Kyle Hutton believes that the Saints will start climbing up the Ladbrokes Championship table once they get used to new manager Jack Ross' methods. The Jack Ross era may have started off with a loss against Dundee United on Saturday but the midfielder thought that the Saints played well enough in the game and were undone by a bit of bad luck and failure to take opportunities in front of goal.

Speaking to stmirren.com after the game, Kyle said:

I thought in the first half hour we were good. We were probing, creating good chances, getting ourselves into good areas and then we lose that goal. Going that goal behind, it allows teams to sit in and hit you on the counter, so we had to probe that wee bit more and leave ourselves vulnerable at the back. In the second half we came out again and probed but just couldn't get that goal and we concede that second goal. It was a mistake - we've all done it. I did it against Dunfermline and it's just these wee bits of bad luck that are costing us big time right now. 

But with the gaffer in with his new ideas it's going to take a couple of weeks for us to get used to his ideas. We've got the whole of next week to prepare for the Hibs and get used to his training and how he wants us to play and I'm sure once we start getting the luck that results will change and we'll start climbing the table.

I think for the past three or four games it's not as if we've been playing poorly. We've been passing the ball well and moving it and looking dangerous, but we just can't get that goal. Teams are taking the chances and we're not so it's just a case of getting the head down and working hard.

With the trip to Cappielow to face Morton, originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, now moved to Tuesday 1 November, it gives the Saints a free weekend and allows the manager an opportunity to implement some of his new ideas without the prospect of a big game looming large.

I think it's a bonus for us actually. It's going to take a couple of weeks for his ideas to sort of set in so, as I say, we've got all this time with no game to work with him and James Fowler and just get used to his ideas. I'm sure once we come to terms with how he wants us to do things we'll start getting the results and start making the fans happy and give them something to shout about.

 Kyle admitted that he was happy when he found out his former Queen of the South manager James Fowler was joining Ross' coaching staff. The midfielder was signed to the Dumfries club by Fowler last season and went on to win their player of the year under his tutelage. 

Yeah I was delighted," he said. "I got on well with him at Queens and when I found out he was coming here I gave him a wee text. I was delighted for him because I knew he wanted to get back in to it and it's a hard industry at times to get yourself back in the door. With him and Jack together it can only bode well for us and I'm sure we'll start climbing this league. 

NEW Saints manager Jack Ross was left to rue missed opportunities as his debut in the dugout turned into defeat as Dundee United left with a 2-0 win.  However he was far from despondent at what he had seen from his new charges. 

“There were certainly more good things than not to come out of the game and plenty to be happy about apart from the result.  There are areas needing improvement, but we knew this and we will go away and work on these areas.

“Over the piece I don’t think we deserved to lose this game, whether we deserved to win is another matter, but on another day we would certainly have taken something.  What was pleasing is we were competitive throughout.

“In the second half we created plenty of good opportunities and had we got one of them even at 2-0 it could have been a different story.  First impression though is a lot more good things than bad.

“This was the first time I have seen the players in competitive action this season so that was helpful.  I knew we had good players on paper, but you don’t know what you have until you get in and work with them on the training ground.

“It is a balancing act between getting my ideas over on how I want to play and preparing for the next game, but this is the challenge of coming in after the season has started.  Good thing is we get to have two weeks now to get out on the training ground before the Hibs game.”

United manager, Ray McKinnon, admitted his team got a tough game of it.  He said:

“We knew with Jack coming in here it would be a right tough game and so it proved.

“We dug in at times and took our chances when they came.  Tony Andreu’s finish for the second was a moment of quality.”

SAINTS got the Jack Ross era off to a hugely frustrating start as despite creating a plethora of chances they drew a blank as Dundee United left with all three points.  Missing chances and giving away soft goals is a deadly combination and the areas of improvement for the new managerial team is clear to see.

On the positive it was a massively better performance in most areas than we have witnessed thus far with a slightly altered shape allowing our better players to get on the ball in more advance areas which is a huge step in the right direction as was the increased work rate.  On another more clinical day we could have very probably taken something against a United team destined to be there or thereabouts come the business end of the season.

Saints started brighter taking the game to a United team still looking for the expected levels of consistency under Ray McKinnon.  John Sutton was assigned to lead the line with Lewis Morgan and Ryan Hardie either side with Stevie Mallan in close contact in one of the noticeable tactical tweaks made by the new management team.

