St Mirren

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

I'm a somewhat philosophical fitba fan, I try not to get too wound up by the bad stuff and wholeheartedly seek to make the absolute most of the good bits. I can't imagine any other way to rationally function as a St Mirren fan.

Saturday's last-minute gut punch of a defeat to Aberdeen was painful, there's no hiding that. However, I'm willing to attribute this misfortune to some high stakes universal balancing act.

Aberdeen FC have been the source of much joy in our recent past. Toyosi Olusanya's 97th-minute winner in 2024, cup finals and promotions aside, is probably the most I've celebrated anything within the confines of a football stadium.

Our 3-0 Pittodrie drubbing the previous December, courtesy of Mark O'Hara, Jonah Ayunga and Greg Kiltie, made that frosty pre-Hogmanay trip worth the effort. We've repeated each of those scorelines again since, all against richly-budgeted sides that on paper should be putting us in our place.

I've had more fun at the Dons' expense these past few years than could have been hoped for, never mind expected.

With all of this "get it round yeez, haha" credit resting in our collective accounts, there was bound to be a course correction at some point.

And, if you're going to take a sore one, I'll begrudgingly accept it arriving courtesy of a 96th-minute Berbatov-esque turn and strike that arrived in Scotland via AC Milan.

There are grounds for tough self-examination at Ralston this week; a needless and petulant red card, unnecessary proximity to a goalkeeper saving Dimitar Mitov's blushes, losing your man deep in injury time and an arguable lack of common sense in allowing that 96th-minute break in the first place.

However, there are 90-odd minutes of decent performance in there to reflect on too, and cause for cautious optimism on the road to Tannadice next weekend.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Watch the Sportscene panel discuss Alex Gogic's disallowed goal in their 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen.

Watch the highlights as Aberdeen overcome 10-man St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership

We asked for your thoughts after St Mirren's 1-0 defeat to Aberdeen.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

John: Undoubtedly, there must be question marks about St Mirren's game management in those last few minutes but that doesn't mitigate the shocking officiating throughout the 90 minutes and the cynical approach from Jimmy Thelin's team.

William: Saints lost their chance to climb the table by squandered chances.

Douglas: Saints were cheated out of three points. Alex Gogic's goal should have stood. The ref gave the goal, no flag from the linesman but VAR disallowed it for offside, why?

Image source, SNS

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson remained philosophical about losing 1-0 at home to Aberdeen after having an Alex Gogic goal chopped off by VAR, seeing Jayden Richardson sent off then conceding a late winner in stoppage time.

"It is obviously a sore one to take," he tells BBC Scotland. "I thought we were excellent throughout.

"We had a goal disallowed. I haven't seen it back yet, but it is hard to see what it was disallowed for.

"We managed the game brilliantly with 10 men. I thought we were the better side with 10 men and, in the last 30 seconds, instead of taking the ball into the corner, we got done on the counter.

"The gap in the finances of the two clubs is huge and it didn't look like that today.

"Performances are good, but we need to turn performances into wins now. We are sitting okay in the table and we go forward into next week now."

As for being shown a red card after the final whistle after obviously being angered by the decision making of the officials, Robinson added: "We can't control other people's decisions."

What a finish - but it didn't favour St Mirren.

Alex Gogic thought he had given the hosts the lead but had his headed goal ruled out for offside, Jayden Richardson was sent off against his former club, Marko Lazetic scored in stoppage time for the visitors and Buddies manager Stephen Robinson was shown a red card after the final whistle.

Read Martin Dowden's match report.

Have your say.

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St Mirren pair Marcus Fraser and Mark O'Hara are back in contention but Richard King and goalkeeper Shamal George are doubtful due to illness.

Aberdeen have some unnamed fitness concerns on top of long-term absentee Kristers Tobers (knee).

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Manager Stephen Robinson hopes St Mirren can "get back on track again" after a 2-0 defeat in their previous match against Kilmarnock.

Robinson's side entered the international break frustrated with the loss to Stuart Kettlewell's men, despite their Premier Sports Cup quarter-final victory on penalties at the same venue.

The Buddies, who sit fifth in the Premiership table on nine points, now host bottom-of-the-table Aberdeen, a side that have struggled so far this term but are fresh off a first league win.

Aberdeen are winless in their last 10 league visits to St Mirren since a 2-1 victory in December 2018, but Robinson insists that is irrelevant to Saturday's match.

