Diamonds down the Staggies, late late show for Red Litchies - Scottish Championship Round 17 Review

Scottish Championship Review - Round 17

Diamonds overlap downward Staggies

Ross County 1-2 Airdrieonians

Henderson (83'); Gallagher (57'), Henderson (67')

The Championship's bottom two sides came head-to-head in Dingwall, with the Diamonds looking to go above the Staggies in the table, whose return to the Championship following relegation from the Premiership is not going to plan.

Airdrie should thank their goalkeeper Cade Melrose for going into half-time level, the 20-year-old making some excellent saves, denying Ronan Hale from close range and then James Scott with his feet, as well as a header from Jordan White. It wasn't all County in the first half; the Diamonds rallied late on and possibly could have had a penalty when it looked as if Ryan Duncan controlled Dylan MacDonald's cross with his arm. Gavin Gallagher's shot was blocked before a cutback to Chris Mochrie was scrambled clear by the County defence.

It was the Diamonds who opened the scoring when Chris Mochrie squared for Gavin Gallagher, who finished beyond Trevor Carson in the Staggies goal. They could have doubled their lead just minutes after; chances for Lewis McGrattan and Chris Mochrie came and went. But in the 67th minute, Euan Henderson made it 2-0 ater a Mochrie slipped in the former Hamilton forward on the counter-attack to double their lead.

The Staggies needed a goal to make the closing minutes interesting and they got it. Jay Henderson somehow struck the ball against his standing foot and it wrongfooted Melrose to give the hosts hope. They could have grabbed a point when Melrose saved Miller Thomson's shot.

Airdrieonians move off the bottom and up to eighth place. For County, the pre-season title favourites for some, they are now bottom of the Championship.

🎥 | The goals from today's William Hill Championship match against Ross County. Full DiamondsTV highlights will follow tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/Qapa0Sarxg

— Airdrieonians FC (@AirdrieoniansFC) December 6, 2025

Kabongolo's Late, Late Show at East End

Dunfermline Athletic 1-2 Arbroath

Stewart (61'), Kabongolo (75', 90+4')

Two of the Championship's playoff contenders met at East End Park with the Dunfermline manager Neil Lennon in the stands serving the first of a six-match touchline ban, after comments made after their defeat to Ross County in October.Chris Kane was the first to test his luck in front of goal for the Pars, but his effort was turned round the post by Arbroath keeper Aidan McAdams.

The Pars probably should have opened the scoring shortly after half-time; Matty Todd delivered a dangerous pass goalmouth, but Keith Bray failed to get the touch to trouble McAdams. Barney Stewart came on for Dunfermline in the second half and he only needed three minutes to open the scoring; the on-loan Falkirk forward looped the ball over the top of McAdams and into the Arbroath goal.

The Red Litchies have been a surprise package in the Championship this season and they drew level with 15 minutes remaining; an Arbroath corner was played in and the Pars couldn't clear their lines, Jack Wilkie crossed into the box where defender Brooklyn Kabongolo scored his first goal for the club. The game could have gone either way, but it was the visitors who secured the points with a 94th-minute winner; Ryan Dow with a corner kick, which was flicked home by Kabongolo once again and Arbroath held on for the win.

Arbroath climb back into the playoff places and into third place, whereas the Pars drop out and into fifth place in the table and suffer back-to-back league defeats in the Championship.

𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 - 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞

It’s the Kabongolo show as Brooklyn headers home twice, taking all 3 points up the road!

MON THE LICHTIES!!

Thanks for your support this afternoon, and we will see you back at Gayfield on Tuesday.

ArbroathFCLive #MonTheLichties #Resurgence pic.twitter.com/CLYifbkEgs

— Arbroath FC (@ArbroathFC) December 6, 2025

O'Halloran stuns Spiders late on

Greenock Morton 2-1 Queen's Park

Adeloye 43' (Pen), O'Halloran (90+2'); Connolly (45')

Billy Davies was still in interim charge of Morton after Dougie Imrie's departure to Raith Rovers; the former manager of Derby County and Nottingham Forest confirmed during the week he was not looking for the permanent job.

A lacklustre first half was brought into life late on after Morton was awarded a penalty kick when Tomi Adeloye was brought down by Callum Ferrie in the Queen's Park goal. Adeloye stepped up himself and he smashed his penalty into the corner to put Morton ahead. However, they weren't ahead for long, Rocco Friel took a shot from distance and his blocked effort fell back to Aidan Connolly, who levelled from close range before half-time.

