St Mirren

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St Mirren have been given an initial 9,500 tickets for the Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic at Hampden on 14 December.

The Buddies' allocation could rise to 17,000 depending on early sales.

St Mirren fans will be housed in the South and West Stands, with adult ticket prices starting at £40 for adults and £25 concessions.

The Paisley side beat Motherwell 4-1 to secure a first-ever League Cup final meeting with Celtic.

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

It had been 12 long years since I last got to watch St Mirren run out at Hampden, prior to Saturday night.

In the season following lockdown, Jim Goodwin led us to both cup semi-finals though not further. The team may have made the journey to Glasgow's southside, but as fans we peered through laptops as the occasions played out in front of eerie silence.

Born in 1989, I arrived after the 1987 cup final that still accounts for the glint in most Saints fans' eyes nearly three decades later.

This then, for me and many other Buddies alike, has bestowed almost mythical status on the 2013 League Cup win over Hearts. A singular experience. Our one chance to see black and white draped around a major trophy, to see our town leading the back pages and the "and finally…" on the news for positive reasons.

Before that final win came a glorious semi-final victory over Neil Lennon's Celtic. Teenage John McGinn announcing himself on the national stage, Craig Samson saving a Charlie Mulgrew penalty, and Isma Goncalves' debut heroics combined to produce a starter that lives almost as fondly in the memory as the main course that followed.

All this is to say that Saturday night will not be taken for granted. There is no desire to treat the occasion as success in itself, not least from Stephen Robinson. This victory gives us the platform for greater glory, not a reason to sit back and congratulate ourselves.

However, a performance that clinical and dominant, that intense and poignant, deserves to be celebrated. That celebration rang out around Hampden come half seven on Saturday and could be followed all the way back to Paisley.

These nights are the reason buses fill and travel to Pittodrie on cold December mornings, that 7,000 fans show up on a Wednesday night to back the side against the league leaders.

They are the reason well-travelled Buddies will return to Scotland for Christmas 10 days early. They are the reason, decades from now, young Saints fans will have a night to point back at as the reason they fell in love with the club that their mum, dad or grandparents loved already.

December will arrive quickly, and with it the chance to make heroes of another group who have already done so much to be held in the heart of our town. Bring it on.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

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Three successive top-six finishes in the Scottish Premiership and now a Premier Sports Cup final - Stephen Robinson's record at St Mirren only improves as time goes on.

The Buddies were magnificent at Hampden in the semi-final as they dispatched Motherwell 4-1 with a sparkling display, setting up a date with Celtic at the national stadium on 14 December.

Motherwell have been much praised this season for their style of football, but they were nullified - outfought and outplayed by the Paisley side.

"I think the credit has to go to St Mirren," The Herald's chief football writer Stephen McGowan said on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Stephen Robinson has been quite vocal in saying he doesn't feel his team gets the credit they deserve.

"It was only a week or so ago we're talking about St Mirren really struggling to score goals - they scored six in their first nine league games, well they've rattled a few in in the last two games.

"What more can you say about Stephen Robinson? He must be wondering - with the best will in world to St Mirren - what he has to do to be mentioned seriously for bigger jobs and bigger clubs.

"They really are punching above their weight consistently and what a story that would be if St Mirren could go and upset Celtic - you wouldn't rule it out."

We asked for your views on St Mirren's 4-1 win against Motherwell in the semi-final of the Premier Sports cup.

Here's what some of you said:

Iain: What a brilliant performance and result. Bring on the final! Players gave their all, as did the fans!

Trevor: My last three visits to Hampden have had five goals in each game - this game was no different! Hampden is a happy hunting ground for us.

Everything was class from defending to link-ups to quality finishing. We had everything in abundance, and even a late goal against us - it's the St Mirren way. What isn't the St Mirren way is scoring two late goals and enjoying the final seven minutes!

Colin: Absolutely outstanding to a man. We had a game plan and stuck to it. We looked a real threat going forward and the back three were magnificent throughout. On to the final!

Douglas: A brilliant unravelling of an attractive Motherwell side. There are many adjectives that can be uttered to describe that win, but I will try to describe it in one, - masterful.

Don't call us a 'rough bunch', just listen to the players after the game. They are far from rough, they are a team and they all understand what it takes to be a successful team.

William: Celtic and Rangers would much rather be playing Motherwell. This was a terrific display from Saints backed by a wonderful support.

