Mark O'Hara reflected on his - and the team's - start to the season with Saints set to return from the international break with a trip to Ross County on Saturday. 

The 27-year-old was named as the Club's Player of the Year last season after scoring 12 goals from midfield as we went on to secure our first top six finish in the current league format.

It looked like he had picked up where he left off at the start of the season, scoring three goals in four matches before picking up a thigh injury that saw him miss a month of action. 

He admitted it was tough to deal with the injury and believes the international break gave him the opportunity to refresh ahead of our next block of matches. 

Speaking to stmirren.com, Mark said: "It was frustrating that I had a setback with injury and maybe I have been frustrated myself as I feel I have a lot more to give.

The break lets me recharge and hopefully I'll be back to my best come the restart."

The Buddies sit in third place in the cinch Premiership with 15 points having won four and drawn three of our opening eight matches. 

Mark stressed that the side have to keep working hard, but there is a real belief within the squad to kick on and praised the St Mirren support for the part they've played so far this season. 

We've put ourselves in a good position.

"The manager has stressed that we've achieved nothing yet, but we have a good opportunity to push on and establish ourselves at that end of the league now. We have a tough run of fixtures when we return but we believe we can pick up some valuable points.

"It's a competitive squad and we are all pushing for places. It's a tough period coming up but we know ourselves that we are capable and there is a real belief in there.

"We can't thank the fans enough for their backing. It makes a huge difference, not just in terms of financially for the club, but it really drives us forward on the pitch and inspires us to do well for the support.

"Hopefully that then inspires the next generation coming through - whether a fan or a player."

Mark was named permanent captain in the summer following the departure of Joe Shaughnessy.

He says it's been an "honour" to skipper the side.

"I love being a part of the club and giving a bit back," he said. 

It's an honour to pull on the armband on a Saturday and it really does mean a lot. Hopefully it can be a successful period for me as a captain.

"I've had some big captains throughout my career and you try to take wee bits from them but in the moment you just do what you think is right. I'm maybe not a stereotypical captain but I like to think that I lead by example and that inspires those around me." 

St Mirren Football Club has today launched a new strategy as we aim to be the best community centred development football club in Scotland.

St Mirren Football Club has today launched a new strategy as we aim to be the best community centred development football club in Scotland.

Tickets for our cinch Premiership match away to Ross County on Saturday 21st October are on sale at the St Mirren Ticket Office.

Saints will face The Staggies in Dingwall on our return from the international break. 

All tickets purchased must be collected from St Mirren Ticket Office by 2pm on Friday 20th October. 

Ross County v St Mirren
Competition: cinch Premiership
Date: Saturday 21st October 2023
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall

Ross County Ticket Info

Adults - £28
Concessions* - £12
Under 18 - £5

*65+, 18-21 and ambulant disabled. 

Wheelchair and Carer - £12 (Carer free of charge)

St Mirren Ticket Office Tel: (0141) 840-6130.

St Mirren Ticket Office E-Mail: tickets@stmirren.com 

A number of Saints have been called up for national team duty during the October international break. 

stmirren.com takes a look at those that will represent their country over the next week. 

Scottish eyes will keep a close look on Alex Gogic's Cyprus tomorrow night (Thursday 12th) when they take on Norway in Larnaca. Scotland, who would qualify for Euro 2024 if they avoid defeat in Spain tomorrow, could also book their place in Germany if Norway fail to beat the Cypriots. Cyprus will then take on Georgia in Tbilisi on Sunday. 

Keanu Baccus and Ryan Strain will face off against Saints teammate Alex Greive when Australia take on New Zealand in London on Tuesday night. The Socceroos will face the All Whites at Brentford's GTech Community Stadium. It's be the second time the Buddies have faced each other in international football having squared off during last season's September international break. 

However, before that meeting, Australia will play England at Wembley on Friday night, while New Zealand play in Spain on Friday night when New Zealand come up against DR Congo at Estadio Nueva Condomina in Murcia. 

Speaking to the press recently, Keanu told of his excitement at the opportunity of playing for his country at the largest stadium within the United Kingdom. 

It would be amazing.

"It’s something I would love to experience and I think every young kid would want to play there.

"It’s a top-notch stadium so hopefully we can all go there and enjoy the experience. Hopefully I get the chance and that we beat them. We’re not there just to have fun, we want to do our best and why not back ourselves?"

Conor McMenamin is away with Northern Ireland as Michael O'Neill's side face San Marino and Slovenia at Windsor Park in UEFA Euro 2024 Qualification Group H. St Mirren Assistant Manager Diarmuid O'Carroll is also part of the Northern Ireland setup as Senior Coach. 

