Caolan Boyd-Munce
The Buddies have the breakthrough!
Toyosi Olusanya bursts deep into the Motherwell box, bustles back inside and tees up Caolan Boyd-Munce on the edge of the box.
The midfielder's effort takes a wild deflection which leaves Ellery Balcombe stranded.
Motherwell 0-0 St Mirren
An important intervention from Stephen O'Donnell on his return to the Motherwell XI.
A whipped St Mirren corner isn't dealt with by the Motherwell defence and O'Donnell winds up nodding off the line.
Kilmarnock 0-0 Hibernian
Hibs starting to grow into the game. Keiron Bowie and Martin Boyle have had a few half-chances between them but none on target.
The visitors are passing it about at real pace in the final third with Junior Hoilett involved in a lot of their play.
Dean McMaster
St Johnstone 0-0 Aberdeen
It's St Johnstone who've been enjoying the lion's share of possession. They've had a couple of half chances but nothing concrete.
Logan Chalmers
Hearts 0-0 Ross County
Brian McLauchlin
BBC Scotland at Tynecastle
A full house at Tynecastle with over 350 Ross County fans making the long journey down the A9. Great atmosphere inside the stadium.
Motherwell 0-0 St Mirren
Now it's St Mirren's turn to menace up the other end.
Good hold-up play from Jonah Ayunga who spins and releases Ryan Alebiosu down the right.
The wide man burns into the box, but rather than shoot across goal or look to square for Toyosi Olusanya, he tries to blast home at the near post and sends his effort high into the stand.
Kilmarnock 0-0 Hibernian
Bobby Wales almost gets a toe on a fizzed cross just a yard from goal but is just a whisker away before Fraser Murray then cuts the ball back into a promising area before it's lumped away.
A fast start from Killie.
St Johnstone 0-0 Aberdeen
It's end to end stuff already.
St Johnstone are pressing hard and as Adama Sidibeh sees his shot saved by Dimitar Mitov.
Hearts 0-0 Ross County
Brian McLauchlin
BBC Scotland at Tynecastle
Just bumped into the Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neil. He has a couple of friendly games coming up against Switzerland and Sweden so who is he keeping an eye on today?
Ronan Hale is on the County bench. James Wilson qualifies for NI but has just been called up by Scotland...
Motherwell 0-0 St Mirren
Tom Sparrow spurns a glorious early chance for Motherwell to score.
There's something of a comedy fall involving three players, with Luke Plange tumbling into Alex Gogic, giving Sparrow a clear run on to a long ball in the away box.
Sparrow tries to lob Zach Hemming, but lofts his effort over the top.
Image source, SNSClear blue skies and barely a breath of wind... It might be a day for goalie's caps.
Perfect conditions for clattering into tackles and getting stuck in.
Kilmarnock v Hibernian (15:00)
Martin Dowden
BBC Scotland at Rugby Park
Derek McInnes' side find themselves right at the centre of either opportunity or a relegation dogfight. Six points off the top six, six points from the bottom of the table.
This game could well have a massive bearing on what sort of run-in Kilmarnock will face.
For Hibernian, it's simply a case of continuing the excellent form they demonstrated up until the Scottish Cup exit to Celtic.
A win today would go a very long way to securing top six. Get that done and they're in a great place to battle for that coveted third spot.
Image source, SNSHibs players warming up at Rugby Park
Hearts v Ross County (15:00)
Ross County manager Don Cowie tells BBC Scotland: "We just need to remain focused. We strive for consistency. Since the turn of the year, we've managed that. We've got to a situation where we're happy where we are. The challenge is to kick on again.
"We had to be patient. We had a short break at the end of the season. We had good momentum after winning the play-off, but lose our key player - Yan Dhanda to Hearts - and our captain - Simon Murray to Dundee.
"It takes time. We had to recruit, some players took time to bed in and get comfortable but now we are reaping the rewards."
Hearts v Ross County (15:00)
Hearts head coach Neil Critchley tells BBC Scotland about rising star James Wilson: "He's done very well. It seems such a long time ago that I first popped my eyes on him. He's taken to it naturally. Level-headed boy, young, humble.
