St Mirren will make their first home appearance of the season this evening when Spartans come to town in the Betfred Cup.

It will be the first chance most fans will get to see the new Buddies boss, Alan Stubbs, and his revamped Saints side at the newly named Simple Digital Arena.

Stubbs' team kicked off the season last Friday night away to Kilmarnock in the first tie of the Betfred Cup group stage. The game finished goalless at Rugby Park which, as are the rules of the competition, resulted in a penalty shootout between the two teams.

Saints had started the game very brightly, with starting debut's for Paul McGinn, Cole Kpekawa and Hayden Coulson. Danny Mullen was close to putting the away side ahead, but just couldn't get his toe onto the end of Ryan Flynn's cross into the box. Other first half chances fell to Cammy Smith and Jordan Kirkpatrick, with the former striking the crossbar from 10 yards out. Kilmarnock could have also taken the lead though, after Jordan Jones capitalised on a Jack Baird mistake to tee up Lee Erwin - but was was denied by Saints stopper Samson.

The best chance of the second half fell to Jack Baird, when Killie failed to clear their lines at a corner, the ball landed at the feet of the young centre back with the goal wide open - but he couldn't turn it homeward and the ball ended up in the stand behind the goal. We also saw the introduction of Jim Kellermann, Jeff King and Cody Cooke for their debuts.

The game ended 0-0 so went to spot kicks to determine who gathered the extra point. Paul McGinn, Hayden Coulson and Danny Mullen managed to convert their penalties, and with the heroics of St Mirren legend Craig Samson, the Paisley side where the ones who took away the extra point, finishing 3-2 on penalties.   

Spartans' first game of the Betfred Cup came against Dumbarton on Saturday, with the game also ending 0-0 and being decided by penalties. The Sons managed to edge the shootout though, winning 4-3 after the full time whistle.

Spartans were close to promotion into the Scottish Professional Football League, after they won the Scottish Lowland League last term, but fell at the play-off stage when they were knocked out by Cove Rangers.

The last time the two sides met was back in November of 2016 in the Scottish Cup third round at The Simple Digital Arena. It was a resounding win for the home side that day though and ran out 5-1 winners, with goals from Lawrence Shankland, Stevie Mallan, John Sutton and a sensational individual goal from youngster Kyle McAllister which ended up winning goal of the round. 

Tonight could see debut's for on-loan Dons keeper Danny Rogers and former Darlington FC defender Josh Heaton, should Alan Stubbs choose to select the pair. Kyle Magennis remains a doubt after he missed Friday night's game through injury, as well as Jordan Kirkpatrick who came off with a knock.

St Mirren's 2018/19 campaign gets underway this evening as The Buddies travel to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock in the opening match of the Betfred Cup.

Alan Stubbs takes charge of Saints for the first time tonight after being appointed as manager on a three-year deal in June. 

The Englishman took over from title-winning manager Jack Ross and has looked to put his own stamp on the team, bringing in five new players over the course of the last few weeks.

There could be debuts for a host of the new boys with Paul McGinn, James Kellermann, Jeff King, Josh Heaton, Cody Cooke, Hayden Coulson and Danny Rogers all having joined the club during the summer. 

The Buddies come into tonight's match on the back of a pre-season training camp in La Manga. A friendly against Bolton was scheduled for last Saturday but was cancelled at short notice after an issue at the English club. 

Like Saints, Kilmarnock visited La Manga during pre-season and also haven't played any pre-season friendlies ahead of tonight's match.

The hosts have lost influential Youssouf Mulumbu after the expiry of his contract but have added Mikael Ndjoli on loan from Bournemouth, while Stuart Findlay has signed a permanent contract after spending last season on loan from Newcastle. The Rugby Park outfit also announced the signing of Ross Millen on a six-month deal this afternoon.

Despite tonight being the first competitive match of the season for both clubs, it is likely to feel somewhat like a friendly as both look to build up their match sharpness ahead of the Premiership season beginning in August.

But with a chance to see new boys in action along with how Alan Stubbs wants his St Mirren team to play and the challenge of coming up against a Kilmarnock side who exceeded expectations last season, it's sure to be an exciting night for Buddies fans.

Speaking to stmirren.com earlier in the week, Stubbs said: "I'm really looking forward to it. Obviously Saturday's game against Bolton was disappointing, with it being so late.

"From our fans point of view as well, it was disappointing for them because they would have made arrangements for that day. It was obviously outwith our control, and something we couldn't do anything about. But from purely our side I was disappointed for our fans not to be able to see the early signs of the squad I'm trying to put together."

St Mirren's season draws to a close tomorrow afternoon as the champions travel to the Falkirk Stadium.

