St Mirren

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Is the Scottish Premiership in need of a shake-up? If so, how do you go about it?

News emerged on Tuesday that the SPFL is considering changing Scotland's top flight to a 10, 14 or 16-team division in an attempt to help reduce fixture congestion.

In its current 12-team form, the clubs split into a top and bottom six after 33 rounds of matches, with 38 rounds played altogether.

That format has been in place since 2000-01 and retaining that model is also an option, but reports have also suggested the split could be scrapped.

For any fresh structure to pass, it needs the backing of 11 of the 12 Premiership clubs, and eight out of 10 from the Championship plus 75% of League One and League Two combined.

And judging by the fan reaction to the mere thought of reducing the league to a 10-team division, you would have to assume that idea is already unlikely.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, former Premiership players Cammy Bell and Cillian Sheridan provided their views on a potential restructure.

Expansion is the only option for former Rangers and Kilmarnock goalkeeper Bell, while ex-Celtic striker Sheridan would like to see the split retained.

"I think we need a little bit of freshness about our game," Bell said. "So, if we can expand that league, then absolutely do it. We've got big enough clubs now that can generate good crowds.

"We're at a time just now where we've got the potential of trying to change it and certainly for me it's got to be expansion."

"The split works now," Sheridan added. "When I first came over and saw the whole split thing, I just never really got it. But in the past few years it has been quite interesting.

"If the league is wrapped up, if relegation is wrapped up, it does add a little bit of excitement to things in terms of teams getting into the top six and having to get European football."

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

Like the Curse of the Bambino, St Mirren's multi-club and multi-manager hopelessness when faced with Derek McInnes has loomed larger and larger the longer it has lasted.

Paisley-born but Morton-raised, McInnes has had a stranglehold on the Buddies for more than 30 games.

There is one loss in there, but it certainly hasn't been in his time with Kilmarnock. Having turned a two-goal lead into a 5-2 defeat last season, Saints fans could be forgiven for losing all hope of shaking this particular boogeyman.

They needn't have worried.

Electric from the first whistle, a fired-up Saints team piled forward in number and left a broken pile of previously untouchable opponents in their wake.

Matty Kennedy, Lewis Mayo, Liam Donnelly and others have had much joy on many occasions against black and white in recent seasons. On this wet and blustery March afternoon, however, they couldn't believe what had hit them.

Caolan Boyd-Munce had his finest hour in a Saints shirt, pulling strings and setting the tone for a comprehensive thrashing. Yes, two superb strikes deserve plenty of praise - but that tells a fraction of the story of his afternoon.

Denied the chance to select top scorer Toyosi Olusanya by ludicrous suspension, and with Mika Mandron working back to fitness, Stephen Robinson was forced to improvise.

Jonah Ayunga led the line, looking every bit the electric presence that first arrived in Paisley in Robinson's first summer. He was joined in the frontline by Roland Idowu, the mercurial and creative Irishman who has sometimes looked like he doesn't quite fit the image of a Robinson player.

Forced to play through the lines and make the most of the duo's strengths, as opposed to focusing on the pace of Olusanya on the shoulder of the last man, St Mirren were unstoppable.

If Idowu and Ayunga's tussle with Mayo, Joe Wright and Corrie Ndaba was a boxing match, the ref would have waved it off after only a few rounds.

In truth, once six-yard sitters at the feet of Richard Taylor and other chances are accounted for, the final four-goal deficit could have been larger.

The fury from Zach Hemming and colleagues at conceding that late penalty to surrender their clean sheet gives some indication as to the standards being strived for.

Had the first 10 minutes on Saturday happened on Fifa instead of the grass at the SMISA Stadium, Del would have quit to the main menu and launched his controller at his telly.

Fingers crossed this is a momentum shift and not a momentary respite from the Premiership's harshest curse.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

With two matches to go until the Scottish Premiership splits, only four points separate the teams in sixth and ninth as they fight to squeeze into the top half and potentially secure European football next season.

Dundee United's narrow win in Dingwall means they are almost certain to be in the top half regardless of their results against Hearts and St Johnstone before the split.

Data company Opta give Jim Goodwin's side a 99% chance of being in the top six given their six-point buffer and superior goal difference to St Mirren, Motherwell and Ross County.

At the other end of the spectrum, they rate County's chance as next to zero, at 0.3%, given they have a four-point gap to make up on sixth-placed Hearts with a far poorer goal difference.

Hearts are only one point above both St Mirren and Motherwell, but the Tynecastle side's superior goal difference is almost worth an extra point at this stage, and they are heavy favourites to sneak in with a 66% chance.

