St Mirren

Watch all the action as Livingston salvage a point against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on St Mirren's 1-1 draw against Livingston.

Here's what some of you said:

John: Well, that was another slap in the face. In a game that would best be described as "dross" we looked comfortable for 65 minutes.

A goal to the good by a striker! Unbelievable! Then we do what we always seem to do when ahead - concede possession and territory and lose a poor equaliser.

Can't believe that Livingston defender scored with a header so far from goal when we had defenders around him. As for the goal keeper, rooted to the spot again.

Stephen Robinson was way too late with his changes. They should've been made at 1-0 and not at 1-1. With all the other results going our way, for once, that is a sore two points to drop. A Tannadice win is a must. Nothing less.

Michael: These players will struggle in the Championship but that is what awaits. Shocking but not unexpected.

Alan: Another poor performance. We have Rangers, Falkirk and Celtic in three of our next four games. Do we really think we are getting anything from these games? Bottom line, recruitment has been useless this year and we will be lucky to stay up.

Defender Brooklyn Kabongolo scored for the second game running as Scottish Premiership basement side Livingston rescued a point against stumbling St Mirren.

Read the match report here.

Give us your thoughts on the game here.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "I think it's a point gained.

"Any point away from home is a positive, we felt we could add three points, they had that one opportunity and score from it, it's a long looking ball into the box, we just didn't defend it properly.

"We had numbers there, so really disappointed.

"We concede from a big long ball into the box, oher than that, we scored a great goal, we hit the crossbar, we should have scored a game when Dan [Nlundulu] went through and Mika [Mandron] has the follow-up and then the game's put to bed.

"Nobody comes here and rolls them over, nobody, so it's a difficult surface, we know that, as I said, it's a point gained, another point away from the bottom.

"We looked a lot more solid, we worked a lot harder, we pressed the ball a lot better, so there lot of positives to it as well, we had some good opportunities."

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Livingston have Scott Arfield back in contention after a hamstring issue but Cristian Montano is suspended and Samson Lawal, Josh Zimmerman, Connor McLennan (ankle) and Aidan Denholm (hamstring) are all likely to remain sidelined.

St Mirren have doubts over Declan John (illness) and Colin McMenamin (groin). Jonah Ayunga (calf) returns to training next week while Malik Dijksteel (groin) is out long term.

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Saturday's trip to Livingston.

Here are the main points:

• On having Richard King's red card in the 5-0 loss to Motherwell overturned, Robinson says "we weren't going to win the game anyway" but feels "common sense prevailed".

• He admits the change of formation for that game was "a step too far" for his team "when confidence was low".

• Robinson says "I'm my own biggest critic, when things aren't going well I'll be the first to note that" but stresses "it's important that the fans get right behind the players".

• With St Mirren just two points above the relegation play-off spot, Robinson says his side are "not sleepwalking into trouble, we're very aware of where we are" but insists on their day they can "beat any team in the league".

• He adds: "I don't think anybody in the bottom half is out of a relegation scrap. Our job is to get points on the board and also drag other people into this battle."

• Robinson know "it's difficult to play when you're under pressure" but has urged the players to "rise above that".

• He is ready for a "real difficult game on a difficult surface" at Livi and adds: "I don't care what way we do it, we have to find a way to win."

• Robinson says: "You have to do the bare minimum to win football matches and we have to get back to doing that."

• Robinson believes "lots of things have gone against us" but feels "it could still be a very good season" with the League Cup already in the bag and the potential to get to another semi-final at Hampden.

• Team news: Declan John has been ill so will be a last-minute decision, Jonah Ayunga will start training next week but Conor McMenamin hasn't trained since Monday with a groin injury so will be assessed on Saturday.

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• Livingston have 13 points in 28 league games this season, the fewest by any side at this stage of a Scottish top-flight campaign since Livingston themselves in 2005-06 (12 in 28).

• St Mirren are winless in 10 away league outings (D2 L8), but haven't gone longer without a win on the road in the top flight since a run of 20 from November 2009 to October 2010.

• No side has lost more points from winning positions in the Scottish Premiership this season than Livingston (20, level with Dundee United). Conversely, St Mirren have recovered the fewest points (two) from losing positions of any side.

• Livingston have lost none of their past five Scottish Premiership home games against St Mirren (W1 D4) since a 1-0 defeat in October 2021.

