When Neil Lennon said prior to the weekend that his side must show "humility" in the wake of their superb start to the league campaign, it is doubtful he saw such a hard lesson coming down the road.

Leading through a brilliant Jason Cummings strike which had broken down an obstinate Ayr United resistance, even the cautious Lennon would not have foreseen the comeback the visitors would mount to take all three points in front of a 15,000 strong crowd at Easter Road.

But, put off their stride by a red card for Marvin Bartley that the head coach protested strongly against, Ayr found their feet and their confidence to grab a victory over the favourites for the league title.

Last week the talk had all been of how long Hibernian could keep up their winning run. Cummings wanted to aim for three points every week and, looking at the quality in the dressing room, he saw no reason why they could not.

Jordon Forster too believed that there was no limit to the ambitions the capital side should have. Going unbeaten was a tantalising goal.

Now that is gone, but there does not seem to be any need for soul-searching nor an adjustment in where Hibs are setting their sights this season.

In 1998 Alex McLeish's side was shocked 2-1 by Stranraer in the first home match since their demotion to the then-SFL First Division.

Hibs of course went on to win the division with a haul of 89 points - a record which would stand until 2015 when Hearts under Robbie Neilson topped the table with 91.

One-off results will happen.

And a glance up at the Premiership will also show Lennon and his squad that they are not the only ones to have hit a bump on the road. Leaders Celtic were held at Inverness, second-placed Hearts defeated at St Johnstone, and third-placed Rangers settled for a draw at home to Ross County which saw them fall to fifth.

The Hibs boss said on Thursday that his side is "not good enough to get complacent". An early wake-up call from Ian McCall's Ayr will have those words amplified in the minds of the players at the Hibernian Training Centre this week. [JB]

Sometimes pivotal matches and moments come out of nowhere, at other points they are much easier to spot. Aberdeen v Rangers falls into the latter category.

While Rangers have tackled Celtic, Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United during their foray in the lower leagues, they have not visited Pittodrie since 2012 and the fierce resumption of this rivalry was always likely to one of the standout matches of the Premiership season.

Having proved to be Celtic's main domestic challengers in Rangers' absence, the main challenge for Derek McInnes was to consolidate that position and avoid falling back into a race for third or even fourth.

Goal difference separates the teams following Aberdeen's 3-1 victory over Dundee, a game which bored many of the hallmarks of McInnes' impressively-drilled and disciplined Dons. Refusing to panic following the loss of an early goal, the impressive James Maddison dragged the visitors back into the game before McInnes really earned his corn.

A simple but effective change saw Johnny Hayes switched from the left flank to the right and his first run at Kevin Holt produced a surging run and floated cross for substitute Jayden Stockley to head home and set Aberdeen on the road to victory.

McInnes sensed his side had rediscovered their "killer instinct" at Dens Park and two crucial matches this week provides further opportunity to strengthen that case.

It's three years since he drove the Dons to end their 19-year wait for a trophy by bringing the League Cup back to Pittodrie and while Thursday's quarter-final against St Johnstone is more immediate in the quest for silverware, beating Rangers would lay down a marker for their league ambitions.

Sunday's game could be even more critical for Mark Warburton and his team. Victory could prove to be a turning point to their stuttering start in the same way as Ronny Deila's Celtic used a 2-1 win in the north east to spark their domestic campaign into life in 2013/14.

Failure to return to Glasgow with three points would only add to the growing sense of panic surrounding the Ibrox side, who have endured a torrid September including a 5-1 derby defeat at the hands of Celtic as well as the circus involving Joey Barton, who has now been suspended by the club for a further three weeks.

Barton's absence from the starting XI against Ross County saw an increase in tempo in the centre of the park but questions remain over Rangers' cutting edge in attack. Their much-maligned defence will be fully tested against Niall McGinn, Jonny Hayes and Adam Rooney.

In addition to the battles on the pitch there's a clash of styles in the dugout with Warburton's commitment to possession and aggressive attacking pitched up against McInnes' approach built on control and more measured transitions. [SM]

The axe has fallen on the first Scottish manager this season and Alex Rae's departure from St Mirren will split opinion on whether he wasn't given enough time or a swift decision could be key to saving the team's prospects this season.

For the Paisley club, it's the fourth time in less than two years they've been in the market for a new boss and this time the stakes look higher than ever.

Tommy Craig, Gary Teale, Ian Murray and Rae have all now occupied the manager's seat since League Cup-winning Danny Lennon left in May 2014 and there's an argument that none of the four appointments were the right one at the time they were made.

Now, with the club at the foot of the Championship table, another misstep could see the club in relegation trouble, while a smart move might reignite the hopes of a play-off place that were live just a few weeks ago.

The list of potential candidates is long and the likes of John Hughes, Jamie Fullarton, Darren Young and Allan McManus have all been mentioned on fan forums. Former Saints defender Jack Ross has also been mentioned after his start at Alloa and Jim Goodwin recently expressed a desire to manage the club at some point in the future.

Top of the betting right now is Gus MacPherson, who was manager for a seven-year spell which took in a Challenge Cup win, promotion to the top flight in 2006 and a League Cup final appearance in 2010.

MacPherson's style of play didn't always win the admiration of the support but a solid approach and a successful promotion campaign would look appealing to any St Mirren fan right now.

Since his departure from Paisley, MacPherson spent time with Queen of the South but was unable to prevent relegation but has enjoyed far more success as boss of Queen's Park, leading the side to League One through the play-offs.

The 47-year-old's previous spell in Paisley might well see him get the call from Saints new chairman Gordon Scott, who left the board on the same day McPherson parted ways with the club in 2010. [AC]