The physical presence of Sutton was causing United all sorts of grief and Ryan Hardie really ought to have profited from the crumbs.  The Scotland Under-21 striker dragged one chance wide then rammed a shot down the throat of Cammy Bell in the United goal.

United were offering little against a Saints team anchored by Rocco Quinn and a far more lively than previously seen Kyle Hutton.  This being the case it continued to be Saints who threatened with Bell needing two attempts to field a well-struck and slightly deflected drive from Lewis Morgan.

At this stage Saints were well on top with United unable to get out.  Problem was Saints didn’t take the chances when they were coming and United went on to punish them late in the half as they grew more and more into proceedings.

Tope Obadeyi robbed Gary Irvine and as United broke Saints struggled to get set defensively and were ultimately undone by a quick exchange of passes and a final pass from Tony Andreu showing why Norwich paid over a million pounds for him as he set Scott Fraser through to open the scoring.

It was a cruel blow for Saints, but by the interval they were happy to get in just a solitary goal behind.  United hit Saints with another purposeful and pacy counter and only a good last ditch intervention kept them out. This, and a final wild swipe by Obadeyi when he had a chance to work Jamie Langfield.

Half-Time: St Mirren 0-1 Dundee United

When the second half got underway it was United who came out the traps quicker.  Gary Irvine did well to get back and boot Tony Andreu’s effort off the line as Fraser and Charlie Telfer in the visiting midfield started to pop passes about.

Saints eventually weathered the storm and started to once again cause problems.  Morgan should have done better than shoot straight at Bell when he had evaded his marker and then Bell made a super stop to keep out substitute Lawrence Shankland.

Again though without being able to add a finishing touch to the good work Saints were to be landed with another counter punch.  Langfield denied Simon Murray, but the ball bobbled to Andreu who cleverly and clinically clipped the ball over the head of Langfield into the vacant net.

Two goals down but Saints kept going, but also kept missing chances.  Shankland shot wide, Clarkson missed a glorious opening having done well to wheel away from his defender, Morgan again hit Bell with a shot and Shankland saw a header booted off the line.

In amongst all this United stopper, Mark Durnan, was dismissed for a second bookable offence.  Despite the numerical advantage, albeit for the very late stages, Saints were unable to get the goal they merited as United held on for the win.

Full-Time: St Mirren 0-2 Dundee United

St Mirren: Langfield, Naismith, Irvine, MacKenzie (Clarkson 75), Quinn, Sutton, Mallan (Shankland 59), Hutton, Baird, Morgan, Hardie (Walsh 71).
Subs Not Used: Gallagher, McLear, Stewart, Gallacher (GK).

Dundee United: Bell, Dixon, Durnan, Fraser, Obadeyi (Spittal 69), Telfer, Edjenguele, Flood, Andreu (Donaldson 86), van der Struijk, van der Velden (Murray 69).
Subs Not Used: Dillon, Smith, Coote, Zwick (GK).

Referee: Nick Walsh.
Assistant Referee: Willie Conquer.
Assistant Referee: Jordan Curran.

Attendance: 3,612.

Star Saint: Have to agree with the fans’ vote as Gary Irvine was exemplary throughout in appetite, leadership and general play.

Match report and gallery pictures by Allan Picken – © Allan Picken Photography.

James Fowler believes that believes that Saints supporters will have a big role to play as the new era at St Mirren gets underway tomorrow. Fowler was appointed as Jack Ross' assistant manager last week and the pair will be in the home dugout for the first time tomorrow as the Buddies face Dundee United at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. 

Speaking to stmirren.com, Fowler said: "I know that maybe the performances and results until now haven't been great at home but it's a fresh start for everybody. 

"We've had a good weeks training and hopefully we can build on that and the crowd will play a massive part in that as well. I think at the last home game [1-1 v Falkirk] the crowd was really positive even when the team was losing and helped them to a draw. 

"It's going to be a tough game but we're confident with what we've got. If the players can build upon their performance last week and play to their maximum then we're more than capable of getting a result."

Fowler says it has been a good first week in at the Buddies, not just working with the players at Ralston, but also working alongside Ross.

"It's been a really enjoyable week," he said. "It's been good to work with the players and spend a bit of time with them on the training pitch.

"He's [Jack] quite a hands-on coach and we've just been building that relationship between ourselves, but we're similar in terms of what we're looking for from our players. Like I say, it's been a really enjoyable week working with the players and working with Jack as well. 

"They've been really receptive and the standard has been really high in training. It's a really good group as well, so it's just about maintaining the standards and looking to improve areas that we can as well."