However, Neil Critchley's side play Motherwell away in their final match before the split, which could prove crucial given the congested nature of the table.

St Mirren are away to Dundee and home to Ross County as they attempt to overhaul Hearts, buoyed by their dominant 5-1 win over Kilmarnock on Saturday.

And Motherwell boss Michael Wimmer is hoping to bounce back from their defeat by Aberdeen when they travel to Rugby Park next weekend before that all-important match against Hearts.

"The league always feels - Celtic and Rangers are a bit different - like you could beat everyone," said John Sutton, who played as a striker for three of the sides hoping for a top-six spot in Hearts, St Mirren and Motherwell.

"The split gets knocked a little bit, I really liked it as a player. You make the top six, and it's game on, trying to get European qualification.

"I think if you take Celtic and Rangers out of things to an extent, every game's a very tricky game. I expect the picture to change this weekend and I expect it to change the following weekend as well."

Ryan Alebiosu: Defensively sound for St Mirren, plus a threat going forward.

Caolan Boyd-Munce: A double in a stunning display in the Buddies midfield.

Jonah Ayunga: Provided a lot of the impetus in what was a fantastic day for St Mirren. Two assists and also won the penalty.

Watch all the highlights as St Mirren cruised to a 5-1 victory at home to Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

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St Mirren fans, we asked for your views on the emphatic 5-1 victory over Kilmarnock. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

Colin: What a fantastic performance. We played with a great intensity and never gave Kilmarnock a minute on the ball. Some top drawer finishing too, even without our top scorer.

Douglas: A five star performance. A result like this has been coming. Every player was excellent and confidence will be high for next week at Dundee.

John: Played like a team. Absolutely solid from back to front. Everyone stuck to their job and there was no daft mistakes. A joy to watch. The top six is back on.

Douglas M: If a hoodoo existed against Killie, this was certainly the way to exorcise it. Chased them down from the start and kept the pressure on, even into the wind in the second half. Caolan Boyd-Munce will get the credit for his two goals, but the entire midfield played a stormer. We never took the gas off throughout and thoroughly deserved a thumping win.

Jim: A great all round performance against Kilmarnock with a really good positive attitude. I was particularly impressed with the attacking display. The strikers worked well together and a very energetic midfield kept them going. Here's hoping for a continuation over the next two games.

Neil: St Mirren handled the conditions better and kept the ball on the deck. Our midfielders ran the show and the finishing from Boyd-Munce and Mark O'Hara was clinical. Killie are a shadow of last year's team.

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• St. Mirren have scored in their last five games in the Premiership, their longest scoring streak this season, scoring 12 in that run.

• Stephen Robinson's side have beaten Kilmarnock for the first time in the Premiership since 6 February 2021, a run of 10 games without a win.

• The Paisley club have conceded 13 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Ross County (17) and Hibernian (16) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.

• St. Mirren have conceded nine penalties in the Premiership this season, more than any other team.

• They also scored five goals in a game for the first time since 27 January 2021 against Dundee United (W 5-1).

• Bruce Anderson has scored nine goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Kilmarnock player. He has now scored six goals in 16 appearances in the Premiership against St. Mirren.

• Rory McKenzie made his 300th appearance in the Premiership.

• Kilmarnock have failed to score a first-half goal in 23 of their 31 games, no team has failed to do so more often in the Premiership this season.

• The Ayrshire side have now failed to win any of their last 12 matches when conceding first in the Premiership, since a victory over Hearts on 30 October 2024.

A Caolan Boyd-Munce double helped St Mirren blow Kilmarnock away and keep alive their hopes of a top-six finish.

Were you at the game in Paisley or following along from elsewhere?

Give us your thoughts on the game here.

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St Mirren assisstant manager Brian Kerr: "We're delighted.

"I think over the last seven, eight weeks, the performance has always been there, the results haven't quite been there and that's been the frustrating thing for us.

"But to go and get the performance and the result today is very pleasing.

"Yeah, it's always been there for the start of season [targeting top six].

"We knew how difficult it was, we knew how tight the league was, and the ups and downs results and defeats obviously.

"No, we don't expect the result to be like that but we knew the performances were there and we felt that something was going to happen in terms of one of these games. We felt that the goals were there and it was just going to click and thankfully today it did click and that performance with the goals we managed to score is very, very pleasing.

"We'll enjoy tonight, we'll make sure everybody's ready to go next week and we'll concentrate fully on Dundee.

"We concentrate on that game, go and hopefully get the result there and then after that we look at what the next steps are."

Calum Macdonald
BBC Sport Scotland

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The win leaves the Paisley side just one point from the top-six with games against Dundee and Ross County to come before the split.