• St Mirren have only lost one of their past 15 Premiership meetings with Livingston (W7 D7), going down 1-0 in February 2024.

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St Mirren were successful in challenging Richard King's sending off in Saturday's loss to Motherwell and his ban was overturned.

St Mirren defender King, 24, was sent off in his side's 5-0 defeat in Paisley on Saturday.

With his team trailing 3-0, the centre-back was involved in an incident with Callum Slattery and the Motherwell player fell to the ground.

Referee Calum Scott did not see the incident, issuing the red card on the advice of his assistant, and VAR did not intervene to ask him to review footage.

The independent panel ruled King should not have been dismissed and he will be available to face Livingston in Saturday's league game at Almondvale.

Andrew Christie
Fan writer

The brief: a column of roughly 300 words on St Mirren. Cool.

Short of 60 words of "aw naw, aw whit, come on" for each of the five goals, I'm not sure what to do here.

Actually, if you'll allow me to go over by six can I have "HOW IS THAT A RED, MAN?!?" as well?

The annoying thing is that sense of not knowing where to start is one currently shared by Stephen Robinson's men.

Motherwell's system under Jens Berthel Askou is designed to force you into playing their game.

Their set-up jumps out of deep defensive shapes when you lose the ball and carries it forward at pace, or camps on the edge of your box to force high turnovers, depending on what's going to cause you the most problems - and make my head hottest - at any given moment.

They are physically dominant in individual duels, technically excellent in possession, and patient enough to just sit on the ball and suffocate you territorially if that's what's required.

It is a system that works, and they have spent seven months committing it to muscle memory.

Robinson's decision to switch to a 4-3-3 on Saturday evening opened up the pitch, created space between the lines, and invited exactly the kind of situations Motherwell thrive on.

Once they got their noses in front early, it was effectively over.

We switched to a 3-5-2 at half-time - the compact defensive shape that had worked when we battered them in the League Cup semi-final - but Ibrahim Said's deflected shot squirming under Shamal George early in the second period made that adjustment largely redundant.

Richard King's red card a few minutes later just confirmed it. 5-0 at full-time. That was that.

The lesson isn't about Motherwell specifically.

It's about knowing what your terms are and refusing to be dragged into someone else's game.

Bottom-of-the-league Livingston away on Saturday is absolutely massive now.

If we can't figure out what our approach actually is by then, the next three months are going to be considerably more stressful than they need to be.

Andrew Christie can be found at Misery Hunters, external

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Stephen Robinson will revert to his tried-and-trusted back three as St Mirren look to bounce back from the biggest defeat of his four-year reign as manager.

Robinson matched Motherwell's 4-2-3-1 formation on Saturday only to suffer a 5-0 thrashing and St Mirren will likely adopt more familiar tactics when they travel to face Livingston on Saturday.

"I changed the shape - it was a step too far for them and we need to get back to absolute basics of putting balls in behind people," he said.

"We were good at what we'd done. I've tried to change that. I've tried to evolve that with the squad that we have because we don't really have what we had before available to me at this moment in time.

"We tried to put two wingers on the pitch. We tried to be more attacking. We tried to go that back four."

However, Robinson insisted none of the goals conceded to Motherwell "were really because of the system".

"If we look at the goals, they were really, really poor goals," he added. "Four out of the five goals were individual errors.

"I'm not going to hang anybody out to dry. I have to take full responsibility. We make mistakes in life, but that has to be me that looks in the mirror."

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St Mirren have appealed against Richard King's red card in Saturday evening's 5-0 defeat by Motherwell.

Defender King, 24, was dismissed at 3-0 for an off-the-ball incident with Motherwell midfielder Callum Slattery.

"We can confirm that we have today submitted an appeal to the Scottish FA disciplinary panel over the red card shown to Richard King during Saturday's match," St Mirren said on X.

Should the Buddies' appeal prove unsuccessful, King will be suspended for Saturday's Scottish Premiership trip to Livingston.

Bottom side Livi are 10 points and two places below St Mirren, who have a game in hand, with Kilmarnock two points off the Buddies.

Watch the best of the action as Motherwell hammer 10-man St Mirren 5-0 in the Scottish Premiership. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your views after 10-man St Mirren were thumped 5-0 at home by Motherwell.

Here's what some of you said:

Eddie: We haven't performed since winning the cup. It's a worry given the total collapse against Well (another shocking ref decision albeit game was over by then). We seem to have become a bad team in two months and we are staring at relegation.

