St Mirren

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St Mirren manager Craig McLeish: "Positive that we came away with a point on a night where we probably haven't hit our levels in terms of performance.

"I thought defensively we looked solid. Probably not a game that looks exactly how we want it to be but you're going to have nights where you're not quite at it and we've still managed to come away with a point.

"The response to going a goal down was excellent and we probably had two or three clear cut chances after that to go and win the game, I think a point is fair for both sides.

"I thought Hibs were very good tonight, they made the game difficult for us but when we're not quite at it we still need to be tough to play against and it might be a point we look back on as really valuable further down the line.

"Not one that's the blueprint of how we want to play but sometimes you need to dig deep and find other ways to come away with points and we did that.

"If you have nights like that it's better to come away with a point than none.

"I think there's more to come from us, we're looking forward to pushing it on over the next round of games as well. Can't be too disappointed with it tonight because we came away with a point but still more to come."

• St Mirren have lost their past two league games against Hibernian without scoring, this after being unbeaten in eight against the Easter Road side beforehand (W4 D4).

• Hibs have only lost two of their past 14 Scottish Premiership visits to St Mirren (W8 D4), winning their latest 3-0 in November 2025.

• St Mirren are unbeaten in seven midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home games in the Scottish Premiership (W4 D3) since a 3-0 defeat to Celtic in January 2024. On Wednesday specifically, the Buddies have lost just one of their past 14 home matches in the competition (W3 D10), going down 0-1 to Kilmarnock in December 2023.

• Hibs have lost both of their last two away league games, last losing more in a row in January 2023 (6).

• Hibs have won both their past two league matches played on a Wednesday, last winning three in a row on this day of the week in the top flight in March 2008.

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St Mirren midfielder Paul Nsio has recovered from illness. The Buddies will again be missing Nikolas Agrafiotis (calf), Keanu Baccus (Achilles), Malik Dijksteel (hamstring) and Jonah Ayunga, the latter having a tidy-up operation on his knee.

Hibs are still without the ill Martin Boyle while Callum Wright, Nathan Lowe, Jacob Devaney, Kanayo Megwa (thigh), Rocky Bushiri (Achilles) and Jordan Obita (calf) also remain out.

Kheredine Idessane
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Mirren boss Craig McLeish has been speaking to the media before his side host Hibs on Wednesday night (19:45 GMT).

Here are the main lines:

• Striker Jonah Ayunga has suffered a setback in his return from an ACL injury and requires a further "tidy up" operation on Thursday which means he won't play again this year.

• Australia midfielder Keanu Baccus is back on the grass training following his Achilles injury, striker Niko Agrafiotis, who tore a calf muscle, will be out until mid-December while Paul Nsio will miss the Hibs match because of illness.

• McLeish is adamant it's "exciting" the bar has been raised for St Mirren in recent years, as the club have won a trophy and played in Europe, but admits he was warned not to take the job due to the success of his predecessor Stephen Robinson.

• McLeish explains: "From my point of view it helps, it's exciting. I had people speak to me about that and there was a bit of chat about it even before Stephen left. You don't want to be following Stephen Robinson, arguably the best manager in our modern history. That might put some people off but for me it's exciting. He's set a really high standard and a really high bar at the club and I want to take that on and reach those levels and surpass them if we can. "

• McLeish had a lengthy chat with Robinson after St Mirren's recent game at Pittodrie: "We had such a good relationship. I'm sure he would always be there if I needed him, if I ever reached out to him. He's been great with me and he was great with me before and after the game at Aberdeen as well. "

• McLeish says it hasn't been hard dealing with the ups and downs of football this season as "criticism is part of the game; you can't listen to it or it just consumes you".

• He, and the players, have just been trying to focus on what they can control and weren't too high when they started the season with three league wins and a draw in their first four games and subsequently weren't too low when they lost five in a row prior to the weekend win over Dundee. "It was a tough run but we've been in a good place," McLeish maintains.

• The St Mirren manager hasn't had any previous contact with new Hibs boss Marink Reedijk but knows his first-team coach, Brian McLaughlin, who "got me involved with the youth national teams and has been a big part of my own coaching journey as well".

