St Mirren

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "It was really, really important that we capped off the week with a victory.

"It was a really, really good performance. We should've and could've won by a lot more goals. They've had a fantastic week. It's been a brilliant week for the football club. We're delighted with the week.

"We showed really good composure, kept playing, kept passing and a really, really good goal [by Mikael Mandron] to win the game.

"I thought the [disallowed Jonah Ayunga] goal should've stood. It's hard to find any fault with the goal. Luckily today it didn't cost us, it is seven goals now disallowed."

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St Mirren have lost Keana Baccus to a long-term hamstring tendon injury but captain Mark O'Hara is closing in on a return from a foot problem.

Malik Dijksteel sat out last weekend's League Cup final with a fitness issue.

Livingston defender Ryan McGowan is suspended while Cammy Kerr (groin), Aidan Denholm and Shane Blaney (both hamstring) and Adam Montgomery (calf) remain on the sidelines.

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Stephen Robinson "thought somebody was winding me up" when he received a message of congratulations from Sir Alex Ferguson in the wake of St Mirren's League Cup triumph.

The Buddies boss revealed some of the "humbling" praise that has come his way since steering his side to their first trophy in 12 years.

Ferguson, who won the First Division title as St Mirren boss in 1977, was among those to contact Robinson after the 3-1 Hampden triumph over Celtic last Sunday.

"I thought somebody was winding me up, but Sir Alex sent me a message, which I couldn't believe," the Northern Irishman said.

"Actually, my boy was in the next room and I was shouting: 'Son, are you sending me messages, messing about?' But, no, Sir Alex sent me a brilliant message. So from a legend in the game like that, I was extremely humbled.

"Eddie Howe, Brendan Rodgers, to name but a few, there was quite a few messages, which is fantastic.

"I'm humbled when you get that level of manager text you 'well done'.

"Somebody that's got that stature in the game and done what Sir Alex has done, I keep using the word humble because I'm just a wee guy from Northern Ireland that is doing the job to the best of his ability, so to get recognised by people like that is amazing."

Robinson is determined not to allow his cup-winning side to rest on their laurels.

"I don't think you can do because once you start believing you're a really good side, you forget the things that made you good," he said.

"Even when we weren't winning games in that run, we worked very, very hard. We played some really, really good football, we were very organised.

"When you think you don't need to do that same level of organisation or running or closing down, then football bites you on the bum very quickly.

"I'm determined to not let that happen because the narrative changes very, very quickly.

"You know, six weeks ago we were a really poor team. Then we got a couple of wins, we were decent. Then we win the cup, we're brilliant. I don't think we're any of those.

"I think we're a team constantly improving, constantly working to stay in this division with our resources, and trying to take the club forward as a whole, as a base to leave a foundation at this football club that wasn't here previously."

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St Mirren have been dealt a "real blow" with Keanu Baccus ruled out for up to three months because of a hamstring injury.

The 27-year-old Australia international has become an important member of Stephen Robinson's side since returning to Paisley in the summer and played the full game in last Sunday's League Cup final win over Celtic.

"We've had really bad news about Keanu Baccus," manager Robinson said.

"He's had a hamstring tendon injury, so he could be out up to the guts of three months, at least eight to 10 weeks. So that's a real blow for us.

"He'll see the specialist. Hopefully it doesn't require surgery."

The Buddies are looking to keep up the momentum from their historic cup win when they return to league action against bottom club Livingston on Saturday.

Robinson's side have won just one of their past nine league games, leaving them ninth in the table.

"The cup win is for the history books now. The present is we need points on the board, we need to win football matches, which we've started to do, and we have to play to the best of our ability," he added.

"I can look back on that and we can all be very, very proud of that achievement, but I'm one that moves on very quickly.

"Our focus on Monday morning was how we beat Livingston."

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Livingston manager David Martindale believes St Mirren's League Cup triumph was "just rewards" for the way they have been run over many years.

The sides go head-to-head in Paisley on Saturday with Livingston bottom of the Premiership and desperate for a first win since August.