There's also a St Mirren Youth Academy graduate representing with Callum Penman called up by Scotland U17s as part of their triple header as they look to reach a third successive Under-17 European Championships later this month. They will face Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkey.

We wish all well during their time away and look forward to their return to Saints next week. 

Tickets for our cinch Premiership match away to Ross County on Saturday 21st October are on sale now.

Saints will face The Staggies in Dingwall on our return from the international break. 

The club has received an allocation of just under 500 tickets for this match and these are available online and at the St Mirren Ticket Office. 

Online sales will be available until 10am on Monday 16th October for postage and until 10am on Wednesday 18th October for Ticket Office pick-up. Please note that these are all physical tickets, there are no e-tickets available for this match.

All tickets purchased selecting Ticket Office pick-up must be collected from St Mirren Ticket Office by 2pm on Friday 20th October. 

Ross County v St Mirren
Competition: cinch Premiership
Date: Saturday 21st October 2023
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: Global Energy Stadium, Dingwall

Ross County Ticket Info

Adults - £28
Concessions* - £12
Under 18 - £5

*65+, 18-21 and ambulant disabled. 

Wheelchair and Carer - £12 (Carer free of charge)

St Mirren Ticket Office Tel: (0141) 840-6130.

St Mirren Ticket Office E-Mail: tickets@stmirren.com 

I thought we started really brightly. The game changes on the red card."

The manager gave his thoughts after Saints' loss to Rangers in the cinch Premiership.

St Mirren's unbeaten start to the cinch Premiership season came to an end after a 3-0 defeat to Rangers at The SMiSA Stadium. 

There was little between the sides until a VAR call saw Saints reduced to 10 men midway through the first-half when Ryan Strain was shown a straight red card for a handball in the box. James Tavernier scored the resulting penalty for the visitors. Abdallah Sima added a second with less than 20 minutes of the match remaining before Tavernier rounded off the scoring in the final minute.

There was a minute's applause prior to kick-off as we paid our respects to our former striker Frank McDougall who sadly passed away last week at the age of 65.

St Mirren players applaud as we paid our respects to Frank McDougall (Image: Jeff Holmes)

Neither goalkeeper was tested in the opening 20 minutes with Rangers having more of the possession, but Saints were well-organised and looking to cause Rangers problems. The first real chance of the game came when a ball floated to the back post found Scott Tanser. But the left-back, who agreed a new Saints contract yesterday, didn't get the connection he would have wanted and stuck it wide. 

Rangers' best chance came when Zak Lovelace played a dangerous looking ball across the face of goal which Sima failed to convert at the back post. The Rangers forward screamed for handball and when the ball went out of play, the game was stopped for a VAR check. The Buddies were dealt a double blow when Strain was given a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity with the handball and Rangers were awarded a penalty. James Tavernier knocked home from 12 yards to give his visitors the lead on 30 minutes. 

Zach Hemming made a wonderful save four minutes later to deny the visitors the chance to double their advantage. The Saints number one was at full-stretch to push Connor Goldson's header over the bar. The Buddies stopper made another big save in the final moments of the first-half when he blocked Nicolas Raskin's strike. 

There was still very little between the sides in the second-half despite Rangers having the man and goal advantage. 

Saints made three changes to try and find a way back into the match with Caolan Boyd-Munce, Alex Greive and Mikael Mandron coming on to replace Keanu Baccus, Greg Kiltie and Toyosi Olusanya. But Rangers would seal their victory when they hit Saints on the counter and added a second three minutes after the changes. Raskin raced through to a ball over the top and rolled the ball across the box for Sima who fired into the low corner of the net. 

Rangers substitute Cyriel Dessers had a chance to make the final scoreline more emphatic for the visitors when he broke clear on 85 minutes, but the forward shot straight at Hemming. 

The visitors would add a third though with Tavernier scoring his second with a stunning strike from the edge of the area in the final minute of normal time. 

Full-Time: St Mirren 0-3 Rangers

St Mirren: Hemming, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor, Strain, Baccus (Boyd-Munce 68), O'Hara (c), Tanser, Kiltie (Greive 68), Olusanya (Mandron 68), McMenamin (Nahmani 81)
Subs Not Used: Urminsky, Bolton, Dunne, Small, Flynn

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Souttar, Barisic, Lundstram, Raskin, Cifuentes (Rice 90), Sima (Lammers 90), Roofe (Dessers 60), Lovelace (McCausland 41)
Subs Not Used: McCrorie, Ridvan, Sterling, Davies, McKinnon

Referee: Nick Walsh
Assistant Referee: David Roome
Assistant Referee: Dougie Potter 
Fourth Official: Grant Irvine
VAR: Steven Kirkland

Attendance: 6,984 

Pie Sports are the undisputed icons of all things Pie…and they’re about to launch the latest viral taste sensation.