Does anyone really believe St Mirren will fail against one of the big two in December's final? Bookies will be hastily cutting their odds.

Jimbo: Hopefully the Buddies can keep building on two very positive performances after three somewhat unlucky results. We have been punished by VAR inconsistencies but I admit we got away with one. In the end we took our chances, they didn't.

Have your say on the game here.

Read the match report here.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson talking to BBC Scotland: "I am extremely proud of the players," he says. "A lot of the comments before the game motivated the players today.

"We are a very good side and very well organsied, as everyone keeps reminding us and we needed that in the second half, but we showed a lot of quality.

"There was some fantastic play and it could have been more. I thought they carried out the gameplan really well."

Still irritated by suggestions his side are all about height and power, Robinson adds: "We actually have some of the smallest back fives in the league, so it is a bit of a misconception, but they have certainly got more than that and, if you combine physicality with talent and an end product, we showed that in abundance."

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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Mark O'Hara has seen Coldplay at Hampden, but the St Mirren skipper will finally take centre stage this weekend.

O'Hara's first game at the National Stadium comes at age 29 in the Premier Sports Cup as the Buddies vie with Motherwell for a place in the final.

The midfielder said: "Everyone's excited, this group has been together for the best part of four years now. We've never had that Hampden experience.

"We've been successful, but this is something we've never tapped into. We're going to relish that opportunity.

"It's my first semi-final at Hampden. It's been a long time coming. I've always made it to the stage just before.

"We made it quite regularly there and there was a bit of a heartbreak. The relief when that last penalty went in at Rugby Park [in the quarter-final shootout] was overwhelming.

"It's something growing up you dream of. To lead the team out will be special.

"I've never played at Hampden. The last time I was there, it was probably a concert I was at, it would have been Coldplay. That's a bit of a hit and a miss, I might get a bit of a hard time, but it was a good night."

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Motherwell have a doubt over Stephen O'Donnell, who went off with a muscle problem against Dundee United on Wednesday, but Tawanda Maswanhise is expected to shake off the muscle fatigue that forced him off. Aston Oxborough (hand), Sam

Nicholson, Filip Stuparevic (both knee), Eseosa Sule, Jordan McGhee (both thigh) and Zach Robinson (Achilles) remain out.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson revealed Miguel Freckleton was a "big doubt" but fellow defenders Alex Gogic and Jayden Richardson will return from suspension.

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson says the Paisley club "laugh" at anyone who thinks they are are simply a physical side.

The Buddies are preparing for Saturday's Premier Sports Cup semi-final meeting with Motherwell, who have earned praise for their attractive style of play this season.

But Robinson insists there are many facets to St Mirren's game and much of it comes down to technical skill.

"We're a very good football team," he said. "As far as I'm aware, there's not any rules in football where you're not allowed to play people over 6ft.

"Our players that are over 6ft are really poor in the air and I wouldn't call them physical. It actually makes me laugh when I hear that.

"They're good footballers, very good technically. When you beat teams and cause problems as little St Mirren, there has to be a reason, you can't just be a good team. So we just laugh."

Robinson, who managed Motherwell for three years, led the Steelmen to the League Cup final in 2017, where they lost to Celtic after beating Rangers in the semi-final. He also took them to the Scottish Cup final in the same season.

The Fir Park club's current head coach, Jens Berthel Askou, has spoken about practising penalties in preparation for Hampden, but that's not a route Robinson has gone down with St Mirren, who have already succeeded in two shootouts on their path to the national stadium.

"No chance," said Robinson. "We haven't practised one penalty and we've scored 10 out of 10. So we won't be practising penalties.

"Nothing replicates the pressure you're under or the decision-making at the actual moment. It's something that on the day people feel confident about and we've shown we can do that and deal with the occasion.

"We've got a fantastic goalkeeper that will save a penalty if we do our job with the penalties.

"But hopefully it doesn't get that far."

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media before his side's League Cup semi-final against Motherwell on Saturday.

Here are the key lines:

• Robinson wants his team to treat the semi-final as a normal game and the players to do what they're good at.

• The manager says his side are confident and realise it's a great opportunity to get to a major final - but Motherwell will be thinking the same.

• St Mirren "laugh" at anyone who says they're just a physical side. Robinson says his team are very good footballers and a lot of his "6ft-plus" players are "poor in the air" and better technically.

