St Mirren

We asked for your thoughts after St Mirren scored a 99th-minute equaliser to snatch a draw at Aberdeen in a six-goal epic.

Here are some of your comments:

Eddie: Another shocking VAR decision, that's another for Saints over the past six weeks! We have been robbed of five or six points and are paying for a more inefficient referee system than the old one, and that was bad.

John: Yet another debatable decision to disallow a goal, but the boys never gave up and it's a vital point in the bank.

Michael: Once again another good goal chopped off by VAR. Every goal we score, we celebrate then you have to wait to see if it will stand. Not good, get rid of VAR.

Alan: Think it's now six goals we have been denied for no obvious reason. It's getting so out of hand that watching games now is no longer enjoyable. On the game itself, scoring three away from home is great but we need to defend so much better or we could very easily be in trouble.

Watch the best of the action as St Mirren score a 99th-minute equaliser in six-goal thriller with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. (Available to UK users only)

A rule change by world governing body Fifa means Sebastian Tounekti of Tunisia, Michel-Ange Balikwisha from DR Congo and Kelechi Iheanacho from Nigeria will be available for Celtic's Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren before being released to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations. (Glasgow Times), external

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Richard King's towering 99th-minute header earned St Mirren an unlikely Scottish Premiership point in a frantic six-goal thriller against Aberdeen.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "I'm so proud of the players. It's so easy to give up in life when things are going against you.

"They showed great character and overall, a point's probably a fair result. A big turning point for us.

"I've already said too much on decisions. That's six goals disallowed in five games I believe. Referees do the best they possibly can and we have to go with that.

"I'd rather talk about the character and desire shown. Our results in the league haven't been good enough and it's easy to feel sorry for yourself - we didn't, we kept battling.

"The only statistic that matters is the end result, but you have to look at the positives and there are a lot of them. Our xG is massive and we're just not getting things our way. Hopefully that's a turning point now.

"We're conceding too many goals. That's something that has to be better.

"To see that attitude and desire from the players, that's the big thing from me. We have to try to get three points and go into the cup final with a positive mindset."

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Defender Alex Gogic insists there's no panic among the St Mirren ranks despite sitting second-bottom of the Premiership table.

Following Saturday's defeat to Dundee, Stephen Robinson's side are winless in their last seven league outings and they travel to Pittodrie on Wednesday night to face an Aberdeen side who have won their last two league games.

In St Mirren's previous meeting with Aberdeen, Gogic marked his 150th appearance for the Buddies by sticking the ball in the net from a header but his goal was disallowed following a VAR intervention.

Aberdeen went on to win with a 96th minute goal from substitute Marko Lazetic.

Having goals chalked off after VAR checks and losing to late wonder strikes all too common occurrences for Stephen Robinson's Saints this season.

"You can see the league table where we are, but it's not that the performances aren't there," the Cyprus international said.

"We've been playing well. We've just got to be more clinical with our chances and obviously defend our goal better.

"The confidence is there. It's not like we're not performing and there's a big problem that we need to change and fix."

Stephen Robinson says Gogic is part of the core group in his team who's performance levels never drop below seven out of ten.

The 31-year-old is a fixture in the St Mirren starting line up and is a key part of the leadership group at the SMISA, and his confidence is unwavering.

"I've been here before, many times, and I tell the boys, just keep doing what we're doing," he added.

"In this league we just need two or three wins in a row, and you're already in the middle of it for top six."

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• After their 1-0 victory in October, Aberdeen are looking to win back-to-back league meetings with St Mirren for the first time since December 2018 (four in-a-row).

• Since the start of 2021-22, St Mirren have won nine of their 16 league meetings with Aberdeen (D2 L5), scoring 26 goals against them. This is both their most wins and most goals against any Scottish Premiership opponent in this time.

• Aberdeen have only lost one of their last five home league games (W2 D2), after having lost three in a row at Pittodrie beforehand. The Dons are looking to win back-to-back Scottish Premiership home matches for the first time since they won 10 in-a-row from April-November 2024.

• St Mirren have lost seven of their last eight midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) away league games (D1), although their last such win was at Aberdeen in February 2023 (3-1).

• Aberdeen have lost each of their last three home league games played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), last enduring a longer such losing run in February 2011 (five in-a-row).