In contrast, St Mirren are still on a high after beating Wilfried Nancy's Celtic 3-1 at Hampden on Sunday, their first major trophy in 12 years.

Despite that, Martindale is confident his side can come away with something if they play to their full potential.

"I've got a lot of respect for [Stephen Robison] and what he's done at the club," Martindale said.

"Very, very well-run football club that are getting their just rewards for that continuity they've kept in the building, style of play, how they want to play, their manager, their players they've recruited every window, they enhance their club.

"There's a lot to be said about how St Mirren run their football club and how Robbo and his staff manage that group of players.

"It was well deserved [winning the League Cup]. Going to Paisley is a difficult game of football on the back of anything, win, lose or draw. I know it's going to be a difficult game on Saturday.

"I don't think any team goes and enjoys going to play football in Paisley and that's testament to Robbo and his staff.

"It's going to be a difficult game but I think it's definitely one we can get something from. But you need to work extremely hard if you're going to get anything from the game from a really tough St Mirren team who have had a lot of success in recent years."

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Given there will have been a bit of partying going on in Paisley since Sunday's win over Celtic at Hampden, St Mirren will probably be relieved their next opponents are bottom-placed Livingston - and in front of their own fans.

There is likely to be a party atmosphere at SMiSA Stadium and Jonah Ayunga will hope to be swept along to another goalscoring performance after his brace in the League Cup final.

Indeed, the 28-year-old England-born Kenya striker has three goals in his latest three appearances.

Should he score in back-to-back matches for St Mirren for the first time, he will match his goals tally for the previous 42 games.

Given Livingston have not won in 15 outings and have not won in their latest nine visits to Paisley, albeit only losing five, Stephen Robinson's ninth-placed side will be confident of a victory that is much needed considering they are in danger of being one of four sides detached at the bottom.

Especially so since David Martindale's side have just one league win this season, the fewest by any side in their opening 16 matches of a Scottish top-flight campaign since Gretna also started with just one victory in 2007.

Read all the weekend Premiership picks

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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We're suckers for Christmas films in my house.

So far this advent we've watched Love Actually (good but controversial), Home Alone (say no more), something called Tinsel Town on Netflix (bang average), The Knight Before Christmas (dire) and A Castle for Christmas (slightly less dire) and Hercule Poirot's Christmas.

They all have happy endings, even the Agatha Chistie TV adaptation, and that had a murder in it.

None of them, though, could hold a Christmas candle to the blockbuster finale of St Mirren's League Cup win with its Hollywood ending.

A 3-1 win over the Scottish champions - and it could have been even more convincing. Talk about suspending disbelief.

This St Mirren story is an epic, somewhat unlikely tale with four Premiership sides taken care of in the knockout phase, including the holders and the team now at the top of the Premiership, two penalty shootout wins and a couple of tactical masterclasses by players who, according to Stephen Robinson, would "die for the club".

The manager, trophy in hand, addressing supporters from the balcony of Paisley Town Hall with Christmas lights twinkling in the distance was truly cinematic.

His words echoing round the centre of the town: "What a four years this has been, top six, Europe and now we win the cup."

Romance is not dead. All achieved on a shoestring budget that you couldn't produce a cheap indie flick on.

Mind you, as I toy with scribbling a screenplay for a Buddies blockbuster, I can't help wondering who would play Alex Gogic on the silver screen. After hearing the Cypriot singing at the Town Hall it definitely won't be a musical.

Anyway, such whimsical reverie should probably be put aside till the end of the season, as there are more important issues to focus on.

The battle for Premiership survival is more gritty kitchen sink drama than entertaining seasonal frolic.

Alas for the Buddies, unlike our favourite festive flicks, there's no guarantee of a happy ending.

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• Fresh from his brace in St Mirren's League Cup final win over Celtic, Jonah Ayunga has three goals in his past three appearances in all competitions – just one fewer than his previous 42 beforehand (four). Ayunga has never found the net in back-to-back matches for the club before.

