St Mirren

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

Image source, SNS

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.

Share your views

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

Imagine, if you will, an alternate universe. Down is up. Cats living with dogs. Mass hysteria.

In this dimension, Newton's laws are reversed; for every reaction, there is an equal action. Nails hit hammers, locks open keys.

Now that you've got your bearings in this richly-described dystopia, perhaps you can tell me why Toyosi Olusanya received a second yellow card from Grant Irvine at Fir Park on Saturday.

Righteous anger is all well and good, but there are only so many times Sportscene and KMI panel unanimity can be broadcast in your direction before it stops feeling vindicating - and starts feeling like your life is being filmed as the subject of some Truman Show rip-off.

Assuming that, at some point soon, we'll have the privilege of Willie Collum on YouTube letting us know it wasn't a yellow card or even a foul, I'm going to have to take steps to ensure I don't then march out into the street with an open cagoule and start telling all my neighbours they've turned the refs against us.

Talking about the rest of the game feels somewhat daft, but I'll soldier on in order to keep up appearances.

The Saints opened up a deserved two-goal lead, both from reasonable range at the feet of central midfielders, and finally looked to be forging a resounding victory over a side of similar fortunes this season.

Killian Phillips, in particular, can be very proud of his acrobatic effort. Already popular for his relentless pressing and physical commitment, his increasing goal contribution gives plenty of cause for optimism when his move turns permanent in the summer.

However, in an all too familiar pattern, the opposition were allowed back in almost instantly and that deficit was halved by a similarly impressive Callum Slattery strike before half-time. Slattery was given the freedom of Lanarkshire once again in the second half and the Buddies were clawed back to level terms, where the scoreline stayed.

Manager, players and fans alike have every right to complain about the second yellow for Olusanya.

A bit more introspection is probably required as to why a two-goal lead was surrendered and no points have been taken from a pair of eminently winnable games at Fir Park this season.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Watch as the Sportscene team analyse St Mirren striker Toyosi Olusanya's sending off at Motherwell. (UK only)

Watch all the action from Motherwell's dramatic 2-2 draw with St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

Available to UK users only.

St Mirren fans, we asked for your views on Saturday's 2-2 draw with Motherwell.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Douglas: It showed what's good about Scottish football, both sides played with skill on the ball, and sometimes a helter-skelter approach to play. On the other hand, it also showed the inconsistent side of refereeing and while I thought he had an ok game overall, his sending off decision was definitely wrong. However we saw out the game with 10 men, just!

Huey: Another week, another shocking refereeing decision against us. The review panel apologises to us on a regular basis but that doesn't give us back the points we've lost. It's cost us top six.

Scott: For the umpteenth time this season St Mirren have been absolutely done by the match officials. It was never a foul never mind a card and Toyosi Olusanya's first yellow was him reacting after his hair was pulled. What's the point of officials and VAR if they can't get calls like this right.

Image source, SNS

• St. Mirren have failed to win in their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer winless streak was from 29 December 2024 to 11 January 2025, a run of four games.

• Motherwell are undefeated in their last three games in the Premiership, their last joint longest unbeaten streak was from 7 December 2024 to 20 December 2024.

• St. Mirren have scored in their last four games in the Premiership, scoring seven goals in that run, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of four games from 14 December 2024 to 29 December 2024.

• Stephen O'Donnell attempted 80 passes in this game, the highest total for a Motherwell player in the Premiership this season.

Image source, SNS

Motherwell and St Mirren continued their battle for a top six spot as they played out a 2-2 draw at Fir Park on Saturday.

You can catch all the highlights from the Premiership clash over on BBC iPlayer, or by following this link.

St Mirren fans, what did you make of a gripping 2-2 draw at Fir Park?

Have your say on an end-to-end contest here., external

Image source, SNS

St Mirren's forwards had an influential role in handing them a 2-0 lead at Fir Park.

Though Toyosi Olusanya was ultimately shown a second yellow, his running power and relentlessness, coupled to Jonah Ayunga's aerial ability and finesse, made for a dangerous combination.

Alex Gogic, as usual, typified the steel with which this team has been infused under Stephen Robinson.

