St Mirren make the short trip to Greenock this evening to face Morton in the final Renfrewshire derby of the season. 

Saints are in fine form heading into tonight's contest with five wins and two draws from the last eight league matches. 

However, the Buddies have yet to win a derby this season - drawing twice and losing once. 

Morton were the visitors to the Paisley 2021 Stadium on the opening day of the season with John Sutton's late header securing a point for the Saints. The Englishman, on as a second half substitute, leaped above the away defence to power home a cross from Lewis Morgan after Thomas O'Ware had given the Ton a first half lead. 

O'Ware again opened the scoring the next time the two met as St Mirren's 17 year unbeaten record in the derby came to an end at Cappielow in October. Ross Forbes doubled the home side's advantage before Gary Oliver struck in the second half to put Morton 3-0 up. Ben Gordon pulled a goal back for the Buddies with less than five minutes remaining, but it was too little too late.

The final meeting came on Hogmanay with the Ton making their way to Paisley for the second time of the 2016/17 season. St Mirren, who began 2016 with a 1-0 win over Morton at Cappielow, looked set to end it in similar fashion when Gary MacKenzie scored his first Saints goal to give the Buddies the advantage. But it was to be heartbreak for the home support when Ricki Lamie equalised in the 93rd minute to steal a point. 

The last derby triumph for Saints over Jim Duffy's side came almost a year ago to the day when goals from Lawrence Shankland, Calum Gallagher and Stevie Mallan sealed a 3-1 win for the Buddies

Saints come into tonight's match on the back of a 1-1 draw with Dumbarton at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Saturday. Kyle Magennis gave St Mirren the lead before the Sons' Lewis Vaughan pulled the visitors level. Rory Loy missed a first half penalty moments after Dumbarton's equaliser and it meant it was a point a piece. Morton picked up the same scoreline at home to league leaders Hibernian - with Shankland netting for the Ton from the penalty spot after Jason Cummings had put Hibs ahead.

The Buddies are likely to come up against Shankland this evening after the ex-Buddie joined the Ton on loan in January. The 21 year-old scored in two derby victories for St Mirren last season, but will now come up against his former side wearing the blue and white of Morton. 

After finally coming off the bottom on Saturday, a St Mirren win tonight would see the Buddies leapfrog Raith in eighth place. For our opponents, they know victory would see them move above Falkirk into second place as they look to take advantage in the promotion play-off spots.

St Mirren play host to Dumbarton tomorrow as Stephen Aitken's side make the short trip across the Erskine Bridge to take on Saints in the Ladbrokes Championship.

The Buddies could climb off the bottom of the table with a win tomorrow if other results go their way. It would be a huge moment for the side that have been rooted to the bottom since September. And with survival the main goal, the Saints are giving themselves a good chance of beating the drop with a fine run of form. 

The team have won five of their last seven league games - the most recent a thumping 6-2 win over ninth placed Ayr United last weekend. It's a run that sees Saints undefeated in their last four league matches at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. 

Stephen Aitken's Sons are also on a decent run with two wins from their last four. They defeated relegation rivals Raith 4-0 at home before enjoying a 1-0 victory over promotion chasing Morton last week. They travel to Paisley undefeated against Saints this season - coming out on top once, while drawing the other two.  

The first meeting came back in September when Ryan Hardie's first half header earned St Mirren a point after Andy Stirling had put Dumbarton ahead at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium. 

The Sons travelled to Paisley in November, leaving with all three points when a mistake from Jamie Langfield allowed Garry Fleming to strike for the visitors. It was a result that saw Saints lose ground at the bottom, falling six points behind Dumbarton.

Saints made the trip to Dumbarton in February with a new look squad following Jack Ross' squad revamp in the January transfer window. Things were looking good for the Buddies when David Clarkson put them ahead on 35 minutes after getting on the end of a Cammy Smith cross.

Dumbarton hit back through Christian Nade before Harry Davis put Saints ahead for a second time. But again the hosts fought back with Robert Thomson scoring to level with 10 minutes to go. 

St Mirren's last win over Dumbarton came at the Paisley 2021 Stadium in February last year with Saints narrow 1-0 victors.

Saints will be without Lewis Morgan after his injury in the win over Ayr United last week. That could see Josh Todd make a start against his former club. The Englishman has only started once for the Saints since leaving Dumbarton in January, but climbed off the bench last week to help set up the sixth goal. 

While Saints could also come up against two familiar faces with Stuart Carswell and Calum Gallagher in the Dumbarton squad. The pair were signed for St Mirren by Ian Murray and played at the Paisley 2021 Stadium last season with Carswell leaving in the summer and Gallagher going in January of this year. Garry Fleming, so often the scourge of the Saints in recent meetings between the sides, misses out due to suspension, but Sons will be able to call on Nade who returns from him ban. 

