Dundee United’s victory over Hamilton Accies kept them snapping at the heels of Premiership leaders Aberdeen and defending champions Celtic.
The Tangerines are now back in third spot in the league – a point behind the Hoops and five short of the Dons.
They meet the Pittodrie men in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden on the last day of this month, while Stranraer is the destination for their Scottish Cup fifth-round clash on February 8.
Goalkeeper Rado Cierzniak has insisted that the domestic treble is still on, while manager Jackie McNamara has argued that improvements will need to be made if they are to continue challenging on three fronts.
Our football writer Ian Roache assesses Scotland’s top three clubs, looking for reasons why this season could turn out to be a golden one for United.
United:
On their day, the Tangerines are a devastating attacking force.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who has watched them this season that they are the current top scorers in the Premiership with 42 goals – comfortably beating Aberdeen’s 33 and Celtic’s 36.
The reason they are not up alongside the league-leading Dons is that they have a propensity to suffer a drop in the standard of their play from game to game and even within matches.
They were a yo-yo club over the Christmas period, winning up at Ross County, losing at home to Aberdeen, hitting back with a superb home victory over Celtic, going down to defeat at St Johnstone then hammering Dundee in the derby.
That inconsistency is being worked on by the management team and if they can sort it out then this could be a very successful season for the club.
Also, the health of the Tannadice finances means that no player McNamara wants to keep will leave during this month except for silly money.
Come through the window with their matchwinners – particularly Nadir Ciftci and Stuart Armstrong – still on the books then they will be in a very strong position indeed.
There should also be growing excitement among the fans regarding the teenage trio that started at Hamilton on Monday.
The fresh legs and ability of Charlie Telfer, Aidan Connolly and Blair Spittal look like giving the team fresh impetus at this crucial stage of the campaign.
Aberdeen:
Aberdeen’s run of victories and clean sheets in the league has been nothing short of exceptional and they deserve enormous credit.
The Dons have even impressed Tannadice boss McNamara with their ability to grind out results.
However, they have also appeared vulnerable at times this season.
Like a boxer on the ropes soaking up punches to tire out his opponent, United took everything that was thrown at them while picking off the Dons with three killer punches at Pittodrie on the opening day of the season.
That 3-0 success was a tactical triumph for manager Jackie McNamara that should give him confidence going into the League Cup semi-final on the 31st against Derek McInnes’s side, despite Aberdeen getting revenge at Tannadice last month in the league.
The Dons also looked dodgy at the back when Hamilton hit them for three without reply in October and they didn’t look too clever as they lost a late winner to Dundee in the Scottish Cup a month later.
The biggest worry for Aberdeen, though, could be that people are starting to take them seriously as title contenders.
That puts the spotlight right on their players and other sides will be desperate to take down the league leaders.
An inability to cope with that pressure could leave the path clear for United and the rest to creep up on them.
Celtic:
Any Scottish football supporter not born yesterday should still have the Hoops down as favourites to win the Premiership, League Cup and Scottish Cup.
As they sun themselves in Gran Canaria, though, they may just be getting a little worried about the league in particular.
If Aberdeen and United can mount a pincer movement on them they may get the jitters and drop points you wouldn’t expect them to drop.
The home draw against relegation candidates Ross County was a worrying one and their continuing Europa League campaign won’t exactly help keep key players fit and fresh for the run-in.
Failure to win the title when Rangers are in the Championship would be unthinkable.
It is for that very reason that the pressure may pile up on Ronny Deila and his players.
If it begins to look probable rather than possible that the flag race will go right to the wire then the Hoops will come under the kind of pressure few of them have experienced.