St Mirren

George O'Neill
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Stephen Robinson spoke about how his side had nothing to fear from Aberdeen, despite their superb record, and his players played that way in the first half.

They made life uncomfortable for the visitors, pressing high, forcing Dimitar Mitov into a couple of nervy clearances and almost scoring through Conor McMenamin and Scott Tanser in the opening stages.

It got the home fans behind them and the buoyant mood in the stands was only boosted when Toyosi Olusanya opened the scoring.

The striker showed what he's all about from the off, leading the press and generally being a nuisance. The yard of pace and composure he showed for the goal were that of a top centre-forward.

Much is made of St Mirren's defensive solidity under Robinson, but they played some lovely football as well, despite conceding the majority of possession.

Even when Aberdeen levelled, they did not panic and on another day they would have found the winner before Richard Taylor's header, with McMenamin spurning a number of quality chances.

The nature of the performance was reflected by the number of fans who stayed after full-time to applaud the players from the park.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "We've had some really good performances and results in the last five games and that reflects in doing the simple things well. I thought we were very good today, very organised but created a lot of chances and good on the counter-attack.

"Considering the form Aberdeen have been in, it has to be classed as a very good performance.

"We were unfortunate not to be two or three goals up, Conor [McMenamin] probably could have had a hat-trick on another evening.

"We didn't start well enough in the second half, but we weathered that and came back strong.

"We've had our blip, four or five games where we didn't play well. We had injuries and off-field problems, so we're starting to come through that. The league is so tight so no reason we can't [finish in the top six]."

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St Mirren: Balcombe, Bwomono, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor, Tanser, Phillips, O'Hara, McMenamin, Kiltie, Olusanya.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Kenny, John,Penman, Smyth, Idowu, Scott, Ayunga, Mandron.

Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, Rubezic, Molloy, MacKenzie, Shinnie, Nilsen, Morris, Clarkson, McGrath, Sokler.

Substitutes: Doohan, Polvara, Nisbet, Duk, McGarry, Besuijen, Palaversa, Milne, Keskinen.

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Recent St Mirren signing Declan John could be in the squad for the first time. Defenders Charles Dunne and Alex Iacovitti are still out with hamstring injuries but midfielder Caolan Boyd-Munce could return after missing the win at Hibs before the break.

Aberdeen midfielder Dante Polvara is back in the squad after a lengthy hamstring lay-off but Angus MacDonald drops out with a minor injury. Pape Habib Gueye (quad) remains out.

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Stephen Robinson admits St Mirren are fighting a losing battle in trying to persuade Toyosi Olusanya and Richard Taylor to sign new deals.

The pair are out of contract next summer and striker Olusanya was offered a deal in October that would make him one of the club's highest ever earners.

Both he and defender Taylor have since been offered improved terms but no agreement has been reached.

"No, there's been no progress on that at the moment," said manager Robinson.

"We've made further offers to both players, but it looks at this moment in time that we probably won't be able to come to an agreement, which we respect.

"We know both boys will give absolutely everything. We won't give up. We're still very early.

"We'll see where we are come the end of January, if we can go any further than that, but they're very good offers for the football club so I'm not sure we can."

Robinson says the club have "drawn a line" under a turbulent period in which Kevin van Veen, Shaun Rooney and Jaden Brown all had their contracts terminated on the back of separate criminal proceedings.

"It was a situation nobody wanted to be in and it was a tough period," he added.

"We were a small squad and then we were reduced by another three players, first-team players, not boys on the outskirts of things. It's tough to deal with, but the squad have adapted to that."

New left-back Declan John could make his debut against Aberdeen on Saturday and Robinson is eyeing further reinforcements in January.

"We've got people in mind, people we've spoken to," he said. "Obviously we're trying to build that squad back up again after the loss of three players."

We asked you what's the one thing nobody is talking about in relation to St Mirren - good or bad.

Here's what some of you said:

William: The very thing fans don't want is a relegation fight. It can be demoralising and creates an uncertainty for the players. The Championship is very competitive and a difficult league to escape from, let alone win any prizes.

Anon: I think it is a credit to St Mirren that rather than punt their manager when the going got tough, they extended his contract. Very refreshing. And considering the non-football issues we have had. The management team and board have taken correct, if tough, decisions on all of them. Very proud of my local team.