• Unlike Motherwell, Robinson says there is ⁠⁠"no chance" St Mirren will be practising penalties. They've not done so yet and scored 10 out of 10 in shootouts in the previous two rounds.

• He adds it's all about being confident on the day and you can't replicate the pressure of taking penalties by practising, even with heart-rate raised.

• His squad have already defied the odds by becoming a top-six club and he wants them to "finish that off and do something memorable".

• Central defender Miguel Freckleton is an injury doubt for the semi-final. Robinson and his staff will make a call on him on Saturday.

Sportscene pundits Neil McCann and Jackie McNamara preview the Premier Sports Cup semi-final between Motherwell and St Mirren on Saturday.

Sportscene pundits Jackie McNamara and Neil McCann are both bemused by the decision to disallow St Mirren's third goal, scored by Miguel Freckleton, in the 2-2 draw with Premiership leaders Hearts.

We asked for your views on St Mirren's 2-2 draw with Hearts in which Miguel Freckleton's second goal was controversially ruled out.

Here's what some of you said:

Scott: Robbed by VAR, yet again. Quality of refereeing is hitting an all-time low.

Douglas S: Scottish referees are now a major concern. Saints have been cheated in their last three games. I believe the referee in Paisley was under pressure from Willie Collum to improve his decision-making. Well after that he should be hauled in and told he is sacked. He was even hugging Cammy Devlin of Hearts at the final whistle.

Tom: Another game, another dodgy VAR, becoming a common theme, whatever happened to the "things will even themselves up over the season" logic?

Douglas M: Firstly, let's concentrate on the positives, this was a cracking game which was a great advert for the Scottish game. In terms of the negatives, the game was ultimately decided on VAR decisions. It would be easy to develop a negative complex if you support the Saints.

Alistair: A great game totally ruined by officials, why our third goal was disallowed is baffling. It appears that when a goal is scored they look for any reason for it not to stand and the experience at the ground is ruined but we'll be back on Saturday, in hope more than anything else.

Stuart: What a fantastic game. You can see Hearts have improved, but we more than matched them. While Hearts were probably the best team for the first and last 15 minutes, we were the best team outwith that. The goal we had chopped off for 3-1 was just another example of VAR ruining football for a decision that deprived us of three points. Great advert for Scottish football and looking forward to the semi-final on Saturday now.

Watch the highlights as St Mirren and Hearts each take a point from their midweek Scottish Premiership encounter (UK only).

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St Mirren assistant coach Brian Kerr: "We feel a wee bit hard done by with the decision [to rule out the goal to make it 3-1].

"We're still looking back to see why it's been disallowed. We can't find any contact at all. There might be an angle that shows that, but we're yet to find it.

"It was a massive moment in the game to go 3-1 up at that time. It was a decision that's gone against us and we feel a bit hard done by.

"These boys in here don't know how to give up. That's why they've managed to achieve what they've achieved. They believe here they can beat anyone in the league.

"Come Saturday these boys will be ready to go again."

Hearts twice came from behind and had a potential late winner disallowed as their Scottish Premiership lead was cut to six points after an enthralling draw at St Mirren.

Have your say on the game here.

Read our match report here.

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Hearts "have to win" fixtures like Wednesday's Scottish Premiership trip to St Mirren, says former manager Robbie Neilson.

Derek McInnes' side lead the division by eight points following Sunday's home win over Celtic.

"These are the games that dictate whether you can go and challenge and win a title," Neilson told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"The game at the weekend there, they kind of take care of themselves because of the build-up and everyone's ready for it. It's a massive game.

"When you go away, especially to St Mirren, which is a very, very difficult place to be to go and play, I think these are the games that tells you where you are as a team, because St Mirren will be up for it.

"They'll be looking at it. League leaders come into town, a chance to turn them over. Hearts have to go there and win these games, and that's it."

Stephen Robinson's St Mirren have lost their past three games but did knock Hearts out of the Premier Sports Cup in August.

"Expectations are so high nowadays, and especially in Scottish football with St Mirren," added Neilson.

"We kind of expect them to be top six because Stephen's done such a fantastic job, but they're having a little bit of a dip, they're not scoring as many goals, but they're still pretty defensively strong.

"They've got a good squad and they've got a very, very good manager, so I would expect them to pick back up again, but the teams that you've got in that top six, there's always really only one or two spaces left for the so-called not top teams within the league."

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• After their 2-1 victory last September, St Mirren are looking to earn back-to-back home wins over Hearts in the top flight for the first time since February 2013.

