St Mirren

St Mirren want to seal another loan for Celtic midfielder Kwon Hyeok-kyu. (Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Tuesday's gossip.

Ross County's Will Nightingale remains out while Scott Allardice, Jack Baldwin, Connor Randall and Dylan Smith have missed recent games.

Midfielder Ross Callachan was due to return to full training on Monday.

St Mirren are boosted by the return of captain and midfielder Mark O'Hara while forward Conor McMenamin could make the bench.

Full-back Ryan Strain has been nearing fitness but is likely to miss out again.

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

• The home side has won each of the last six Scottish Premiership meetings between Ross County and St Mirren, with the Staggies currently on their best ever winning run at home against the Saints in the top-flight (three wins).

• St Mirren have won seven of their last 11 league games against Ross County (D1 L3), and following a 2-0 win in their most recent meeting in December, are looking to keep back-to-back league clean sheets against the Staggies for the first time since February 2021.

• Ross County have only won two of their last 11 midweek Scottish Premiership games (D5 L4), although one of those was a 1-0 victory at home to St Mirren in November.

• St Mirren lost six straight away games in the league prior to Christmas, but have since won two of three league matches on the road, with both wins coming by a 3-0 scoreline (against Aberdeen and Hibs).

• Jordan White has scored in three of his five previous home games for Ross County against St Mirren, including both of his last two, and the winner in this exact fixture in November.

Image source, BBC/SNS

Of course, the final say in the race for Europe all depends on where the Scottish Cup winds up at the end of the season.

In terms of the league table, however, I would definitely expect Kilmarnock and St Mirren to be finishing fourth and fifth.

The only way I can see them being knocked off their perch is if there’s a dramatic turn of events at Easter Road, or if Tony Docherty can pull something out the bag in his impressive first season at Dens Park.

Dundee would need to put on a really consistent run of form to wind up on the continent. They’ve done very well this term and absolutely deserve to be in the hunt for top six.

However, that lack of consistency may just hold them back from being able to challenge St Mirren and Killie.

In particular, you have to praise the business done in Ayrshire this campaign. Even before the start of the season, you could see that they had recruited sensibly. They’ve done so again in January.

With a good manager in charge, it feels as though it’s onwards and upwards for the Rugby Park side.

Michael Stewart was speaking to BBC Scotland's Sean McGill

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St Mirren will be preparing to "push" Kilmarnock for fourth-place in the Premiership rather than looking over their shoulders at the teams looking to cement a top-six spot.

That's according to former Scotland international Lee McCulloch, who said the Paisley side are in a "really good place" after seeing off St Johnstone on Saturday.

A top-four finish would guarantee the Buddies European football for the first time since 1988, while their current position of fifth would only lead to a continental campaign if a team above them lift the Scottish Cup.

"Stephen Robinson again got a good result against a stuffy St Johnstone team," McCulloch told BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "They're sitting fifth in the league and I think they'll finish in the top six.

"I think the manager may say different as there's a lot of points and a lot of football left to be played but they're looking as if they're a difficult team to play against, they've got their own style of play. They get balls in the box often and create chances."

"Robinson will be delighted after a difficult result against Livingston the previous week. I think St Mirren are in a really good place right now.

"They're two points behind Killie and they'll be pushing for fourth place rather than worrying what's behind them, I feel."

St Mirren consolidated fifth place in the Scottish Premiership with a 2-0 win over St Johnstone on Saturday but on Tuesday head to Dingwall, where they have lost on their latest three visits without scoring.

Hosts Ross County ended an 11-match run without a victory by edging Livingston 3-2 on Saturday to extend their lead over the bottom side to six points with a game in hand.

Who would you like to see in St Mirren's starting line-up? Pick your team here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, SNS

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has hailed the 'incredible' response after St Johnstone striker Adama Sidibeh collapsed during the sides' meeting in Paisley.

The Perth club confirmed on Saturday that the 25-year-old was in a "stable" condition following "further medical checks" at a local hospital.

His manager Craig Levein told BBC Scotland after the game the player had "low blood pressure".

Having watched on from the opposite dugout, Robinson wished Sidibeh a speedy recovery.

“Our medical team were incredible, [physio] Gerry Docherty and Ian [Heron], our doc, were top class," he said. "St Johnstone acknowledged that as well, both medical teams.

“It really does put football into perspective when a boy has collapsed on the football pitch.

“We wish him well. Everybody at St Mirren wishes him well and we hope to see him back on the pitch fit and healthy as soon as possible.”

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Kheredine Idessane, BBC Sport Scotland

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson says it “would be an incredible achievement” for the club to claim back-to-back top six finishes.

His fifth-placed side travel to relegation-threatened Ross County on Tuesday night, knowing they’re only a few wins away from cementing another top-half berth.

“To do it two years in a row would be an incredible achievement for this group of players and everybody at the football club," the Northern Irishman said.

"We’ve pushed the football club forward massively on and off the pitch but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Robinson admits “it is a big week” for the club, with the trip to Ross County followed by a home match with Aberdeen.

Should the Paisley outfit win both, they would move on to 44 points, meaning either Hibs or Aberdeen would need to have a near-perfect record before the split to deny St Mirren a top-six spot.