"We learned from that [defeat to Kilmarnock] and we've trained really well this week. It looks like we're back to ourselves again," Robinson said.

"We've reset this week. We know what we are. We've got an identity and we've done very well with that identity.

"If we play to the levels we can then I believe we can get a result.

"We don't fear anybody. We've been very good at home. We've had a relatively decent start to the season and [a good result] it would maintain our position in the top six.

"It's a one-off game, it doesn't matter what happened previously. Again, we need to be at our very best to beat Aberdeen any time we've ever played.

"We know we're facing a side full of talented players. It doesn't matter what the league table at this moment. It's irrelevant.

"Jimmy's [Thelin] put a lot of money into the squad, been backed really heavily by Dave Cormack which is great for Aberdeen.

"We need to be at our very best. I'm confident that we'll put a good performance in and a bit of luck along the way would be good."

Following a string of injury in the squad, St Mirren could be with three key players again.

Captain Mark O'Hara, midfielder Keanu Baccus and defender Marcus Fraser could all return to the matchday squad after recovering from injury.

"Whether they start or not remains to be seen. They'll definitely be involved. They've come through training the last three days," the St Mirren manager added.

"All three are available for selection so that gives me some difficult selection issues, which we want.

"When we've had a midfield of Keanu, Mark [O'Hara] and Killian Phillips, we've not lost a game this season."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Saturday's game against Aberdeen.

Here are the main points:

• Robinson has had to remind his players "what we're good at" after the defeat to Kilmarnock before the international break where the boss felt his side "were a shadow" of themselves.

• But the manager insists they have "learned from that" and in training this week the players have looked "like we're back to ourselves".

• Knows Aberdeen "have a lot of talented players" but insists St Mirren "don't fear anybody" although they will have to be at their "very best" to pick up the three points.

• Robinson is desperate to see his side "get back on track" with a victory on Saturday.

• The boss insists the League Cup semi-final clash against Motherwell in a few weeks "can't be on anybody's mind" as they have to be fully focused on winning their league games.

• Marcus Fraser, Keanu Baccus and Mark O'Hara have all trained so they come back into contention while Richard King and Shamal George are suffering from illnesses so they are both a doubt

• But Robinson is "very confident" in Ryan Mullen's ability to fill in between the sticks if George is unavailable.

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• St Mirren have won five of their last six league meetings with Aberdeen (L1), as many as their previous 31 beforehand (W5 D14 L12).

• Aberdeen are winless in their last 10 league visits to St Mirren (D3 L7) since a 2-1 victory in December 2018. They have lost six of their seven trips since the start of 2021-22 (D1).

• St Mirren are unbeaten in eight home league games (W4 D4), and have kept three clean sheets in their last five on home soil – as many as their previous 23 beforehand.

• Having not scored in any of their opening six Scottish Premiership games of the season, Aberdeen beat Dundee 4-0 last time out. It was the first time a side ended a 5+ game scoreless streak by scoring four in the competition since St Mirren beat Kilmarnock 4-1 in April 2015 (5 games without a goal before).

• Aberdeen have had 21 direct attacks in the Scottish Premiership this season – at least six more than any other side.

Image source, SNS

St Mirren have sold more than 7,000 tickets for their Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden against Motherwell.

The Buddies have an allocation of 10,000 for their visit to the national stadium on Saturday 1 November.

St Mirren fans will be in sections of the North, South and West stands, but they have sold out their South and West stand singing sections for their last-four meeting.

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

How do you solve a problem like league-based profligacy?

On Saturday, the two lowest scorers in Scotland's top four divisions face-off in Paisley.

Aberdeen, lowest of forty two, have four goals and it's worth noting that all four arrived in a glut last time out against Dundee. St Mirren are joint 40th with Cove Rangers on five.

The glaring difference between the two Premiership clubs is that the Saints have crowbarred nine points and a place in the top half from their five successful attempts on goal.

The Saints haven't looked like a side incapable of scoring in the same way their weekend opponents have done.

Saves from Falkirk's Scott Bain in particular, denying Killian Phillips and Richard King, are evidence that St Mirren's goal tally could easily be elevated into the realms of merely unremarkable.

The solution to this lighter than optimal goal return would appear to be in the correct partnering of Mikael Mandron.

Plan A, this season, has generally looked like Mandron beside Jonah Ayunga in a front two. This pairing finished the season off in scintillating form, key to the Buddies' superb post-split showing. However, this campaign has not seen quite the same output.

