St Mirren

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson says his side would "probably be sitting third in the league and in the next round of the cup" if they hadn't missed so many spot-kicks this season.

Oisin Smyth and James Scott had their penalties saved by Craig Gordon in the shootout on Tuesday night as the Buddies were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Hearts after a draw in 120 minutes.

Mark O'Hara, Greg Kiltie and Toyosi Olusanya have all missed from 12 yards this season, with Robinson's side currently eighth in the top flight having dropped out of the top six at the start of January.

"The penalties in our season, it's probably been a story of missed penalties at the minute, where things could look very, very different, but unfortunately they don't," Robinson said.

"If I knew the answer to it (the penalty issue), I would probably be sitting third in the league and in the next round of the cup."

Despite their cup exit, Robinson refused to criticise his players and remains hopeful they can turn their form around before the split.

He added: "I can't be overly critical of the players, not the ones that took penalties, not anybody that played on the pitch, they gave me everything.

"We now have no choice, we have to turn our focus to trying to kick on in the league, get some results and start building some sort of momentum. There's eight games left before the split.

"We're in a good position, one that we probably didn't envisage being in three years in a row. It's up to us now to make those small margins count."

We asked for your views on St Mirren's Scottish Cup defeat on penalties at home to Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Graham: Unfortunately Stephen Robinson has not been able to spot that Richard Taylor is a liability. Five times he was caught with the ball, the final time leading to Hearts' equaliser. Both Richard Taylor and Toyosi Olusanya are not as good as they think. Time to try some youth.

Douglas: We went toe to toe with a confident Hearts side and we won the first half and they won the second half. Extra time was a non-event. The second handball incident in the Hearts box has been given many times against us, yet they never reviewed it? However, even if it had been a penalty, would we have scored it? In the end, it had a feeling of inevitability!

Anon: Bottled it again. Seems to be a trend at Robinson's Saints. Too many bang-average players in that squad. Should've seen the game out comfortably for the 1-0 win, but the inevitable comedy defending sees us undone again.

William: Saints can send you to despair. How could they have lost this cup tie being so far ahead in the first half and failing to score a second goal. Eventually losing because of poorly taken penalty kicks. Craig Gordon wasn't the hero, we just had two villains!

Eddie: Game should have been finished in the first half. We didn't take our chances. Mikael Mandron was excellent, when he went off Hearts began to come right into the game. However, we move on and now just have to win against Hibs on Sunday. Great to get two youngsters on, they deserve their chance.

Craig Gordon was the Hearts hero, saving twice in a Scottish Cup penalty shootout win over St Mirren in Paisley.

Mikael Mandron gave the hosts a deserved lead during a fierce spell of first-half pressure, poking in from close range as Gordon parried a shot from Mark O'Hara.

Hearts forced extra time when late substitute Calem Nieuwenhof struck with his first touch.

What did you make of the match? Give us your thoughts here., external

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson told BBC Scotland: "It was a tough game, very tight game. We were very good in the first half, probably could have killed the game off.

"We're really disappointed in the goal we conceded, we had two opportunities to clear it and we didn't. It's a scrappy goal to concede.

"It goes to penalties and it's a lottery after that. I believe we should have had a penalty in extra time as well. It's not often I make comments like that but it looked blatant to me. How they don't see it amazes me, it's been numerous times now.

"I can't question the boys' attitude or desire, the people that stepped up to take penalties showed a lot of bravery."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Is Toyosi Olusanya the quickest player in Scotland? The St Mirren forward says he's definitely up there.

The 27-year-old has found the back of the net 11 times in 30 appearances for the Buddies so far this season.

His haul includes seven in the Premiership, two in Europa League qualifying and two in the last round of the Scottish Cup, leaving many a defender floundering in his slip stream.

''I would have to bet on myself," he said when asked if he considered himself the fastest player in the top flight.

"If there was a race between the quickest players I'd probably be in the top three, but I'm not saying who else would be in that. I'd definitely bring home a medal.''

The lightning quick Englishman has shot to prominence for the Buddies this season after a loan spell in Arbroath last term.

The secret of his success this season?

''Fitness, first and foremost," the striker added.

''You need to be on the pitch to be able to play then with that comes confidence, things come more naturally and the repetition of training every day. Doing what you know you're good at and just keep carrying on improving.''

There's no doubt injuries have blighted his career, leaving the flying machine grounded for long periods.