Huey: Steven Robinson is the unsung hero that has guided us through a difficult period. He's had to deal with injuries to key players, two important new signings leaving the club due to personal legal issues and navigating his side through a dip in form. He hasn't made any excuses and has stayed positive throughout. We're lucky to have him at Saints.

Jim: After the European journeys I think St Mirren are just about getting back to last year's form. The big test is Saturday and the performance against Aberdeen who are a challenge for most teams in Scotland. The return to fitness of some of our major players should make this a Christmas cracker. A victory would set us up for the rest of the season.

Douglas: The good is all down to Robinson. He is working a miracle at the Buddies. Problems with troublesome players (now left ) and still managing a really good Saints side. CEO Keith Lasley plus vice-chairman Jim Gillespie are also working wonders off the park. Saints are in safe hands.

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• St Mirren are unbeaten in eight home league games against Aberdeen (W5 D3) since a 2-1 defeat in December 2018 under Oran Kearney.

• After their 3-1 win in August, Aberdeen could defeat St Mirren twice in a row in the league for the first time since December 2018, when they won four on the bounce.

• St Mirren have won two of their last three league games (D1), as many as their first 10 of the season before this (W2 D2 L6). The Buddies are looking to win back-to-back Scottish Premiership matches for the first time since February last season.

• Aberdeen have won 10 of their 11 league games this season (D1); it took the Dons 35 league matches to reach 10 wins last term.

• No side are on a longer ongoing unbeaten run in the Scottish Premiership than Aberdeen (20, level with Celtic). Aberdeen and Celtic's current such runs are the longest without defeat by any side in the competition since Celtic went 27 without losing from October 2022 to May 2023.

It's been an eventful season so far for St Mirren on and off the pitch.

There's been a long-awaited return to European football and the departure of three players following criminal proceedings, plus the chase for another top-six spot.

But what is the one thing nobody is talking about in relation to St Mirren - good or bad?

Let us know., external

Jamie Cockburn
Fan writer

During the last international break, I wrote about how we had no reason to worry and the best was yet to come. We then immediately lost 4-0 to Hearts, giving them their first league win of the season.

Thankfully the following week we returned to a familiar formation and faith was restored. I mean we still lost 2-1 to Rangers, but there was a bite that was missing from many of our performances, and we saw the return of Conor McMenamin, making his first appearance of the season coming off the bench.

The shape was there, there was an idea, the players looked like they knew what they were doing, and that was clear to be seen with a 3-1 win over St Johnstone just three days later. A 0-0 against Ross County was unfortunate but hey, our first clean sheet since the opening game of the season.

McMenamin then showed us what we have been missing, scoring two goals in his first start of the season when we took on Hibs, and Ellery Balcombe saved a penalty, boosting his much-needed confidence.

Seven points from the last three games all taking place in the space of a week, with players hitting form at the right time, the triumphant return of McMenamin and the international break for us to catch our breath, is this the perfect time for us to be facing Aberdeen?

This season's Aberdeen fairytale has been a joy to watch. There isn't a non-Old Firm fan that doesn't want to see a team outside the big two challenge for the title. Despite this, I do really believe we will be the first team to beat them in the league this season.

When we are at our best, and we are at home, I reckon we can take on anyone in this league.

In past seasons we have had some memorable performances in Paisley against the Dandy Dons, and I can see us winning here by a couple of goals.

Hey, I was proven correct during the last international break, therefore making me a genius, and I believe I will be right again.

Jamie Cockburn can be found at Misery Hunters, external

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Despite juggling European football for the first time in 37 years, St Mirren have continued their steady Scottish Premiership form under Stephen Robinson.

After 13 games, the Buddies sit pretty in sixth, which was aided by an important seven-point takeaway from their three games before the international break.

In their last, a win at Easter Road, it was the return of wide man Conor McMenamin. Someone who suits St Mirren's style of play to a tee.

From the 17 goals they've scored in the league this season, 12 have come from open play.

Scott Tanser has notched up 13 successful crosses, only Kilmarnock's Matty Kennedy has more, while Marcus Fraser has 11 of his own.

However, of the 22 goals the Buddies have conceded, 13 have come from open play too.

After a promising start, goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe has struggled with saves, and has the poorest save percentage of any goalkeeper to play 11 or more games (55.1%).

Switching on a little at the back and becoming alert to their own strengths would boost their bid for yet another top-six finish.

Image source, Getty Images

Motherwell's Tawanda Maswanhise and St Mirren's Jonah Ayunga netted their first senior international goals in Zimbabwe's 1-1 draw with Kenya.

