St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin was delighted to get Jay Henderson on a new contract after the 19-year-old agreed a two-year extension with Saints.

The academy graduate was handed his first-team debut at the start of April as a substitute in our Scottish Cup win over Hamilton Academical. That was followed up by another substitute appearance, this time in the Scottish Premiership, against Motherwell before making his first start in Wednesday night's win over Ross County. 

Jay, who has been with St Mirren since the age of 10, then put pen-to-paper on a deal until summer 2023.

As well as Jay, the Saints boss has given debuts this season to academy players Dylan Reid and Lewis Jamieson, while academy graduates Ethan Erhahon, Cammy MacPherson and Kyle McAllister have all played major roles in the first team this season. 

The academy, headed up by Allan McManus, plays an important role at St Mirren and the manager affirmed his commitment to giving young players a chance if he feels they are ready for the first team.

Young players get an opportunity at St Mirren," he said.

"It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter how old they are, if we believe they’re old enough we’ll throw them in. We’ve proved that already this year. 

"People will be sick of me saying it but I want to be recognised as a young manager who gives young players opportunities.

"I’m really pleased to get Jay tied down. The wee man has been training with the first team since I came in really.

"We sent him out on loan to Clyde at the start of the season but it didn’t quite work out as well as we’d have liked in terms of his game time

"We brought him back in January. He’s trained really, really well and has earned the opportunity to make his debut and first start on Wednesday. We’ve been talking to him for a little while about his contract situation. We see Jay playing a big part in the future and I’m delighted he’s agreed.

"We’ve had a number of success stories from our academy in recent years – hopefully Jay will be another one."

St Mirren are back in Scottish Cup action on Monday as Jim Goodwin's men travel to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock.

The Buddies will take on Killie in the last eight after wins against Hamilton Academical and Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the third and fourth rounds. 

Kilmarnock reached the quarter-finals after wins over Stenhousemuir (4-0) and Montrose (3-1). 

Both sides come into the match on the back of wins in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday night. Saints won 3-1 away to Ross County while Kilmarnock defeated Dundee United 3-0 at home. 

This is the third time in the last five seasons that Saints have reached the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup with our last semi-final appearance coming in 2009.

Match Details

Kilmarnock v St Mirren
Competition: Scottish Cup
Date: Monday 26th April 2021
Kick-off: 19:45pm
Venue: BBSP Stadium Rugby Park

How to watch the match

Monday night's match will be shown live on the BBC Scotland channel.

International subscribers can watch on tv.stmirren.com as part of their subscription.

Previous

St Mirren have faced Kilmarnock three times this season with each side boasting a win.

Saints were victorious in the last meeting of the two in the Scottish Premiership. Goals from Kyle McAllister and Jon Obika gave the Buddies a 2-0 win over the Ayrshire side at the SMiSA Stadium in February.

Neither side could be separated when St Mirren travelled to Kilmarnock for their first game of 2021. Danny Whitehall had given Killie an early lead before a 90th minute own-goal from Kilmarnock goalkeeper Danny Rogers earned Saints a share of the spoils.

Kilmarnock were 1-0 winners at the SMiSA Stadium in the first match between the two this season back in September. 

The officials

Don Robertson is the referee on Monday night. He's assisted by David McGeachie and Kylie McMullan. Greg Aitken is the fourth official. 

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce that Jay Henderson has signed a contract extension until summer 2023. 

The Saints Academy graduate made his first-team debut in our Scottish Cup win over Hamilton Academical at the start of April before a further substitute appearance in our Scottish Premiership match away to Motherwell the following week. 

The 19-year-old was then given his first start on Wednesday night as the Buddies defeated Ross County in league action.

Speaking on the new deal, Jay said: "I'm absolutely delighted to extend my deal at the club. 

"I've been at the club since I was a young boy and just happy to have my future here sorted.

"It's been great being amongst it in the first team and I'm absolutely loving it."

Manager Jim Goodwin said: "I'm delighted for Jay to be rewarded.

"He's a player that I've been excited about since I came to the club and we've had him in training with the first team since then.

"He got a taste of things against Ross County with his first start and hopefully there will be plenty more to come in the future."

Injury-hit St Mirren picked up three Premiership points after a 3-1 win away to Ross County.

Second-half goals from Lee Erwin, Ilkay Durmus and Jamie McGrath saw the Buddies come from behind to win at the Global Energy Stadium for the second time this season and move the Buddies back into seventh. 

