St Mirren

St Mirren go into the play-off final with Partick Thistle after a win over Aberdeen and a draw with Dundee United.

Are fans encouraged going into these vital games?

Read the report.

Have your say here.

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St Mirren interim manager Craig McLeish: "First half had a bit of an end of season feel to it. Second-half, I thought there was more energy, more intensity, we moved the ball quicker.

"We asked for a positive performance to build confidence for the games we've got and I thought we got that.

"Luke Douglas was excellent. Thomas Falconer came on and did well too.

"I know the quality Luke has got and the tenacity he's got. We're so excited by him but we need to care of him as well.

"The whole point of today was to get through unscathed and to bring some boys into the fold who haven't been involved as much recently.

"Now we need to do everything we can to try and stay in the league. If we turn up and perform the way we can, we're confident. We have to go into it with excitement and belief."

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St Mirren will likely make changes ahead of the play-offs while Declan John (hernia), Dan Nlundulu (thigh), Shamal George (ankle), Ryan Mullen (thigh), Jonah Ayunga (knee), Malik Dijksteel (groin) and Keanu Baccus (Achilles) remain out.

Dundee United wing-back Will Ferry has joined up with the Republic of Ireland squad but Emmanuel Agyei returns from suspension. Dario Naamo (foot), Amar Fatah, Luca Stephenson (both hamstring), Kristijan Trapanovski, Isaac Pappoe (both knee) and goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer (shoulder) remain out.

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St Mirren interim manager Craig McLeish is having to balance fitness concerns with momentum as his side gear up for a Premiership play-off final against either Dunfermline or Partick Thistle.

The final Premiership game of the season at home to Dundee United on Saturday is effectively a dead rubber with the Buddies' play-off place already confirmed.

After last weekend's victory over Aberdeen, McLeish stressed the importance of momentum when preparing for a crucial play-off match.

"We have to balance what we do against Dundee United," he said.

"You want to keep momentum going into the play-off games, but we might need to get some boys some minutes as well.

"We will need to lean on some of the subs from Tuesday in the play-off games too so we will need to balance some of that and build for the three games."

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• St Mirren haven't won their final league match in any of the past five seasons (D3 L2). Excluding the curtailed 2019-20 campaign, they last won on matchday 38 in the Scottish Premiership in 2018-19 (3-2 v Dundee).

• Dundee United have failed to score in three successive league games, last doing so in four in a row in the Scottish Premiership in December 2021.

• United have only lost their final game in one of their past six Scottish Premiership seasons (W4 D1), a 3-2 defeat to Motherwell in 2022-23.

• St Mirren have won two of their past four top-flight home games against United (L2), more than their previous 18 beforehand (W1 D9 L8).

• United have won five of their past seven Scottish Premiership matches against St Mirren (L2), including most recently in March (2-1).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Killian Phillips insists the impressive win at Aberdeen gives St Mirren a much-needed confidence boost for their relegation play-off.

Midfielder Phillips was on the scoresheet as Saints ran out 2-0 winners at Pittodrie on Tuesday night, only to be consigned to 11th place by Kilmarnock's victory over Dundee.

That means the Buddies - who complete the regular season at home to Dundee United on Sunday - will face a two-legged play-off with either Dunfermline or Partick Thistle for a place in the top flight.

"This has to give us confidence to take into Sunday," Phillips told BBC Scotland.

"We need a positive result on Sunday, it gives us even more confidence going into the relegation play-off.

"It has been a very tough season, we know the big thing now is to stay in the league.

"We just need to focus on Sunday and then see whoever we play, we need to get ready for that."

The win at Pittodrie ended a run of four straight league defeats for St Mirren, who suffered a chastening 3-0 home loss to Killie at the weekend.

"It has been a tough couple of games," Phillips added.

"But we believe in what is in the group and we believe what Craig [McLeish] is trying to do. It is up to us to implement it.

"Last Saturday wasn't good enough from the players, we have to take that on the chin. It can't always be the manager, it has to be the players and we spoke about it on Sunday and we gave a couple of harsh truths but that is how it is.

"You saw the reaction, we have some very good players in the group no matter if we are down to the bare bones.

"It is just about helping each other, helping the group and we believe that we can do it."

Sportscene pundit and former Livingston boss Marvin Bartley praises St Mirren's performance as the Paisley side are condemned to a relegation play-off despite beating Aberdeen 2-0 at Pittodrie.

We asked for your views after St Mirren's relegation play-off fate was sealed despite a 2-0 win at Aberdeen.