Tough game no doubt but the manner of the performance will surely give Robinson and his players belief that they can go on and claim that top-six place.

They've also ended a poor run against Killie, with today's win the first time in the Premiership since 6th February 2021 that they've secured three points agaist the Ayrshire side, a run of 10 games without a win.

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Who impressed for St Mirren this afternoon? Take your pick.

A terrific team performance with Boyd-Munce's double a particular standout.

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St Mirren striker Toyosi Olusanya is suspended while Mikael Mandron has returned to training but the game is likely to come too soon.

Killian Phillips is struggling with a back spasm, while Elvis Bwomono, Conor McMenamin (both calf), Alex Iacovitti (hamstring/back) and Evan Mooney (ankle) are still out.

Stuart Findlay is set to return to the Kilmarnock squad following ankle surgery. Skipper Kyle Vassell is still working his way back from an ankle problem while Kyle Magennis (knee) remains sidelined.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Wales international Declan John has signed a two-year contract with St Mirren after giving the team a "different dimension" in attack.

The 29-year-old left wing-back has made 12 appearances and scored once since joining the Buddies in November on a short-term deal that was subsequently extended to the end of the season.

John is now tied down to summer 2027 and manager Stephen Robinson said: ''Declan was short of fitness when he came here. He's obviously played at a high level and we are starting to see his quality come through.

"He and Ryan Alebiosu are more like wingers, they have given us a different dimension in terms of going forward and the creativity of the side.

"So we are delighted to have signed Declan, hopefully there will be a few more in the coming weeks.''

John, whose former clubs include Cardiff, Bolton and Rangers, said: "I've really enjoyed it and that's one of the main reasons for wanting to continue my time here.

"The boys have been brilliant, it's a really good changing room. We've been playing well and we've got to take that into the next three games now."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media before St Mirren's Premiership game with Kilmarnock this weekend.

Here are the key points from the Saints boss:

• Robinson says a change in laws is required so that VAR can recommend reviews of second yellow cards.

• He described the current situation as "blatantly wrong" after receiving an acknowledgement from the Scottish FA that Toyosi Olusanya's second yellow against Motherwell was a mistake.

• Robinson says this is the third time St Mirren have been on the end of ''second yellow'' mistakes this season and the club are "top of the league" for decisions going against them. He adds these decisions are "huge" and can affect where you finish in the league.

• The manager has fresh injury concerns with Killian Phillips missing training all week because of a back spasm and Alex Iacovetti ruled out with a hamstring/back issue. Elvis Bwomono is sidelined with a calf injury sustained on international duty and Olusanya is suspended, but Mikael Mandron is back in training although unlikely to feature on Saturday.

• Despite the absences, Robinsons insists his side are "strong enough to win" and, with three games to go until the split and a four-point deficit on sixth place, Robinson adds: "We believe we can go and get a good amount of points and see what happens."

• On St Mirren failing to beat Kilmarnock since 2021, Robinson says: "I haven't been here four years, so I can't take the blame for all of that! There's nothing between the sides. Both good sides. Both don't get acknowledged for the level of football we play at times. People say we're organised, we're physical. People take that as a slant. I think that's the minimum you should be as a manager."

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• St Mirren are winless in their past 10 league meetings with Kilmarnock (D5 L5) since a 2-0 victory in February 2021 under Jim Goodwin.

• Kilmarnock are unbeaten in their past five away league games at St Mirren (W3 D2), keeping a clean sheet four times in this period.

• St Mirren have lost four of their past five home league games (D1), having only lost three of their first 10 such matches in 2024-25 beforehand (W5 D2 L3). It's the Buddies' longest winless run at home in the Scottish Premiership since December 2021 (6).

• Kilmarnock have won none and lost seven of their past nine away league games (D2), picking up fewer points on the road (9) than any other Scottish Premiership side this season.

• Having only scored two goals in his first 35 Scottish Premiership appearances, Killian Phillips has since scored in both of his past two. Should he find the net against Kilmarnock, he will be the first player aged under 23 to score in three successive Scottish Premiership appearances for St Mirren since Kenny McLean in September 2014.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

What if the Scottish Premiership was decided on overperforming your expected goals (xG) rating?

You're rolling your eyes, aren't you? Fair enough, but the above graphic still paints an interesting picture.

In the second column you will see each team's current xG tally after 30 games, but the table is sorted based on the third column, which shows how much each side has overperformed or underperformed by.

For example, the chances leaders Celtic have created throughout the season suggests they should have scored around 77 goals, but Brendan Rodgers' side have surpassed that tally with an overperformance of almost 12 goals.