• McLeish expects a strong performance from bottom club Hibs in Paisley as they have a new manager, "a lot of very good players" and will "know how to dig themselves out" of their current run of three consecutive defeats.

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

Michael Schumacher lapping the field at the Circuit de Catalunya in 1996, Prince smashing out a song about rain in a torrential half-time downpour at Super Bowl XLI, Hugh Grant standing in front of Andie MacDowell and asking for a winch.

Move over, there's a new finest performance in the rain to gush over and its name is St Mirren 2, Dundee 1.

On a Saturday afternoon that seemed more likely to bring a trampoline rolling through your front garden than a successfully floated diagonal to feet, Craig McLeish's Saints played both the conditions and their own game to halt a run of league defeats.

Yes, at times there were big splashes and it felt a bit silly, but for the most part, both sides played football and the Buddies were more than deserving of the spoils.

Eseosa Sule calmly fed an onrushing Calvin Ramsay for a deserved opener, then put his own head on an inch-perfect Killian Phillips cross to double the advantage.

Dundee did get a goal of their own and then strip the paint off the crossbar in the dying seconds, but these are mere details I'm sure can be covered elsewhere.

For the first time in more than a few weeks, the Saints combined the neat, dynamic passing and movement of their offensive efforts with an assuredness at the back that limited most of Dundee's own endeavours.

The switch to a back three might be mostly in name only, as midfielders dropped deep and full-backs frequently rotated in to frankly devastating forward impact, but there is no denying the company of both a returning Marcus Fraser and standout Henry Fieldson brought something like prime Alex Gogic back into focus.

If there is a better photo taken in Scottish football this year than the imposing Cypriot staring down six angry opponents in dark blue post-match, I'll eat my St Mirren bonnet.

This was a much-needed win, of course, but the performance was vital too. Evidence provided, if needed, that this is a squad and manager are capable of delivering a plan that is right for the moment.

Now the challenge is in maintaining that level as two further fixtures arrive in the space of half a week.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Sportscene's Steven Thompson and James McFadden review right-back Calvin Ramsay's opening goal in St Mirren's 2-1 win over Dundee (UK only).

Fleetwood Town full-back Shaun Rooney insists he never feared for his football future after an assault charge, for which he has now been found not guilty, put his career on hold when St Mirren severed ties with him in October 2024. (The Courier, external)

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Watch all the highlights as St Mirren ended a five-game losing run in the Scottish Premiership at home to Dundee on Saturday. Available to UK users only.

St Mirren fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's home win over Dundee ended a five-game losing run.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Jimbo: Played well especially in the awful weather. Certainly more entertaining than the previous manager. I understand the concept but it's so frustrating when they appear on the edge of the opponent's goal area and instead of cracking one in or chancing a pass into the box they turn around and pass it backwards, back to square one. Both teams were guilty of that.

John: Conditions were horrendous, as was the officiating, yet the Buddies were brave enough to overcome both. For two-thirds of the game they were comfortable. The inevitable defensive lapse, more down to the conditions than a mistake, let Dundee in for a goal and made the last 20 mins unnecessarily nervous. To be honest, no failures in the team, and they can be pleased with the collective performance against a side on the up.

Kevin: Our performance was far from perfect. There was still the familiar lapses in control and the anxious moments at the back that have defined our season so far. But the result mattered more than the style. Breaking the losing streak, getting a first home win in a while, and seeing the side respond after going in front is that all counts. The rollercoaster continues and at least our downhill trajectory has been stopped for one afternoon.

Ian: After five losses, just one win puts us back into the top six. I think that puts into perspective where we are and why we should have faith in Craig McLeish and the team.

St Mirren battled Storm Boelo to defeat Dundee and end their run of five consecutive defeats with a much-welcomed victory.

Read the full match report here

Have your say on the game via this link

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St Mirren manager Craig McLeish tells BBC Scotland: "It is massive for us just to get out of the run that we've been on. Through the full time we've been trying to shut out the news from outside and focus on what we are trying to do. We deserved that today.

"We probably needed a good performance in all aspects of our game. [Dundee] have that shot at the end, and if that goes in then I think I would've been walking home tonight. We created enough to score more, and showed the side of our game that got us success at the start of the season.

