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Scottish Championship final night – All you need to know as the title, play-offs places and relegation will be confirmed

Caley Thistle target the top-four, while it's all about survival for battling Cove Rangers.

Caley Thistle and Ayr United are chasing a top-four spot on Friday. ICT need to win - who will come out on top? Any slip-up could let Morton in. Image: SNS Group
Caley Thistle and Ayr United are chasing a top-four spot on Friday. ICT need to win - who will come out on top? Any slip-up could let Morton in. Image: SNS Group

Friday night will see Championship action like never before as nine of the 10 clubs have something at stake in the last 90 minutes of the regular season.

Starting at the top, it’s a straight winner-takes-all fight between leaders Dundee and challengers Queen’s Park.

It’s like no one wants to win this title, but one final victory in this fixture at Queen’s Park’s temporary home of Ochilview will see one of these rivals crowned as champions and they’ll be rewarded with automatic entry to the Premiership.

Dundee kick off with a two-point advantage, meaning a draw will be enough to seal a return for the Dark Blues just 12 months after their relegation from the top-flight.

The Spiders, bossed by Owen Coyle are no longer amateurs, and are on the chase for their third successive promotion, with high ambitions as they look to create new history, having started in 1867, making them one of the oldest clubs in the world.

Intense battle for three play-off spots

Any side from Inverness in fifth to leaders Dundee can finish as runners-up, although the Highlanders would need Dundee to beat Queen’s Park, a seven-goal swing and Partick Thistle to lose to Raith Rovers, the only club with nothing at stake in seventh position.

If Partick win and Queen’s Park lose or draw, Thistle will be confirmed as the runners-up, putting them into the play-off semi-finals.

If third-placed Thistle slip up, they could dip to fourth, or out of the play-off spots completely.

That will depend on how ICT v Ayr and Cove Rangers v Morton pans out.
Ayr and Caley Thistle know a win for them will knock Morton out of the equation.

However, a Caledonian Stadium draw allied with a Ton victory at the Balmoral Stadium will take Dougie Imrie’s Greenock side into the play-offs.

Morton’s Robbie Muirhead (right) and Cove’s Jack Sanders do battle in Ton’s 2-1 win at the Balmoral Stadium in November. Image: SNS.

Arbroath are in Cove’s sights

The trio of teams below Raith are battling to finish above the watermark, with 10th place meaning automatic demotion and ninth meaning a play-off.

Hamilton are bottom right now on 30 points and they take on eighth-placed Arbroath who are on 33 points.

Dick Campbell’s Arbroath, who were the 2022 runners-up, know a win or a draw will ensure they finish in eighth spot.

Paul Hartley’s Cove Rangers, who have beaten Arbroath and drawn with Dundee to take their fight all the way, need a win against Morton and an Arbroath loss to rise into eighth place – which would also mean they avoid the play-offs.

A draw for Cove wouldn’t take them above the Angus side, but that result, or a defeat would keep them off the bottom provided Hamilton don’t get a result. Accies drawing and Cove losing would send Cove down on goal difference.

Play-off clashes kick off this Tuesday

Premiership/Championship play-off schedule: 

Tuesday May 9 – play-off quarter-final, first leg – fourth in Championship v third in Championship.

Friday, May 12 – play-off quarter-final, second leg – third in Championship v fourth in Championship.

Friday, May 19 – play-off semi-final, first leg – the winner of the above tie v second in Championship.

Friday, May 26 – play-off semi-final, second leg – second in Championship v the quarter-final winner.

All four of the above ties will be live on BBC Scotland, with 7.45pm starts.

Thursday, June 1 – play-off final, first leg – the Championship semi-final winner v 11th in Premiership. (live on Sky Sports, kick-off 8pm).

Sunday, June 4 – play-off final, second leg – 11th in Premiership v the Championship semi-final winner (live on Sky Sports, kick-off 4.30pm).

  • If Scottish Cup finalists ICT reach the play-off final, the dates will be June 6 and June 9. (The Scottish Cup is on June 3).

Championship/League One play-off schedule:

Tuesday, May 9 – semi-final, first legs – fourth in League One v ninth in Championship and third in League One v 2nd in League One.

Saturday, May 13 – Semi-finals, second legs – ninth in Championship v fourth in League One and second in League One v third in League One.

Wednesday, May 17 and Saturday, May 20, play-off final, first leg – the lowest-ranked team at home in first leg followed by the second leg where the highest-ranked side is at home.

Both these games will be live on BBC Alba, 7.35pm for the first leg and 5.15pm for the second leg.

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