Ironically, it was against Falkirk that the Buddies' title winning season kicked off with a 3-1 win over the Bairns on opening day at the Paisley 2021 Stadium in August. Nathan Austin had given the visitors an early lead, but goals from Stelios Demetriou, Cammy Smith and Gavin Reilly saw Saints win on opening day for the first time since 2006.

It's been a disappointing season for Falkirk who will end the season in seventh place. The Bairns were expected to challenge for the title, but an early season slump saw Peter Houston leave the club and replaced by Paul Hartley.  

Our only to the Falkirk Stadium this season so far came way back in October when the Buddies were held to a 0-0 draw despite Cammy Smith having a good chance right at the death to steal all three points. 

Paul Hartley's side made their final trip to Paisley just over a week ago where they picked up all three points to secure their Championship status. Saints had gone 1-0 in front thanks to ex-Falkirk forward Myles Hippolyte's early second half penalty. But strikes from Joe McKee and Craig Sibbald in the last eight minutes of the match saw the visitors leave with the points. 

Both sides will look to close the season on a high with a win, but it's sure to be a party for the travelling Saints fans tomorrow regardless of the result as the will show their support for the champions one last time before the season ends. There will also be a send-off for Falkirk technical director Alex Smith who takes in his last match before heading off to Australia for his retirement. Smith is certain to receive a great reception from both supports having been Saints' 1987 Scottish Cup winning manager. 

Captain Stephen McGinn is out due to suspension, while Adam Eckersley will miss out again for the Buddies due to injury. 

All the matchday info you need can be found here.

St Mirren will lift the Ladbrokes Championship trophy this afternoon in front of a sold out Saints crowd at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. 

The Buddies secured the title last weekend with a 0-0 draw against Livingston and will hoist the trophy aloft following tomorrow's match against Renfrewshire rivals Morton. 

It's the final home game of an incredible campaign for Saints who have won 22 of 34 league matches this season with 13 of those coming from 17 home matches. The 13 home league wins is a new record at the Paisley 2021 Stadium since we moved into Greenhill Road in 2009.

The Buddies will be keen to end the season on a high with a first win of the season against Morton. Saints lost the first meeting between the two back in August when they travelled to Cappielow. Cammy Smith scored a screamer to level before half time after Michael Tidser's penalty had given the hosts the lead. Jack Baird received his marching order early in the second half and Tidser stepped up to score his second from the spot. Further goals from Bob McHugh and Andy Murdoch gave the home side a 4-1 win.

The two next met in a controversial match in October when Morton came to the Paisley 2021 Stadium. Ian McShane put Saints 1-0 up in the second half from the penalty spot after Lewis Morgan was fouled. But the Ton equalised less than two minutes later courtesy of an Andy Murdoch strike from 25 yards out. St Mirren re-took the lead on 72 minutes when Gavin Reilly swept home a cross from Cammy Smith. The Ton equaled things up again though six minutes later when Gary Harkins squeezed the ball past Samson form the spot after Gregor Buchanan pulled down Thomas O'Ware at a corner.

Saints made their second and final trip to Greenock on January 2nd. The Buddies looked to be heading for all three points after Morgan's first half effort. But with a little over 10 minutes remaining Thomas O'Ware headed home for Morton to grab them a share of the spoils. 

Morton haven't been on their finest form recently, having only won two of their last eight league games, which has seen them drop out of a play-off position and down to sixth in the table. Failure to win today for the Greenock side would officially rule them out of play-off contention.

The home side, despite securing the league title against Livingston last week, haven't been firing all cylinders the last couple of weeks either - losing twice and drawing once. Jack Ross will be keen to see the side return to winning ways in their last home game of the season.

The only team news for Saints is Adam Eckersley will miss out for Jack Ross' side with a calf problem, while Gavin Reilly is also a doubt. 

St Mirren take on Falkirk tonight at the Paisley 2021 Stadium in the team’s first game since being crowned league champions on Saturday.

The Buddies sealed promotion back to the Ladbrokes Premiership after securing the one point required in a 0-0 draw at home to Livingston. 

Not only was it a game that saw the Championship clinched, but it was also a record-breaking event. Saints stopper, Craig Samson, has now not conceded a goal at home in eight games – defeating Craig Hinchcliffe’s previous record of seven games. The League Cup winner will be looking to extend that record further with another clean sheet tonight. 

This fixture is the twice-rescheduled game from the end of February, after the first game was moved to a free weekend in March, but was then postponed again due to international call-ups.