Jim Goodwin was without a number of first-team regulars due to injury and handed St Mirren Academy graduate Jay Henderson was handed his first start for the Saints and almost got it off to the perfect start when he touched just wide in the opening two minutes. 

The Buddies dominated the opening proceedings - having the bulk of the possession and playing some tidy stuff. A neat passage of play on 12 minutes ended with Erwin bringing the ball in well before laying off for Marcus Fraser who drove over from distance. 

But it was the home side who would take the lead with 18 minutes played. The Saints defence couldn't clear their lines from a free-kick which allowed Jordan Tillson to head back into the box where Jordan White flicked beyond Jak Alnwick. 

Alnwick was called into action 10 minutes later when he was down quickly to get two strong hands on to a low Michael Gardyne strike from the edge of the box.

County really should have made it 2-0 just after the half-hour mark when ex-Saint Jason Naismith sent a dangerous low cross along the face of goal. Billy McKay was sliding in but couldn't get anything on it to divert it home.

But at 1-0, Saints were still very much in the match and brilliant play from Henderson on the right wing saw the 19-year-old beat his man before sending a wonderful cross on to the head of Kristian Dennis with County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw at full stretch to save.

With the clock ticking away at the end of the first-half, Alnwick made a wonderful one-handed stop to keep the deficit at one heading into the interval. The goalkeeper was at full-stretch to tip Tillson's strike over.

McKay was a whisker away from doubling County's advantage three minutes after the break. The striker was slipped in by Gardyne and flashes inches wide of the far post. 

It was a miss that County would be left to rue as St Mirren levelled two minutes later. Richard Tait's cross from the right was perfect for the onrushing Erwin to bullet home a terrific header to equalise. 

Conor McCarthy almost gave St Mirren the lead on the hour mark when he flick from a corner was cleared off the line.

Saints made two changes with a little over 20 minutes to play as Kyle McAllister and Collin Quaner were introduced in place of Henderson and Dennis. The impact told within three minutes as the Buddies would take the lead. A quick counter attack saw Quaner drive forward before sliding a perfect pass across the area to Durmus who slotted low into the far corner. 

The win could have been more comfortable for Saints in the end with MacPherson's knocking into the side-netting and curling just wide either side of McAllister cracking the post. But the points were sealed in injury time when McGrath netted his 14th goal of the season from the penalty spot after a handball in the box. The Irishman sent Laidlaw the wrong way to ensure the points. 

Full-Time: Ross County 1-3 St Mirren

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, McCarthy, Shaughnessy (c), Tait (Finlayson 90), Henderson (McAllister 68), McGrath, MacPherson, Durmus, Dennis (Quaner 68), Erwin
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Mason

Ross County: Laidlaw, Naismith (Spittal 77), Watson, Iacovtti, Hjelde, Tillson, Draper (Shaw 82), Vigurs (Charles-Cook 67), Gardyne (Hylton 67), White, McKay (Paton 67)
Subs Not Used: Hilton, Donaldson, Kelly, Lakin

Referee: Bobby Madden
Assistant Referee: Alan Mulvanny
Assistant Referee: Andy Milne
Fourth Official: Steven McLean

Jak Alnwick believes the competitive nature in the squad will drive Saints to end the season on a high.

Having reached the semi-final of the Betfred Cup this season, the 27-year-old hopes the Buddies can go one better in the Scottish Cup and reach the final. 

Saints travel to Rugby Park on Monday night to face Kilmarnock in the quarter-final. But before that comes around, Jim Goodwin's men will face relegation-battling Ross County in Scottish Premiership action. 

While many would assume that all focus for Saints is now on the cup, the goalkeeper says the aim is to wrack up wins to finish as high up the league as possible as well as success in the cup.

We want to win every single game until the end of the season," he said.

"We want that seventh spot, there is no doubt about that and we want to get into the semi-final and ultimately the final of the Scottish Cup.

"I wouldn’t say there is priority, we are professionals, we want to win every game in front of us and I hate losing, whether it is training or a game and you see that in the whole squad.

"You can see the competitive edge in training, in everything, the head tennis is competitive, so we will be trying to win every game until the end of the season.

"It is nice that we have a quarter-final to look forward to and some tough league games against teams fighting for survival.

"They are going to be lively games against team scrapping for their lives, Ross County this Wednesday being one of them.

"It is obviously a difficult place to go and a lot of teams have struggled. But we know what we are capable of.

"Now it is results-based between now and the end of the season and try to pick up as many points as possible for that seventh spot."

