Curtis Main's first St Mirren goal got Saints' 2021/22 season off to a winning start. 

The English striker headed home the game's only goal as Jim Goodwin's men defeated Dunfermline 1-0 in front of 500 fans at the SMiSA Stadium.

Saints were well worthy of the points in a dominant display against the cinch Championship side. 

Jamie McGrath - St Mirren Player of the Year last season - had the first effort with 10 minutes played when he drove forward, but he fired high and wide from distance.

Dunfermline goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams was forced into the game's first save when he tipped Scott Tanser's long-range half-volley over the bar.

The Buddies took the lead just before the half-hour mark when Main headed home. The striker leapt above the Pars defence to meet Greg Kiltie's cross. Fon Williams was at full stretch and managed to get a touch but couldn't keep the effort out of the net as Main opened his St Mirren account.

Curtis Main heads home

The forward was proving a handful for the Pars backline and towered over the visiting defence again early in the second-half, but nodded Tanser's cross over. A few minutes later it was Main again who met a McGrath corner kick with Fon Williams doing well to hold. 

Greg Kiltie almost marked his St Mirren debut with a goal after a wonderful surging run. The midfielder drove forward from deep in the Dunfermline half, evading two challenges, before firing a strike which Fon Williams bundled behind.

Saints could have killed the game heading into the final stages. Substitute Lee Erwin fired a rasping effort just wide with 13 minutes remaining while Kristian Dennis should have scored when he latched on to a terrific long-range pass from Charles Dunne. The striker brought the ball down brilliantly but couldn't lift over Fon Williams. 

Dunfermline felt they should have had a penalty in the dying stages of the games when the ball came off the hand of Dunne inside the area, but referee Craig Napier wasn't having it. It would have been harsh on the defender who impressed on his debut. 

In the end, one goal proved to be enough as Saints marked the return of supporters with a win.

Full-Time: St Mirren 1-0 Dunfermline Athletic

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Shaughnessy (c), Dunne, Henderson, McGrath (Erhahon 66), Power, Kiltie (MacPherson 66), Tanser (McAllister 74), Main (Erwin 66), Brophy (Dennis 66)
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Tait, Finlayson, Flynn

Dunfermline: Fon Williams, Comrie, Edwards, Graham MacDonald, O'Hara, Todorov, Pybus, Allan, Thomas (Wighton 62), Watson
Subs Not Used: Mehmet, Gaspuitis, Fenton, Todd

Referee: Craig Napier
Assistant Referee: Ross Macleod
Assistant Referee: Craig Macrae

St Mirren welcome supporters back to the SMiSA Stadium for the first time in 16 months with 500 lucky supporters attending our Premier Sports Cup match against Dunfermline Athletic.

Saints were due to face Dumbarton on Saturday in what would have been our first match of the 2021/22 season. However, Dumbarton informed the SPFL that they were unable to fulfil the fixture, which saw the Buddies awarded a 3-0 win. 

Dunfermline's season did get underway on Saturday as they faced Partick Thistle at Firhill in their Premier Sports Cup opener. Peter Grant's side came from behind to defeat the Jags 4-2. 

Match Details

St Mirren v Dunfermline Athletic
Competition: Premier Sports Cup
Date: Tuesday 13th July 2021
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: SMiSA Stadium

How to watch the match

For those who were not lucky enough to be selected in the ballot, the match will be shown live on St Mirren TV PPV for a cost of £10. 

If you are a season ticket holder you will have to create a new account on ppv.stmirren.com. 

St Mirren TV international subscribers can watch the match as part of their subscription.

Previous

Tuesday's match will come almost two years to the day since Jim Goodwin's first match in charge of Saints.

That afternoon saw the Buddies face Dunfermline at the SMiSA Stadium in what was our last meeting with the Pars. Despite goals in quick succession from Cody Cooke and Danny Mullen, Saints were edged out 3-2. 

Saints had won the three previous matches against the Pars - winning 2-0, 2-1 and 1-0 in the 2017/18 season. 

