St Mirren

The surprise team news from Paisley is the absence for Hearts of top scorer Lawrence Shankland, who misses his first league game this season.

The Scotland forward, along with Beni Baningime, misses out through illness, with Kye Rowles and Cammy Devlin coming into the line-up.

The home side make three changes to the side that drew with Motherwell last weekend.

In come Richard Taylor, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Elvis Bwomono to the team, with Mark O'Hara, Ryan Strain and James Bolton dropping to the bench.

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St Mirren: Hemming, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor, Bwomono, Kwon, Boyd-Munce, Tanser, Kiltie, Mandron, Olusanya

Substitutes: Urminsky, Bolton, Dunne, Brown, Baccus, O'Hara, McMenamin, Scott, Ayunga

Hearts: Clark, Kent, Kingsley, Grant, Devlin, Rowles, Forrest, Cochrane, Tait, Vargas, Lembikisa

Substitutes: Gordon, Oda, Atkinson, McKay, Sibbick, Denholm, Fraser, Tagawa, Wilson

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James Bolton returned to training on Friday after coming off early in St Mirren’s game against Motherwell last week with a bruised hip and he will be assessed. Ryan Strain recently returned from groin surgery but he picked up a niggle in training earlier in the week and his fitness will be monitored.

Hearts are set to be without Beni Baningime through illness, while Craig Halkett and Peter Haring are still out with knee problems, and Liam Boyce and Calem Nieuwenhof remain sidelined with hamstring issues.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson wants top-six finishes to become "more of a norm" in Paisley, as his side look to secure successive top-half finishes against Hearts on Saturday.

A win at the weekend would guarantee St Mirren a top-six finish, as would anything other than a Hibs win against St Johnstone.

“It is a game we very much believe we can take something from and obviously guarantee the top six," Robinson said.

“Expectations have risen massively here but if you look at the history, we haven’t had consecutive top-six finishes for 39 years so that tells you that it hasn’t been a habit, it hasn’t been something that should be expected but it is credit to this group of players and staff that we have got ourselves into this position to raise the expectations so we have to embrace that.

“At St Mirren you can’t expect to be top-six every year but what you have to try and do in these good periods is try to put the foundations in to give yourself more of an opportunity to be a top-six side.

“If we can be a top-six side three out of five times then that is a huge success but we want to put the building blocks and foundations in and that becomes more of a norm.

“We don’t go into it with any fear, we go with a lot of respect and it is something we are going to enjoy.

“We are looking forward to it, can’t wait. There will be a big crowd, windy conditions, not great weather but the crowd will turn up and back us again.

“In our eyes we have earned the right to be there.”

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Caolan Boyd-Munce's St Mirren contract has been extended until the end of next season due to the midfielder meeting an appearance-based clause.

The Northern Irishman has become a mainstay in the centre of the park for Stephen Robinson's side, racking up 36 appearances in all competitions this term.

Having initially joined the club on a short-term deal in March 2023, the midfielder earned himself a year-long deal, which has now been extended to the summer of 2025.

Earning himself a international call-up with his form in Paisley, the 24-year-old says he's delighted to prolong his stay.

"I'm over the moon that it's finally done," Boyd-Munce told club media.

"We've been talking about it for a while and even if the clause hadn't been triggered I think we would have still come to a similar arrangement.

I've loved it. It's been a good season for all of us. I think I've improved massively and hopefully everyone can see that this season. Every month I feel like I've got better and still think I've got a long way to go."

Stephen Robinson's star is rising again since his return to the Premiership from Morecambe two years ago.

So much so that the former Motherwell boss has been touted by some for the Aberdeen vacancy.

Given St Mirren are four places and 10 points better off, the Pittodrie hierarchy would quite rightly have pondered what the Northern Irishman might achieve with their greater resources.

The Paisley side are sitting safely in fifth place and need just two more points to secure a second successive top-six finish.

That feeling of "job done" might explain why the form has dropped a bit in recent weeks for both St Mirren and visitors Hearts, who have only won two of their latest six games.

However, assuming his side do finish in the top half, Robertson will want to improve on last year's season run-in, when they failed to beat any of the other top six.

They have won four and lost three of their latest seven home games - but two of those defeats were against Celtic and one versus Rangers.

Now, with the third-top side visiting again, a repeat of September's 1-0 win over Hearts would go some way to suggesting they can be more competitive this time.

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Having spent practically the whole season in the top six, St Mirren would be devastated to drop out ahead of the Scottish Premiership's split in two games' time.

Stephen Robinson's side can secure top-half football this weekend, with their destiny in their own hands. Three points at home to third-placed Hearts would do the trick.

Should the Jambos leave Paisley with a point or more, St Mirren's spot can still be confirmed on Saturday. If Hibs fail to beat St Johnstone at Easter Road, the Buddies' place in the top six is secure.

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• After going unbeaten at home against Hearts in the top-flight between November 2011 and March 2020 (W4 D4), St Mirren have since won just one of their last five such meetings with the Jambos at the SMISA Stadium (D2 L2).

• Hearts won their last meeting with St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership 2-0 in December, and are aiming to beat the Buddies twice in the same league season for the first time since 2021-22, when they won all three of the meetings between the two sides.

• St Mirren have won each of their last three home league games, scoring exactly twice in each win; the Saints last won more such games in a row in October 2022 (four in a row).

• None of Hearts' 15 away games in the Scottish Premiership this season have ended level (W9 L6), the longest stretch of such matches from the beginning of a season by any side since St. Mirren didn’t draw any of their first 16 games on the road in the 2013-14 campaign.

• Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland tops the Scottish Premiership this season for goals (20), points won thanks to goals (18), and percentage of a side’s goals scored (50%).

