SCOTTISH LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION:NIALL McGINN did not feature on the Celtic team sheet for Saturday's Premier League clash with Kilmarnock at Parkhead but still managed to score his first goal for the Hoops in their convincing 3-0 win.

The Northern Ireland wide man’s name was erroneously omitted from manager Tony Mowbray’s list of substitutes for the visit of the Rugby Park side.

However, while Lee Naylor – who was named on the bench instead of McGinn – sat watching the game from the players’ lounge, the former Derry City man replaced fellow Irishman Paddy McCourt in the 66th minute with the home side cruising through goals by Aiden McGeady and Georgios Samaras.

And with his parents sitting in the stand having travelled over from Donaghmore, Co Tyrone, to see him for the first time since he signed in January, the 22-year-old took an Andreas Hinkel pass and confidently drove past Rugby Park stand-in goalkeeper Cameron Bell to seal the win.

Yesterday’s match at Tannadice between Dundee United and Rangers was abandoned at half-time because of heavy rain.

Rangers had been leading through Steven Davis’s 29th-minute strike.

But referee Mike Tumilty informed Rangers boss Walter Smith and United’s Craig Levein about his concerns over surface water and stopped the game.

“Towards half-time, it became nearly impossible and I did not want the game to become farcical,” said Tumelty.

Both managers agreed that the decision to stop the match was correct after Tumilty raised concerns over safety during the half-time interval.

No date has yet been agreed for the re-arranged match.

The abandonment leaves Rangers third in the Scottish Premier League, four points adrift of leaders Celtic and one behind Hibernian, while United missed out on the chance of going above fourth-placed Motherwell.

Hibs maintained the pressure on the Old Firm at the top of the table after two late goals finally broke the resistance of nine-man Aberdeen.

Given half an hour to secure the victory after second-half red cards for Dons duo Maurice Ross and Chris Maguire, John Hughes’ men looked unable to break the stalemate at Easter Road.

But substitute Colin Nish scored in the 88th minute before Republic of Ireland midfielder Liam Miller doubled the tally in injury time to send Hibs above Rangers and into second spot.