• Hearts have won four of their past six league games against St Mirren (D1 L1), including the latest two in a row. Hearts last defeated the Buddies three times in a row in the Scottish Premiership in February 2022.

• St Mirren lost their last home league game 1-0 to Aberdeen, ending their eight-game unbeaten run on home soil in the Scottish Premiership (W4 D4).

• Hearts have won their past six away games in the Premiership, including all four this season. The last non-Old Firm club (Celtic/Rangers) to win seven in a row on the road in the competition were Aberdeen in August 2017.

• Lawrence Shankland has scored (four) or assisted (one) five goals in his last seven Premiership appearances against St Mirren, netting in two of his last four at the SMISA Stadium.

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St Mirren are without the suspended Jayden Richardson and Alex Gogic.

Christian Borchgrevink and Frankie Kent both have a chance of being in the Hearts squad for the first time since August but Ryan Fulton (groin) and Finlay Pollock (hamstring) are still missing.

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Stephen Robinson is confident St Mirren's results "will turn if the performance levels" are maintained as they prepare to host Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts on Wednesday.

The Buddies manager was left frustrated after the 3-1 defeat away to Dundee United at the weekend, when defender Alex Gogic was sent off for a late tackle on Nikolaj Moller to concede a converted penalty.

It was a third successive defeat following losses to Aberdeen and Kilmarnock and leaves the Paisley side, who finished sixth last season, ninth in the table, 16 points behind Hearts.

"I hate losing football matches, but I never use excuses," Robinson told St Mirren's official X account. "Even with the officials' decisions, it was still in our own hands.

"We can't rely on the officials, which has been shown in the last three-and-a-half years, but we have to be better at that end product, that final action.

"We are just not hitting the target often enough, even though we are getting in brilliant areas - our build-up play is excellent.

"Results usually come when the performances are there. If the performance levels maintain then it will turn, 100%.

"We have another tough game on Wednesday night, but I am confident in this group of players that it will.

"We need to go again. They [the players] are doing everything in their power to win games. They are outworking teams and it is just not going our way at the moment."

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

Since mankind first rubbed sticks together and discovered video-assisted refereeing, furious criticism has raged through social media, pub conversation and weekly fitba columns alike.

For a change, I'm not going to yell into that particular abyss.

I appreciate that a late red card and penalty review generates debate and disbelief, as does a marginal handball call on the edge of the penalty area.

However, I think, in the cold light of day (multiple replays on X, iPlayer and elsewhere), it is now essential to accept Alex Gogic was out of control in his challenge on Nikolaj Moller and complaints to the contrary have very limited grounds.

The Cypriot stalwart is not some maniacal hatchet-man, hell-bent on disrupting both opponents' possession and their shinguards. There is no element of his challenge on Saturday that suggests such behaviour. Clumsy, yes. Dangerous, I believe so. But deliberate? Not even close.

If sticking your foot into open space results in 14 high-definition angles of your studs coming down upon an opponent's standing leg, well, you'll be needing the Lincoln Lawyer to find a route to innocence.

The Shamal George handball incident, leading to United's free-kick equaliser, is a more bitter pill to swallow. However, I think this discomfort comes down to poor process and inconclusivity as opposed to some unfathomable refereeing error.

From angles available post-incident, it would appear the ball is at least partially on the 18-yard line when George lays gloved hands upon pleather.

It is perfectly reasonable to argue the Wycombe loanee has his hands outside of the box in order to make this contact, or that he initially makes said contact marginally before ball is over line.

However, I don't see how you make either of those cases with such a degree of certainty that it should prove decisive in key match incidents.

As, by the nature of the incident, a penalty is not an awardable outcome, a red card would require to be shown in order for VAR to become involved.

Again, as this is not the recommended punishment for such an incident, no such outcome is awardable. The on-field decision must stand. Questioning quite how that decision was made definitively is perhaps a more reasonable path to follow.

This leaves us with George booked and United lining up a direct shot on goal from as close to 18 yards away as you can get and still claim that a foul happened outside of the box.

The Saints keeper should perhaps start from a wider position and give himself the chance to stop Zac Sapsford's excellent strike, but the overwhelming feeling is the situation need never have arisen.

So, there you have it. A raging Saints fan arguing in defence of a painful VAR outcome and also wondering if a little bit more VAR might have been sensible. This is what I have become.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external