"I was generally on the pitch thinking every time I touched the ball I was going to hurt myself.

"The way I was getting injured wasn't through tackles it was just through movements, the mechanics of my body. I'd turn and hurt myself, I would jump and land and hurt myself.

And it's in Paisley where Toyosi's underlying injury issues have been sorted out.

"I did a lot of work with Gerry Docherty the head of physiotherapy at St Mirren on the mechanics of how I stand and my posture," Olusanya said.

"Obviously I had to take the gym more seriously and had faith that I wasn't going to get injured again."

Olusanya scored twice in the last round of the cup and wants to add to that total against Hearts on Monday night.

''You want to score in every game you play as a striker," he added.

"We know how important the cup is and we know what we can do for ourselves as a club, and if we keep going through the rounds as players it can raise our profile as well.''

"You know, Paisley's a special place, got special people, special fans. There's just always a certain type of feeling, sometimes on the edge it just feels like it's going to go right. Hopefully it's one of those nights again."

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson would like to see the Scottish Premiership extended given how tight the table has become.

There are only five points between Motherwell in sixth and Ross County in 11th. St Mirren are joint on points with Hearts in seventh even though the Edinburgh club are unbeaten in six while the Buddies have lost five of six.

"It could be a referee's decision, it could be a player's mistake or a bit of brilliance that beats you," Robinson said.

"There's not a lot between any of the teams. It keeps the pressure on. It keeps the excitement for fans.

"It also, for me, doesn't make the product as good as it could be because you play under so much pressure.

"At one or two or three games, you're looking over your shoulder. At one or two or three games, you're in the top six. So there's no room to develop at times for the smaller clubs.

"For me, it would have to be a bigger league. It's better for the fans, you get to see different places, you get to see different teams. It adds a bit of variety to it. And, you know, every game isn't a do or die, which it is at this stage.

"It's a real knife edge at the moment where a couple of wins can put you up into the top four and a couple of losses could have you in trouble looking over your shoulder."

The Buddies take a break from league action to host Premiership rivals Hearts in the Scottish Cup fifth round on Monday night, live on BBC Scotland.

"We've actually been better on the road this season, but we've got a home tie. It'll be a full house. It's something we want to embrace," added Robinson.

"Hearts have spent a lot of money to put a really, really good squad together. They've got a very good manager I have a lot of time for. Starting to put a stamp on Hearts as well now, so we have to be at our very best."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has been speaking to BBC Scotland before the Scottish Cup fifth-round tie against Hearts on Monday.

Here are the main points:

• Robinson admits this season has been incredibly challenging, particularly with the demands of European football, but insists they have had to "get used to the whole thing again".

• He admits it was difficult to deal with the off-field issues that saw three players depart the club, but can't fault the players still there for their attitude and resilience during a tough time.

• On signing a new contract in October that runs until summer 2027, the St Mirren boss "puts it all down to the players", adding "they deserve every bit of credit they get".

• Robinson says his squad have "changed the perception" of what the Buddies can achieve in a season from simply surviving to being expected to compete with much bigger teams.

• He believes the league "is on a real knife edge" and although exciting, "it doesn't make the product as good as it could be because you play under so much pressure".

• Robinson favours a bigger league in order to give more teams more of a chance and also give younger players more opportunity.

• On the club's transfer business, Robinson is "very happy" with the players that have been brought in.

• On VAR, the St Mirren boss doesn't think it's reduced the amount of "mistakes" in games and stresses the need for full-time referees.

• "All you ask for in a cup game is a home tie" and Robinson is expecting a full house in Paisley on Monday night when they will have to be at their "very best".

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has called for Scottish officials to become full-time because they "need all the help they can get" to make correct decisions.

The Paisley club this week cited "an accumulation of errors" against them as they sought clarity from the Scottish FA referee's department over the failure to award a penalty for a challenge on Elvis Bwomono in last Saturday's defeat by St Johnstone.

Robinson, whose side host Hearts in the Scottish Cup fifth round on Monday night - live on BBC Scotland - said: "Referees need help. Everybody needs help. We're human. Everybody makes mistakes. That has always been the case in football.

"VAR is meant to help those mistakes but, first and foremost, we need full-time referees.

"We're trying to help these guys. And I think they need all the help they can get in terms of getting the correct decisions, because they're so big and the game's so quick now.

"We want help for referees, they do the very, very best with what they can, and making them full-time, giving them more help with VAR, putting more money into that area is a no-brainer for me.

