
"We feel it was a penalty [when the ball appeared to hit Brad Lyons' arm]. I'd love to hear why it wasn't. If I'm wrong on the penalty, I'm wrong, I can take that on the chin.
"I felt Don [Robertson, the referee] had a poor game. Big Brooklyn [Kabangolo] gets a yellow card really, really early on and it kind of forced us into making changes. I don't think it's a yellow card. Lewis Smith gets a strong tackle on him 23, 25 yards from the opponent's goal and it's not a yellow card but our centre-back brings Brucie [Anderson] down on the touchline, he puts out for a throw-in 50, 60 yards from goal. The inconsistencies never helped us.
"Disappointed with the goal we lose. We've got to do better with the first contact.
"The goal was fantastic. There was a lot to like in the goal. We're giving cheap, cheap goals away to the opposition. Not defending our box well enough."
Image source, SNSThat was more like it from Celtic, everyone knew what they were doing, even on the rare occasion Dundee Utd played the high press the back four were able to cope, Scales was outstanding today, can’t understand why we went with Nancy, several important league points dropped, however were back in the race, well done Martin O'Neill and co for bringing back stability
Davey
If we had kept with Martin, we would probably have a cup and sit top.
Anthony
Hearts ... Rangers ... take note, the Celtic are back!
Danny
Tomorrow, we have Dundee v Hearts (14:00) and Aberdeen v Rangers (16:30).
How will the visiting sides respond to Celtic's convincing win?
Dundee are on a run of three straight wins as they prepare for the league leaders.
FT: Celtic 4-0 Dundee United
Andy Halliday
Motherwell midfielder on BBC Sportsound
We can't downplay the importance of goal difference in this title race. All of a sudden, the table looks a lot more promising for Celtic.
FT: Hibernian 1-1 Motherwell
Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou tells BBC Scotland: "We didn't outperform Hibs today, it was in many ways an even game. The amount of chances were quite even.
"At 1-1 we had a really big moment to decide the game, which I didn't feel they had. It was two teams who invested a lot in the game.
On Tawanda Maswanhise's breakaway goal, Askou says: "We want to create space and exploit that. Sometimes that space opens really fast."
And on Hibs' equaliser, he adds: "It was just a misjudgement from Tom [Sparrow]. He's played flawlessly, he's been fantastic. He was fantastic again today. We have to accept that'll happen, it was a high-tempo game."
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 4-0 Dundee United
Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin tells BBC Scotland: "We always knew today's fixture was going to be difficult.
"We know the quality Celtic have got but obviously the change in management has given the players and home supporters are real lift because the atmosphere here was a lot better than what it was a week prior.
"When you come here you know you're going to be starved of possession at times and you have to really show a bit of resilience in and around your penalty area. I think today there's lots of areas within the goals we've conceded we could've done a lot better. When you give Celtic a two-goal advantage it becomes a mountain to climb.
"When you come here you have to do the basics well defensively, at times you need your goalkeeper to make saves and when you get half chances you've got to be clinical and take them, we couldn't do that today."
FT: Livingston 1-1 Kilmarnock
What next for the bottom two?
We've got the Scottish Cup next weekend, then Kilmarnock face a tough trip to Motherwell, while Livingston host St Mirren, who they also face in the cup.
FT: Livingston 1-1 Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann tells BBC Scotland: "It was always going to be a tough game given where both sides are in the league.
"I thought we showed a lot of character, considering we went down 1-0 so close to half-time and up to that point I felt we were the better side. It was a sore one to lose right before half-time.
"It's been a difficult couple of days for them to adjust to a new management team coming in. At times, when we were put under pressure, we stood up to it. The character's there, the grit, determination's there. All in all, you could probably say it was a fair result.
"We've got another 16 league games to go to get ourselves flying up the table.
"I loved it today. The frustration is you've got no real control from the side. I loved being back at the side of the pitch again."
McCann also questioned why Brooklyn Kabongolo was not sent off early in the match. The Livingston defender picked up an early booking and then committed two further fouls before being substituted.
"I think Kabongolo's got to go," McCann said. "I just don't understand why he's still on the pitch. The fact that Davie [Martindale] makes a sub so early in the first half suggests that he knows he's not getting any more. He shouldn't have had that opportunity to make that substitution.
"The first one I'm told is reckless. The second one, he stops that player from going through by bringing him down and the third one's a tackle from right through him from behind. That's the kind of thing that you expect to go for you."
Image source, SNSFT: St Mirren 0-2 Falkirk
Falkirk manager John McGlynn tells BBC Scotland: "We were outstanding second half. Not much in the first half, one or two wee scares. We were always dangerous.