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Emmanuel Gyamfi is in contention after returning from a hamstring injury but Aberdeen remain without Kristers Tobers (knee).

St Mirren will be without Mark O'Hara and Declan John but both are expected to return for the weekend.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Manager Stephen Robinson says it's time to "bin the excuses" as St Mirren aim to end a seven-game winless streak in the Scottish Premiership.

The Paisley side have dropped to second bottom, just two points above Livingston, with six defeats in that run.

Robinson has been frustrated by some controversial video assistant referee (VAR) calls but insists his focus is on matters he and his squad can control.

"We would love to see the decisions even themselves out over the season," he said. "But it hasn't over three-and-a-half years so far.

"So it's down to yourself. Put the excuses in the bin. Look at yourself in the mirror. Ask 'are you doing your best?' We're not hiding away from the problems."

Those problems, according to the Northern Irishman, are not scoring enough goals and conceding too many, often from long range.

"We've put in 150 crosses in the last seven games," he said. "We've had 51 corners.

"So we're getting into really good areas. And when you're getting into those good areas, you have to look the movement. Are strikers missing loads of chances? No, they're not.

"So movement has to be better. Some of the quality has to be better. Decision-making has to be better. And that's what we're working on.

"We've conceded six goals in those games from over 25 yards. So it's a little bit of an anomaly at the moment. People can't people can't keep scoring from 25 yards into the top corner. Sometimes things go against you in life. And they really have gone against us in the last seven games."

Robinson takes his team to Aberdeen on Wednesday before three successive home games.

"I've got full belief that the players will turn the results around," he said.

"I said we're in a relegation battle because of the league table. You'd be stupid to say you weren't with where we are.

"But two wins changes that and suddenly you're fighting for the top six. I know how the narrative changes."

So a plot twist is required for the Buddies as the story of the season unfolds and Robinson doesn't mind how his team writes it.

"We'll take a rubbish performance and three points against Aberdeen and the same again against Dundee United on Saturday," he said.

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland

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Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media before St Mirren visit Aberdeen in the Premiership on Wednesday.

Here are the key lines from the Buddies manager:

• With Saints winless in seven league matches - including six defeats, Robinson says "results have to change" and he'll take a "rubbish" performance and three points away to Aberdeen and the same at home to Dundee United on Saturday.

• He is confident St Mirren can start to turn things around but they have to start scoring from the chances they create and defend better.

• Robinson insists it's not been all "doom and gloom" as there have been good aspects in the winless run. He points out that in the past seven matches they've put in 150 crosses and won 51 corners, with 78 chances.

• Robinson says the league table shows St Mirren are in a relegation battle but the players haven't lost any confidence. He adds a couple of wins can turn that into a battle for top six, citing the example of Hibs last season.

• Robinson says it's not unusual for clubs like St Mirren who get to a cup final to also be trying to fight relegation.

• He would love to bring in a 20-goal striker and 10-goal midfielder but the board have told him he can only make signings in January if players move on. It'll be a case of "one in, one out".

• That means there are opportunities for young striker Evan Mooney, who turns 19 this month and is just getting back from injury, and 16-year-old Luke Douglas, who scored three in a recent youth cup tie, to stake a claim.

Mark Jardine
Fan writer

If there is one positive to take from Saturday's painful defeat at Dens Park, it's that the repetitive strain injury from repeatedly typing "we played better than the result would suggest, and it'll turn soon" will get a chance to subside.

Mika Mandron's opening goal was not so much gift-wrapped as it was presented in 13 complimentary layers of paper, scent, potpourri and ribbons by Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually.

Taken by surprise but composed in his finish, this feeling was as good as it got for the Buddies and the glow lasted roughly as long as a taxi ride from Dens to Tannadice.

Plenty of ball, corners and attempts on goal followed, but Dundee did more than enough and earned a two-goal cushion late on to sweeten the deal.

This result, coming against opposition where points are essential for a side with loftier ambitions than 'just above the real danger', is unlike recent frustrations against Celtic, Hearts and others.

For what it's worth, with more critical league games and a cup final on the horizon, this reality did not seem lost on Stephen Robinson in his post-match media duties.

Pittodrie tomorrow night and hosting Dundee United on Saturday provide a platform to show a reaction, which the Saints have found before and I'd back them to find it again.

Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters, external

Dundee did well to come from behind after earning the wrath of their home fans before beating St Mirren 3-1 at Dens Park on Saturday, according to former Scotland forward Steven Naismith.

Steven Pressley's side fell behind early before turning the match around before half time on their way to their first victory since defeating Celtic in October.

"There's not many tougher places to have been 1-0 down and your home fans booing and on you after a bad run," former Hearts head coach Naismith said on BBC Scotland's Sportscene.

"Credit to the players to keep playing, keep plugging away and keep getting forward. They deserved their win."

Watch all the highlights as Dundee come from behind to beat fellow Scottish Premiership strugglers St Mirren.

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We asked for your views after St Mirren fell to a 3-1 defeat at Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

Here's what some of you said:

Trevor: Stephen Robinson stole my line: "We are in a relegation battle". Same thing happened in 2013 with Danny Lennon when we had a great cup run, I just hope the players haven't taken their eye off the league because of the cup final coming up. If so it's going to be a long hard season ahead.

John: Dreadful performance. Glad to hear the manager acknowledge the fact we ARE in a relegation dogfight. Can't score enough goals, concede far too many, allied to a powder-puff midfield, and the problems are there for all to see. Two league wins all season? Suddenly the cup final seems less than important.

Michael: First sign of madness is doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting different results. Robinson is too loyal and needs to drop a large number of players. Apart from Killian Phillips I would replace the whole midfield and strike force. Give others a chance before it's too late.

Douglas: That performance was terrible today and glad to hear Robinson's post-match interview where he stated only three to four players are turning up. We are not scoring goals and we are now conceding at the back. Aberdeen on Wednesday has to be the turning point or we are in trouble.

Bobby: We are miles off the form of the last few seasons, hard luck stories only carries you so far I'm afraid. Hate to say it but has the cup run been an unwelcome distraction in the league?

Dundee ended a four-game losing streak as they came from behind to defeat St Mirren for a vital Scottish Premiership win.

Read the match report here.

Have your say here.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "It's the same old story unfortunately. 18-yard box to 18-yard box, really good. We had 18 shots, only three on target.

"They have eight shots, four on target, and score three goals. That's the difference. They take their opportunities. It's not good enough, not acceptable.

"I can keep saying the performances are decent but the bits that matter are in the boxes and we've not done either well enough.

"If you look at the table, it has to [resonate] with the players. We've tip-toed around it a little. We live in a society where you can't tell people the truth sometimes, you can't shout at them. You have to do it differently, but I've made it very clear to them - we are in a relegation battle.

"I'm counting on three or four every week to run the team. Other people have to step up, it's as simple as that. We do finishing every day - it doesn't look like that sometimes. As individuals, as a group, we have to be better."

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Dundee boss Steven Pressley expects to have a full squad available.

St Mirren captain Mark O'Hara is still sidelined with a foot issue, while back-up goalkeeper Ryan Mullen is unavailable.

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Stephen Robinson is leaning on past experience as he refuses to panic about St Mirren's Premiership struggles.

The Buddies head into Saturday's game at Dundee in ninth spot, two points off the bottom, after taking just a point from the past six matches.

"We had a similar period this time last year and we managed to finish in the top six," said manager Robinson, referencing the fact his team were third bottom with two wins from the opening 10 matches of last term.

"Nobody's getting too worried about it. If you look at Hibs last year, bottom of the table [in December], they ended up finishing third.

"Certainly, we try and stay focused and calm and not get too far ahead of ourselves or start looking behind you and start worrying.

"You can only affect what's in front of you and not what's happened previously."

St Mirren have earned praise for their recent performances against top two Hearts and Celtic but only took one point from those matches.

"We've shown we're very competitive," said Robinson, whose side's only win in the past two months was a 4-1 Premier Sports Cup semi-final triumph over Motherwell.

"Motherwell are doing very well at the moment and we won very comfortably - well, the scoreline suggests comfortably, although it wasn't that comfortable.

"We believe on our day we can beat anybody, we just have to turn performances into results.

"We're in a false league position in terms of our performances, we're not in a false position in terms of results. Our results have given us that amount of points.

"But I do believe that we can climb the table and I believe we will climb the table."