"He's got a thirst for knowledge and wants to improve. He's been brilliant to work with and I'm delighted for him and his family. Hopefully, he goes to Scotland in good form.
"Every individual is different and has a different way of developing. James has come straight into the first team, and shows a maturity beyond his years. His decision-making is very good for a young player, there's intelligence in his movement which is rare.
"He's a different number nine - a throwback, maybe. It's quite a rare commodity these days.|
Kilmarnock v Hibernian (15:00)
Hibs head coach David Gray tells BBC Scotland he is delighted that Chris Cadden has signed a new contract at Easter Road.
"It's great news for everyone, I'm delighted for him," Gray said.
"He fully deserves it for everything he's done since he joined the club. He's been through a lot, long-term injury, to come back the way he has, he's a brilliant professional."
On today's game, he adds: "You don't look at the table right now, and right now it's about how many points can we accumulate between now and the split. Until it's mathematically done we need to keep trying to get into the top six as quickly as we can.
"Three points today would put us in a really strong position.
"Every game's going to be really difficult and the more points we can accumulate between now and the split gives us the best chance to finish as high as we can."
Image source, SNSKilmarnock v Hibernian (15:00)
Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes tells BBC Scotland: "I think all games are important at this stage of the season.
"We're just trying to make sure we rein in the teams above us, it's about trying to be positive with the team.
"I don't think we're a team who are not creating chances, but there's no doubt it was a bad week for us before the cup [three losses in seven days].
"It's just making sure we have trust and belief we can deal with games like today against a team who are going so well in Hibs.
"It's the nature of the league, it's so tight, not a a lot between so many teams, an anybody from sixth or seventh down can't really breathe easily at the minute.
"The good thing is we've got nine games to go and the intention is to get ourselves up the table."
Image source, SNSDerek McInnes (right) and his coaching staff pre-match
St Johnstone v Aberdeen (15:00)
St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "We have been pretty solid for a long time, the boys were looking fresh after the cup game so there was no point changing it.
"We have good players on the bench now so we can change during the game.
"Every game is big, it's like a cup final for us. We are playing against a difficult opponent, it's a big game for them so I'm expecting an intense match.
"When we were not getting results we knew exactly what wasn't working. Now we have been getting results we know what is right. We need to be solid, we need to keep Aberdeen out and we need to take our chances."
St Johnstone v Aberdeen (15:00)
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin tells BBC Scotland: "It's good to get a win before the international break.
"It's important for us to be stable and show we are on the right track so we can be competitive again at the end of the season.
"We keep pushing, when you have so many teams on the same points you can't slip. We have to be stable and show we deserve it. We have to be sharp today to get the three points."
On Sivert Nilsen's absence: "We have to make another assessment with his eye."
Image source, SNS
Callum Slattery's double earned Motherwell an important point
Motherwell dropped out of the Scottish Premiership top six despite scrapping back from two goals down to draw against St Mirren.
With each side gunning for a spot in the upper half of the table, this was a shootout of attacking endeavour, spectacle and incident.
The visitors, who had not beaten Motherwell since September 2023, cantered into a two-goal lead, with the speed and power of their forward line pivotal.
Toyosi Olusanya bustled into the home box and cut back for Caolan Boyd-Munce, whose 20-yard effort took a wild deflection en route to the net.
Killian Phillips slammed home the second after Marcus Fraser's looping delivery found him on the edge of the area. A cushion on the chest, and a swipe of his left boot later, St Mirren doubled up.
Within 90 seconds, Motherwell responded. Ellery Balcome whacked downfield, where Callum Slattery beat Alex Gogic to the ball, then bamboozled Alex Iacovitti before stabbing beautifully beyond Zach Hemming.
Gogic and new Scotland call-up Lennon Miller menaced in either box before the interval, but the second half delivered fewer opportunities and more chaos.
Boyd-Munce was carried off after a sickening aerial clash. Ellery Balcombe wiped out team-mate Liam Gordon and Olusanya as he raced out to clear.
Slattery, however, provided another telling moment.
Latching on to a ricocheted Tony Watt knockdown, he flashed, first time, low into the net from 18 yards.