SPFL Premiership clubs will be able to broadcast all 228 matches to season ticket holders after a major new deal was struck between the league and broadcaster Sky Sports for next season.

As was the case this season, all SPFL clubs will be allowed to make available ‘season passes’ of their home matches, to season ticket holders, through online club channels. In addition, all clubs will be allowed to sell any home game not broadcast live by Sky, on a pay-per-view basis next season.

With discussions still ongoing between football authorities and the Scottish Government to allow supporters to attend matches in person, the new deal for season 2021/22 season gives certainty to fans and clubs alike on the ability to watch games live on TV.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "For the past few months, there have been intense, detailed discussions between ourselves, Sky Sports and our clubs to give fans certainty that they will be able to watch their heroes playing live next season, irrespective of when supporters are allowed back into stadia. Today’s announcement is a major boost for everyone involved in the game.

"Obviously, we are all desperate to get supporters back into grounds on a safe and sustainable basis and are making good progress in our discussions with the Scottish Government, especially given the pace of the vaccine roll-out. 

"In a normal season, almost five million fans attend SPFL games, the highest per capita attendance in Europe, and the current broadcast deals have been an absolute lifeline for clubs and supporters alike as they battle the enormous financial pressures caused by Covid-19. The television viewer numbers for Scottish football this season have been magnificent and this was one of the key reasons behind our agreement with Sky Sports to extend our current arrangements. 

"Sky Sports have been enormously supportive and, in the UK and Ireland, will continue to screen up to 48 live Scottish Premiership matches, as well as the Premiership play-off finals. In addition, the new deal enables Premiership clubs to broadcast on a pay per view basis every home  SPFL game not selected by Sky Sports."

St Mirren get set for the long journey to Dingwall as Jim Goodwin's side get ready to face Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.

The Buddies go into the Wednesday night's match having qualified for the last eight of the Scottish Cup with a 2-1 win over Inverness on Friday night.

Relegation-threatened Ross County sit in 10th place in the Scottish Premiership - a point above Kilmarnock who are in the relegation play-off spot. John Hughes' men have won just one of their last five matches - a 3-2 win over Kilmarnock in March. 

Ross County v St Mirren
Competition: Scottish Premiership
Date: Wednesday 21st April 2021
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: Global Energy Stadium

How to watch the match

The match will be shown live on Ross County's PPV channel at a cost of £15.

International subscribers to St Mirren TV can watch as part of their subscription on tv.stmirren.com. 

Previous

Saints have faced County three times in the Scottish Premiership this season.

A Jamie McGrath penalty kick secured the points in a 1-0 win for the Buddies when the Dingwall side visited Paisley in February.

Marcus Fraser and Kristian Dennis were on the scoresheet on Boxing Day as the Saints picked up a 2-0 win at the Global Energy Stadium.

The first meeting of the two sides in the 2020/21 season was at the SMiSA Stadium in August. Jon Obika gave St Mirren a first-half lead before a Nathan Sheron own-goal gained County a share of the spoils.

St Mirren are unbeaten in their last four against County. Ironically, Marcus Fraser was the man who scored the winner when Ross County last beat St Mirren back in 2019.

Who are the officials?

Bobby Madden is the referee on Wednesday night. He'll be assisted by Alan Mulvanny and Andy Milne. Steven McLean is the fourth official.  

St Mirren will face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in the Quarter-Final of the Scottish Cup.

Jim Goodwin's side secured their place in the last eight with a 2-1 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the SMiSA Stadium on Friday night.

It has now been revealed that our match against Kilmarnock will take place on Monday 26th April with a 7:45pm kick-off and will be shown live on BBC Scotland.

Match Details

Kilmarnock v St Mirren
Competition: Scottish Cup
Date: Monday 26th April 2021
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Venue: Rugby Park

A last-gasp Marcus Fraser goal saw St Mirren come from behind to make it through to the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup.

After a goalless first-half, the Buddies fell behind early after the interval when Nikolay Todorov slammed home the opener. But Kristian Dennis, on his first start since his return from injury, levelled two minutes later before Fraser knocked in the winner in the final minute of normal time. Saints will face the winners of Kilmarnock and Montrose with the two sides meeting tomorrow at Rugby Park.

It was a real cup tie from start to finish with both sides having numerous chances throughout the 90 minutes. Ilkay Durmus sent a scissor kick over from the edge of the area in the opening moments, while Jamie McGrath flashed wide on 12 minutes.