So the last time the two sides have off was back in October, where the match ended 0-0 at the Falkirk Stadium. It was a fairly uneventful game for both sides, with very few chances. St Mirren had to rely on half chances from Smith, Reilly and Morgan in the first half – but the second half saw the best opportunity in the game fall to Cammy Smith, when he capitalised on Jordan McGhee’s failed attempt to clear the ball, but was foiled from a good save by Robbie Thomson.

The other game between the teams was on the opening day of the season at the Paisley 2021 Stadium, where the home team ran out 3-1 winners. It was The Bairns who opened the scoring though, when Nathan Austin took advantage of Samson’s spilled save to give the away side an early lead. St Mirren managed to equalise before half time though, through a well-taken strike from Stelios Demetriou.

The Buddies came to life in the second half though and took the lead seconds after the restart when Cammy Smith struck into an empty net when Robbie Thomson couldn’t clear a Gavin Reilly cross. The three points were secured on the 69^th minute – Gavin Reilly ran from deep in the opposition half before he drove past the Falkirk defence and drilled past the keeper into the far corner to score his first league goal for The Saints.

A familiar face also played a part in both games, as Myles Hippolyte turned out for Falkirk and gave the St Mirren's defence a couple of tough afternoons. Hopefully tonight he returns the favour for The Buddies. 

This is a very different Falkirk team from the previous two meetings this season, as Paul Hartley gave his side a complete face lift in the January transfer window, with nine new players coming in and 10 going in the opposite direction.

With three games still left of the season, and the future now secured for St Mirren, this could be an opportunity for some other players to come into the team and prove their worth. 

It’s third time lucky for Saints this Saturday, as they can clinch the title when Livingston visit the Paisley 2021 Stadium.

The Buddies only need one point from their remaining four fixtures to ensure they will be playing top-flight football again next season.

The team’s first chance at Championship glory came against Brechin City last Saturday, but required results elsewhere to go in our favour – which they did not. Tuesday night’s game against Dundee Utd provided Saints the first chance to win it on their own accord, but needless to say it wasn’t our night, as Billy King’s early goal was enough to see Dundee Utd run out 1-0 winners.

St Mirren go into the game on Saturday in pretty decent form, despite losing during the week at Tannadice. That defeat was their first loss in seven games, drawing one and winning the other five. The only doubt for the home side is captain Stephen McGinn, who has had problems with a hamstring injury as of late and was substituted on Tuesday night due to the reoccurrence of it. If he plays any part on Saturday remains to be seen.

Livingston’s form recently has also been exemplary, having only lost one league game in 13 games. That loss came 10 days ago when they travelled to Dunfermline and lost 1-0 thanks to Lee Ashcroft’s first half goal. They bounced straight back on Saturday though as they managed to beat Morton at home – and in turn prevented St Mirren winning the league at Brechin.

This will be the last time the two teams will face off this season, and it is a game that always provides goals.

The first league meeting between the sides was back in August at the Tony Macaroni Arena, where St Mirren had to dig deep to get a result after Gary Irvine was sent off on the 33^rd minute. A Stephen McGinn effort that deflected off Craig Halkett gave Saints the early lead, but the central defender made up for his error five minutes later when he headed in a corner to tie the game. However, a second half double from Buddies top scorer Gavin Reilly meant the three points went back to Paisley.

The second match took place in Paisley, where the visitors went in at the break a goal to the good when Dale Carrick pounced on Craig Samson’s spilled stop to give The Lions the lead. Much like the previous encounter though, Jack Ross’ side had a second half resurgence and went on to dominate the rest of the game. Lewis Morgan equalised for the home team, before Adam Eckersley’s effort rebounded off the back of Livi keeper Alexander to put The Buddies in front. The victory was signed, sealed and delivered on the 78^th minute when Ian McShane converted from the penalty spot after Jack Baird was hauled to the ground.

The last game was certainly one to forget for Buddies fans, when we fell to a 4-1 defeat in Livingston. The team got off to a flying start when Ryan Flynn got his first goal for the team within two minutes. The ecstasy was short lived though, because by half time Livingston were winning 3-1, with a goal from Lee Miller and a double from ex-Saint Ryan Hardie. Although St Mirren plugged away in the second half, it was to no avail. The Lions rubbed salt into the wounds by adding a fourth on the 94^th minute, when Scott Robinson capitalised on a mix up between McGinn and Samson to lob the ball over the stranded keeper and into the net.

Saturday’s game will be the team’s second attempt out of five opportunities to win the league by their own doing. If you can, get down and support the team on what could be a day to remember for a long time.

St Mirren will be crowned Ladbrokes Championship winners at Tannadice tonight - if they avoid defeat to Dundee United. 