Olusanya continued to career around the Motherwell half and, already on a yellow card, he thundered into Dan Casey. Referee Grant Irvine brandished another.
In a chaotic endgame, 14 minutes of additional time were played, but Motherwell could not stun their depleted guests.
Gogic had the best opening in the dying embers, arrowing a header into the Davie Cooper Stand from a corner.
Slattery's goals keep Motherwell three points clear of St Mirren, though they fall one behind sixth-placed Hearts in the quest to reach the top half.
In the early throes of Michael Wimmer's rein, Motherwell are playing attractive football, with teenage kingpin Miller their fulcrum in the middle of the paddock.
What they needed - and lacked for spells of this contest - was a ruthless streak when they worked their way into the attacking third.
How Slattery provided it; his two finishes predatory and precious in equal measure.
The first was sumptuously created and clinically finished. The second opportunistic and instinctive, running on to the ball and sweeping it in.
Slattery's goals will hearten Wimmer, though he will harbour frustrations over how easily his team were opened up by St Mirren's direct passes into the channels and the physicality of their front two.
In some senses, this was a clash of styles. Where Motherwell relied on the intricacy and accuracy of their passing game, St Mirren looked to spring their explosive frontmen early and often.
Shorn of the injured Mikael Mandron, Jonah Ayunga was deployed alongside Olusanya, and the two were a potent cocktail of pace, panache and skill.
Ayunga bossed the aerial exchanges and showed flashes of class with his link-up play, often looking to introduce the energetic Ryan Alebiosu down the right flank.
Olusanya, linked with Rangers this week, has the raw speed and all-action style to fluster defences. He also plays with full-blooded dynamism.
Irvine clearly saw the speed of the challenge and the damage wrought upon Casey, but a second yellow seemed harsh on the striker.
It was a telling combination, if not quite a winning one.
Motherwell manager Michael Wimmer: "A draw is okay. The first 25-30 minutes, they had more energy and more power.
"The character was very good after going 2-0 down. In the end, we missed a chance to be more bold and create more chances.
"The spectators saw 114 minutes of power football."
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "It was an opportunity wasted.
"Motherwell had two shots the whole game and scored both, had no corners, we didn't feel they were any threat whatsoever but managing the game has been a problem for us.
"I'm a million miles away from that decision [to send off Olusanya], it looked to me like it was just a coming together of two people running at pace.
"We showed great character and were the better team even when down to 10 men, as we were all day."
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 87 | 17 | 70 | 75 |
| |
| 29 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 59 | 26 | 33 | 59 |
| |
| 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 45 | 41 | 4 | 44 |
| |
| 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 46 | -8 | 43 |
| |
| 29 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 36 | 36 | 0 | 41 |
| |
| 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 43 | 40 | 3 | 39 |
| |
| 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 36 | 50 | -14 | 38 |
| |
| 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 37 | 49 | -12 | 35 |
| |
| 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 31 | 51 | -20 | 35 |
| |
| 30 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 34 | 48 | -14 | 32 |
| |
| 29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 41 | 61 | -20 | 28 |
| |
| 30 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 32 | 54 | -22 | 26 |
|
Manager: Michael Wimmer
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Stephen Robinson
Formation: 3 - 5 - 2
Manager: Michael Wimmer
Formation: 3 - 4 - 2 - 1
Manager: Stephen Robinson
Formation: 3 - 5 - 2
Scottish Premiership
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
Motherwell have won both of their two league meetings with St. Mirren this season, last winning three in a row against the Buddies in April 2015.
St. Mirren have only won one of their last seven away league games at Motherwell (D2 L4), a 1-0 victory in September 2023.
Motherwell are looking to win three successive league games for the first time since September 2023 under Stuart Kettlewell.
Although St. Mirren have only won two of their last 10 league matches (D1 L7), both of those wins have come away from home (v Aberdeen in January & Rangers in February).
A league-high 65% of Motherwell’s goals in the Scottish Premiership this season have been scored in the first half of games (22/34). On the other hand, St. Mirren have conceded the lowest ratio in first halves of any side in the division this term at 36% (17/47).