A minute later Jak Alnwick made two good stops in the space of a minute to keep Todorov and Daniel Mackay from opening the scoring. The goalkeeper was down low to deny the former before getting a hand to the latter's strike. 

On 17 minutes it was opposition goalkeeper Mark Ridgers who was made to work as he saved from Dennis. Dennis was inches away from the first goal on the half-hour mark when he got on the end of a terrific cross-field pass from Kyle McAllister. The striker did well to fashion space before his shot was deflected just wide.

Alnwick made another two big saves to keep the visitors at bay. He did well to push away Todorov's effort on 33 minutes and then got a fingertip to Scott Allan's hit from 20 yards to touch it on to the post. 

Saints were forced into a change a few minutes before the half-time interval. Jake Doyle-Hayes couldn't shake off a knock he had picked up minutes earlier and was replaced by Richard Tait.

With a minute of the half remaining, Dennis did brilliantly well to bring the ball down in a tight space of the box to get a shot away. It was deflected onto the cross bar before falling into the welcoming arms of Ridgers. 

There was an early warning sign at the start of the second-half with Alnwick getting strong hands to turn behind Mackay's strike. From the resulting corner the visitors would take the lead. Todorov was given all the space in the world to slam home from close range to put the Championship side ahead.

But Saints hit back instantly with Dennis levelling within two minutes. The forward smashed into the far corner from just inside the box to net his fifth St Mirren goal and his second in the Scottish Cup this season.

The Buddies could have been ahead a little over 10 minutes later with the woodwork denying Durmus and Dennis. The Turkish winger cracked the bar with a curling drive before Dennis smacked the post from the rebound.

The tie could have gone either way with both sides continuing to create. It looked like Allan had given Caley Thistle the lead again with less than 20 minutes remaining when he raced on to a lovely through ball from Miley Storey. The on-loan Hibernian midfielder's strike slid just centimetres by Alnwick's far post. 

Saints were denied by the woodwork for a fourth time with five minutes remaining as Durmus got his head on the end of a Fraser cross. It cracked off the post with Ridgers gathering despite not knowing too much about it. 

And then, into the final minute of normal time, St Mirren found the winner. Again it looked like the woodwork would stop the Buddies after nifty footwork from Jon Obika saw the striker fire into the post. The ball fell back to substitute Brandon Mason who sent the ball across the face of goal to Fraser who rolled home from close-range to make sure Jim Goodwin's men were the first side to qualify for the last eight. 

Full-Time: St Mirren 2-1 Inverness Caledonian Thistle

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, McCarthy, Shaughnessy (c), Connolly, McGrath, Doyle-Hayes (Tait 41), McAllister (MacPherson 46), Durmus, Dennis (Mason 75), Obika 
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Finlayson, Reid, Henderson, Erwin

Inverness: Ridgers, Welsh (Lyall 90), Devine, Deas, Carson, Storey, Allardice, McKay, Allan, D. Mackay, Todorov (Sutherland 87)
Subs Not Used: C.Mackay, McHattie, Doran, MacGregor, Vincent, Harper

Referee: John Beaton
Assistant Referee: Sean Carr
Assistant Referee: Craig Ferguson 
Fourth Official: Craig Napier

Saints are back in action this Friday evening at the SMiSA Stadium where we host Inverness Caledonian Thistle for a 4th round Scottish Cup tie.

We have a limited edition run of programmes, published in partnership with Curtis Sport, for the behind closed doors Scottish Cup tie played on Friday 16th April.

This issue is a 32 pager with a £3 cover price.

This latest edition includes the following:

Front Cover – Jak Alnwick.
Jim Goodwin - The manager looks back on last week's game against Motherwell and ahead to the cup tie against Caley Thistle.
The Opposition – A look over the Inverness Caledonian Thistle squad.
St Mirren Programme Archive - Derek Drennan highlights some programmes from season 1976/77.
Centre Page Poster – Jamie McGrath.
Player Kit Sponsors 2020/21 – Check in to see who is sponsoring your favourite player's shirt for the season.
Marketing Matters – Campbell Kennedy updates on the latest events and happenings at the club's Commercial Department.
Yesterday's Saints – David Cochran looks back on the 5 game St Mirren career of Neil Harris!
Football Bloody Hell - Alan Gallacher pleads for a bit more respect for match referees.
St Mirren Fixtures & Results 2020/21 – A handy reference page of all the fixtures and results for this season.
Team Lines – The two squads and match officials for Friday's cup tie.

To buy this issue or to place your programme subscription for the 2020/21 season click HERE.