Ryan Flynn battles in midfield in our last meeting against Dunfermline (Image: Allan Picken)

The officials

Greg Aitken is the referee on Tuesday night. He'll be assisted by Ross Macleod and Craig Macrae. 

On what was supposed to be the eve of our first match of the new season, I wanted to give an update on a number of topics around the club.

First and foremost, I sympathise with Dumbarton and would like to wish the affected player all the best in his recovery.

The first-team squad is looking strong and the manager has added to his team with the signings of Charles Dunne, Curtis Main, Greg Kiltie, Scott Tanser and Alan Power. We currently have 25 first-team players and are in a good place heading into the new season.

The team defeated Northern Irish champions Linfield 3-0 in a friendly in Belfast last weekend before following that up with a 3-1 win over Ayr United at the SMiSA Stadium on Tuesday night.

It was great to see St Mirren Youth Academy graduate Jay Henderson score as well as our strikers getting goals with Eamonn Brophy, Lee Erwin and Kristian Dennis all scoring across the two matches.

Both the League and Scottish Cup competitions were important for us last season as we reached the semi-final in both. It would be great to go on another cup run this season and that will now start on Tuesday night against Dunfermline.

Season ticket sales

Incredibly, we achieved record first day season tickets sales as over 1,000 season ticket holders renewed on the first day of sales.

We’ve had a great uptake on season ticket renewals with around 3,000 having either registered or renewed so far.

We do not take that support for granted and I want to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone who has renewed their season ticket so far. We can’t wait to have you back at the SMiSA Stadium soon.

If you were a season ticket holder last season and missed our original registration event but still wish to reserve your seat, you must email info@stmirren.com by midnight on Sunday 11th July. The details required are

• Full Name
• Phone Number
• Home Address
• Date of birth
• Ticket type
• Seat section, row and number

We have taken the decision to push general sales back one week until Tuesday 20th July to ensure that no season ticket holders from last year will lose their seats.

I’d also like to thank everyone for their continued patience as we work through all the emails and calls from those who have been in touch requiring assistance. We have a hard-working team in the background getting through all these enquiries and can assure everyone that they will receive a response.

Ballot

On Tuesday night we will welcome 500 fans to the SMiSA Stadium for our match against Dunfermline. This will be the first time we have had supporters in our stadium in 16 months and personally, I cannot wait to have our brilliant fans back in. Those successful in the ballot have been contacted by email to confirm their attendance.

The match day experience will be different to when fans were last able to visit the SMiSA Stadium, so it is vitally important that those in the lucky 500  take the time to read and follow all the instructions that have been sent out to ensure hassle-free entry.

Football over the last year or so truly hasn’t been the same without you. Hopefully before too long we will be able to welcome you back in more significant numbers.

For those who are unsuccessful in the ballot, the match will be shown live on St Mirren TV PPV.

Improvements at Ralston

In a previous update, I discussed upgrades being made to the facilities at the St Mirren Training Ground at Ralston. You can read about those here. The work is progressing well and I look forward to it being completed.

We are also going to be installing a Spiideo camera system for use by the first team and academy. This new system, which will see a number of cameras spread across the training pitches, will allow us to enhance our current video analysis setup and offer the coaching staff a wider array of information to assist with training and matches.

These systems will also be installed at the SMiSA Stadium and will be a tremendous asset for our club.

Finally

I just want to finish by once again thanking everyone for their support of the club over the last 16 months. Your support has been truly incredible and I cannot wait to have you all #BeInThatNumber once again.

The SPFL Board has awarded a 3-0 win to St Mirren in Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup tie against Dumbarton, after the League One side informed the SPFL that they are unable to fulfil the fixture.

Dumbarton informed the SPFL that a player had tested positive for COVID-19 and, as a result of close contacts and player injuries, they do not have sufficient players available to fulfil the fixture.

St Mirren Football Club would like to wish the affected player all the very best in his recovery.

St Mirren Football Club can confirm the squad numbers designated to each player for season 2021/22.