Remarkably, Dundee have overperformed their xG total of 34 by 11 goals. If Tony Docherty's side could sort out their defensive issues, it's safe to assume they wouldn't be fighting for survival.

It's the opposite for Kilmarnock, with their underperformance of 5.5 showing they have struggled to take their chances. Addressing that is key if Derek McInnes wants to pull his side away from the bottom.

Other underperformers include Hibernian, Dundee United and Ross County, while the remainder of the teams in the division appear to be fairly steady.

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

A weekend without St Mirren, leaves a chasm in one's soul (and plans) begging to be filled.

For this reason, I found myself at Kelty on Saturday afternoon to follow League 1 leaders Arbroath on their travels in pursuit of promotion.

Fear not, this is not a changing of allegiances as there were multiple sources of Saints connection as motivation.

Former long-serving Saint (and occasional St Mirren TV commentary colleague) Ryan Flynn had the captain's armband on Saturday in holding midfield. Flynn departed Paisley in the summer after seven seasons, contributing to Championship survival and subsequent promotion, top-flight establishment once again and European qualification.

Sitting ahead of Flynn in a more advanced role, Saints' loanee and local prospect Fraser Taylor has been something of a headline-grabber in their recent winning run and consolidation of top spot.

Taylor delivered an inch-perfect cross in Norway to give the Buddies hope against Brann in August and has further developed that creative reputation on loan to the Red Lichties.

While I've no capacity to do so, Saturday did feel something like a scouting mission to check in on a name many in black and white would like to see feature more frequently in the top flight next season.

The midfield duo played a starring role in a dominant first half for the visitors, suiting the match well as Arbroath rolled the ball around their hosts with some comfort until half-time. Indeed, it was another former Saint in defender Keith Watson that scored the opener and only goal before the break.

In the second half, momentum shifted and short, sharp passing was dispensed with in favour of long balls to chase and headers to contest. Arbroath toiled and were made to pay with the last kick of the ball as the points were shared.

Saturday at Kelty might have had even more relevance to this column had additional Saints loanee and much-touted wingback Calum Penman not been unavailable due to international duty.

The 17-year-old with the missile throw made his Saints breakthrough in the new year before joining Taylor in Angus. A regular at age group level for his country, Penman came on at half-time in Saturday's competitive draw with Sweden and drew plaudits for another strong performance.

Elsewhere around the country on loan duty, Gallagher Lennon played the full 90 as left back for Bonnyrigg Rose in a defeat at Clyde, while Shay Kelly remained on the bench in Dumbarton's goalless draw with Queens at the Rock.

This weekend, however, normal service resumes as Derek McInnes' Saints-frustrating juggernaut rolls into town.

The Saints have one job to do pre-split, and that's to rack up points and make the gap to the top half narrows as opposed to their buffer above the danger zone.

You can find Mark Jardine on Misery Hunters, external

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We asked for your St Mirren player of the year - and the biggest disappointment.

Here's what some of you said:

Stuart: Mikael Mandron and Declan John have been real standouts for me this season, hopefully continues for the run-in. Letdown wise I would say Richard Taylor on occasion hasn't lived up to it; was always a favourite of mine but not recently.

Tommy: Without a doubt our best player, again, has been Alex Gogic.

Ian: Difficult to choose this year. Mandron is up there, as is Olusanya, however I'm slightly leaning towards Gogic and Zach Hemming but my vote goes to Mark O'Hara, what an inspirational captain he is. He is the glue that keeps this team together.

Alistair: My player of the year has to be Killian Phillips, he's been a consistent performer this season and puts 100% effort into every game. Biggest disappointment is a player who is no longer with us - Shaun Rooney, none of the current squad deserves that honour.

Douglas: My player of the year is Mr Consistency... Marcus Fraser. What a season he is having. Disappointed with Mandron. Yes, his last four games have been good but where was he before?

Ewan: It's hard to say for who the standout player has been as we've gone through spells where different players have been on form, the likes of Mandron and Toyosi Olusanya have had hot and cold spells. John has really impressed since coming in.

In terms of let downs it really has to be the summer recruitment. We've had well-documented issues with three players while players like Roland Idowu and Dennis Adeniran are struggling to get near the team.

Huey: Phillips gets my vote for player of the season - he gives everything in every game and inspires everyone around him. His stamina and determination is unmatched in Saints' midfield. The flops of the season, for obvious reasons, were Kevin van Veen and Rooney.

With just eight Premiership games left, we're down to the business end of the season.

Player reputations have been enhanced - or sullied - with their performances throughout the campaign.

As thoughts begin to turn to end-of-term awards, we want to know your St Mirren player of the season so far - and the biggest flop.

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