Stephen Robinson said before the match he had opted for pace, and Toyosi Olusanya has that to burn in abundance.
He did not stop, forever showed as a long-ball option, and proved a handful for the Brann backline.
Image source, SNSBrann: Dyngeland, Pedersen, Knudsen, Kristiansen, Soltvedt, Kartum, Kornvig, Myhre, Blomberg, Finne, Castro.
Substitutes: Borsheim, Johansen, Opsahl, Larsen, Warming, Mathisen, Heggebo, Helland, Sande, Holten.
St Mirren: Balcombe, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor, Rooney, Adeniran, Boyd-Munce, Idowu, Brown, Ayunga, Olusanya
Substitutes: Urminsky, Kelly, Bwomono, Kenny, Iacovitti, Tanser, Sutherland, F. Taylor, Smuth, Mooney, Scott, Mandron.
Image source, SNSThe draw for the quarter-finals of the Premier Sports Cup will take place on Sunday after the Celtic v Hibs tie, which kicks off at 15:00 BST.
The draw will be shown live on Premier Sports following their coverage of the game from Parkhead.
All quarter-final ties due to be played on the weekend of September 21-22.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren will face a Brann side with an extra edge in the second leg of their Conference League qualifying tie on Thursday, according to The Times' Michael Grant.
The Norwegians were angered by the nature of Toyosi Olusanya's equaliser in last week's first leg in Paisley, a match in which Brann dominated for long spells.
The goal came about after Brann had put the ball out of play for a supposed injury, and the visitors fumed at St Mirren’s decision not to give them the ball back.
"There's going to be a bit of needle to this match and Brann are going to be fired up after what they regard as the injustice of St Mirren's late equaliser last week," Grant told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
"That might not be great for St Mirren because I think Brann are a pretty accomplished side and they look the better side in the first leg for most of it.
"Stephen Robinson's talked about it being a game changer if St Mirren can get through to the group stage but they've got an awful lot of work to do to think about that.
"They've got to get through this one somehow. If they make it to the Conference League play-off, it's really a game-changer for those clubs because you're talking about maybe £2.5m/£3m minimum coming in.
"That's big, big money given the turnovers of those clubs. But I can understand Stephen Robinson talking about it being life-changing, game-changing and so on.
"It feels an awful long way away to me and I do fear for St Mirren this evening."
St Mirren are in talks with Crystal Palace about signing 22-year-old midfielder Killian Phillips, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aberdeen. (Anthony Joseph on X)
Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.
Image source, Getty ImagesMarin Tomasov, who has one cap for Croatia, scored twice for Astana
Astana of Khazakhstan lie in wait for St Mirren should the Paisley side overcome the odds in Brann on Thursday to reach the Europa Conference League play-offs.
Grigory Babayan's side, who finished domestic runners-up last season, swept aside Romanian Cup winners Corvinul Hunedoara 6-1 on the night and 8-2 on aggregate on Wednesday.
Nigerian striker Geoffrey Chinedu added to his first-leg winner by putting the hosts ahead after only 14 minutes against the side who finished runners-up in last season's Romanian second tier.
However, it was not until the second half when Astana ran riot at Ortalyq Stadion.
Croat midfielder Marin Tomasov grabbed the second after 58 minutes before three goals in seven minutes from Chinedu, Albanian midfielder Nazmi Gripshi and Tomasov again.
Visiting left-back Mihai Velisar pulled one back with 11 minutes remaining, but Khazakhstan winger Elkhan Astanov restored the five-goal advantage.
St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson wants an improved showing from his side in the Conference League qualifier away to Brann after a 1-1 first-leg draw.
Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter in Bergen
Image source, SNSSt Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has been talking to the media before his side's Conference League third qualifying round second leg against Brann in Norway.
Here are the key points:
Brann Stadion is "fantastic", "this is what European nights are all about" and he is looking forward to a great atmosphere.
Considers Brann a very good side who are very well coached.
St Mirren produced a "terrific" result to draw 1-1 in the first leg in Paisley despite not playing well.
The Buddies have to be "better on the ball" and "have learned we will need to step up our levels by 100% if we are to get a result".
Brann's stadium is "similar to be going to Celtic Park or Ibrox", with the crowd "right on top of you".
To silence the crowd "you have to slow the game down a little bit - like they did at our place".
The pressure is on Brann given the size of the Norwegian club, their European pedigree and resources.
Robinson wants to give the "fantastic" travelling support more European nights.