A number of players have changed numbers for the upcoming season with Jamie McGrath taking the number seven, Eamonn Brophy becoming our new number nine and Ethan Erhahon moving from 25 to 16.

In terms of our new signings, Scott Tanser takes the number three, Alan Power will be six, Curtis Main will be 10, Greg Kiltie is 11 and Charles Dunne is 18.

As the squad stands at present the numbers are as follows:

1 - Jak Alnwick
2 - Richard Tait
3 - Scott Tanser
4 - Joe Shaughnessy (c)
5 - Conor McCarthy
6 - Alan Power
7 - Jamie McGrath
8 - Ryan Flynn
9 - Eamonn Brophy
10 - Curtis Main
11 - Greg Kiltie
12 - Jay Henderson
14 - Cammy MacPherson
15 - Dylan Reid
16 - Ethan Erhahon
17 - Kyle McAllister
18 - Charles Dunne
19 - Daniel Finlayson
20 - Kristian Dennis
22 - Marcus Fraser
23 - Lee Erwin
24 - Lewis Jamieson
25 - Josh Jack
26 - Dean Lyness
27 - Peter Urminsky

The 2021/22 season gets underway for St Mirren this weekend as we travel to Dumbarton in the Premier Sports Cup.

The Buddies go into Saturday's match following pre-season wins over Northern Irish champions Linfield and cinch Championship side Ayr United.

An Eamonn Brophy brace and a Lee Erwin strike gave Saints a 3-0 win over Northern Irish champions Linfield in Belfast on Saturday before goals from Jay Henderson, Erwin and Kristian Dennis saw the Buddies defeat Ayr United 3-1 at the SMiSA Stadium on Tuesday night. 

Jim Goodwin has added five new faces to his squad with Charles Dunne, Curtis Main, Greg Kiltie, Scott Tanser and Alan Power all joining the club over the summer. All five could be in line for their competitive debuts on Saturday. 

Match Details

Dumbarton v St Mirren
Competition: Premier Sports Cup
Date: Saturday 10th July 2021
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: The C&G Systems Stadium

How to watch the match

The match will be streamed by Dumbarton at a cost of £12. The link to buy this match is available here. 

Unfortunately due to a lack of facilities at the C&G Systems Stadium we will be unable to provide live audio commentary on St Mirren TV.  

Manager's Thoughts 

"It'll be great to get back to it.

"The boys are in great spirits. They've had a fantastic pre-season and came back in great shape as you can imagine.

"We're all champing at the bit to get back to competitive football. 

"I think it's as strong a squad as I can remember being at the club for a long time. I'm delighted with the recruitment that we've done so far."

Previous

Saturday's meeting will be the first time St Mirren and Dumbarton have faced each other for three years. 

That meeting - also in the League Cup group stages - saw Saints run out comprehensive 6-0 winners at the SMiSA Stadium in July 2018.

Our last visit to Dumbarton also came in 2018 when we faced the Sons in Championship action. Cammy Smith and Stephen McGinn scored as the Buddies won 2-0. 

The officials

William Collum takes charge of the match on Saturday with Gary Hilland and Kevin McElhinney as the linesmen. 

To the fans who are trying to renew their St Mirren season ticket - thank you for your continued patience as we work through the challenges and enquiries received. We are extremely grateful for the support and enthusiasm shown so far and do understand the frustration.

Please be rest assured, our team are doing their very best to resolve each enquiry and confirm your renewal. If you have emailed info@stmirren.com, help@stmirren.com or called and left a message with our voicemail or team member, we will be in touch as soon as we can.

We hope the following answers to some collective questions we have received, will offer some consolation while we continue to answer individual queries.

For Those Who Did Register, But Are Having Challenges Renewing

For those experiencing challenges with the renewal process, despite being registered before the 28^th June, please be rest assured your chosen seat is reserved. You can also be added into the ballot for the match against Dunfermline taking place on Tuesday 13^th at 19.45pm.

To be entered into the ballot opportunity, please send your name and registration order number to info@stmirren.com by 5pm today (Wednesday 7^th July).