"Calvin Miller, over the whole game, was outstanding and a constant threat. That's where the first goal comes from, him running in behind and the goalkeeper getting lured out.
"We were the far better team second half. Our mentality was very good. We've picked up 16 points away from home, we're equally as good away from home. We set a target of 15 points in the second block of games and we've got there with a game to spare.
"The clean sheet is always pleasing. We defended really well, kept them fairly quiet. Delighted with the whole thing."
FT: Celtic 4-0 Dundee United
Interim Celtic manager Martin O'Neill tells BBC Scotland: "It was delightful. We played really well in the game and in the end we won quite convincingly.
"You still have to score the first goal in the game, Yang [Hyun-jun] takes it magnificently and we get up and running. The performance was really good.
"The players have to do the playing and it's been a strange old week. I've come back in again, perhaps to haunt them as much as anything else, but the players did brilliantly, absolutely brilliantly. It's a boost of confidence as much as anything else.
"The crowd were magnificent. Even moments when we were poor they kept with us. Today was great, there was a nice atmosphere. Now, being in a dog fight for the championship, we need the crowd behind us.
"Today, it was all about winning the game but the performance was terrific, I don't think I should overlook that. We played really well, got confidence back again and it was just lovely to win."
Image source, SNSFT: Celtic 4-0 Dundee United
Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound
Celtic need someone to come in high up the pitch. Daizen Maeda did well today but I don't think that's his strongest position.
FT: Celtic 4-0 Dundee United
Tom English
BBC Scotland chief sports writer on Sportsound
Martin O'Neill comes back and he does his thing straightaway. He brings clarity and instantly they look happier.
They scored four and could have had plenty more.
Celtic have got a lot of issues, but they've got O'Neill and that makes a big difference.
FT: St Mirren 0-2 Falkirk
Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at SMISA Stadium
You have to hand it to John McGlynn and his squad. Thirty points already after promotion. Five points clear within the top six.
They seized a grip of this game after the interval and never looked back. It was largely comfortable in the end.
St Mirren badly need reinforcements to plug the absence of key players. This is usually a difficult place to come but Falkirk deserved this.
Most people see St Mirren as being in a false position. It's becoming a less relevant view as games tick on.
FT: Hibernian 1-1 Motherwell
Michael Stewart
Former Hibs midfielder on Sportsound
I don't think these teams are in the title race but they are good enough to have a say. Both will both take points off the top three.
FT: Celtic 4-0 Dundee United
Ian McCall
Former Dundee Utd manager on Sportsound
Yang and Tounekti were outstanding for Celtic. When you face a low block, you need wingers to go past players.
Image source, SNSFT: Livingston 1-1 Kilmarnock
It's tough at the bottom...
Livingston's winless run stretches to a whopping 19 games, while Kilmarnock have gone 15 since their last league victory.
Fans must be wondering if they'll ever see a win again.
Image source, SNSDavid Martindale's Livingston remain four points adrift in last place
At a glance
McLennan slams Livingston in to lead on brink of half-time
Substitute Dackers equalises in McCann's first game in charge
Livingston remain bottom, four points off Kilmarnock with game in hand
Neil McCann began his Kilmarnock reign with a draw that keeps relegation rivals Livingston four points behind them at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
Only appointed on Tuesday, McCann had just three days to get to work with the Ayrshire team, who lost three of the four games under interim manager Kris Doolan, after Stuart Kettlewell was sacked last month and were winless in 14.
His spell didn't start well as Connor McLennan smashed the division's bottom side in front on the cusp of half-time and set on course for just their second win of the league campaign - 19 games since their only previous victory.
David Martindale's men looked to be well on their way to that much-needed win when Tete Yengi broke through on goal, but the striker's ferocious strike bounced off the underside of the crossbar.
Kilmarnock were on the ropes, but a flurry of substitutions paid dividends, with replacement striker Marcus Dackers stabbing home his second of the season at the second time of asking, after Jerome Prior pulled off a sensational save.
The final 20 minutes were frantic, with both sides desperate for the priceless three points, and though hometown boy Scott Arfield came close on his debut off the bench for Livingston, neither could find a winner.
Livingston remain at the foot of the table, four points behind Kilmarnock with a game in hand over their visitors.
Martindale told BBC Scotland pre-match that Livi "needed to win" here, but it's fair to say the opening 10 minutes were not part of his plan.
He was forced to substitute Brooklyn Kabongolo after he followed his first-minute booking with two further reckless challenges before eight minutes were played.
