Postpublished at 15:29 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:29 GMT 2 November 2024
St Johnstone 0-1 Hearts
Saints look to respond immediately to that opener and have a free-kick that gives Graham Carey the chance to whip in one of his trademark dangerous crosses.
The winger finds the head of Adama Sidibeh, but the striker's header is straight at goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Image source, SNS
Image caption,
St Johnstone's Jason Holt with Hearts' Malachi Boateng
County claim handballpublished at 15:26 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:26 GMT 2 November 2024
St Mirren 0-0 Ross County
Kheredine Idessane BBC Scotland at the SMISA
Red-shirted Ross County have settled well into this one. It's not been pretty in these opening 20 minutes but the visitors wanted a penalty after the ball struck Alex Gogic on the hand inside the area. Nothing doing from referee Don Robertson or VAR.
Image source, SNS
Image caption,
Ross County's Josh Nisbet holds off St Mirren's James Scott
Falkirk hit the frontpublished at 15:26 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:26 GMT 2 November 2024
Falkirk 1-0 Greenock Morton
Jane Lewis BBC Scotland at The Falkirk Stadium
The leaders are one up and looking fairly comfortable here. They're seeing plenty of the ball and passing it around really well. Their delivery from corners and free-kicks is spot on too.
In saying that, Morton have had a bit of joy on the break, Michael Garrity having an effort saved before Falkirk took the lead through Keelan Adams' header.
Image source, SNS
Image caption,
Falkirk's Aidan Nesbitt crosses under pressure from Greenock Morton's Kirk Broadfoot
Postpublished at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:25 GMT 2 November 2024
St Mirren 0-0 Ross County
There's screams for a handball from the Ross County players, they're adamant Jack Grieves' ball hit off the arm of Alex Gogic in the St Mirren penalty area.
Up the other end, a mad scramble in the County box ends in a St Mirren corner as Josh Reid dives in front of the ball to send it behind.
GOAL St Johnstone 0-1 Heartspublished at 15:25 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:25 GMT 2 November 2024
Nicky Clark, own goal
Oh dear.
Just when Saints were on top, disaster at the back for the hosts.
Blair Spittal's curling corner kick into the front post flicks off the head of home forward Nicky Clark, leaving goalkeeper Ross Sinclair punching thin air as it nestles into the far corner.
CLOSE!published at 15:20 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:20 GMT 2 November 2024
St Johnstone 0-0 Hearts
Great chance for Lawrence Shankland to end his recent spell without a goal.
A poor clearance from home goalkeeper Ross Sinclair is straight to Hearts midfielder Beni Baningime.
It looks like Hearts have missed the opportunity, but Shankland is found just inside the penalty box, but the Scotland striker skews his low drive wastefully wide.
Postpublished at 15:17 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:17 GMT 2 November 2024
St Johnstone 0-0 Hearts
Both sides have carved out openings, but the final ball is missing from both of them, with an unwillingness to have a go at goal themselves rather than pass on the responsibility.
Postpublished at 15:15 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:15 GMT 2 November 2024
St Mirren 0-0 Ross County
Josh Reid capitalises on a mistake from the St Mirren defence and tries to launch a ball to the back post but there's no one in the red of Ross County to pick it up and the hosts clear.
Postpublished at 15:15 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:15 GMT 2 November 2024
St Johnstone 0-0 Hearts
First chance for St Johnstone. Adama Sidibeh finds strike partner Benjamin Kimpioka in the Hearts six-yard box. But the Swede tries to find Nicky Clark with a pass instead of going for goal himself.
Postpublished at 15:13 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:13 GMT 2 November 2024
St Johnstone 0-0 Hearts
Derek Ferguson Former Hearts midfielder on BBC Sportsound
Hearts are trying to play through St Johnstone, but Hearts have sussed that ball into NIcky Clark. Every now and again, it would be worth Saints playing the ball quickly forward.