Kyle Hutton was named in the SPFL team of the week for his performance in the win against Hibernian last week and that was a positive for Fowler, who worked with midfielder at Queen of the South last season. 

He said: "Speaking to people, they said it was his best game last week so that was pleasing. I think he'll be a big player moving forward for the club. He's still learning and we've just got to nurture what he's got and hopefully he can build on last week's performance and keep on improving." 

The Jack Ross and James Fowler era gets up and running tomorrow afternoon as St Mirren play host to Dundee United in a Ladbrokes Championship match-up at The Paisley 2021 Stadium.

St Mirren’s new management duo were put in place last week but they didn’t pick up the reins until Monday morning this week as they started to plan and prepare for the visit of Ray McKinnon’s Dundee United side.

For many United were the surprise relegation victims from the Premiership last season and, as so often happens, the Tannadice side have taken a little while to find their feet again in the second tier.

After the departure of manager Mixu Paatelainen from Tannadice at the end of last season, United looked to Raith Rovers who were steered to the promotion playoffs by former Dundee United player Ray McKinnon.

Over the summer McKinnon was handed the task to build a squad that would return to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Former Rangers keeper Cammy Bell was brought in to try and turn round the fortunes of a side that conceded 70 league goals last season. McKinnon looked to the mainland continent for his defence by signing Dutch player Frank van der Struijk and Frenchman William Edjenguele. Another Dutchman,  Nick van der Velden was signed from Eredivisie side Willem II. The United gaffer also picked up some good Premiership experience with the signings of Tope Obadeyi from Kilmarnock and Stewart Murdoch from Ross County. The really impressive signing of United’s summer was a loan deal that brought former Hamilton Academical player Tony Andreu in on loan from Norwich City. It has been a shrewd signing to date as he has banged in six goals in as many appearances for United.

As already mentioned, new St Mirren manager Jack Ross and his assistant, James Fowler started earlier this week with the task of turning around St Mirren’s fortunes. The new duo have had a good base to work from as they took over on Monday morning after a fine 2-1 win against Hibernian in the IRN-BRU Cup last weekend at Easter Road. The Hibees took the lead on 37 minutes through Alex Harris but a stunning free-kick from Stephen Mallan had Saints level again just ahead of the half-time break. The game looked to be heading towards extra-time but David Clarkson’s late strike was enough to push Saints into the quarter-finals where they will face Ayr United next month.

St Mirren and Dundee United last faced each other in the 2014/15 Premiership campaign. United won the first two outings that season, both 3-0, with the final meeting between the sides taking place on 21st January 2015 when they battled out a 1-1 draw at The Paisley 2021 Stadium. The goal scorers, Kenny McLean for St Mirren and United’s Stuart Armstrong, were both close to the end of their time with the clubs as McLean would be at Aberdeen and Armstrong at Celtic by the end of the January transfer window.

You have to go back to 26th December 2013 to find Saints last win against The Tangerines. Goals from Steven Thompson and John McGinn had Saints ahead ten minutes before half-time at Tannadice but Nadir Ciftci gave the home side hope as he pulled back a goal before the break. Saints weren’t to be denied though as late goals from Jason Naismith and Steven Thompson secured a 4-1 win for the Paisley side.

Our match day programme, published in partnership with Curtis Sport, will be available from the Club Shop ahead of Saturday’s game.

This issue, for the Ladbrokes Championship match against Dundee United, is a 48 pager with a £3 cover price.

The latest edition includes the following:

Front Cover – Ryan Hardie.
The Gaffer - New St Mirren manager Jack Ross with his first pre match message to the fans.
Matchday Gallery – A gallery of pictures from the post-match presentations in the corporate suite after the recent home game against Falkirk.
Buddies News Update – News of the latest happenings in and around the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
Last Time Out – A look back at last week’s match against Hibernian in the IRN-BRU Cup.
Football, Bloody Hell – Alan Gallacher fears the worst for Scotland as they get off to a slow start in the latest qualifiers.
The Opposition – Brian Corry gives the lowdown on Saturday’s visitors – Ray McKinnon's Dundee United side.
Hall of Fame – David Cochran highlights the St Mirren career of Andy McFadden.
Player Interview – David Clarkson says it is time that St Mirren started to kick-on with their season.
Action Shot (Centre Pages) – Ryan Hardie.
Show Racism the Red Card – Details on the fortnight of action campaign which is supported by St Mirren Football Club.
Fans Corner – Ticket prices, travel clubs update, match info and dates for fans to keep in their diary.
Championship Round-Up – Kyle Gunn’s run down on weeks 7 and 8 of the Ladbrokes Championship season.
Saints in the Community – A catch-up with the latest happenings at St Mirren in the Community.
The Academy – A look at the under-20 side’s recent outings in the SPFL Development League.
Kit Sponsors 2016/17.
Marketing Matters – Commercial Manager, Campbell Kennedy brings us up to date with all the commercial activities within the Club.
St Mirren Fixtures & Results 2016/17 – A handy reference page of all the fixtures for this season.
Team Lines – The two squads and match officials for Saturday’s match.