The sides met in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and Ayunga's second half goal cancelled out Maswanhise's first half opener.

Zimbabwe international Maswanhise got his first start for his county on Friday night and topped it off with his first senior goal for the African side.

Ayunga also netted his first senior goal for national side Kenya.

The striker earned just three senior caps before his start and goal on Friday night.

BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your questions on St Mirren.

Eddie asked: Tom, where will the Buddies finish this season?

Tom answered: I like manager Stephen Robinson a lot. My numbers tell me they're seven points down on where they were this time last season. They have scored fewer goals and have conceded a few more.

I still don't think they're going to be far away from sixth. They're one of maybe four clubs that are going to be nip and tuck for fifth and sixth place.

I'm certain it'll come down to a fine margin. And it could be refereeing decisions, it could be injuries. Are they lucky or unlucky? It could be in January that you just find somebody. One person that makes a difference, whether it's a goalscorer, whether it's a defender. There are desperately fine margins between a number of these clubs.

But what they all have in common for me is they've got good managers who know their way around this league. And that's what makes it pretty compelling.

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Manager Stephen Robinson says St Mirren are "lucky" to have landed former Rangers left-back Declan John.

The 29-year-old Wales international, who spent last season on loan at Salford City and was released by Bolton in the summer, has signed a deal in Paisley until January.

He arrives to fill the defensive void left by Jaden Brown's departure.

"Declan is here on a short-term deal with a view to extending depending on how it goes," said Robinson.

"The circumstances we find ourselves in means we're very short of defence cover. Declan comes in with a vast amount of experience. He's played at some very high levels and obviously been up in Scotland before as well so we're very lucky that we've been able to get him in.

"We've seen his quality in his first couple of days in training. He's a talented boy, is very good technically but he hasn't played a lot of football in recent months so that’s something we need to look at and try to get him up to speed.

"To add to the squad with the quality and background Declan has, I believe we are very lucky at this stage of the season."

John was delighted to secure a deal with Saints after a "crazy" few days.

"I came up on Thursday, trained on Friday and went to watch the game on Saturday which was a great win for the boys," he said.

"I've enjoyed it and I'm really looking forward to getting back into training.

"From walking in, everything has been so positive and you can feel that in the changing room. It feels like a really good place to be."

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

Don't call it a comeback, but the return of the Mc defined all that was good about St Mirren on Saturday as they once again wrestled three points from Easter Road.

Making his first start since the final day of last season, Conor McMenamin could have been forgiven for a bit of rustiness and a gradual return to his goal-getting best.

In all honesty, owing to both injuries and form in his debut Scottish season, this was a best that Saints fans had mostly seen in YouTube compilations prior to his touching down in Paisley.

By the end of last season, this impact was beginning to show on a more regular basis before defeat was finally admitted on a knee issue that had troubled the Northern Irishman throughout most of the campaign.

Hitting this challenge head on should hopefully free up the popular winger to recapture this kind of momentum, but did come at the expense of participating in the European rewards for last season.

Two first-half goals, taken in expert fashion, on Saturday give a glimpse of what the direct, intelligent running of McMenamin can produce and hopefully will deliver again in the weeks and months to come.

Ever-present he may be, but Saturday's win could also be framed as a comeback for loanee goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe. Occasionally vulnerable from corners and pressured in his kicking, the Brentford man had seemed to be carrying the world on his shoulders in recent weeks.

By the close on Saturday, Balcombe was being pushed forward by his team-mates to receive solo acclaim for his starring role in a frantic victory. From open play, bravery and anticipation had the keeper out at the feet of attackers on multiple occasions.

The headline-grabbing moment, however, came from the spot. Punished for a Mark O'Hara challenge (pretend you saw me mime inverted commas in the style of Dr Evil when reading the word challenge), a theatrical Martin Boyle had his chance to nestle one home from 12 yards.

There may well have been harder, neater and better penalties up and down the country on Saturday, but you can only save what's in front of you. And save it, Balcombe did.

Getting down quickly and confidently, the Saints number one swallowed up the effort and kept the Buddies in a two-goal advantage that proved essential by the end of injury time.

Seven points from a key three-game stretch against bottom-half sides now in the pocket, it's Jimmy Thelin's granite juggernaut next for an improving Saints.