St Mirren may be five points clear of seventh-placed Hibs but with a final game against Celtic before the split, Stephen Robinson's side will want to secure top six when they face Hearts this weekend.

Who would you pick for Saturday's game? Tell us here.

Scotland Under-19s head coach Billy Stark has announced his decision to retire at the end of this month, and believes the future is bright for the national team.

Stark's impressive playing career saw him turn out for St Mirren, Aberdeen, Celtic, Kilmarnock and Hamilton, before he managed at clubs such as Morton, St Johnston and Queen’s Park.

He had a spell as Scotland Under-21s manager, before taking up his current post in 2018.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with the best young players in Scotland throughout my two spells at the association," Stark said.

“I would like to thank the staff and players who have helped me throughout the years.

“Regarding our most recent group, we are proud of the achievement to qualify for the elite round and, although it was disappointing not to progress to the finals, the players in this group will be better for the experience and I am certain we will see them continue to flourish in the future.”

For a second league outing in a row, Stephen Robinson could have spent his half-time break gazing lovingly at the league table.

That being said, Motherwell's equaliser at Fir Park on Saturday did not carry quite the same trauma as the turnaround at Rugby Park a fortnight earlier.

Marcus Fraser was the unlikely goal scorer in black and pink, nodding home from an early corner.

The Saints would have fancied their chances at guarding a one-goal advantage and were not all that far from doing so once again.

But to quote an old proverb: 'Never let your guard drop against a Motherwell team led by a striker having an inexplicable golden season'.

Forget Kevin van Veen, we're living in Theo Bair's world now.

Matching Kilmarnock's point at Tynecastle keeps things as they were in the chase for fourth but affords the Ayrshire side the luxury of knowing their top-six place is secure.

For Robinson and his men, that confirmation will need to wait for at least a further week. Five points clear of Hibs in seventh with six left on the table, it's tempting to obsess over the final post-split fixtures and catastrophise.

Should Hibs see off basement-threatened St Johnstone at home and hold their nerve at Fir Park, the Saints will more than likely need to gather more than a single point in their corresponding matches to escape the very real threat of goal difference having a say.

Those corresponding matches? Hearts at home and a trip to Celtic Park. Gulp.

For at least one more week, expect Saints fans to have their eyes on the pitch but their ears tuned to the radio.

Me? I'm an optimist. I'm a glass half full, Hibs needing to win two in a row means they probably won't, Mikael Mandron to score as we beat Hearts, kind of guy.

You can find Mark Jardine on the Misery Hunters podcast., external

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Ryan Strain hasn't heard his name read out in a starting line-up in a long old time.

On Saturday, when it was known he'd be starting against Motherwell, the 26-year-old couldn't wait for kick-off and admitted it was "amazing" just to be back out on the pitch.

The Australia international has been out with a groin injury since November, but was once again at Stephen Robinson's disposal.

"It's tough when you are injured but being back with the lads all day was great for me and I can't wait for the next match," he told St Mirren TV.

"It's been a long four months, but it was really good to get 45 minutes under my belt.

"I've come off a long injury so I have to get my fitness back and hopefully I can play longer next time out.

"You can run as much as you want in training, but match fitness is big so I can't wait to get more games under my belt and get back to it."

The next game for Strain and St Mirren is back in Paisley as they welcome Hearts in the final game before the split. The full-back scored the winner the last time the Jambos were in town and he wouldn't mind reliving such scenes with the fans again this weekend.

"I can't wait to play in front of the fans again," he added.

"They've been brilliant this year home and away so hopefully it'll be a big turn out again."

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson told BBC Scotland: "We're happy with a draw away from home. It's another point towards the ultimate goal of top six. You can't expect to turn up and get three points.

"The goal [we conceded] was disappointing. One long ball into the box and we watched the ball instead of marking men. That's the biggest disappointment, but we had good opportunities.

"We had a couple of half chances, but Motherwell are a decent side. Bair is a threat, Spittal is a good player, and they always have the ability to hurt you.

"The boys have been fantastic all season and we have to remember that. An away point against Motherwell is a really good result for us.

"I've always tapered everyone's ambitions. We're in total control of [whether we get top six]. We have a winnable game against Hearts at home and I've got nothing but praise for the boys."

What did you make of that St Mirren fans? A deserved point, or two dropped?

Who impressed you out there, and who didn't? Tell us your thoughts here.

Andrew Petrie, BBC Sport Scotland

Despite what some may tell you, this was a highly entertaining clash between two equally strong sides.

Both played with attacking intent, enjoyed spells of momentum and showed plenty of fight. What they lacked though, was accuracy in the final third.

St Mirren looked relatively solid, if a little undeserving of their initial lead. However, they showed confidence in the second half and should be frustrated not to leave with all three points.

The main conundrum for Stephen Robinson is still who plays in his midfield. To have Keanu Baccus and Kwon Hyeok-kyu on the bench shows the strength in depth, but who is his best pairing?

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Mark O'Hara. It's felt like a stop-start season for O'Hara but he's finally getting back to the form he showed last year, where he was one of the best player's in the Premiership outside the Old Firm.

Alongside Caolan Boyd-Munce, he dominated the middle of the park and gave St Mirren an anchor when they pressed up high.

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Motherwell: Kelly, O'Donnell, Casey, McGinn, Devine, Halliday, Zdravkovski, Gent, Spittal, Vale, Bair.

Substitutes: Oxborough, Mugabi, Shaw, Nicholson, Blaney, Moses, Miller, Ross, Butcher.

St Mirren: Hemming, Bolton, Gogic, Fraser, Strain, O'Hara, Boyd-Munce, Tanser, Kiltie, Mandron, Olusanya.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Dunne, Taylor, Bwomono, Baccus, Kwon, McMenamin, Scott, Ayunga.

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