Andrew: It seems crazy that Stephen Robinson tried out four at the back against such a good team. Surely we need to get back to a solid 3-5-2 with Gogic at the back, Richardson right-wing back and Mandron and Nlundulu up front. The constant changing of personnel (and Richard King getting a game) is why we keep shipping goals. If we don't go back to our reliable first XI we will be relegated.

William: Totally embarrassing defeat. How can the coach set up like that with the 11 he put on the park, they were miles off it. Recruitment, especially in January, has been terrible. Defeat to Livingston and we might not escape with a play-off.

John: I keep thinking that we've reached rock bottom, but this St Mirren side keeps proving me wrong. A horrendous performance from start to finish, with every part of the side lacking confidence and competence. We were lucky it was only five. Last night exposed how threadbare the squad is at the moment. Also that Robbo's tactics aren't going to get us out of this mess.

Peter: The manager has admitted his error in playing a back four. As for the red card, everyone can see it's a ridiculous decision by the officials and the untouched Motherwell player.

Douglas: Difficult to think where to start with this performance. Shamal George had a shocker, but in truth there were hardly any creditable performances out there. Saints, on the basis of this dismal performance, are in real trouble.

Motherwell bounced back from their Scottish Cup exit by continuing their impressive Scottish Premiership form with a thumping defeat of St Mirren in Paisley.

Read the match report here

Let us know your thoughts here

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St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson tells BBC Scotland: "It's a very tough one to take and it was a long, long night.

"I have to take full responsibility. We changed to a back four to try and spark us, give us more energy and get more creative players in the team but it looked like a step too far.

"Goals change games and four of the goals are mistakes and individual errors. They are always going to get punished by an excellent Motherwell side. Playing with real confidence.

"The boys I saw in training weren't the boys I saw tonight. That goes with confidence as well and I take the blame for that. It was a step too far to change the system after four days coaching.

"Since the cup final the inconsistencies are incredible from minute to minute never mind game to game.

"Monday to Friday we're excellent and Saturday we play with absolute fear. Maybe I've complicated it too much and we need to get back to basics , turn teams around and get crosses into the box.

"Ultimately it's my fault.

"We've got to pick ourselves up.

"I'm embarrassed by the result. I'm embarrassed by the performance and I hope the players are too."

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Keanu Baccus could feature for St Mirren after 10 weeks out with a hamstring injury. Jonah Ayunga (calf) faces another couple of weeks out while Malik Dijksteel (groin) is out long term.

Motherwell welcome back Stephen Welsh after the cup-tied defender missed the midweek defeat at Aberdeen but Lukas Fadinger drops out to complete his league suspension. Johnny Koutroumbis (calf), Callum Hendry and Zach Robinson (Achilles) remain out.

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St Mirren have announced that the club has triggered a one-year contract extension for midfielder Killian Phillips.

The Irishman has been a huge success in Paisley since signing in 2024, initially on loan, and his existing deal was due to expire this summer.

Phillips, who had been linked with a move to MLS, is now under contract until the summer of 2027.

The midfielder has been a key part of Stephen Robinson's team as they secured consecutive top-six finishes and was part of the team that won the League Cup earlier this season.

"I'm buzzing," Killian said.

"This club has given me so much, so another year of giving back here, I'm looking forward to it.

"I'm loving it, and I love the group we have here. Obviously, it's been a bit of a struggle at times this season, but I'm looking to put it right and finish the season strong.

"I'm pretty confident that we can get going and get a run together."

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson added: "Killian is a big part of what we've done.

"It's good that we have him. He has attracted a lot of the attention over the last few weeks, but we'll do it on our terms. It shows the quality we've brought in that people are looking at.

"You see his energy on the pitch and his connection with the fans. We have a quiet squad, Killian is one the boys that does talk and does try to lead. He's a pivotal part of what we do and he'll certainly be important for the run in."

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St Mirren have allowed full-back Tunmise Sobowale to leave the club on loan.

He's moved to League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers on a deal that runs until the end of the season.

The 26-year-old, who joined from Swindon Town last summer, has only made eight appearances all season and failed to force his way into Stephen Robinson's side on a regular basis.

Sobowale, who is from Waterford, will now look to play as much football as possible between now and the summer before returning to Paisley, where his contract runs until 2027.