The most obvious switch would be to replace Ayunga with new signing Dan Nlundulu, a recruit from Bolton Wanderers at the final hour of the transfer window.

Nlundulu, like so many before him, arrives in Paisley in need of consistent games and motivation in order to show the talent of which he's clearly capable. A solid cameo in Falkirk aside, his main contribution thus far has been the casual rolling home of a quarter-final penalty at Rugby Park.

Roland Idowu has deputised in midfield recently, covering in the absence of Mark O'Hara and Keanu Baccus. Though certainly capable here in his own right, losing David Watson before Killie's opener last time out perhaps shows that central midfield expects an all-action role that might not best suit his talents.

Towards the end of last season, the Irishman showed plenty of guile and creativity as a partner for Mandron and must be in consideration for this again.

Another option open to Stephen Robinson, though one requiring full commitment to change, would be the return to a front three.

Fit-again Conor McMenamin is most at home as an inside forward, cutting in from the right in to his preferred left foot.

Summer acquisition Malik Dijksteel has yet to have a sustained opportunity to show that he can be the counterpart to this from the opposite flank. Currently reserved for a late gear change when chasing a deficit, this change of shape from the start might well be what the manager calls on in order to shake things up.

Or, because he knows far more and far better than I do; Robinson may well ignore the above, keep a consistent team sheet, and beat the Dons on Saturday to go eight points above them and cement the Buddies' top-five place. In fact, I think that's exactly what will happen.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

St Mirren and Celtic will meet at 20:00 GMT on Saturday 22 November.

The unusual start time at the SMISA Stadium in Paisley is to accommodate live coverage by Sky Sports.

Champions Celtic are to feature in seven of the 12 Scottish Premiership fixtures added to the Sky Sports schedule.

A late goal from Luke McCowan earned Celtic a 1-0 home win against St Mirren on the opening weekend of the season.

Image source, SNS

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St Mirren vice-captain Marcus Fraser hopes his "smooth-sailing" recovery will mean he will soon return following the ankle injury that has ruled out for almost a month.

The defender was forced off just before the break during St Mirren's 2-1 victory over Falkirk but insists his rehabilitation has been good.

The 31-year-old, who has made 231 appearances for the Buddies across five seasons, has missed the past three matches but could provide a boost to Stephen Robinson's side in time for the League Cup semi-final against Kilmarnock at Hampden next month.

"It's been hard watching from the side," said Fraser. "You prefer to be out there with the boys but when you play football, that's part and parcel of it.

"I've been quite lucky in my time at St Mirren so far to stay injury free and play a lot of games early on in my career.

"You just need to reset and I've done that over the past four weeks. It gives you a chance to do rehab and work on things off of the pitch.

"Recovery has been brilliant. We've ticked off every checkpoint and we're happy with my progress.

"At the start it was about getting the swelling down and doing some balance work in the gym.

"Every day, I've picked that up into biometrics, then out on the pitch and heavier weights in the gym. Last week I started jogging around the pitch and I've picked it up again this week.

"It's been smooth sailing.

"I've always said that I would like to get back to Hampden and we're there so we need to make sure we go into that game in good form."

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

That's life. That's what all the people say. You're riding high in late September, then Kilmarnock give you a bit of a doing in early October.

Not my words, the words of Francis Albert Sinatra.

Recent cup progress (and a ruthless 5-1 shellacking in Paisley back in March) may have fooled you into thinking St Mirren's Killie curse was a thing of the past. I'll concede it had fooled me.

However, Saturday's clinical home performance by Stuart Kettlewell and Co will haunt Stephen Robinson long beyond Halloween.

Saturday, as painful as this is to admit, was a reminder the Saints can be played and beaten at their own game.

In blustery conditions, Kilmarnock baited the visitors into taking majority custody of the ball and posting a dangerously high defensive line.

In 90 minutes of battling both Storm Amy and a deep Killie backline, St Mirren failed to muster much more than a string of passes and the occasional corner. Killie, however, seized their opportunities for two preventable yet seemingly inevitable goals.

We're supposed to be the ones who win the ball in the centre circle and send a pacy forward rushing behind static defenders, and we're the ones supposed to flash crosses across to waiting target men at the back post.

On Saturday, David Watson and Marcus Dackers took the spoils that Killian Phillips and Mikael Mandron might reasonably have expected to have feasted on.