Our team are doing their very best to resolve each query and confirm your renewal. We will be in touch with you as soon as we can.

Reserve Your Seat by Sunday If You Did Not Register Last Month

Previous season ticket holders, who did not register last month, will have the opportunity to reserve their favoured seat.  

To reserve your seat, please email info@stmirren.com by midnight on Sunday 11^th July . The details required are –

• Full Name
• Phone Number
• Home Address
• Date of birth
• Ticket type
• Seat section, row and number

Unfortunately, those who have not registered before 28^th June will not be entered into the ballot for the match on Tuesday 13^th July. However, once registered, you will be applicable for future ballot opportunities.

We cannot wait to welcome you back to the stadium and are very humbled by the continued support from the greatest crowd of fans.

St Mirren warmed up for Saturday's Premier Sports Cup opener against Dumbarton with a convincing 3-1 win over Ayr United at the SMiSA Stadium.

Jay Henderson, Lee Erwin and Kristian Dennis were all on the scoresheet as the Buddies came from behind to win in our final pre-season test before cup competition gets underway this weekend.

The Honest Men took the lead on just five minutes after a mix-up between Jak Alnwick and Joe Shaughnessy allowed Tomi Adeloye to steal in and roll home.

But Saints were level 15 minutes later when St Mirren Academy graduate Henderson netted from close-range. 

Jay Henderson nets to level for Saints (Picture by Jeff Holmes)

The entire starting line-up changed during the second-half and it was substitutes Erwin who put Saints in front after a scramble in the six-yard area on the hour mark. And with just under 20 minutes remaining, Dennis put the seal on the win from the penalty spot after he'd been fouled in the Ayr United box.

Jim Goodwin's side now travel to Dumbarton on Saturday as the 2021/22 season gets underway.

Full-Time: St Mirren 3-1 Ayr United

St Mirren: Alnwick (Lyness 58), McCarthy (Finlayson 58), Shaughnessy (Fraser 45), Dunne (Tait 58), Henderson (Flynn 58), Power (Reid 58), McGrath (Kiltie 45), Erhahon (MacPherson 45), Tanser (McAllister 58), Main (Erwin 58), Brophy (Dennis 58)

CLICK HERE FOR REACTION FROM JIM GOODWIN

St Mirren can confirm that 500 fans will be able to attend our Premier Sports Cup match against Dunfermline at the SMiSA Stadium on Tuesday 13th July.

The club confirmed last week that a ballot will take place with all season ticket holders who purchase their renewal season ticket between now and 4pm on Wednesday 7 July eligible to enter.

To enter you must email info@stmirren.com by no later than 5pm on Wednesday 7 July with your name, order number and how many tickets are on your account.

A random draw will then take place with those successful contacted by Friday afternoon to confirm.

A ballot process will also take place for our home match against Partick Thistle on Sunday 25th July. More details regarding this will be made available in due course.

We’d like to thank everyone who has taken the time to renew their season ticket so far and would remind anyone who hasn’t yet renewed that the easiest and quickest way to do so is online. Thank you once again for your magnificent support. We can’t wait to see you back at the SMiSA Stadium. #InYouWeTrust

Proudly introducing St Mirren's brand new kits for season 2021/22.

Eamonn Brophy, Jak Alnwick, Ethan Erhahon star in the announcement pictures, along with Karen McCabe from St Mirren’s Women’s Team and Lewis Gillespie from the St Mirren Youth Academy.

Working alongside our official kit partners Joma for a fifth season in a row, our home and away jerseys were chosen by members of SMiSA and feature our brand new principal sponsor Digby Brown Solicitors.

Pre-order details in conjunction with our official commercial partners, Pitch Pro Retail, will be available soon on stmirren.com and across our social media platforms.

Images by Graeme Hewitson.

Pictured below (from left to right): Lewis Gillespie (St Mirren Youth Academy), Jak Alnwick, Eamonn Brophy, Ethan Erhahon and Karen McCabe (St Mirren Women’s team captain)