The game was needing a bit of sparkle and goal dust from somewherel and it came in stoppage time; Michael O'Halloran, who was only on the pitch for the closing 10 minutes, got on the end of a cross from Nathan Shaw and smashed home an acrobatic effort past Ferrie and Morton secured the points.

Morton climb to sixth place in the Championship table as Billy Davies gets back-to-back wins as the interim manager; as for the Spiders, they suffer back-to-back league defeats and fall to ninth place in the relegation playoff place.

Michael O'Halloran, take a bow!

🎥 Innes Hopkins pic.twitter.com/kMmdJ62DnQ

— Greenock Morton (@Morton_FC) December 6, 2025

Rovers hold firm v the Saints

St. Johnstone 0-0 Raith Rovers

Mixed fortunes for both these teams in the Scottish Cup last weekend: Raith defeated in-form League One Alloa, but for the Championship leaders, they were knocked out after losing to League One strugglers Cove Rangers in extra time.

The Saints knew they had to improve if they want to get back to the form they produced in the early stages of the season; Their passing was smooth but struggled to break through the Rovers defence. Stevie Mallan tried his luck with a free-kick which forced a comfortable save from Rovers keeper Josh Rae.

Despite being less of a threat than the hosts, Dougie Imrie's Rovers could have gone ahead; a Josh Mullin corner kick found the head of Jordan Doherty, who headed the ball straight into the hands of Toby Steward.

Early in the second half, Saints thought they went ahead; a Josh McPake cutback was fed to Stevie Mallan, who finished well, but the home side's celebrations were short-lived as the linesman spotted an offside in the buildup. Saints put wave after wave of attack but the Rovers defence stood up to the challenge, in particular the partnership of on-loan York City defender Darragh O'Connor and Paul Hanlon. Rovers could have won it late on when Callum Smith's glancing header narrowly missed the target.

A win in the cup and a point away at the Championship leaders gives Dougie Imrie a good start to life in Kirkcaldy. As for the Saints, they are now three games without a win in all competitions and will hope for better at Somerset Park on Friday night.

📹 The match highlights from this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/k9dT9xYnuk

— Raith Rovers Football Club (@RaithRovers) December 6, 2025

Thistle unable to take advantage in Ayrshire

Ayr United 0-0 Partick Thistle

With dropped points for the Saints in Perth, second-place Partick Thistle were hoping to take advantage as they travelled to Somerset Park to take on Scott Brown's Ayr United.

The Honest Men started the better team; Ethan Walker's powerful shot from inside the Thistle box was saved by Josh Clarke in the Jags' goal. Ayr pinned Thistle in their own half in the opening minutes but gradually Thistle were starting to feel their way into the game and could have gone ahead through Ben Stanway's close-range effort, but it was saved by Liam Russell in the Ayr goal.

Both teams created good chances and Thistle could have gone ahead 10 minutes before half-time. Paddy Reading crossed in for Alex Samuel at the back post, who looked certain to score, but Kevin Holt managed to get himself onto the ball. Then it was Ayr's turn to be denied; a counter-attack was foiled when Luke McBeth cleared his lines with a header from the goal line. Logan Chalmers had the best opportunity for the visitors, an excellent 50-yard pass from Reading to Chalmers, who was unable to keep his shot down, going over the bar.

The first half was exciting and high tempo; the second half was cagey. To say the least. Ethan Walker could and probably should have opened the scoring for Ayr but his shot, one-on-one with Josh Clarke in the Thistle goals, was blasted wide. Aidan Fitzpatrick could have won the game with the best opportunity for the visitors in the second half; Fitzpatrick at the corner of the Ayr box fired goalwards but his shot was palmed by Liam Russell onto the post.

In the end, a point apiece, and Thistle could not take advantage of St Johnstone dropping points against Raith to put them in front at the top of the Championship; however, a point at Ayr is not to be sniffed at. For Ayr, they are in the promotion playoffs in fourth place.

FT' Ayr United 0⃣ Partick Thistle 0⃣

Goalless at Somerset Park#AUFCvPTFC #WeAreThistle pic.twitter.com/cFh1hbjiO7

— Partick Thistle FC (@PartickThistle) December 6, 2025