• St Mirren are unbeaten in nine Scottish Premiership games at home to Livingston (W5 D4) since a 2-0 defeat in August 2018.

• After their 1-0 win in February 2024, Livingston could secure back-to-back Premiership wins over St Mirren for the first time since December 2018.

• After their 2-0 win over Dundee United, St Mirren could rack up successive home league victories for just the second time since the start of last season, previously doing so in March/April 2025.

• Livingston have just one win in their 16 league games this season (D6 L9), the fewest by any side in their opening 16 matches of a Scottish top-flight campaign since Gretna in 2007-08 (also one).

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Stephen McGinn says St Mirren fans can't believe their luck that Stephen Robinson hasn't been whisked away by another club.

After three successive top-six finishes, Robinson led Saints to his greatest achievement yet with victory over Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup final on Sunday to land the club's first major trophy in 12 years.

"It's weird, the fan base are actually quite surprised they've still been able to keep him," former Buddies midfielder and coach McGinn told the BBC.

"Every time a job comes up they're thinking, surely our manager's going to get this one, and then he doesn't get it.

"It's almost like they can't believe their luck. Sometimes the Oldham and Morecambe jobs count against him because it didn't go so well for him south of the border.

"The St Mirren fans think he's a bit of a legend at Luton. That job came up recently and the St Mirren fans had it as we're going to lose him this time, and I don't think he was wanted.

"It's weird that the fan base are like, I can't believe nobody wants him."

McGinn insists the future is bright at St Mirren.

"The last time they won the League Cup in 2013 was a bit of a game-changer in terms of that younger generation," he added.

"You saw it again, St Mirren don't have 12, 13, 14,000 fans. But what you saw at the final was the fan with his wife and his kids, or with his uncle, or his friend.

"The scenes when that third goal went in, and probably from the third goal going into full-time when you know the cup is won, will stay with some of the kids forever.

"But one of the big things St Mirren did as a club was build a modern stadium with really nice facilities.

"Their average attendance has gone up by 2,000. It always sat for years at around 4,500 but it's now sitting at about 6,500.

"Cup wins, new stadium, things are looking really positive for the club."

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Premier Sports Cup final goalscorer Marcus Fraser believes St Mirren deserved to have "something to show" for their fine efforts over the last few seasons under Stephen Robinson.

The manager has guided the Buddies to three consecutive top six finishes in the Scottish Premiership, as well as bringing European football back to the club for the first time in 37 years, but the Paisley side were missing something tangible to have at the SMISA Stadium.

Until their sensational League Cup victory against Celtic on Sunday, of course.

"We speak about getting top six, which has been brilliant and we've been getting into Europe, but you don't really get anything at the end of it," Fraser, who opened the scoring inside two minutes at Hampden, said.

"It's good performances and it's consistency, but Sunday, off the back of a good performance, it was brilliant to get our hands on the trophy, something to lift, something to show everyone, and obviously show how good we've been over that year.

"This was probably the next step that this team had to take and thankfully we didn't freeze in the moment.

"We grabbed it with both hands and we took the opportunity, which was brilliant."

Fraser, who led the Buddies out in place of injured captain Mark O'Hara, described his goal as "the best moment of his career" and he paid tribute to Robinson, who won against Celtic in a major final at the third time of asking after two unsuccessful attempts with Motherwell.

"Incredible," Fraser said when describing the manager.

"When he first came in, I think it was a wee bit of a ropey start.

"No one was quite sure about where he was going to go, but since then the club's moved forward, improved the training ground, improved the stadium and the fans had bought into it as well.

"You can see that the fans love the manager, what he's done over the last few seasons.

"It's basic what he does. He just gets his information across to his players and we go out and do it on the pitch, but what he does on the training ground every day doesn't go unnoticed."

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Steve Clarke has praised former club St Mirren and their manager following their Premier Sports Cup win.

Stephen Robinson's side defeated holders Celtic 3-1 at Hampden, securing the Paisley club's first trophy since 2013.

Clarke played for St Mirren from 1982-87 and says they fully deserved their success.