The Buddies need just a point to seal the title after winning at Brechin on Saturday with Kyle Magennis' seventh minute strike the difference between the division's top and bottom sides. It looked for a spell that Saturday may have been St Mirren's day with Livingston being held by Morton. But Alan Lithgow struck in the 86th minute to give The Lions all three points to put the champagne on ice for Saints. 

It's been a disappointing season for Dundee United who currently occupy fourth place in the Championship. The Arabs were title favourites coming into the season but poor early form saw manager Ray MacKinnon replaced by Csaba Laszlo in October. There was an initial boost for United as they went top of the league, but they fell out of contention after having only won three of their last 14 league matches. 

Laszlo's side come into tonight's match on the back of 3-2 loss away to Dumbarton on Saturday. Ex-Saint Calum Gallagher put Dumbarton ahead in the first half from close range. Anthony Ralston levelled for United a few minutes into the second half. Less than ten minutes later, Craig Barr put Dumbarton back in front before Scott McDonald scored his 12th goal of the season. But, with just 10 minutes remaining, Barr scored his second of the afternoon to consign United to a third defeat in six. 

Saints and United have met three times this season with The Buddies coming out on top on two occasions and The Terrors winning the other. The first saw United, who had won their opening three league matches, travel to Paisley at the end of August. The Buddies emphatically ended that winning run though running out deserved 3-0 winners thanks to a double from Lewis Morgan and Ian McShane's first St Mirren goal. 

United exacted a measure of revenge when Saints visited Tannadice at the start of November. Goals either side of half time from Mark Durnan and Sam Stanton rendered Adam Eckersley's fine 93rd minute strike as nothing more than a consolation. That win drew United level on points with The Buddies at the top of the table. 

The last meeting between the two came at the end of 2017 with The Terrors making their way to Paisley for a second time. The visitors spurned a glorious chance to take an early lead with Craig Samson making a good save to deny Paul McMullan from the penalty spot. Lewis Morgan grabbed a second half double to seal a 2-0 win for Saints and move them five points clear of United heading into 2018.  

Tonight could be the culmination of over a year of hard work since Jack Ross took charge of the club in October 2016. The manager has transformed a side that looked destined for relegation to the third tier to on the brink of promotion back to the Premiership. While a draw or win would do for The Buddies, United will be keen to avoid a St Mirren party at their own stadium and strenghten their play-off hopes with a victory. 

St Mirren could be crowned Ladbrokes Championship winners tomorrow when they travel to Brechin City. 

The Buddies would win the title and be promoted to the Ladbrokes Premiership if they beat Brechin City and Livingston fail to take all three points from play-off chasing Morton. 

It's a mark of the incredible job Jack Ross has done at Saints since taking over in October 2016. 

However, beating Brechin tomorrow is no foregone conclusion despite the Angus side already having been relegated on top of failing to register a single league win this season. Saints have beaten City each time on the three occasions the two have faced off this season, but it's only been by a single goal each time. 

The first came in September at the Paisley 2021 Stadium when a 2-1 win for The Buddies saw them move to the top of the league. Cammy Smith opened the scoring early on only for ex-St Mirren U20s striker Kalvin Orsi to equalise before half-time. It was a frustrating afternoon for Saints who looked like they may have to settle for just a point. But with 12 minutes remaining, Dale Hilson forced the ball over the line to give St Mirren a 2-1 win.

It was the same scoreline when Jack Ross' side made their first trip to Brechin a few weeks before Christmas. Again, Saints took a first half lead - this time through Gavin Reilly - but were pegged back seven minutes later when Isaac Layne slotted home beyond Craig Samson. St Mirren would seal all three points though when Cammy Smith scored from the penalty spot on 64 minutes after being fouled by Graeme Smith. 

The last meeting between the two came in February when Kyle Magennis' 15th minute free kick was the difference. The Buddies had numerous chances throughout the first half to make it more comfortable, but failed to make any count and almost conceded when Liam Watt struck the post. 

Whether tomorrow will be the day for Saints or not there will be a large crowd following the team with more than 2000 Buddies travelling to Glebe Park. With the end in sight the Saints players will be desperate to put on a show, while Brechin will hope to upset the odds and claim their first win of the season. 

St Mirren make the trip up to the Highlands tomorrow to face IRN-BRU Cup winners Inverness Caledonian Thistle at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. 

The Buddies took a step closer to title glory with an emphatic 5-0 win over Dumbarton at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Tuesday night. A double from Lewis Morgan along with goals from Cammy Smith, Danny Mullen and Gavin Reilly saw Saints see off the Sons in convincing fashion to make it four wins on the spin and move to within eight points of winning the Ladbrokes Championship. 

