Not much goalmouth action at Rugby Park, although United have made a promising start.

So here's a photo of Dundee United's Mark Connolly and Kilmarnock's Calum Waters.

Image source, SNS

Michael O'Halloran flashes a shot wide of the St Mirren goal. It's all St Johnstone so far in Perth.

Livingston midfielder Scott Pittman, standing on the six-yard line, gets his body angle all wrong as he knocks Nicky Devlin's perfect cross from the right wide of the County goal. It's a howler of a miss.

Moments earlier, County midfielder Ross Draper had come out prevent Livingston winger Alan Forrest crossing into the box and had taken the man in yellow out with a cynical clip to the calf. This is going to be a bruiser...

After a fairly tame opening at McDiarmid Park, St Johnstone create the first opening, with Callum Hendry bursting through and testing Jak Alnwick.

Image source, SNS

Ouch!published at 15:05 British Summer Time 29 August 2020

15:05 BST 29 August 2020

Livingston 0-0 Ross County

Connor Randall's first involvement in the match is to be sent crashing to the artificial surface by a forearm smash to the neck by Livingston's Craig Sibbald. This already looks frantic and physical.

After saying that, there's a slight delay to kick-off at Rugby Park as one of the nets is fixed with duct tape.

Under way now!

Here we go. Stay with us as the games start in Kilmarnock, Livingston and Perth.

Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer says he isn't worried by his side's winless run.

"We've worked hard and created chances, just not really had the rub of the green," he tells BBC Sportsound.

"The lads are happy with their performances.

"We want the three points, but we believe in what we're doing, we're working hard and it's just a matter of time."

Image source, SNS

Dundee United assistant manager Stephen Frail says he wants to see a similar performance to the one they produced against Celtic last week.

"We've had a good start with good performances," he tells BBC Sportsound.

"It was a disappointing last week against Celtic last week but a very good performance and we want the same level of intensity today."

Confirming that Lawrence Shankland will not make Scotland's double header, he says: "Shankland's not ready, it's not anything to do with the surface. He probably wouldn't have been involved even if it were a home game.

"We have a couple of weeks now to get him ready for Rangers. With the game today and meeting up with the national team tomorrow, Steve Clarke will want his squad fit and ready to go.

"I would say it'll just be too soon for Scotland. It's a shame for everyone, first of all Lawrence. It's the pinnacle of anyone's career to play for their country."

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Ross County admitted this week that clubs had made enquiries for striker Ross Stewart but that no club had met their valuation.

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New Livingston striker Anthony Stokes is short of fitness and misses out even on a place on the bench.

Jack Fitzwater, Jack McMillan and Jason Holt all drop out of the team that lost 2-1 away to Aberdeen. In come defenders Julien Serrano and Efe Ambrose and forward Lars Lokotsch.

Ross County defender Coll Donaldson, who picked up a knock last weekend, was a doubt but starts for County.

Josh Reid and Harry Paton drop out, with defenders Keith Watson and Carl Tremarco coming in.

It has now been confirmed that Dundee United striker Lawrence Shankland will miss Scotland's forthcoming Nations League games against Israel and Czech Republic.

He misses his fifth game in a row today with an ankle injury that has not healed as hoped.

St Johnstone are not only looking to avoid a third consecutive home defeat, having lost 1-0 to both Aberdeen and Hibs, they must break a three-game scoring duck against St Mirren if they are to have a chance of taking all three points today.

Indeed, the two sides have finished goalless in their latest two meetings.

The visitors will be pleased with just one defeat in their opening four games, but they have not won at McDiarmid Park in four visits since a 2-1 win in October 2014.

Julie Fleeting
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Statistics all point towards a Dundee United win in Ayrshire.

Kilmarnock have not won for 10 games, five of them at home, while the visitors have won both their away games this season.

United are also unbeaten in three meetings with Kilmarnock, including two at Rugby Park, winning the latest two.

However, it has to be pointed out that they have not met since a 4-2 win there in May 2016.

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St Johnstone midfielder Liam Craig is banned having been sent off after last week's injury-time defeat to Hibernian. His place goes to David Wotherspoon.

Midfielder Murray Davidson and strikers Stevie May and Chris Kane are also back in the reckoning and secure places in the bench.

St Mirren defender Joe Shaughnessy misses the trip to his former club through suspension after his red card against Ross County.

Ilkay Durmus returns to the starting line-up on the wing with Sam Foley dropping back into defence in place of Shaughnessy.

Livingston: McCrorie, Serrano, Guthrie, Ambrose, Devlin, Bartley, Sibbald, Pittman, Forrest, Robinson, Lokotsch.

Substitutes: Stryjek, McMillan, Taylor-Sinclair, Poplatnik, Crawford, Holt, Kouider-Aïssa, Tiffoney, Hamilton.

Ross County: Laidlaw, Randall, Donaldson, Iacovitti, Watson, Tremarco, Draper, Gardyne, Vigurs, Mckay, Stewart.

Substitutes: Doohan, Morris, Shaw, Mullin, Charles-Cook, Kelly, Tillson, Paton.

Michael Stewart
Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

Image source, SNS

Former Oxford United striker Jonathan Obika is the man of the moment for St Mirren.

The 29-year-old Englishman has scored five of St Mirren's last seven league goals, including both of their last two.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Scotland at McDiarmid Park

Image source, SNS

The season’s first battle of the Saints pitches two sides together who have experienced contrasting fortunes in the early stages of the Premiership season.

St Johnstone have won just one of their opening five games and lady luck appears to have eluded them in their last two outings, which have resulted in narrow 1-0 home defeats by Hibs and Aberdeen.

To avoid a third defeat, they must do something they were unable to do last term – beat St Mirren. And Jim Goodwin’s side will be heading to Perth in confident mood after an impressive start to their campaign.

They are sitting in 6th place after just one defeat from four games and, although the season is still be in its infancy, the early signs suggest it could be a good one for the Paisley side.