"I never saw the scenes in Paisley but obviously delighted to see my old club win the trophy," Clarke told BBC Scotland.

"I thought they were the best team on the day, they played really well.

"Stephen set them up in a really good way, they caused Celtic a lot of problems.

"Pleased for Stephen as well, been in the game a long time up here, he's always shown that he knows the Scottish game inside out."

We asked for your thoughts after St Mirren lifted the Premier Sports Cup with a stunning 3-1 win against Celtic at Hampden.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Michael: Masterful, inspirational, tactically astute, says it all. Stephen Robinson has worked wonders with the squad and both he and these players have ensured their names will be etched in to St Mirren's history. I left Paisley in 1979 to join the Royal Air Force and my heart has never left the town. Been back to see previous cup wins but not this one sadly. Nevertheless not ashamed to say I have shed a few tears in Lincoln after that. Great result for the team, the staff, the fans and Paisley itself. Faith over fear.

Dunc: St Mirren out played, out thought and out fought Celtic, and fully deserved to win the league cup.

Douglas: I was just a wee bit nervous as we got nearer half-time as Celtic were dominant with lots of space down each wing, but the break came at a good time for us and whatever Robinson said, we certainly didn't give them anything like that control in the second half. The atmosphere was electric especially in the second period and after the second goal, you just had an inkling that something was on the cards, then the brilliant third gave us breathing space and confidence that we could see it out. So happy for everyone involved.

David: You don't normally see us win a trophy, but this St Mirren team under the gaffer really deserved it. The opposition couldn't handle us, what a performance.

James: An outstanding performance by the Saints. After being pegged back by Celtic, the second half could have been a Celtic onslaught but the tactical changes by Robinson nullified that threat and the longer the game went on, their confidence grew and the better St Mirren looked!

Gary: I thought we were excellent. We played with courage and took our chances. I wish I was able to attend the final but living in Australia meant it wasn't feasible. Memories of 2013 were in my mind but it was a lot more comfortable than I was expecting - 83 minutes was when Celtic tested us in second half. Congrats to Robinson and the players. To a man they were unbelievable.

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Listen to all the celebrations after St Mirren win the Scottish League Cup with reaction from manager Stephen Robinson, his jubilant players and beaten Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy.

Get all the reaction on BBC Sounds.

Steven Thompson was St Mirren's League Cup hero on the only other time they won the trophy.

This time, he was on BBC Radio Scotland watching his boyhood club replicate the feat 12 years on, and it's clear he was feeling it.

"It's very nostalgic. Although it was 12 or 13 years ago, I was down there doing the same thing with my kids when they were wee," he said.

"You can't describe the feeling, it's just magnificent.

"For the manager - three consecutive top six finishes and now lifting a trophy, he'll get the freedom of the town.

"St Mirren needed to get everything right - and they did that. They should be so proud of how they played as a team and how they, individually, played to their maximum."

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St Mirren midfielder Keanu Baccus on BBC Scotland

"I feel amazing, I can't remember the last trophy I won. I'm lost for words. I left Australia and came here and it's been such a big grind. I'm just so glad I came back to the club. The fans are amazing, they're like a 12th man. I thank the club, God, my family. I'm just so proud of everyone involved. We played with no fear, all faith. We didn't crumble when they scored. This is up there with [playing at] the World Cup, for sure."

St Mirren winger Conor McMenamin on BBC Scotland

"Just proud of all the team, amazing effort from us all. We worked so hard all week, on how we could nullify Celtic and play our own game. We were brilliant. We came here and believed in ourselves, believed we could beat Celtic. It wasn't luck today, we deserved to put our hands on that trophy. It's the only thing this team hasn't got in the last few years - top six finishes, European things. To get silverware now, we'll go down in history."

St Mirren midfielder Killian Phillips on BBC Scotland

"It means the world. When I came to this club, I was a bit lost in football. The last 18 months have been unbelievable, the club has given me so much. To finally give something back is fantastic. The week was tough, we didn't know if they'd play a three or a four at the back with the new gaffer. But we knew where to go on every blade of grass. I'm sure there'll be a few sore heads tomorrow morning. The fans deserve it."

