Scottish Premier League wrap: Dunfermline stay third

Dunfermline have maintained third position in the Scottish Premier League with a late winner sealing a 1-0 win over Dundee United.

Paul Burns stole the three points for the newly promoted side, latching onto a Joe Cradle cross to fire home with five minutes to play.

The win continues Dunfermline’s unbeaten return to the top flight, while for Dundee it signalled a second-successive defeat following last week’s 5-1 trouncing at the hands of Celtic.

St Mirren won 2-1 away from home and in the process inflicted a fourth-successive home defeat on Hibernian.

Garry O’Connor had given Hibernian hope, putting them into a 24th-minute lead, but Steven Thompson pounced in the 42nd minute for St Mirren and soon the home side were 2-1 down before half time thanks to an opportunist goal from midfielder Steven Thomson.

In the day’s other fixture, Aberdeen ended a four-game goal drought thanks to first-half strikes from Rob Milson and Scott Vernon to beat bottom-place Inverness 2-1.

Milson took just 12 minutes to end the barren run and when Vernon took advantage of a defensive mishap to score 15 minutes later, Aberdeen were well on their way.

Inverness scored on 79 minutes through Richie Forlan to send a scare through the home crowd but it finished 2-1.