To buy this issue or to place your programme subscription for the 2016/17 season click HERE.

Paisley Panda will be a busy mascot once again at this Saturday’s match against Dundee United with match day competitions ‘Bung a Baw’ and 'Spot Prizes'.

To take part in ‘Bung a Baw’ fans need to purchase a small foam ball which is numbered and they will then have a chance to throw their ball towards our club mascot Paisley Panda in front of the Family Stand. Each person will have 60 seconds to do this and the winner will be the person who has thrown the ball closest to the feet of the Panda with the winner being confirmed over the PA system.

The competition is sponsored by The Linwood Farm Restaurant who are supplying a family meal voucher as the prize for the contest winner.

Each ball will cost £1 to buy. The balls will be available from sellers inside the Family Stand in the 30 minutes leading up to kick-off and then again in the first 5 minutes of half time before the competition starts (subject to availability). Each ball is numbered and participants will also get a ticket with the corresponding number which they will use to claim the prize if they win.

Paisley Panda reports that ‘Bung a Baw’ sold out at our last home game so he advises that you get in early tomorrow to purchase your ball to take part.

'Spot Prizes' puts all Season Ticket holders and anyone who buys a ticket for Saturday’s match against Dundee United, before the St Mirren Ticket Office closes on Friday, into a prize draw.

On the 30th and 60th minute of the match a seat will be selected at random which will be displayed on the scoreboard with the winners each receiving a family munchy box (4 slush puppies, 4 hot dogs, 4 ice creams and 6 packets of traditional sweets) from Tasty Treats of Bridge of Weir.

We are giving fans the opportunity to vote for the man of the match and also put two lucky fans in with the chance of winning a £10 voucher for the Club Shop.

Every home game we’ll throw open the voting on the 60 minute mark for 20 minutes where votes can be cast on Facebook and Twitter. All you have to do is use the hashtag #SMFCMOM followed by the name of the player you are voting for, eg ‘#SMFCMOM MALLAN’.

With 10 minutes of the game remaining all the votes will be counted then Stadium Announcer Phil Clark will confirm the winning player over the tannoy system.

From all the fans who nominate the winning player one will be picked at random from the Facebook account and another from the Twitter account and they will each be awarded a £10 voucher for the Club Shop. The winners will be notified through the account they posted from.

So get yourself ready on the hour mark of Saturday’s game against Dundee United and get voting with #SMFCMOM.

If you live outside the UK & Ireland, St Mirren TV is your way to watch Paisley’s top football side live in action each and every home match day.

This service, which is delivered by media students from the University of the West of Scotland, will cover all of St Mirren’s home games in the Ladbrokes Championship.

As usual the St Mirren TV team will be presenting all the action from the Paisley 2021 Stadium when Dundee United are the visitors on Saturday afternoon.

If you want to tune in here is the info you will need:

St Mirren v Dundee United
Ladbrokes Championship
Venue: Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley
Date: Saturday 15th October 2016
Kick-off: 3:00pm BST

To access this match day service:

1 Day Pass – €6.99 EUR
Season Pass – €69.99 EUR

To view Terms & Conditions and get started with St Mirren TV please click HERE.

For technical support with St Mirren TV please e-mail tvsupport@stmirren.com

St Mirren in the Community are delighted to confirm that the SMiSA Panda Club will be open as usual for Saturday’s Ladbrokes Championship fixture against Dundee United at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.

The SMiSA Panda Club will open at 1:00pm on Saturday. Parents please note that you should pick up your kids after the final whistle from the community office at 5:00pm.

The cost is just £2 per child (aged 5-12) for those without a season ticket and completely FREE to our young season ticket holders (remember and bring your smartcard with you).

Panda Club details for Saturday’s game are as follows:

St Mirren v Dundee United
Saturday 15th October 2016
1:00pm – 5:00pm

To find out more about the Panda Club click here