"I thought we managed the conditions well, but didn't get away from what we do and played some good stuff at times. We felt comfortable and then out of nowhere they hit us with a goal, then we did well to see it out. I'm delighted for the fans. We said before the game to the players that the fans deserved something.

"I told the players to keep calm [when Dundee scored]. We have to then try and keep the ball in their half and counter when we needed to. The worst thing you can do is sit on the edge of your box and wait for the inevitable. I'm just delighted we got it done.

On the scenes at the end: "I don't know what happened at the end, I just went to get our players out of it and make sure we're not getting involved - it's the emotion of the game. Hopefully there was nothing too serious and we can move on from it."

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St Mirren will again be missing Nikolas Agrafiotis, Keanu Baccus, Jonah Ayunga and Malik Dijksteel.

Dundee continue to be without Joe Westley, Bobby Wales (both ankle), Simon Murray, Finlay Robertson and Jack Moorhouse (all ACL).

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Manager Craig McLeish has been speaking to the media before St Mirren host Dundee on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Here are the key points:

• Striker Nikolas Agrafiotis has a "significant" calf tear that is likely to keep him out until December, so Eseosa Sule will have to "step up" ahead of schedule.

• McLeish adds: "He was someone we brought in with a longer-term view to develop him into a number nine over a period of a few seasons. But we're probably going to have to accelerate some of that right now and we have to give him the support to get there. But Sosa is the type of boy that he wants to be the number nine. He feels he should be."

• McLeish knows his side's five-game losing run "can't continue" and says: "We can talk about having a plan and a project and things like that but you don't get the time to do that unless you're putting points on the board. There's no panic with it but we know it needs to turn and it needs to turn quickly."

• The 36-year-old doesn't feel under pressure personally and is staying "level-headed" amid the slump.

• McLeish insists the squad's spirits remain high and they are "sticking together during these tough times".

• He adds: "The boys are buying into everything that we're doing. I think the worst bit in a run like this is if you start turning on each other and it becomes really negative and toxic around the place. That couldn't be any different further from what the feeling is."

• McLeish says Saints have to get back to being "horrible to play against" and stop giving away easy chances and early goals.

• The Buddies boss praises "excellent" Dundee and says of Steven Pressley, whom he worked with at Falkirk: "He's so strong in his own beliefs and he's his own person, he's his own man and he doesn't really let any outside noise detract him from what they're doing. I think you see that now in Dundee and how they're playing, how well organised they are and how structured it is."

• St Mirren have lost five consecutive games, their longest run in the Scottish Premiership since losing six in a row from August to October 2020.

• Dundee have won two of their past three away league games (L1), as many as their previous 20 beforehand (W2 D5 L13).

• Although Dundee have the lowest possession average (38%) and passing accuracy (74%) in the Premiership this season, they have the played the highest proportion of their passes long (18.3%) and forward (40.6%).

• St Mirren have only lost two of their past nine top-flight home games versus Dundee (W6 D1), and just one of their latest six (W4 D1).

• Dundee have only lost one of their past seven league matches against St Mirren (W4 D2), going down 1-0 in September 2025.

Former Dundee and Dunfermline Athletic boss James McPake urges under-pressure managers Alfred Johansson and Craig McLeish of Motherwell and St Mirren to "stick to your principles". (Sun, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

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St Mirren have conceded the most goals from set-pieces in this season's Scottish Premiership.

Nine of the 17 goals shipped by Craig McLeish's side in their opening nine games have stemmed from dead-ball situations, a 53% ratio.

That tally comprises two penalties, three corners - a joint league high with Kilmarnock - and four indirect free-kicks, which is two more than any other side.

The Saints are also susceptible to an early setback - they have conceded four goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches, which is the most along with Killie.

At the other end, a third of St Mirren's goals - three of nine - have come from set-pieces. Two penalties and an indirect free-kick make up that total, while McLeish's men are one of only three teams to have not scored from a corner.

On that front, the Buddies could do with working on their deliveries. They have the lowest success rate from corners in the division, with just six of 40 finding a team-mate.