"In the current format, everybody wants it improved. Every club's had decisions go for them, go against them.

"We just have to have that consistency, especially with VAR. You're never going to change referees making mistakes.

"The game's so quick as such, split-second decisions, but that back-up decision has to be better.

"How do you do that? People doing that on a full-time basis, exposing themselves to decisions every minute of every day in referee training."

We asked for your views on St Mirren's January transfer business.

Here are some of your comments:

Craig: Crying out for a striker, especially given Toyosi Olusanya's contract issue. I think we should have cashed in if he's not for renewing with us. A winger would have been nice also, and happy to get Zach Hemming back as Ellery Balcombe had became a bit of a liability.

Douglas: Hardly overwhelmed, as recent form has shown that the lack of a playmaker who can see a pass and execute it properly is an aspect missing from our tight squad. Hemming's a better goalkeeper than Balcombe, but the lack of a creative spark worries me.

William: Pleased to have Hemming return to us but disappointing that Lewis Jamieson and Kieran Offord departed. Another year at least and they would have been highly sellable but been around to strengthen the squad. I hope we can allow Evan Mooney to stay with us and develop into the mature player he will be. It will be very important to support Stephen Robinson.

Anon: Mixed. Spent huge money on one untried 21-year-old and brought in another journeyman while not promoting from the ranks. What's the point in producing talent and then selling it for tuppence?

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

This morning I lost my specs. Not ideal when you're getting ready to host the Scottish football podcast and can't read the producer's instructions.

I hunted high and low for them, while trying not to wake anyone else in the house. It was 5.30am after all.

In the course of my search I found £1.60 down the side of an armchair. As I pocketed the coins, I thought, 'That's a bit like St Mirren's season.'

You lose four games on the spin then find a way to win away to Aberdeen. Or you lose four in a row then find yourselves on a four-match unbeaten run.

You just never know what's going to turn up. Unfortunately you can't find consistency down the side of the sofa.

It's been an erratic season, full of highs: European football, beating Rangers, and winning away to Aberdeen and Hibs, and lows: Three court cases and three players leaving the club, missing a heap of penalty kicks, being on the end of some 'controversial' refereeing decisions and losing at home to St Johnstone, Motherwell, Dundee and Dundee United (twice).

On one hand you could say if the penalties had been scored and a few decisions had been more benign, St Mirren would be comfortably in the top six.

On the other you could say, if the Buddies could find a way to break down obdurate defences at home and convert more chances they'd be much further up the table.

But, like my glasses, a wee bit of creativity has been missing in those games.

On paper Monday night's Scottish Cup tie against in-form Hearts looks a tough one, but maybe the rejuvenated Jambos with their attack-minded style will suit St Mirren, who with the pace of Toyosi Olusanya seem to thrive on the counter. We'll see. You kind of have to expect the unexpected with St Mirren this season.

So I'm predicting a winner from the penalty spot after a 'soft' award and subsequent VAR recommended on-field review. Stranger things have happened this season.

PS. Yes, I eventually found my specs.

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Ryan Alebiosu is keen and ready to repay Stephen Robinson's faith in him as the manager finally captured his signature at St Mirren.

The defender has long caught the eye of Robinson and such interest from his boss fuels the 23-year-old's confidence.

"The gaffer has been keeping an eye on me for a while and has tried to get me in in the past," Alebiosu said after agreeing a loan move from Belgian Pro League side K.V. Kortrijk on deadline day.

"It obviously didn't work out previously, but knowing he wants me here really gives me confidence. I want to give my all for him and show what I can do.

"There is a good bunch of players, good lads and a good environment. I can't wait to get started."

Alebiosu is no stranger to Scottish football, having spent time at Kilmarnock in 2022-23, but he assures he's better prepared for the physicality of the game this time around.

"Scottish football is more physical and that's what I experienced before when I was younger at Kilmarnock," he told club media.

"I've had more experience since then so I just can't wait to kick on and get myself ready."

With the transfer window now closed, how do you feel about St Mirren's January business?

The Buddies secured a loan deal for Kortrijk defender Ryan Alebiosu on deadline day, adding to the arrival of strirker Owen Oseni and loan goalkeeper Zach Hemming.

Experienced defender Charles Dunne departed and forwards Lewis Jamieson and Kieran Offord were sold while goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe's loan has ended.

