Former St Mirren midfielder Stevie Mallan rasps a 20-yard shot just over the visitors' bar with his weaker left foot.

Nice play from Daryl Horgan up the right flank teed up the Hibs man to unleash the first effort of the match.

And, with stunning predictability, the first yellow card of the top-flight season is shown to Hamilton's tenacious midfielder and captain, Darian MacKinnon....

Hamilton's Ciaran McKenna is penalised for a hand ball right on the edge of the County box after he blocks Michael Gardyne's shot.

Gardyne tees up Josh Mullin for the shot, but the wall does its job.

Sunny welcome for County celebrationspublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 3 August 2019

15:01 BST 3 August 2019

Ross County v Hamilton Academical (15:00)

Eilidh Davies
BBC Sportsound reporter

We're off around the country....

Glasgow is not the only city with a flag unfurling today. County are celebrating their Scottish Championship title before today's match against Accies.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland at Tannadice

The Tannadice pitch looks great, the sun is shining and the home side are again the favourites for promotion. Will it be fourth time lucky?

Celtic players and Scottish Professional Football League officials come on the park for unfurling of the league flag.

In an emotional moment they are joined by the wives of Billy McNeill and Stevie Chalmers, the Lisbon Lions who passed away recently.

Image source, SNS

Speaking to BBC Scotland's Jonathan Sutherland, Celtic boss Neil Lennon says: "It's a beautiful day with a good crowd, so hopefully we put on a performance for them.

"The flag is a symbol of being champions and all the efforts of the players last season, but it's a fresh start and a new season again. We have negotiated two European ties very well, so we need to keep that momentum going.

"Whether it's the third, fourth, fifth, the priority is to win the league."

Tommy Wright has been pointing out that golfing partner Neil Lennon was unable to manufacture a win over St Johnstone while the latter was Hibernian head coach.

But Lennon's Celtic, unbeaten in eight games at home since losing to Valencia in February, are seeking a seventh consecutive victory since losing to Rangers in May and their fifth at home.

St Johnstone have gone 12 games away from home without a win and lost to League One sides Montrose and Forfar Athletic in a dismal League Cup group campaign.

Image source, SNS

Celtic have won their last five meetings with Saints without losing a goal. Indeed, the Perth side have failed to find the net in their last seven games against the Glasgow outfit and haven't won in 12 meetings since May 2016.

Saints have managed two draws at Celtic Park in their last four visits but last won their nine games ago in March 2-15.

Hibs head coach Paul Heckingbottom on BBC Radio Scotland: "It's the first game of a brand new era in terms of ownership, what we want to do with the club and how we want to play. We know there will be bumps along the way, but hopefully today’s not one of them.

"We’ve got a few players out injured who would probably compete for places, but the 22 we’ve got now competing, two for every position, which is great.

"This St Mirren team is nothing like the team we’ve seen in the other games – three new signings straight in, playing a different shape. It'll be the first look for us as well."

Image source, SNS

Livingston and Motherwell both won their League Cup groups in impressive fashion.

Gary Holt's hosts are seeking a fourth straight win, while Well won all four of their cup games despite Stephen Robinson again restructuring his squad.

Motherwell won three of their five meetings with Livi last season, with today's hosts winning once.

Hibs emerged from their League Cup group unbeaten and are seeking a fourth straight win, while St Mirren failed to qualify despite going three games without a defeat after draws with Lowland League champions East Kilbride and League Two side Albion Rovers.

The Edinburgh side are unbeaten in four meetings with their Paisley visitors, but St Mirren have drawn on their last two visits to Easter Road.

Image source, SNS

Livingston make four changes from last week’s League Cup win over Berwick Rangers as Ross Stewart, Jack McMillan, Keaghan Jacobs and Steven Lawless come in from the start ahead of Matija Sarkic, Cece Pepe, Craig Sibbald and Robbie Crawford.

Scott Robinson and Chris Erskine were both "touch and go" ahead of the game and both have failed to make the squad.

Highly rated 18-year-old midfielder Craig Henderson also nets a place on the bench for the home side.

Image source, SNS

Motherwell's 4-0 win over Annan Athletic was not enough for Peter Hartley, Liam Grimshaw, Jamie Semple, Chris Long and Sherwin Seedorf to keep their place in the starting line-up. Instead, Richard Tait, Jermaine Hylton, James Scott, Declan Gallagher and Allan Campnell come in.

Barry Maguire was an injury doubt and doesn't make the squad.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon tells BBC Scotland: "I don't expect any more bids [for Kieran Tierney from Arsenal], but I'll be surprised. I'll be delighted if there isn't.

"Physically, he's still sore and tender in the pubic area. He was out kicking a ball yesterday and he felt a bit of reaction form that.

"Mentally, it's an unsettling period for him - he's a 22-year-old boy with a lot of weight on his shoulders. We're just trying to make the situation as light as possible for him."

Image source, SNS

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin, who gives three new signings debuts in Leith today, tells BBC Scotland he still hopes to add more players to his squad.

"We’ve added some real quality over the last week or so," he says. "We would love a little more time to work with them and get them used to how we want to do things.

"But we’ve given the lads a lot of information over the last few days and hopefully the new boys will adapt to Scottish football quickly."

Image source, SNS