We give you…the SALT & CHILLI CHICKEN CURRY PIE, coming soon to a football ground near you or to your home with the Piemail service.

This frankly ridiculous product brings together the hottest flavour profiles in the UK right now.

Salt & Chilli Chicken is huge – and curry sauce makes it even better. So our pals at Pie Sports have devoted months of their lives to tasting and developing the ultimate pie. And that is what they have created. Chunks of rich, tender, flavoursome chicken, flaky, delicious pastry and just the right amount of sauce and spice to make a moist but structurally sound pie.

Pie Sports’ Joe Aitken – taster in chief – said: "At Pie Sports we love good simple food – and the pie is the ultimate example of that.

"The difference is we want to elevate it – make it the very best pie it can possibly be.

"All of our varieties were created with this in mind using premium ingredients, serious development and tasting and strict quality control.

"Street food is huge now and we wanted to give the humble football pie the same treatment street food traders have done with different global cuisines.

"We are really proud of the results and we hope everyone enjoys our latest addition, the very long-awaited Salt & Chili Chicken Curry pie."

Pie Sports are the country’s leading purveyors of quality traditional football pies, but with a twist.

Flavours cover many bases, from steak and gravy to the bonkers but brilliant kebab pie plus the vegetarian macaroni pie, the classic vegan and the brand new Salt & Chilli Chicken Curry.

They’re on sale at St Mirren from Pie Sports kiosks and you can order for Piemail delivery to have fresh pies sent to you at home, anywhere in the UK.

The Salt & Chili craze has swept the UK thanks to street food events and traders – with takeaways and even new specific restaurants opening serving only the viral food.

Joe has taken it a step further though, working with the crack chef team behind the scenes at Pie Sports, trying countless variations before settling on a winner – which also throws chicken curry into the mix.

We had to get this right as it’s something people are quite fanatical about – it’s one of the most popular dishes in the UK.

"People have a wow moment when they try salt & chili chicken with curry sauce, and of course a pie needs the perfect ratio of filling to sauce to get the right consistency.

"So we have delicious salt & chilli chicken, peppers and onions with curry sauce evenly mixed through it to give you the perfect bite every time with all the flavours working together.

"It really is pretty special – the guys have done an incredible job."

Pie Sports started life as a home delivery service during lockdown, before Joe and partner Paul Quinn came in to help develop the football ground side of the business Pie Sports Live, working towards having kiosks selling the premium pies at grounds all over the UK.

"A couple of friends started Pie Sports as a mail order service and Paul Quinn and I came on board to develop the football ground and general public-facing side of it.

"It’s been great – St Mirren and Partick Thistle came on board and have really helped us shape our service to matchday fans.

"Of course the dream is to have Pie Sports kiosks at every ground one day – and that’s what we are working on.

"It’s about making pies an exciting part of the day – they’re traditional but that doesn’t mean they have to stay the same.

"We will always offer the classics but we want to have something for everyone – including those who may not normally opt for a pie."

The Salt & Chilli Chicken Curry pie is on sale NOW at Piesports.com and at St Mirren for the next month.

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce that Scott Tanser has agreed a two-year contract extension that keeps him at the club until summer 2026. 

The 28-year-old joined Saints in June 2021 and has gone on to make 85 appearances for Stephen Robinson's men.

The left wing-back has scored four goals during his time at the Buddies, with two of those coming last month.

Scott's deal was due to expire at the end of the season, but the club has moved to tie him up for another two-and-a-half years. 

Speaking to stmirren.com, Scott said the deal came about quickly, but admitted it was an easy decision for him to commit his immediate future to Saints. 

He said: "It was very easy.

When I say it was done within hours I'm not exaggerating. I had a chat with the manager and Jim Gillespie in the morning and the deal was done by the afternoon. 

"I'm happy here," he continued.

"The team is good, the staff are good and the whole club is together as a whole. It's been amazing and the club has been amazing for me as well so extending my deal is great for me and my family.

"I'm really enjoying it and playing well so hopefully that continues."

Manager Stephen Robinson added: "I think it's very good business. I think Scott has arguably been the best left-back in the league this season. 

It's important that we do our business early and we recognise when people are doing well. I'm delighted that Scott has committed himself to the club for another two seasons.

"The amount of confidence he's playing with when fans have really got behind him is a lesson for all of us. Sometimes people need an arm round them.

"His ability is undeniable. He's a brilliant athlete and he's been terrific for us this season.

"The board appreciate that we are trying to keep building and we're not making 10 plus signings each season. That's the way we are trying to do our business.

"I believe it's very good business and hopefully there's more to come in the coming weeks."