Playing at the heart of central defence, Gogic has the speed and game awareness to snuff out opportunities and was a key threat in the Motherwell box from set-pieces.

Image source, SNS

In some senses, this was a clash of styles. Where Motherwell relied on the intricacy and accuracy of their passing game, St Mirren looked to spring their explosive frontmen early and often.

Shorn of the injured Mikael Mandron, Jonah Ayunga was deployed alongside Olusanya, and the two were a potent cocktail of pace, panache and skill.

Ayunga bossed the aerial exchanges and showed flashes of class with his link-up play, often looking to introduce the energetic Ryan Alebiosu down the right flank.

Olusanya, linked with Rangers this week, has the raw speed and all-action style to fluster defences. He also plays with full-blooded dynamism.

Irvine clearly saw the speed of the challenge and the damage wrought upon Casey, but a second yellow seemed harsh on the striker.

It was a telling combination, if not quite a winning one.

Image source, SNS

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson insists there is no pressure on his players as they chase a third successive top-half Premiership finish.

The Buddies are ninth in the table with four matches until the split, but only trail Motherwell in sixth by three points.

St Mirren go to Fir Park on Saturday before matches against Kilmarnock, Dundee and Ross County - all teams in the bottom half.

Despite those favourable fixtures, Robinson says they are unburdened by the prospect of making history.

"Our goal every season should be to stay in the Premiership, that should be our top goal, and success is staying in the Premiership," he said.

"Nothing has changed because we've got two top-sixes in a row. People have to remember it was 40 years before that happened, and we've done it twice in a row.

"Doing that more often than the 40-year period is the long-term aim of the football club of course, so we're under no pressure.

"The teams that put the millions into the club and have big individual backers are under the biggest pressure.

"We can go and enjoy the game, enjoy playing the way we do, and we'll play with everything and give absolutely everything to make sure we are a top-six side three years in a row, but we can play without fear, we're not the ones under pressure."

Image source, SNS

Motherwell have lost striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos to a broken wrist just as he was set to return from a calf injury.

Stephen O'Donnell returns and Marvin Kaleta is pushing for fitness, while Aston Oxborough will play a bounce game next week.

Shane Blaney, Sam Nicholson (both knee), Jack Vale (Achilles), Steve Seddon (ankle), Ross Callachan (hamstring), Paul McGinn (thigh), Zach Robinson (Achilles) and Archie Mair (hand) remain out.

St Mirren striker Mikael Mandron has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a knee problem, while Evan Mooney will miss the rest of the season after having ankle surgery.

Alex Iacovitti is set to return after a hamstring problem, but Conor McMenamin is still out.

Image source, SNS

St Mirren have been dealt an injury blow with Mikael Mandron ruled out for up to four weeks because of a medial knee ligament injury.

The French striker, who has netted five in his past seven games, was forced off in the 5-2 defeat to Celtic at the start of the month and is now set to miss the Buddies' four remaining pre-split games.

Midfielder Evan Mooney, 17, has undergone ankle surgery and won't play again this season, but defender Alex Iacovitti is set to return to the squad for Saturday's trip to face Motherwell and Conor McMenamin is expected to be fit after the international break.

Image source, SNS

• Motherwell have won both of their two league meetings with St Mirren this season, last winning three in a row against the Buddies in April 2015.

• St Mirren have only won one of their last seven away league games at Fir Park (D2 L4), a 1-0 victory in September 2023.

• Motherwell are looking to win three successive league games for the first time since September 2023 under Stuart Kettlewell.

• Although St Mirren have only won two of their last 10 league matches (D1 L7), both of those wins have come away from home (Aberdeen in January and Rangers in February).

• A league-high 65% of Motherwell's goals in the Premiership this season have been scored in the first half of games (22-34). On the other hand, St Mirren have conceded the lowest ratio in first halves of any side in the division this term at 36 per cent (17/47).

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

With no senior football to take in last weekend, a bumper crowd shuffled into the main stand at the SMISA Stadium on Monday evening to support the Saints' Under-18s in their Scottish Youth Cup semi-final against Dundee.

The young Buddies have garnered much positivity this season, well deserved, for their style of play and a succession of big results.