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St Mirren goalscorer Jonah Ayunga on BBC Scotland

"Amazing. We met the fans at the calendar signing this week and this was all they spoke about. To get the chance to play in this, let alone win it and score, I couldn't imagine it any better. Not a bad day's work, eh?

"This is once in a lifetime. I've been playing since I was 17, I'm nearly 30, this was the first time I had a chance to win anything. The manager deserves it. You see what he's done year upon year at St Mirren. This is the icing on the cake."

St Mirren captain [on the day] Marcus Fraser on Premier Sports

"We scored goals at vital times. We had belief all week, we just felt it. We know the quality we've got in the group and backed up with a manager who knew we could win this game. To get the cup win for everybody is brilliant."

St Mirren captain Mark O'Hara on Premier Sports

"It's so special. From the moment I came here it's been nothing but joy, so to cap it off with a cup is amazing. It's been a frustrating and worrying time, I didn't know if I was going to make it [after an injury]. Just to be involved at all is so special. There were nearly a few tears in the pre-match build up but the fans are who we do it for."

St Mirren sensationally roared to Premier Sports Cup victory by stunning beleaguered holders Celtic in a frenetic Hampden final.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say here.

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "I'm delighted for everyone involved - staff, players. We've got a fantastic group of boys.

"When you speak to people in England, you get top six finishes, they don't understand the parameters, or the disparity of the league. If you're down in England, you've always got a chance because of the amount of games the budgets aren't that drastically different.

"There is a huge disparity here so for us to get a trophy, a small club like St Mirren, to do it in the manner we did... I'm so pleased for the boys.

"It's pride. We're a small squad, small staff, small admin staff, and everyone pulls together. People were saying we'd turn up and we shouldn't ever beat Celtic on paper.

"We came with a belief, play with faith over fear. The fans have had banner up all week. We had a brilliant team meeting before. I knew they believed and how they started proved that.

"We scored from a set play we've worked on. We thought we could move them out of the space. The amount of time you work on set plays and they don't come off! It was brilliant for it to come off in such a big game.

"We sat back after that and I wasn't happy with the last 20 minutes of the first half. We changed it, put Keanu Baccus to man mark [Callum] McGregor, and our two centre forwards man-marked their outside centre-halves. We left the middle one on the ball, and that's where we pressed from.

"I knew we'd create a lot of counter attacking chances doing that. It's nice for the tactics to come off for once.

"People don't realise how tough it is to leave people out of the squad, and off the bench. You can see the celebrations, everyone is part of it even though some are hurting and wanting more.

"That's what I'm proud of - the togetherness at this football club. Mikael Mandron phoned me at 7am this morning, saying he'd been throwing up all night, he was struggling, but he wanted to start.

"For him to be that honest on a day like today, he made a brilliant decision. Dan [Nlundulu] and Jonah [Ayunga] were class up front. That's the level of the guy and how much he loves the teammates and the club, for him to sacrifice that.

"We could have two or three more goals on the counter attack with better decisions, but there was good defending from Celtic. The second half game plan was excellent. I wouldn't say I was calm or relaxed, because you never know with their quality.

"I'm not one for attention. I'll be home at 10pm with my dogs and my wife, but when I look back when my career is finished, I'll be very proud of what I've achieved."

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• St Mirren beat Motherwell 4-1 in the semis to reach their first League Cup final in 12 years.

• The Buddies have only won the trophy once - in 2013, defeating Hearts 3-2 - and been runners-up twice, in 1955-56 and 2009-10.

• Current holders Celtic beat 10-man Rangers 3-1 in extra time to book their place in the final.

• The Parkhead side won their 22nd League Cup last December after beating Rangers on penalties following a 3–3 draw.

• Celtic have had a different scorer for all 11 of their goals in their three cup ties this season, conceding two.

• St Mirren striker Mikael Mandron is the top scorer in the competition this term with seven goals in six games.