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

If there was a way to distill Stephen Robinson's highest points at St Mirren into a single set of match stats, it would be a comfortable and ruthless 3-1 win over a side with 65% of possession.

Yet, in autumn 2026, it is the Buddies that have all the possession and a new Robinson side that have kept all the points.

There is little sense in picking apart a Brad Lyons stunner from distance that clips in off the bar, save to say that it would be nice for the Saints defence to have closed him down and nicer still if Lyons had banged in a couple of those while he wore black and white.

In pure performance terms, which I concede have less impact on the league table than pure points terms, this was something of a step towards the right direction once again....at times.

In large spells, Craig McLeish's side controlled what they wanted to control and showed the bravery in moving the ball around that late summer had promised.

They took the game to Aberdeen, had more of the ball, more of the ball in Aberdeen territory, won their duels, went long when they had to and so on.

However, as has been reflected on more than once in recent weeks, when you hand three goals to your opposition, you can't just look good in prolonged spells - you have to take your chances.

Long spells of looking good be damned, a two-goal collapse in the second half is tough to shift as the following morning's headline.

I would consider myself as at the more optimistic end of the spectrum, and I'm comfortable in looking at this troubling mid-October form as the formative early months in what needs to be a long-term plan.

I like that we're trying to play ambitious, front-foot football and recognise we'll only arrive at that aspired-to higher level of performance if we ride out the growing pains.

That time, though, must be bargained for in the court of public perception. After five league losses on the bounce, irrespective of context, the terms of that bargain are reasonably clear in my eyes.

Stop conceding early, stop conceding in quick succession. That's the foundation for whatever comes next, and it's mandatory.

That doesn't have to mean a compromise on principles, on building from the back, inverting the full-backs or sending third man runners.

It must mean we're ensuring our backline can protect what is left in behind while doing so. It must mean we stop giving away cheap penalties. It must mean we're willing to drop the experienced name when the younger and quicker option fits the opponent, or that we bring added experience back into the side when that is the trait which counts.

We have shown we can win, keep and use the ball. We have shown we can take the game both to the sides we should be beating and the sides who expect us to do no such thing.

If we can stop handing out head starts and free hits, we might just show we can rack up points too.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Sportscene pundit Richard Foster says St Mirren's downturn in form stems from a lack of a clinical edge in attack and defensive frailties.

The former Premiership defender has been impressed by the Buddies' play between the boxes, but it has not been enough to prevent a five-game losing run.

Watch Sportscene highlights of the weekend's top-flight action

Watch all the highlights as Aberdeen inflicted a fifth successive defeat on St Mirren with their second Premiership victory at Pittodrie. Available to UK users only.

St Mirren fans, we asked for your views after Saturday's defeat at Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you had to say:

David: Again we make life hard for ourselves by losing an early goal. First half performance was ok but second half we failed to show up again. If we don't take at least four points from our next two games then Craig McLeish's time will be up, I think.

Michael: If last week was the end of the honeymoon period then this looks like time for a separation. Week after week we shoot ourselves in the foot gifting goals and penalties and this needs to stop. Time to refresh the team, the management and stop the rot before it is well and truly set in. Some of these players need to really look at themselves and step up or seek an alternative career.

Peter: Get younger players in defence, our established and respected defenders don't cut it anymore. The manager's comments leave me wondering if he was watching a different game from me.

John: Five straight defeats, joint lowest scorers in the league and only Killie have conceded more goals in the league. A manager that doesn't ever seem to have a plan B. Not sure how long the board can continue to kid themselves on that their plan is working.

Alan: Once again just not good enough. Yes we had plenty of the ball but that's no good if you are not scoring. Need big changes we all know that but will it happen, I have my doubts.

GS: Same issues game after game and McLeish seemingly unable to change it. Starting point for a team of our budget has to be a solid defence and we have the opposite of that. Alex Gogic needs dropped for a while and I question his captaincy on the field when he cant seem to organize his fellow defenders. Hard decisions need to be made I'm afraid.

Aberdeen ended their recent home goal drought to overcome St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership and ease some of the disquiet surrounding manager Stephen Robinson.

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