Meanwhile, Inverness, fresh from defeating Dumbarton in the IRN-BRU Cup final last weekend, come into tomorrow's match on the back of a 1-0 win over Dundee United at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium on Tuesday. Aaron Doran grabbed the game's only goal just before the interval to see the Caley Jags move above Falkirk on goal difference in seventh place. 

Saints have come out on top in all three meetings between the sides this season, but they've all been close contests. The first took place at the Paisley 2021 Stadium back in September. Lewis Morgan gave St Mirren a first half lead before an incredible 13 minute spell in the second half saw five goals scored. John Baird equalised for Caley Thistle on 61 minutes, but the Buddies re-took the lead two minutes later through Gregor Buchanan. Liam Polworth got Inverness on terms for a second time on 69 minutes, only for Cammy Smith and Ian McShane to score in the 73rd and 74th minute to give Saints the three points.

St Mirren came out on top again when they travelled up to Inverness in November. Second half goals from Ian McShane and Gavin Reilly gave the Buddies a 2-0 win at a rain-lashed Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. 

Inverness made their final visit of the season to Paisley in January, but again came away empty handed as Gavin Reilly's 20th goal of the season saw St Mirren win 1-0. 

Tomorrow's match will likely be another close encounter with both sides aiming for different things. A St Mirren win would see the Buddies move to within five points of the title and a return to the Ladbrokes Premiership. For Inverness, they'll be looking for three points that moves them further away from the relegation play-off spots and keeps alive their feint hopes of reaching the promotion play-offs. 

All the match day info you need ahead of tomorrow's match can be found here.

St Mirren are back in action at the Paisley 2021 Stadium tonight as we host IRN-BRU Cup finalists Dumbarton in the Ladbrokes Championship.

It'll be the fourth and final meeting between the two sides this campaign with Saints winning both away matches by a 2-0 scoreline, while Dumbarton shocked the Buddies 1-0 at the Paisley 2021 Stadium in December. Indeed, Dumbarton are the only team to have won in the league in Paisley since January 2017. 

The Buddies weren't in action this weekend after call-ups to Lewis Morgan, Liam Smith and Kyle Magennis saw the scheduled match against Falkirk postponed until April. Tonight's match will be just the third game St Mirren have played this month, compared to seven in March last year. 

Jack Ross' men come into the match in good spirits on the back of a three match winning running. After defeat to Livingston last month, the Buddies have gone on to defeat Brechin (1-0), Dunfermline (2-0) and Queen of the South (3-1). The most recent of which, away to Queen of the South, saw Saints comfortably gather all three points with Danny Mullen - scoring his first for St Mirren - Lewis Morgan and Kyle Magennis on the scoresheet. 

Meanwhile, Dumbarton come into tomorrow's match following a cruel IRN-BRU Cup final loss. The part-time side had pushed Caley Thistle all the way and even survived a late scare when ex-Saint, Scott Gallacher saved Iain Vigurs' 82nd minute penalty. But deep into stoppage time, Carl Tremarco ghosted in at the back post to tap home Daniel McKay's cross to win the cup for Inverness.

The Sons are in decent league form with two wins and a draw in their last four matches. They drew 0-0 away to Falkirk in February before being edged out 1-0 by Queen of the South at home. Their two wins have come home and away to bottom side Brechin with Steven Aitken's men winning 1-0 at home thanks to a Dimitris Froxylias effort. They followed up that win with a 3-1 triumph at Glebe Park thanks to goals from Calum Gallagher and Danny Handling plus an own goal.

While Saints have beaten Dumbarton twice this season, both of those wins have come away from home. The Buddies haven't beaten Dumbarton in Paisley since February 2016 when Lawrence Shankland scored the game's only goal to give St Mirren a 1-0 win over the Sons. The visitors are unbeaten in their last three visits to the Paisley 2021 Stadium.

There are a number of familiar faces in the Dumbarton squad with Scott Gallacher, Kyle Hutton, Stuart Carswell, Tom Walsh and Calum Gallagher all having plied their trade at Saints within the last three years.

Jack Ross confirmed that he has a fully fit squad to chose from tonight as Harry Davis returns for Saints after missing the 3-1 win away to Queen of the South. Adam Eckersley will also be available for selection after suffering a dead leg in the same match. 

St Mirren need 11 points from their remaining eight matches to clinch the Ladbrokes Championship title and a return to the Premiership. A win tonight would see that total drop to eight points with seven to play. Dumbarton will be looking to close the gap on eighth place Inverness as they look to climb away from the relegation play-off spot. If results go the Sons' way tonight they'd move to within a point of Caley Thistle in the battle for survival.