In this competition alone, big wins over Alloa, Caledonian Braves and Hearts had fans dreaming of silverware on top of the usual hopes and dreams for the first team's production line. Bringing the side into the club's stadium for the home ties in that list has been very well received.

Recent graduations to senior appearances by starting right wing-back Callum Penman, now loaned to Arbroath, and Evan Mooney have brought increased attention - though neither have then been available for the cup's latter stages.

This age group, if not for their own success, may also have had exciting winger Ethan Sutherland (now at Wolves) and rated centre-half Murray Campbell (now at Burnley) to call upon.

The return to St Mirren of Stephen McGinn as Under-18s coach has felt to many like a homecoming. There is an argument that the McGinn family are to St Mirren as ravens are to the Tower of London. There should always be at least one on the payroll.

The notion his leadership of this promising age group is akin to an apprenticeship does not feel ridiculous to suggest.

On the night, however, it wasn't meant to be. Two goals from Mikey Hunter, the second a stunning strike from range, booked Dundee's ticket to the final and rightly so.

More than 1,000 Buddies gave the young team their full encouragement, including the presence of the Northbank section responsible for so much of the noise on senior matchdays.

In prospects such as Struan Thompson, Jack Barr and Thomas Falconer, there is every chance they'll be seeing a lot more of the club's young talent on your average Saturday afternoon in the same stadium.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

St Mirren should have been awarded a penalty in last Saturday's league loss to Celtic, says Scottish FA head of refereeing Willie Collum.

Alistair Johnston was ruled to have challenged Roland Idowu fairly as the visitors led 3-2, with the Premiership leaders going on to win 5-2.

in the SFA's latest edition of The VAR Review, Collum said: "For us, this is a penalty kick. This is a reckless challenge.

"The outcome here should have been penalty kick and yellow card."

However, Collum felt Killian Phillips should have been sent off against Hearts in St Mirren's Premiership defeat on 26 February.

The midfielder was initially red carded for an elbow on Jamie McCart, but the on-field decision was downgraded to a yellow on review.

Collum believed Phillips' challenge merited a red, even though it was not an elbow.

After back-to-back league defeats, St Mirren sit ninth in the Scottish Premiership table, three points behind Motherwell in sixth.

With the split fast approaching, the Buddies are solely focused on climbing the league table and attempting to secure another top-six finish.

You know your club best, so what is the one thing regarding St Mirren - good or bad - nobody is talking about?

Let us know., external

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

Such is the degree of VAR-driven woe blasted in the direction of St Mirren fans this season, I would now accept as fact the suggestion we are the targets of some SFA-backed Punk'd revival. See also: Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Beadle's About, Noel's House Party or the shortlived Rio's World Cup Wind-Ups - depending on your personal vintage.

Let's get the formalities out the way - Celtic scored five and Hearts scored three. Fair enough. There shall be no rewriting of history by this petulant keyboard warrior.

Toyosi Olusanya had a few golden chances he should have put away. Ryan Alebiosu conceded a clumsy penalty. Richard Taylor didn't have his best Wednesday night. Killian Phillips, on another night, might not have received the benefit of doubt when his Edinburgh red card was overturned.

On both nights, the Buddies showed plenty of what they're capable of before ultimately falling away in the last half hour or so.

Entire seasons for clubs like St Mirren are decided on fine margins, whether that be routinely collecting single-goal victories or falling to the odd goal in tight contests.

For what feels like the 10th time this season, the weekend is over and most Saints fans are awaiting the tedious punchline of KMI panel consensus on another possibly game-changing error or omission.

The Buddies have made their way through a four-game stretch against Edinburgh and Glasgow opposition, with an unexpected win at Ibrox (insert your own quip here about Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson etc) their sole reward. A precarious sixth-place standing has turned to ninth-placed nervousness, equally close to third as 12th.

What lies ahead now is, to put it simply, season defining. Four consecutive games to take us to the split, all against opposition of similar position, station or frustration to ourselves.

Wrestling a near full complement of points from these fixtures could still see an unlikely third top-half finish be delivered. Any less, and handing those points to the teams around us in the quagmire, could lead to a relatively nervous run-in.

In this topsy-turvy campaign of unexpected drama and repeated hard knocks, preventing that nervy run-in would undoubtedly count as a job well done.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external