Robinson, characteristically honest and self-critical after such a performance, summed the game up as: "We passed without purpose, didn't deliver balls. They did the opposite to us and thoroughly deserved to win."

It's hard to argue with that assessment and so it's perhaps best to leave it at that.

The Buddies remain in a reasonable league position and should retain a positive outlook on the season thus far.

Saturday's defeat was painful but dejection should only be fleeting, blustering through for the weekend like a named storm and then fizzling out in time for Sunday dinner. If that can be managed without chucking a bit of patio furniture around the back garden or tipping over your wheelie bins, all the better.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Watch all the highlights from Kilmarnock's 2-0 victory against St Mirren at Rugby Park in the Scottish Premiership.

Stephen Robinson reveals his "biggest regret" was winning just seven caps for Northern Ireland as the St Mirren boss repeats that he has ambitions to manage his country one day. (Daily Record), external

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "We were poor today, a shadow of ourselves. Everything we're good at, we didn't do.

"We made it clear before the game - the weather was horrendous, the pitch is not great - and we didn't play to the conditions. They got the ball, landed on second balls. We were in possession and gave it away.

"We played without purpose. We had 63% possession and I'd imagine 60% of it was in our own half. We didn't create anything, open anyone up. You earn the right to play football and we didn't earn it today.

"We passed without purpose, didn't deliver balls. They did the opposite to us, and they thoroughly deserved to win.

"I wasn't angry [at the break], more frustrated. I know what we are, I know what we're good at. All the things we get plaudits for, we refused to that in the first half.

"We have three key players missing and that showed today. It showed in leadership, running power, and knowing how to win a game here.

"I made early changes, rightly or wrongly, to try and get a response. We didn't, so I'm as much to blame as the players. It's very rare they have an off day like that."

Kilmarnock made it two consecutive victories in the Scottish Premiership as they overcame St Mirren at Rugby Park to rise to third.

Read the match report.

Have your say here.

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Kilmarnock have lost Marley Watkins to a heel injury. Scott Tiffoney is closing in on a comeback from a calf injury while Jamie Brandon, Matty Kennedy and Tom Lowery remain out.

St Mirren midfielder Keanu Baccus has a chance of shaking off a groin injury but skipper Mark O'Hara (foot) remains out.

Marcus Fraser is back training after an ankle problem but is not ready to play.

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Stephen Robinson may think his new St Mirren defence has hit the ground running, but not everyone is happy.

The Buddies boss revealed that during a fans' forum this week, one supporter told him his side were "leaking goals" - despite the fact only Celtic have a better defensive record this season.

"I wish I had that statistic in front of me before I answered that question!" Robinson joked with journalists.

"Everything's built on solidity. If you're hard to break down and you're hard to beat, then it's a good starting point."

Robinson added a new goalkeeper, right wing-back and two centre-backs to his squad over the summer - and all have made an immediate impact.

"We've made numerous changes," he said. "The goalkeeper, Shamal [George], has come in and been fantastic for us.

"We've created real assets in Jayden Richardson, Richard King – who'll go to the World Cup – Miguel Freckleton, added with the guys who were already there. The new players have settled in really well.

"I believe there's so much more to come from them. They're just getting their confidence."

Robinson has developed a reputation for nurturing talent, and that was to St Mirren's gain last season as they sold striker Toyosi Olusanya to Houston Dynamo in the MLS.

"Confidence is everything, an arm around people," Robinson added. "I treat people like human beings instead of pieces of meat that everybody sees them as.

"They never lose ability. Sometimes they lose confidence, they lose their way, they make bad decisions and I try and look for boys with lots of ability, lots of athleticism and you just tell them straight, this is how you can show your talent.

"You get them as fit and strong as you can and believe in people and encourage them, give them the platform and then it's up to the players to take that on.

"And certainly the three, four boys that we've brought in and spoken about previously have taken that opportunity."

Richard Taylor was a stand-out for St Mirren last season and has since moved on to Bolton, while Caolan Boyd-Munce departed for Wycombe.

Ryan Alebiosu, who was on loan at St Mirren last season from Kortrijk, has now moved to Blackburn in the Championship.

"The coaching staff do a brilliant job with them in terms of the small individual detail, but it's the players," the manager said. "The players don't lose their talent. It's about how can we get them back to express that.

"People in life always look at the negatives. They find the negatives in every situation, in every player.

"I try and look at the positives and how we can make their positive attributes be a success for them and put them on to the right track and give them bigger and better opportunities, hopefully."