Here's what some of you said:

Stu: Great result and great effort after the poor showing against Kilmarnock. It's important to get a result against Dundee United and keep the momentum going. The league season has been dreadful but it's interesting that Craig McLeish has won three of his eight games in charge and Stephen Robinson only managed five wins, so something has changed. Let's hope we win the next three games and stay up.

Peter: More like the things we needed to be doing. Alex Gogic makes a big difference when playing. We head into the play-offs and need to ensure we take the same effort into both games. Don't play anyone carrying an injury against Dundee United.

Marc: Realistically our chances of avoiding the play-off spot were incredibly slim. However, this result will certainly give a much-needed boost in confidence levels to the players ahead of a two-legged affair to preserve our Premiership status. This group of players has been given plenty of plaudits in recent years for achieving three consecutive top-six finishes in addition to League Cup glory in December. However, we need them to step up again for one final time when we are deep in the trenches and when we need it most.

Watch the highlights as St Mirren ended their winless run with a 2-0 victory in Aberdeen but will still have to have to come through a Premiership play-off against Dunfermline or Partick Thistle to remain in the top flight. Available to UK users only.

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St Mirren interim head coach Craig McLeish told BBC Scotland: "The players fought for each other and stuck together. It was a really good performance at a difficult place to come.

"Now it's about building momentum and confidence for the last three games.

"I've had massive belief in the group since day one.

"We've won four games since Christmas and I've been in charge for three of them, so I know it's in them.

"I know I've made improvements. We just need to keep that going and take care of what's in front of us."

St Mirren earned a hard-fought Scottish Premiership win over Aberdeen - but it wasn't enough to prevent their place in the relegation play-off being confirmed.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say on the game here.

Billy Hogg
Fan writer

Two weeks ago I wrote I'd quite happily pack in the season now, take the 10th-place finish and start again in July.

Sadly though - and very selfishly - Neil McCann and Kilmarnock have taken that away from us as we stare down the barrel of that relegation play-off spot.

St Mirren fans have never been known as an optimistic bunch, even when things are going well. But after Saturday's dismal, dismal performance, it's fair to say pessimism in Paisley has reached yet another new peak.

Against Kilmarnock, the Buddies fired a blank for the fourth straight time in the league and the 17th in 36 Premiership games.

This season Saints have scored only 10 at home in 18 games - just one fewer goal than we managed in three games at Hampden. No one ever said football made sense.

So, can Craig McLeish's men avoid the Partick Thistle or Dunfermline-shaped boulder hurtling towards them? Mathematically, yes. Realistically? Based on the last couple of performances, it's hard to see that happening.

Kilmarnock of course deserve credit here, having completed a 10 -point turnaround on St Mirren since 4 February, and they now sit just one win from completing the job. But from a Paisley perspective, it's hard not to focus on us holding up our end of the bargain.

In any relegation escape it takes two to tango, and when you pick up just seven points in an 11-game spell (and lose to the team below you twice) you're really asking for trouble.

As such, the worst St Mirren season in seven years looks set to be extended by another week.

Yet despite how little l've enjoyed the last 270 minutes of football, I'll still be heading up north for tonight's clash with Aberdeen, hoping to at least keep things interesting going into the final day.

If not? Well, we start planning for a midweek trip to Fife or Maryhill and a final shot at redeeming a deeply disappointing season in Renfrewshire.

So many things have transpired against us, including injuries to key players, controversial VAR calls and a manager being poached just before the business end of the season. But, as they say, the league table doesn't lie.

Billy Hogg can be found at Misery Hunters, external

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• Aberdeen's Stephen Robinson has lost his past three league meetings with former side St Mirren, twice with Motherwell in 2019-20 and with his current club in April this year.

• Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Aberdeen have won five of their 18 league meetings with St Mirren, a rate of 28%. Among sides they have faced five plus times in the league in this time, only against the two Old Firm clubs do they have a lower win rate: 0% v Celtic (0/17) and 18% v Rangers (3/17).

• St Mirren's past seven league visits to Aberdeen have had a total of 28 goals (14 each, 4.0 per game), with at least one side scoring three plus goals in all seven of those games.

• Including the curtailed 2019-20 season, Aberdeen have only lost their final home league game in two of the past eight campaigns (W4 D2), although one of those was last season, a 5-1 defeat to Celtic.

• Including the curtailed 2019-20 season, St Mirren have only won their final away game in one of their past nine top-flight campaigns (D3 L5), including none of their latest six (D3 L3) since beating Dundee 3-2 in 2018-19.