The introduction of Danny Wilson calmed things down for Livi, who allowed Killie the better of the first-half chances.
Scott Tiffoney was able to cut in from the right and fire a wicked shot at Prior who punched it away, while Bruce Anderson skewed a shot wide.
Those were the flashpoints of a half which left Martindale furious as he watched three of his players booked in comparison's to Killie's none.
He was somewhat happier after MacLennan met Macaulay Tait's cross to change his half-time team talk, but his fury in the dugout didn't falter.
Especially when Scott Pittman claimed for a penalty late on as he believed the ball hit Brad Lyons' arm.
Martindale's opposite number was not exactly serene either on his debut in the Killie dugout.
Having made three changes - including a debut for full-back Michael Schjonning-Larsen - McCann didn't stop communicating with his team.
He conceded they had been given a lot of information since his arrival, but for large parts of his first game, it didn't always appear as though his players picked up on it.
And he was left irate that referee Don Robertson didn't dismiss Kabongolo.
Despite that, Killie managed to carve out the best opportunities of the first half, and looked - up until the penalty claim - the side who would sneak a winner with the way they kicked on after their well-worked equalI see.
McCann is sure he’s seen enough from the 15 players he called on today that there is the character there required to preserve their top-flight status.
While Martindale said it was a must-win, it was surely a must-not-lose for McCann.
Martindale questions decisions going against Livingston
Livingston manager David Martindale: "I'm disappointed with the two points dropped, that's how it feels. There's a lot to like within the performance in terms of control in the game, chance creation. Final third, we've got to be a wee bit cleaner up there.
"The goal was fantastic. There was a lot to like in the goal. Disappointed with the goal we lose. We've got to do better with the first contact. We're giving cheap, cheap goals away to the opposition. Not defending our box well enough."
Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann: "We showed a lot of character today, considering we went down 1-0 so close to half-time and up to that point I felt we were the better side. It was a sore one to lose right before half-time.
"It's been a difficult couple of days for them to adjust to a new management team coming in. At times, when we were put under pressure, we stood up to it. The character's there, the grit, determination's there. All in all you could probably say it was a fair result."
'Brooklyn Kabongolo should have been red carded' - McCann
Attention turns to the Scottish Cup for both these sides, but there's no favourable fourth round tie for either as they face Premiership opposition.
Livingston welcome St Mirren on Saturday, while Kilmarnock host Dundee (both 15:00 GMT).
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 39 | 17 | 22 | 44 |
| |
| 21 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 38 | 21 | 17 | 41 |
| |
| 21 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 32 | 17 | 15 | 41 |
| |
| 22 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 31 | 17 | 14 | 37 |
| |
| 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 37 | 24 | 13 | 35 |
| |
| 21 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 30 |
| |
| 22 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 28 | 34 | -6 | 25 |
| |
| 21 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 20 | 26 | -6 | 25 |
| |
| 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 33 | -14 | 22 |
| |
| 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 28 | -12 | 18 |
| |
| 22 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 39 | -19 | 14 |
| |
| 21 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 21 | 41 | -20 | 10 |
|
Manager:David Martindale
Formation:4 - 3 - 3
Manager:Neil McCann
Formation:4 - 4 - 1 - 1
Manager:David Martindale
Formation:4 - 3 - 3
Manager:Neil McCann
Formation:4 - 4 - 1 - 1
Scottish Premiership
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Livingston have only lost one of their last eight Scottish Premiership home games against Kilmarnock (W5 D2), winning three of their last four (D1) since a 3-1 defeat in October 2020.
Kilmarnock have lost both of their last two league games against newly promoted opposition, both to Falkirk in November (3-1) and December (1-0). Killie last suffered three successive top-flight defeats to promoted clubs in May 2009 (3 in a row to Hamilton).
Livingston are winless in their last 18 league games (D5 L13), their longest ever run in the top-flight. Their tally of nine points is the lowest any side has had from their opening 20 games of a Scottish top-flight campaign since Partick Thistle in 2003-04 (also 9).
Kilmarnock are winless in their last 14 league games (D3 L11), their longest run in the top-flight since also going 14 without a win from September 1999 to February 2000.
This will be Neil McCann’s first Scottish Premiership game as manager of Kilmarnock, and first at all in the competition since he lost 2-1 to Killie in his final game in charge of Dundee in October 2018. McCann is looking to become the first manager to win his first top-flight match with Kilmarnock since Paul McDonald as interim in October 2017 (2-0 v Partick Thistle), while the last permanent appointment to do so was Jim Jefferies in March 2002 (3-2 v Dundee).