So, are Saints in good shape for the pursuit of a top-six finish or have they left themselves short?

Have your say on St Mirren's transfer business., external

Craig Devine
Fan writer

In the aftermath of Saturday's 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone, the St Mirren hierarchy released a rare entry into the SPFL statement league.

It decried the VAR team's decision not to send referee Dan MacFarlane over to the monitor after Drey Wright brought down Elvis Bwomono with what looked clear trip on the Saints wing-back.

To be honest, it's hard not to feel somewhat hard done by this season, with regular refereeing oversights feeling like they are now starting to stack up.

That last sentence is one which could apply to most, if not all, clubs in the top flight this campaign, though, with most weekends resulting in at least one big talking point on the officiating front.

However, controversy aside, no amount of asterisks next to dropped points can quite cover up the fact that St Mirren have struggled to achieve any real consistency this season.

Victories against Rangers and Aberdeen offset by defeats to St Johnstone, Ross County and Motherwell have led to the Buddies occupying eighth place in a league where any one of six or seven sides could just as easily finish in a European spot as a relegation play-off.

By no means whatsoever are we close to panic stations for the season overall. This one wouldn't even get an honourable mention on a top 10 list of bad ones in recent memory if the league were to end today.

On the transfer window front, Saints opted to bring in defensive reinforcement with a late loan move for Ryan Alebiosu, the KV Kortrijk man being somewhat familiar to the Paisley faithful from his spell at Kilmarnock.

Numerous thirsty fans will have spent the final minutes of the window refreshing St Mirren's X feed waiting for any further new faces, with the side still feeling one or two bodies light leading into the final third of the campaign.

Still, in Stephen Robinson we trust, and if the man who has steered the club to consecutive top-six finishes believes in the current squad now being deep enough to get us across the line, who are we to doubt him?

Craig Devine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

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St Mirren missed out on the loan signing of Celtic forward Johnny Kenny, 21, on transfer deadline day. (Sun), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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St Mirren have signed right-back Ryan Alebiosu on loan from Belgian side K.V. Kortrijk until the end of the season.

The 23-year-old began his career with Arsenal and turned professional with the Gunners back in 2020 before a loan spell with Crewe Alexandra in the 2021/22 season.

Alebisou also has experience of Scottish football having spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Kilmarnock where he made 29 appearances across all competitions.

"It's important that we got someone in at the right-side of the pitch," manager Stephen Robinson said.

"We tried to get him previously when he was at Arsenal. It's a chance for him to put himself in the shop window and for us to benefit from a different type of right-sided player in certain games.

"He has experienced the league before. It was important to get someone who knows the league. It can be a shock to people's system sometimes and it can surprise people. Ryan has experienced it before with Kilmarnock and he went abroad for a different experience."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

St Mirren would like to add one or two new signings on deadline day, but no deals are imminent in Paisley. If any business does take place, it will be late in the day.

They are likely to be shopping in the loan market, and any incomings are not reliant on any players leaving the club.

Frustrated St Mirren are to lead the call for a total revamp of VAR in the Premiership and want to see it taken out of the hands of the Scottish FA and run by an independent body. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

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Coleraine have announced the signing of defender Charles Dunne pending international clearance.

The 31-year-old joins the Irish Premiership club from St Mirren, where he made almost 100 appearances for the Paisley-based outfit.

A London native, Dunne started his career at Wycombe Wanderers and after a loan spell at Staines Town, joined Blackpool on a permanent basis in 2013.

Dunne had further spells on loan at Wycombe Wanderers and Crawley Town before joining Oldham Athletic, for who he played 18 times.

The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international then moved to Motherwell, playing in the 2017 Scottish League Cup and 2018 Scottish Cup finals.

After a four-year stay at Fir Park, Dunne went on to play for St Mirren.

Speaking about the signing of Dunne, Coleraine head coach Dean Shiels said: "Centre back is a position we have been looking to add experience to help the younger players.

"Charles is a commanding centre-back who has played at a really high level this season in the Scottish Premiership. He also possesses the experience to organise and communicate.

"He is good in possession and is very quick, which are great qualities to have."

The signing of Dunne comes hot on the heels of the arrival of striker Declan McManus from Welsh side TNS on Friday.

The Bannsiders have also added Levi Ives, Paddy Burns and Ronan Doherty to their ranks during the transfer window.

Watch the Sportscene panel discuss Greg Kiltie's disallowed goal in St Mirren's 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone.