Pars Stun Saints, Thistle Increase the Pressure & Hamilton the Goal Hero for the Rovers: Scottish Championship Round-Up

William Hill Championship Round 23 Review

After the drama and excitement of the fourth round of the Scottish Cup last weekend, it was back to the day job and league business for the Championship teams.

A number of games involving league title contenders coming against the promotion playoff pushers and a big game at the foot of the Championship table.

St. Johnstone 0-1 Dunfermline Athletic

Fraser (50')

Dunfermline had the feel good factor of last weekend's Scottish Cup victory over Premiership Hibernian going to Perth but faced a St. Johnstone who were not only leading the Championship title race and were unbeaten at McDiarmid Park in the league this season. A 10 minute delay to this game as the floodlights were not working at the Ormond Stand and could have put the game into doubt of going ahead. But thankfully for the over 5,300 fans inside the ground, the electricians were able to fix the issue and it was game on in Perth.

St. Johnstone started this one on the front foot with a series of corners early into the game but ultimately they couldn't trouble Deniz Mehmet in the Pars goal. The Saints started upping the pressure on the Pars goal midway through the half, Jamie Gullan played in Josh McPake who made a run into the Dunfermline box but Jeremiah Chiloka-Mullen put in a great tackle to deny the in-form Championship player of the season. The Pars then got their first real clear chances just moments later; Kieran Ngwenya's header at the back post went over Toby Steward's crossbar and just minutes later Andrew Tod tried his luck in front of goal but was saved by Steward.

Saints then had the first-half's biggest chance when Sam Stanton picked out Gullan in the Dunfermline box and the striker took on a strike but ultimately was saved by the legs of Mehmet. Mehmet was producing big moments for Dunfermline towards half-time, Gullan picking out McPake but his strike was saved well by the Turk in goal.

Into the second-half and Saints created the half's first chance when Jason Holt picked out Adam Forrester on the edge of the penalty box but the on-loan Hearts fullback could not get his effort on target. The Saints were made to pay for their misses when Dunfermline went ahead after Steward's pass out from the back was slack and Robbie Fraser gathered the ball and got past Liam Smith and then had the composure to fire home past Steward, from a tight angle, and the Pars were ahead in Perth.

🎥 Watch the only goal of today's match as #DAFC defeated St Johnstone 1-0.

Full Highlights Tomorrow! 🏁 pic.twitter.com/ZeDCYKpcz9

— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) January 24, 2026

Saints pushed for a quick response and could have got an equaliser just minutes later; a Reece McAlear corner was flicked on by Gullan as Morgan Boyes got up well and put in a header towards goal but it was eventually cleared off the line by Chilokoa-Mullen. Simo Valakari made changes and one, Uche Ikpeazu, could have made an immediate impact from a Stevie Mallan corner but ultimately couldn't get his header on target. Dunfermline could have wrapped up the points when Ngwenya headed just over from a Matty Todd corner and then Andy Tod tried his luck in front of goal but his shot went over the crossbar.

Dunfermline need to thank their goalkeeper Mehmet for grabbing them the three points with a late double save; Forrester put a cross into the box which was met by the head of Stanton but somehow was kept out by Mehmet but the ball went loose and fell into Ikpeazu's path but his shot was palmed away by the Pars number one and St. Johnstone's chance had come and gone.

It's three wins in a row for Dunfermline, in all competitions, and Neil Lennon's side move into the promotion playoffs with an excellent win at the league leaders. As for the Saints, a first home defeat in the Championship and dropped points in their quest for an immediate return to the Premiership

Partick Thistle 2-1 Ayr United

Chalmers (12'), Samuel (14'); Main (60')

Familiar opponents Partick Thistle and Ayr came face to face once again at Firhill, in the last calendar year these two sides had faced each other seven times against each other in the Championship, the playoffs and in the League Cup.

Thistle started this one on the brightly and played a rehearsed short corner in the opening minutes but Logan Chalmers' cross was headed away clear. But Thistle's bright start resulted in an early goal when the Ayr defence didn't cut out Paddy Reading pass around the back of their defence and Logan Chalmers, against his former club, got on the end of it quickly and drilled the ball low beyond Liam Russell for the opening goal. Then amazingly for the home fans, they doubled their lead only two minutes later; Luke McBeth sent in the ball into the Ayr penalty box and his cross found the head of Alex Samuel and past Russell, with the ball going in with the add of clipping his right hand post.

🔥The quick firing double#PTFCvAUFC #WeAreThistle pic.twitter.com/VN6QO13ITT

— Partick Thistle FC (@PartickThistle) January 24, 2026

All this was in the first 15 minutes of the game and there was more drama to come again only two minutes later when Thistle were awarded a penalty kick when Samuel was barged down to the ground from Leon King; Chalmers took it but Liam Russell denied the Thistle attacker with the goalkeeper's legs keeping out the spot kick. Thistle fail from the spot once again, they have missed their last three penalty kicks.

Ayr's best chance of the first half came just before half-time; Scott McCann sent in a cross which landed perfectly to the back post where Anton Dowds was lurking but his diving header only found the side netting. The Honest Men would also get the second-half's first big chance when Kevin Holt got on the end of a cross into the Thistle box but an excellent clearance from Lee Ashcroft denied an equaliser.

The Honest Men kept winning a series of set-pieces but couldn't make the most of their chances until half-an-hour to go when George Finney took a shot but was blocked by the Thistle defence, but the ball eventually found the path of Curtis Main and he fired beyond Josh Clarke and Ayr had a lifeline. Both teams went searching for the next game's crucial goal and Ayr could and probably should have equalised when George Oakley found himself in behind the Thistle defence and tried his luck for an equaliser but was denied by a sharp save from Josh Clarke.

In the end, it's a big three points for Thistle in the title race and Mark Wilson's side are now two points behind St. Johnstone, although the Saints do have a game in hand over Thistle. As for Ayr, they drop points for the third Championship game in a row in their bid of securing a promotion play-off spot.

Raith Rovers 4-1 Queen's Park

Hamilton (40', 64', 69'), Mullin (45'); Drozd (76')

Queen's Park came to Kirkcaldy after Scottish Cup drama in midweek; whilst they lost to Stranraer on penalty kicks, they still could be in the Fifth Round after it was emerged that Stranraer loan goalkeeper Lyndon Tas was signed on Tuesday. Cup rules state that only players registered for the original date can play in the event of the original game being postponed or abandoned.

The Spiders did start this one brightly but it was Raith who got the game's first big chance in front of goal; a cross from the left eventually found the head of Andy Winter but his effort smashed off Callum Ferrie's post. This chance woke the Rovers up and started putting on the pressure in front of goal, Jack Hamilton was next to test his luck when the ball fell to him, after a miscue from Queen's captain Euan Murray, and took on a good low shot but it went wide past the post. Dougie Imrie's side were still ramping up the chances; Josh Mullin floated in a free-kick and Jai Rowe headed back across goal to Hamilton but the striker mistimed his shot and was blocked by Matty Shiels and eventually cleared out for a corner.

However the Spiders couldn't clear their lines when Raith took the lead after some pinball in the Queen's box, the ball was attempted to be cleared by Roddy MacGregor which fell into the path the Hamilton who sent his effort into the roof of the net past Ferrie and the hosts were in front. Queen's wanted to get into half-time only a goal behind but the Rovers broke away and got a second; Queen's played the ball into the Rovers box which cleared by Darragh O'Connor out to Dylan Easton who then sent a brilliant pass to Scott Brown who was breaking down the right hand side and the Rovers captain sent the ball into the box where Josh Mullin was there to fire back across goal and past Ferrie to double the hosts lead.

Queen's needed a reaction early in the second-half to get back into the game and within the opening minutes Josh Fowler played wide to Henry Fieldson who sent in an inviting ball into the Rovers box but was ahead of Callum Smith and Seb Drozd. The Spiders kept pushing but ultimately went three down when Ewan Wilson broke down the left hand side and sent a cross to Hamilton which played in Winter who tried his luck but his effort was saved but rebounded into the air when Hamilton couldn't miss and made it three for the hosts.

It was proving to be the hosts day and it was Jack Hamilton's day when he completed a hat-trick after excellent skills from Lewis Vaughan in the box which was played into the Rovers' number nine who turned and drilled home past Ferrie and made himself the hero for the home side. Queen's Park did manage to get a consolation goal to reflect some good play in the second-half; Seb Drozd advanced, after receiving the ball from MacGregor, and a struck well beyond Josh Rae.

Back to winning ways in the Championship for the Rovers after four games without three points and are now outside the promotion playoffs spots by one point, with a game against fellow playoff chasing Ayr United at Somerset Park next week. Queen's Park fall to the Championship's bottom spot with a big defeat in Fife.

🤌 Enjoy today's match highlights. pic.twitter.com/nkQdgouzlt

— Raith Rovers Football Club (@RaithRovers) January 24, 2026

Airdrieonians 0-1 Ross County

Phillips (87')

Ross County would be hoping that Stuart Kettlewell could continue his good start to life back at the Dingwall club, whilst they knocked out of the Scottish Cup last week they did win v Partick Thistle in the Championship the week before. A difficult task at hand though as County have not won away from home in the league so far this season.