Only forward Lewis Jamieson has travelled, but defender Alex Gogic and midfielder Coalan Boyd-Muncie are big doubts and captain Mark O’Hara will train but may be a "bit of a risk for us".
Image source, SNSMarcus Fraser believes a "fiery" second leg away to Brann will suit St Mirren's strengths.
The Paisley side, peeved by the Norwegians' perceived time-wasting, scored a late equaliser last week by attacking from a throw-in when Brann had put the ball out of play after one of their players went down with cramp.
"Listen, I think the game is going to be on a knife edge anyway, it's going to be fiery. It should be, because of what's at stake," said defender Fraser.
"We want it to be like that. That's how we want to play. That's how us as a team like to play - kind of on the edge and off the cuff. And if we can do that and match them, then we'll go in there with confidence and hopefully we can get that result.
"Of course we're going to come up against good sides, as are Brann, over the course of the season, but we've got faith in ourselves that we can go out there and have a game-plan, as we always do, and get the job done.
"It's just wee percentages all over the pitch that we need to do better. If we can get those small things right, then that makes a massive difference on the pitch."
Image source, SNSStephen Robinson will pit his wits against Brann manager Eirik Horneland, left, again on Thursday night
Stephen Robinson is relishing the tactical challenge of European football as St Mirren look to defy the odds against Brann and reach the Conference League play-offs.
Saints thumped Valur of Iceland 4-1 in the previous round and are level at 1-1 with Brann for the second leg in Bergen on Thursday.
"As a coach it’s challenging, it’s great,” said manager Robinson.
"I’ve been lucky enough to experience it before with Motherwell, and Northern Ireland in the European Championship. It tests you tactically, which is the bit of the game that I really enjoy.
"As coaching staff it’s new experiences, different than playing in the SPFL, different views, different ways to play, different ways to play out from the back, all those kinds of things, so we look forward to it.
"Brann are a very good side, the manager’s done a terrific job, they’ve played the same way for the last two years consistently.
"They’re certainly not going to change when we turn up, so we know what we face."
Image source, SNSSt Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Conference League third-round qualifier second leg against Brann.
Here are the key lines:
Robinson urged his side to embrace the occasion and says "it's a fairytale that St Mirren are competing against these teams".
Emphasised that they need to play better than in the 1-1 first-leg draw which was "one of our worst performances on the ball in a few months".
He insists reaching the group stage could be "life-changing for the football club and the players".
Robinson is enjoying the different tactical challenge Europe football provides compared to the domestic game.
On the players' motivation to win, he says: "You saw in Paisley after we equalised it was going mad, everyone was full of joy, we’ve waited a long, long time for this."
St Mirren won't be fazed by the atmosphere in Bergen because they are used to playing in front of big crowds in Scotland.
Captain Mark O'Hara, Lewis Stevenson, Greg Kiltie and Conor McMenamin are still out injured.
Robinson adds: "It’s been a bit of a test, we’ve had to change shape which we’ve coped with very well. The numbers are tested, we’ve got a small squad."
Mark Jardine
Fan writer
At midday on Sunday, there was a slight air of invincibility being carried as the Saints arrived in Aberdeen. Their hosts, revitalised under new manager Jimmy Thelin, had defeated all in front of them so far, though that amounted to lower league opposition and St Johnstone.
St Mirren carried their own momentum through an undefeated continental and domestic run, holding fewer victories than the Dons but having battled with tougher opposition.
At 5pm, however, one glance at the usual forums and timelines would have you thinking last year's fifth place finish and subsequent Euro performances hadn't happened at all. Such is life!
The Buddies juggled their first Thursday-Sunday-Thursday well and looked no worse for wear when SK Brann were in town, coping admirably on a long, tough evening.
SK Brann offered that dangerous combination you hope to avoid in opponents - the ability to pass quickly and accurately at will to draw you in, and the willingness to go direct and punish you as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
However, as Sunday then showed, a full night spent chasing shadows against experienced European opposition probably will leave a bit of a mental and physical hangover.
As a veteran of holidays to Zante, Malia and Ayia Napa, I know as well as anyone the challenges of battling such hangovers on the European stage. If the boys in black and white are anything like me, and I'm sure they're not, a roll of something fried followed by powerful air-con and complete silence should do the trick before hitting the dancefloor again on Thursday night.
Yet again, Buddies in their numbers will shortly begin their travels to this qualifying round's expensive and far-flung destination. Though the challenge is different, the aim remains the same: rolling this European dream on for a further fortnight.