With a fit and firing winger and revitalised keeper on the teamsheet, watch this space.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Sportscene pundit Neil McCann lauds St Mirren's "aggressive" attacking set-up in the 2-1 victory over St Mirren that hoisted Stephen Robinson's men into the top six.

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St Mirren's Conor McMenamin credited his goalscoring heroics against Hibernian to his eight-year-old daughter Daisy, who was watching him from the stands.

The Northern Ireland international has only just returned from injury after knee surgery over the summer, and celebrated his comeback with two goals in Saturday's 2-1 win at Easter Road.

"It's the perfect return to the starting eleven and the weekend couldn't have gone much better," McMenamin told club media. "I had my wee girl over for the first time this year and it's a weekend I won't forget.

"Every time she's here, I have a funny feeling I'll score or do something for her. I'll have to ask her mum if she can come back every week at this rate! My mum was there as well to have her here was special. Most importantly, we got three points."

It was an impressive performance from a Buddies side high in confidence, although Hibs almost clawed a point back with a last-minute goal that was eventually ruled out for offside.

"In the attacking areas, we want to add goals to our games and that's something that I needed to improve on," McMenamin added. "I spoke to the gaffer before the surgery and it's something we wanted to target. To come back and score two on my return, I'm really happy.

"We could've been out of sight before Hibs got the first one, but the momentum of football is crazy. It was a crazy second half, anything could have happened.

"The players have set high standards at this club and although we had a sluggish start to the campaign, the last few weeks have been really positive."

St Mirren threatened to blow Hibernian away in the first-half at Easter Road, and that was largely down to the contributions of the two players I've picked.

Killian Phillips, the former Crystal Palace man, was a big presence in the St Mirren midfield. Shrewd business again from Stephen Robinson.

On the wing, Conor McMenamin starred on his return. Two goals, what more can you say. A stellar first-half performance, and a reminder of how good the Northern Irishman can be on his day.

What would you like to ask Tom English about St Mirren?

Our chief sportswriter is in the hotseat ready to answer your questions and offer his insight and opinion on your club.

Answers will be provided on Tuesday’s episode of the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast and on this page later in the week.

Put your questions to Tom here., external

Watch highlights of Hibernian's 2-1 defeat against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

(Available to UK audiences only)

We asked for your views on St Mirren's 2-1 win against Hibernian.

Here's what some of you said:

Huey: Saints haven't had it easy recently, with injuries to key players, decisions going against us on the field and the unforeseen departure of two new signings. However, over the last few weeks we've started to resemble the team who did so well last season. Special mention to the indefatigable Stephen Robinson for steering us through a difficult period.

Ian: Well done the Saints and Conor McMenamin. A solid performance despite late tiredness in added time. Still not convinced with the handball rule. Glad to see Martin Boyle thwarted. Well done lads a big three points that takes a bit of pressure off. Killian Phillips was man of the match for me.

Jim: Let's not get carried away, this was a result against a team who are bottom and leak goals. The St Mirren display still shows a tendency to hit long balls for the forward to chase. The substitutes contributed very little and we managed to get the result we probably deserved. We will meet a lot of better sides than this.

Alistair: A squeaky bum moment at the end can’t take the gloss off what was a great performance against a poor side. Special mention to Killian Phillips and Ellery Balcombe, both were terrific and can go into the break brimming with confidence for a busy schedule ahead.

Image source, SNS

• Hibernian have scored five goals via substitutes in the Premiership this season, only Aberdeen (six) have scored more.

• Hibernian attempted 502 passes in this game, their highest total in a single match in the Premiership this season.

• Hibernian have scored in their last six Premiership home games.

• St Mirren have conceded two penalties in the Premiership this season, only Kilmarnock (three) and Hearts (three) have conceded more.

Image source, SNS

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "I thought first half we were absolutely terrific. We learnt our lesson from Hearts, we went and we sat off too much, but we were really aggressive with our press.

"Some of our football in the first half was excellent. We hit the crossbar to make it 3-0 and the game's over. We didn't finish it off and then we had to show real character and defend for our lives. And we were quietly confident the goal would be disallowed because we'd seen the replay [and] he was right in front of the goalkeeper, but you never know.

"So thankfully, we had a little bit of luck on our side for the first time in a long time, and I thought we thoroughly deserved our victory.

"But look, with the players I've got here and the energy levels, sometimes when we don't play quite so well as we can, there's never a doubt about attitude and application and the energy and the fight, if I was a St Mirren fan to watch that, I'd be so proud."