“It is a big week. We said that before Saturday’s game [win over St Johnstone]. These are three huge games that we think we can get points from but we need to approach this Ross County game properly. They’ve a new manager in place with Don Cowie coming in and they’ve three very good strikers.”

“We’ve had a very good season - a really, really good season but I want to make sure that we finish it off. We don’t want to think we’ve already done something before it’s been achieved.

"We’ve got hard games coming up. Every game is different. People are either fighting for their lives or trying to get into the top six.

"We know what we want within the dressing room. We need to stay in the division and once that’s been secured we try to secure top six.”

Image source, SNS

Kheredine Idessane, BBC Sport Scotland

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media ahead of his side's trip to Ross County on Tuesday.

Here are the key points:

• It would be a "massive achievement" to secure back-to-back top-six finishes, adding they are "pushing the club forward" but "there's still a lot of work to do".

• Acknowledges this is a "big week" for the Paisley club as they travel to County before hosting Aberdeen on Saturday, with six points going a long way to clinching a place in the top half of the table.

• Admits he "didn't know" St Mirren have failed to win in Dingwall since October 2021. Says the four-hour journey back down the road will be much more enjoyable if they leave with all three points.

• Wants to build on a "very good season" and "finish it off" by fulfilling their ambitions. Earning a place in the top six is their target once safety from relegation is confirmed.

• Captain Mark O'Hara it fit again and could return against County, while Conor McMenamin is in with a shout of making the bench.

Jonathan Sutherland, Sportscene presenter

It was a commanding display from the St Mirren defence as they rarely looked troubled in their victory over St Johnston on Saturday.

Alex Gogic is the Buddies' Mr Reliable. The Cypriot is a real leader in this side, showing his importance week after week.

Another standout this term has been Scott Tanser, who has become a major success story in the Stephen Robinson revolution in Paisley. A battling display with all the thrust and vigour his support have come to expect of the full-back.

Image source, BBC

We asked for your thoughts after St Mirren strengthened their pursuit of European football with victory over St Johnstone.

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

Ian: I have been an ardent fan of the Buddies longer than I can remember, getting “lifted over” at Love St when Doug Millward was manager! Ups and down, disappointments and a few successes along the way. Stephen Robinson and his backroom staff have worked wonders on a limited budget, Well done to all at St Mirren, every success.

James: Very professional performance from back to front today. Always in control of the game. On to Dingwall for more!

• Mikael Mandron has scored six goals this season (one in this game), more than any other St Mirren player in the Scottish Premiership.

• St Johnstone have failed to score in 13 of their 27 games, only Ross County and Livingston (both 14) have failed to score more often in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Mikael Mandron has now scored four goals in four appearances in the Scottish Premiership against St Johnstone.

• St Johnstone's first short on target came in the 87th minute.

• St Mirren are unbeaten in their last 11 Scottish Premiership matches when leading at half-time (W9, D2) dating back to 5 March 2023 against Celtic (L1-5).

• St Johnstone have a record of W0, D1, L8 when trailing at half-time in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Stephen Robinson praises his St Mirren side's battling qualities after they defeated St Johnstone 2-0 in Paisley.

Whether you were taking in today's game at the SMiSA Stadium or following along from home, we want hear your thoughts.

Have your say on St Mirren's 2-0 victory over St Johnstone here.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "I thought we were comfortable throughout. Defensively, we limited them to very few chances except that one at the end.

"It's strange, football. We were absolutely brilliant last week - some of the football was superb - then this week we were just OK and we won 2-0. These are the games, if you want to be a top six side, you need to grind out the results.

"We have done very well up until now. There's a long way to go to secure the top six. There's a lot of games that can turn everything on the head. We managed to battle and scrap through today.

"It's very difficult to play the football we want to on the pitch, we are playing better stuff away from home - when you have to you play to the conditions and grind it out. I thought we done that brilliantly today, we showed bundles of character to get that over the line."

Jane Lewis, BBC Scotland at The SMiSA Stadium

An important win for St Mirren in Paisley after losing their last two games, although ironically they have probably played much better this season.

Stephen Robinson might not mind too much about that, however. It was vital to get back to winning ways with the top six in mind.

Neither side played their best stuff here, but at least St Mirren managed to grind out a result.

A solid shift on the flank from Scott Tanser, who continually won the majority of his battles and always looked impressive going forward.

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Stephen Robinson makes two changes to the St Mirren side that succumbed to a deflating defeat to Livingston last Saturday.

English defender James Bolton replaces Charles Dunne in the back three, with the Irishman dropping to the bench.

The second change comes in attack, with Lewis Jamieson filling in up top for Exeter City loanee James Scott.

Image source, SNS

St Mirren: Hemming, Bolton, Gogic, Fraser, Bwomono, Boyd-Munce, Kwon, Tanser, Kiltie, Mandron, Jamieson.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Dunne, Taylor, Brown, Flynn, Baccus, Olusanya, Scott, Ayunga.

St Johnstone: Mitov, K Smith, Gordon, Considine, Robinson, Phillips, M Smith, Gallacher, Clark, Sidibeh, Carey.

Substitutes: Richards, May, Jaiyesimi, Kucheriavyi, Olufunwa, Sprangler, Kimpioka, Keltjens, C Smith.