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Aberdeen pair Stuart Armstrong and Dimitar Mitov will have surgery this week and be fit to start pre-season training. Striker Marko Lazetic will also miss out for personal reasons. Alexander

Jensen and Dennis Geiger are doubts, while Kristers Tobers (knee) and Nick Suman (ankle) remain out.

St Mirren defender Alex Gogic returns from suspension but they are still missing Declan John (hernia), Dan Nlundulu (thigh), Shamal George (ankle), Ryan Mullen (thigh), Jonah Ayunga (knee), Malik Dijksteel (groin) and Keanu Baccus (Achilles).

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Craig McLeish has urged frustrated fans to back his St Mirren players in their fight to avoid relegation.

Saturday's 3-0 home defeat to Kilmarnock leaves the Paisley side in the play-off spot, four points behind the the Rugby Park outfit with two Scottish Premiership fixtures remaining.

They travel to Aberdeen on Tuesday and host Dundee United on Sunday.

Interim manager McLeish has lost four successive league matches and said he was "embarrassed" by the performance against Kilmarnock, which drew ire from the home stands.

Talking to club media, he said: "The fans have got every right to show their frustrations.

"I can't ask more of them in terms of the support that they've given us. That was unacceptable and they've got every right to vent and show their anger.

"And ultimately, it's directed at me. Back the players, back the team on the pitch, keep fighting to the very end, any frustration and things, that's my responsibility, I'll take it.

"I put myself into this situation. I wanted to lead the group, and we'll keep fighting until the very end.

"It's just back the team on the pitch, back the players on the pitch and let's see what it takes us by the end of the season."

St Mirren fans, we asked for your views on the 3-0 loss to Kilmarnock that leaves you four adrift in 11th place. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

William: Stephen Robinson was under contract and should have remained until season end. We needed an experienced manager for the final few games but this foolish board could only see a fee. Now look at the desperate situation we are in. Once again we are the nursery club for Aberdeen. Craig McLeish cannot be the manager next season. A good man has to come in (it's a prestige job in Paisley), along with some quality players.

George: No fight, no tactics and the usual lack of threat up front. Heading for play-offs with low confidence. How did we get here from winning the League Cup?

Stu: Pathetic. To serve that up to your fans in such a critical game... just pathetic. Four games to save our season because we're definitely in the play-offs. The manager is out of his depth, playing players out of position, tinkering with a style that players clearly haven't bought into. How can it fall apart so quickly?

Ask Jack Ross to take charge for four games. We need something to turn this around quickly and McLeish isn't the guy to do it. I'm lost for words after that.

William: The Chairman, the board, and the players have to take the blame. The Chairman and board for not bringing in a manager and giving the job to the youth team coach. The manager for picking players who are just not good enough, and/or not putting in a shift. There were at least three or four playing on Saturday that should not have a place in the squad for the play-offs.

Colin: Dreadful. McLeish a big part of the blame for this one. Playing Mark O'Hara at wing back with Jayden Richardson on the bench? Playing one up front in a must win game? Some players downed tools, not up for the fight. Relegation incoming.

John: McLeish is clearly out of his depth. However, the ultimate responsibility for this shambles lies with the ex-manager (I don't ever want him in our hall of fame) and a board who allowed themselves to be deluded by a League Cup win and a 'big league' director of recruitment who has taken our money and delivered nothing.

This club has thrown away its best opportunity to move forward in a generation. We will be in the play-offs, and thanks to a group of players who are hiding or looking to their agent to provide another payday, will be playing Championship football for the foreseeable future. Collectively, they should be ashamed.

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St Mirren interim manager Craig McLeish insisted his side's dismal run of form has not dented his confidence as a coach.

Saints have lost all three matches since the league split without scoring a goal to slump to 11th in the Scottish Premiership table.

"This has been one game where things haven't gone our way, but no, it doesn't question anything about me and what I believe I can do, or even within the group," McLeish said.

"I put myself in this situation, I stepped up and I'm comfortable with it all."

St Mirren will likely need to secure their safety via a play-off against either Dunfermline Athletic or Partick Thistle and McLeish admitted that they would likely lose if they played as poorly as they did against Kilmarnock.

"I think if you play like that today, you're not winning any games at all," he added.

"It's the first day, though, that we've probably had like this since I've taken over the group.

"It's the first time I can say I'm disappointed in us as a group where we've not performed, we've not fought, we've not been hard to play against."