Postpublished at 15:09 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:09 GMT 2 November 2024
St Johnstone 0-0 Hearts
Hearts are applying the early pressure and Jason Holt has to head wide at the back post from a James Penrice cross and goalkeeper Ross Sinclair punches the resulting corner clear under intense pressure.
Postpublished at 15:07 Greenwich Mean Time 2 November 2024
15:07 GMT 2 November 2024
St Mirren 0-0 Ross County
St Mirren have started on the front foot in Paisley, most of the action so far has been in the Ross County half. Nothing to show for it as yet, though.
St Mirren's Killian Phillips and Ross County's Eli Campbell battle for the ball in a tense affair in Paisley.
Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland
Greg Kiltie's penalty miss proved costly as St Mirren were held at home by Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.
The hosts had the chance to take the lead in the first half when referee Don Robertson awarded a spot-kick - following VAR intervention - for Eli Campbell's tug on Marcus Fraser's shirt.
But Ross County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw saved Kiltie's effort and neither side could find the breakthrough in a tight contest.
With 12 games played Stephen Robinson's side move up to sixth in the table, with Don Cowie's County level on points but two places below in eighth.
Jordan White should have capitalised on Laidlaw's save by putting County ahead before the interval.
A lovely cutback from James Brown set up White perfectly in the St Mirren box, but the striker could only watch his effort sail over the crossbar.
Chances were scarce but just before full-time, St Mirren substitute Mikael Mandron had a great opportunity to snatch a winner.
He received the ball in the middle of the box, chested it on to his foot, but could not direct his effort on target.
County might have made more of a late chance too when Richard Taylor gave away a free-kick right on the edge of the St Mirren box, but Ronan Hale fired right into the wall.
Saints struggles throw up more concern
Having ended a four-game losing streak by returning to winning ways in midweek, Robinson will be frustrated his side couldn't make it back-to-back victories.
The goalless draw throws up more worries for Saints. Kiltie's miss raises questions over who will take their penalties from now on, with Mark O'Hara having also struggled from the spot this season.
Of the host' 11 attempts, only three were on target and the likes of Toyosi Olusanya, Mandron and Jonah Ayunga were not clinical.
But after three games in a week, the Paisley men sit sixth in the table and have a much-needed break to prepare for next Saturday's trip to Easter Road.
Important point for County
Another point on the road will be pleasing for Cowie, whose side haven't won away in the league in over a year.
County weren't overrun in the 90 minutes either and had their own opportunities to snatch a victory.
They often looked threatening on the break, Jack Grieves did really well in attack, but surely the most pleasing aspect for Cowie will be the performance of his goalkeeper.
A penalty save and a couple of other important stops from Laidlaw made it two clean sheets in two games against some tough opposition.
What they said
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "It's an opportunity missed.
"It was different from the last two games, Ross County slowed it down and it looked like they were playing for a point until the very end.
"It's an opportunity missed, I think we should have won the game. Lessons learned, we remain unbeaten and we go again."
Ross County manager Don Cowie: "The objective before the game was to try and get three points but it's a really difficult place to come.
"I thought we defended extremely well and I'm really proud of the team coming away with a clean sheet."
St. Mirren are unbeaten in seven home games against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership (W5 D2) since a 0-3 reverse in April 2015. The Buddies have kept a clean sheet in their last five such home games against the Staggies, winning the last three.
The away side has won none of the last eight league meetings between St. Mirren and Ross County (6 home wins, 2 draws), with the last away win in this fixture being the Buddies’ 3-2 victory in October 2021.
St. Mirren have lost each of their last three league games played on a Saturday, last losing more consecutively in the Scottish Premiership on that specific day in April 2022 (5 in a row).
Ross County are winless in their last 21 away games in the Scottish Premiership (D8 L13), since a 1-0 win at Kilmarnock in September 2023; that is now the outright longest winless streak away from home in the competition this century.
St. Mirren’s Kevin van Veen has scored more goals against Ross County (7) than any other current Scottish Premiership side, including a hat-trick in October 2022 for Motherwell.