Mark Jardine can be found on the Misery Hunters podcast, external
Saints fans, we asked for your views on Sunday's defeat to Aberdeen.
Here's what some of you had to say:
Eddie: Poor defending for the first and third goals. However we will improve as the season progresses. We have injured players to came back and they will make a difference.
William: We're seriously short of a good box-to-box midfielder and pace in the middle of the park, we're frequently too slow moving the ball. We've been fortunate in a couple of the games but found wanting in this one.
Watch highlights as Aberdeen host St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
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Aberdeen made it two Scottish Premiership wins out of two against St Mirren as Pittodrie fans bid an apparent farewell to Bojan Miovski.
The striker, who has scored 44 Dons goals over the past two years, made a likely swansong off the bench amid talks between Girona and Aberdeen over his future and appeared emotional while he waved to supporters after full-time.
Pape Habib Gueye nodded the hosts in front but Toyosi Olusanya capitalised on sloppy defending to force a leveller on half-time.
Jamie McGrath finished well after Ester Sokler's cross had been helped on by Shayden Morris and Vicente Besuijen headed in Graeme Shinnie's cross for Aberdeen's third.
Click here , externalto have your say on St Mirren's defeat.
BBC Scotland's Andy Campbell
St Mirren, perhaps cognisant of how much space Aberdeen had found in their last win, were intent on absorbing pressure and hitting on the counter with Toyosi Olusanya, who scored a late leveller against Brann on Thursday.
He showed his perseverance with the equaliser as he got in between Slobodan Rubezic and Gavin Molloy to steal the ball and score on the rebound after Dimitar Mitov had saved the initial shot.
They could not rouse themselves in the same way after the break and tired as the game wore on.
The games keeping coming thick and fast for Stephen Robinson and his players. The second leg of their Conference League third qualifying round away to Brann takes place on Thursday, with the aggregate score 1-1. Dundee United away in the League Cup next Sunday continues their busy August programme.
Image source, SNSToyosi Oluyanusi scored St Mirren's equaliser and his pace was a persistent threat at Pittodrie.
Aberdeen 3-1 St Mirren | Stephen Robinson
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "I thought we lost the game, rather than Aberdeen winning it. The three goals were really poor. We didn't make the right decisions, we made mistakes.
"If you make those mistakes, you lose football matches so we didn't deserve anything."
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, Molloy, Rubezic, MacKenzie, McGrath, Heltne Nilsen, Shinnie, Morris, Gueye, Sokler.
Substitutes: Doohan, Jensen, Miovski, McGarry, Besuijen, Milne, Duncan, Boyd, Ambrose.
St Mirren: Balcombe, Fraser, Gogic, Iacovitti, Rooney, Adeniran, Boyd-Munce, Idowu, Tanser, Olusanya, Scott.
Substitutes: Urminsky, Bwomono, Kenny, R Taylor, Brown, F Taylor, Smyth, Ayunga, Mandron.
Image source, SNSNew signing Ante Palaversa and defender Angus MacDonald are not quite ready to feature for Aberdeen, who remain without midfielders Leighton Clarkson (shoulder) and Dante Polvara (hamstring) and the AWOL Duk.
Lewis Jamieson returned to training at St Mirren on Friday following his recovery from a thigh injury. Captain Mark O’Hara also has a thigh injury and will be assessed while Conor McMenamin (knee) and Greg Kiltie (ankle) are both long-term absentees.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren boss Stephen Robinson has challenged his side to continue their early season momentum when they travel to Pittodrie in the Premiership on Sunday.
The Paisley side are unbeaten so far this season and go into the game against the Dons buoyed by Toyosi Olusanya's dramatic late equaliser against Brann on Thursday.
"We are unbeaten in pre-season, we are unbeaten in the league with one game and unbeaten in Europe," Robinson said.
"So as much as we feel as a group that we can be so much better than what we have shown so far, really positive signs about the mentality of not losing football matches.
"It is very early on in the season. It is a tough game against Aberdeen but if we go and get points, there it will be a terrific start to the season and we go there quietly confident that we can come away with points."
St Mirren were second best for large spells against Brann, but Robinson believes those experiences will help both him and his team progress.
"We analysed the game to death and showed people where they could be better, where to make better decisions and that’s the storyline," the Northern Irishman added.
"It is boys making their way in their career, rediscovering their career when they have lost their way and St Mirren are giving them the platform so it is a learning curve for everyone every day, including myself."