It was County who had the game's first chance through former Airdrieonians midfielder Ross Docherty who tried his luck from distance but is wasn't enough to trouble Harry Stone in the Diamonds' goal. Just moments later they had an even better chance but Jay Henderson could only fire his chance straight at Stone. After this Airdrieonians started to keep possession well and upped their chances; Chris Mochrie turned to make space for a shot at Trevor Carson's goal but his effort lacked any power to trouble Carson and his defenders.

Henderson then had two big chances for the visitors just before half-time; the first being a curling effort which went just wide and the second when he flicked a long ball towards Stone but his effort was off-target.

Not a lot of clear cut chances came in the early stages of the second-half; Chris Mochrie standing out in a particular for the hosts with a number of good chances and breaks but nothing came to really threaten Carson in the Staggies' goal. The visitors thought they went ahead after 70 minutes played; a free-kick played into the box where Alex Iacovitti headed off the bar and turned home but was deemed to be in an offside position.

County really upped the pressure and chances, Jamie Lindsay drifted a ball in towards the back post but it eventually flied past everyone. James Scott then tried his luck with an excellent curling effort by it was well saved by Stone and just a minute later County got themselves a winner; a corner-kick was played in where Kieran Phillips headed nodded the ball beyond Stone and gave the visitors a big three points in their bid to climb up the table.

With Queen's Park's defeat v Raith Rovers, Ross County climb above the Spiders and are now into ninth place in the Championship table with Stuart Kettlewell earning back-to-back wins at the County boss in the league. Airdrieonians are now on a run of five games without a win in the league.

Arbroath 1-1 Greenock Morton

Muirhead (58'), Garrity (74')

Ian Murray's first Championship match in charge of Greenock Morton and he would be hoping that his second game would be better than his first, after being trashed out of the Scottish Cup at the hands of League One highflyers Stenhousemuir last week. Arbroath were also knocked out of the Cup last weekend after being taken all the way to penalties against Airdrieonians.

It was clear the wild wind conditions on display at Gayfield would play affect in this game. Morton were the team playing with the wind in the first-half and had two big chances in the opening moments of the game; Cameron Blues seen his shot cleared off the line by Gavin Reilly with the ball falling to the path of Iain Wilson and his shot smashed off Aidan McAdams' crossbar. Morton continued to up the pressure, Blue broke forward and played in Zak Delaney and his cross went into Eamonn Brophy's path and went just wide of McAdams left post.

It's fair to say it was a bit windy last night in Arbroath...😅#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/ZvZz50HXvg

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) January 24, 2026

Into the second-half and it was the Red Litchies turn to use the wild wind, which seemed to have somehow got even worse than better. Harry Cochrane took a shot from the edge of the Ton's penalty box but went just inches over James Storer's crossbar. Gavin Reilly was next to test his luck but his low driven shot was saved well by Storer.

The hosts got themselves in front; Morton just simply couldn't deal with a corner kick and the ball eventually found the path of Aaron Muirhead who managed to flick a back heel past Storer and into the corner of the net.

🔴⚽️| 𝐌𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝| 𝐀𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝟏-𝟎 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧

The Red Litchies are in front at a wild and windy Gayfield!

Aaron Muirhead puts the hosts in front after Morton fail to deal with a corner kick

[📹: @BBCSportScot]pic.twitter.com/eal8EJQP48

— Football Park Scotland (@FP_Scotland) January 23, 2026

Morton had it all to do, not only were they against Arbroath but they were against the wind but out of nowhere they managed to somehow get themselves an equaliser; Owen Moffat, who had only just come on as a substitute, broken down the right hand side and swung in a brilliant cross to the back post where Michael Garrity was there to fire in a first-time volley off the crossbar and past McAdams.

🔵⚽️| 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲| 𝐀𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝟏-𝟏 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧

It’s all square in Arbroath!

Michael Garrity equalises for the Ton and it’s game on heading into the final 15 minutes

Can either team find a winner?

[📹: @BBCSportScot]pic.twitter.com/vmF4UwRuWm

— Football Park Scotland (@FP_Scotland) January 23, 2026

At the end of the day, no side managed to get a clear effort to win the game late on and the points were shared. Game two for Ian Murray was much better than game one and Morton would be glad to take a point back to Greenock but remain winless in the league in their last five games. Not a win but Arbroath still have a good record, with only one game lost in their last nine Championship games.