St Mirren v Ross County (15:00)
Stephen Robinson has made just one change from Wednesday night's victory over St Johnstone.
Charles Dunne drops out with an injury and Richard Taylor starts in his place.
Image source, SNSAll four of today's Scottish Premiership teams have the opportunity to move up the table before four more sides play tomorrow.
Hearts can climb off bottom while St Mirren, Ross County and St Johnstone are all targeting the top six.
Dundee are at home to Kilmarnock and Hibernian host Dundee United on Sunday (both 15:00).
Image source, SNSRoss County's Noel Chilvers takes in the surroundings before today's meeting with St Mirren in Paisley
St Johnstone v Hearts (15:00)
Former Lech Poznan left-back Barry Douglas is handed his first start since joining St Johnstone as Simo Valakari makes two changes, one of them enforced, in his first home game as manager.
Having suffered his first defeat in charge last time out against St Mirren, the Finn also brings veteran winger Graham Carey into the side.
Midfielder Matthew Smith drops to the bench, while on-loan defender Lewis Neilson is ineligible against his parent club.
Image source, SNSThe McDiarmid Park pitch is still looking green and lush
St Johnstone v Hearts (15:00)
Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland at McDiarmid Park
Jamie Murphy was the last St Johnstone player to score against Hearts and that was almost two years ago. Back in December 2022, Hearts defeated Saints 3-2 in what is now a five-game run of victories.
It’s difficult to find many positive stats for St Johnstone with opposition striker Lawrence Shankland scoring in six of his past seven against Saints, including the last three.
But a win today for Simo Valkiri and his players would give them a seven-point gap over Hearts and ensure the capital club will remain bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
Image source, SNSLawrence Shankland has only scored once for Hearts so far this season
St Mirren v Ross County (15:00)
St Mirren: Balcombe, Tanser, Taylor, O'Hara, Kiltie, Gogic, Scott, Olusanya, Fraser, Bwomono, Phillips.
Substitutes: Urminsky, Penman, Smyth, Boyd-Munce, Adeniran, Idowu, McMenamin, Ayunga, Mandron.
Ross County: Laidlaw, Brown, Wright, Randall, Chilvers, Grieves, Campbell, Lopata, Nisbet, White, Reid.
Substitutes: Hamilton, Lamie, Allardice, Loturi, Hale, Denholm, Efete, Samuel, Brophy.
St Johnstone v Hearts (15:00)
St Johnstone: Sinclair, Cameron, Sanders, Wright, Douglas, Holt, Sprangler, Carey, Clark, Sidibeh, Kimpioka.
Substitutes: Rae, Essel, Kucheriavyi, Smith, McPake, Kirk, Keltjens, Bright, Franczak.
Hearts: Gordon, Kent, Rowles, Oyegoke, Penrice, Boeteng, Baningime, Spittal, Dhanda, Forrest, Shankland.
Substitutes: Clark, Kingsley, Halkett, Grant, McKay, Devlin, Wilson, Forrester, Vargas.
15:00 unless stated
15:00
Image source, SNSGreenock Morton manager Dougie Imrie is targeting three points away to Championship leaders Falkirk
15:00
Image source, SNSHearts players get re-acquainted with the McDiarmid Park pitch
The SPFL has entered November with reduced Premiership and Championship cards today and games also in Leagues One and Two.
There's also a League Cup semi-final today but league games first. Let's have a look at the fixtures.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren midfielder Alex Gogic arriving for today's game against Ross County
St Mirren's Killian Phillips and Ross County's Eli Campbell battle for the ball in a tense affair in Paisley.
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.
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.
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.
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."
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 3 | 26 | 28 |
| |
| 2 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 28 |
| |
| 3 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 19 |
| |
| 4 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| |
| 5 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 15 |
| |
| 6 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 12 |
| |
| 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 20 | -7 | 12 |
| |
| 8 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 12 |
| |
| 9 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 15 | 25 | -10 | 10 |
| |
| 10 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 18 | -4 | 9 |
| |
| 11 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 19 | -5 | 9 |
| |
| 12 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 15 | -6 | 7 |
|
Manager: Stephen Robinson
Formation: 3 - 4 - 3
Manager: Don Cowie
Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2
Manager: Stephen Robinson
Formation: 3 - 4 - 3
Manager: Don Cowie
Formation: 3 - 4 - 1 - 2
Scottish Premiership
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
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.
