By Kenny MacDonald

Rangers fell 16 points behind Scottish Premier League leaders Celtic after a drab 0-0 draw with Hearts on Saturday.

Rangers remain second in the table with 46 points from 26 matches and Hearts are fourth on 41.

Champions Celtic, who top the standings with 62 points from 25 games, play at Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Sunday.

Hearts manager Valdas Ivanauskas was happy with the goalless draw.

"One point is okay," he told the BBC. "It is still five points (behind Rangers) and other teams have come closer but I am very, very happy at how we took this point."

The Lithuanian manager dismissed reports linking Hearts forward Paul Hartley with Rangers and declined to explain why he was dropped from the match, along with goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

He added: "Craig has a problem (from his thigh injury) last week and I thought it was a risk (to play him)."

Aberdeen moved into third, courtesy of a 2-0 win at lowly St Mirren and have 42 points from 25 games.

Andy Considine grabbed both first-half goals while Saints missed a second-half penalty when keeper Jamie Langfield parried Richard Brittain's effort.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood said: "We should have been out of sight, to be honest, and it could have been four or five.

"We played really, really well. It is a vital, vital three points for us at a very difficult ground."

Dundee United and Dunfermline slugged out a goalless draw in their basement battle, Hibernian racked up a 2-0 win over Motherwell and Falkirk slumped to a 2-0 home defeat against Kilmarnock.