A win, and the opportunity to come off the bottom with just five matches remaining, would be a huge psychological boost for the Buddies. For Dumbarton, they know a win could effectively secure their Championship status for next season. It's all set up to be a tasty encounter at the Paisley 2021 Stadium tomorrow. 

Jack Ross says he and the players know how significant tomorrow's match is, but believes that's been the case for every match the side have played over the last few months. 

The Saints would close the gap at the bottom to just one point with a win over Ayr United. However, conversely, a loss would see them fall seven points behind with just six games remaining. 

It's no exaggeration to say that tomorrow's match could have a huge bearing on who stays in the Ladbrokes Championship next season. 

But the manager admits that he has confidence in his side that they can lift themselves off the bottom over the last period of the season. And he praised the squad for the way they have performed over the last month or so.

He said: "Anyone who has spoken to me over the last few months knows that my belief in being able to turn this around has never wavered.

"I have a very strong belief in this group and I think the key thing over the last six to eight weeks is that they now feel that way. It was easy for it to be me that feels it, but I'm not the one that has to go out there and perform. They believe that now, they can feel it within the changing room and on a training day and a match day.

"I have absolute belief that we will continue to win games between now and the end of the season.

"We've been used to having these types of games for the past two or three months where people place huge amounts of significance on them. We know the importance of the game and the importance of winning the game. The group have dealt with that for a while now. In terms of how prepared they are, they're used to it. 

"It will be a difficult game because their form is as good as anybody in the league as well. But it's a game as a player that you should be excited about. These games are the ones that, as a player, the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and you want to be involved in. The good thing is that I have a group now that I know want to play in that game and that is a huge comfort for me as a manager. 

"They are a good group," he continued. "Their ability is good. Their attitude and determination to get out of this position is terrific and they've had to show strong character to deal with the pressure games we've had.

"This game is hugely important, yes, but so was the game at Somerset not so long ago because of the ramifications of losing that. As I said, we are used to having these types of games and we have dealt, by and large, quite well. It's not been perfect. We've still lost a game or two in that period, but in the main it has been very good. If we continue with that frame of mind we will be fine."

Jack made several changes to the playing squad in the January transfer window, bringing in 10 players. It was a calculated risk from the manager who believes that it has, so far, paid off. And he confessed that he is desperate to keep the side in the Championship so the team can build upon the strong foundations in place. 

The feeling around the training ground is very different," he said. "The chemistry within the group is very good, I enjoy working with them. How enthusiastic they are on a day-to-day basis is terrific and I think that has been reflected in how they have played. I think fans have recognised that as well.

"I'm pleased with what we have at the moment. I'm just so determined to keep us in this league so we can try and build on what we have here at the moment." 

Lewis Morgan and Stevie Mallan made their debut for the Scotland U21 side in the 0-0 draw with Estonia at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Tuesday night. Both impressed, with Morgan picking up the man of the match award.

The gaffer was quick to praise the two for what he believes were merited call ups and said it also highlights the good work done by the St Mirren Youth Academy.

It's deserved recognition of their abilities," he said. "I was pleased they gave a performance that reflected their abilities.

"It's a testament to the work this club has continued to do on the academy side that we've continued to produce young players who play in our first team. I'm delighted for them first and foremost and really pleased for the club as well."

St Mirren could cut the gap at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Championship to just one point when they face Ayr United at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. 

The Buddies have faced Ian McCall's side five times this season with Saints coming out on top on three occasions, while the side couldn't be split on the other two. 

The first match of the 2016/17 season at the Paisley 2021 Stadium took place against Ayr United in the Betfred Cup. Stevie Mallan saw a penalty saved by Greg Fleming with a little over ten minutes to go on a swelteringly hot July night. But the Buddies battled through the heat to secure the win when Jack Baird managed to bundle the ball over the line deep in to stoppage time. 

Saints would need another late goal the next time the sides met over a month later. However, Tom Walsh's 89th minute header was only enough to rescue a point for St Mirren after Jamie Adams opened the scoring for Ayr early in the first half. 

Jack Ross was in charge of Saints for the third meeting of the two and still searching for his first win as St Mirren manager when the Honest Men headed through to Paisley for the IRN-BRU Cup quarter-final. The hosts looked to be heading out of the competition when substitute Andy O'Connell fired Ayr ahead on 68 minutes. But the Buddies battled back to secure that first victory for Jack Ross as John Sutton scored two in two minutes 

And Ian McCall's side were back in Paisley less than a month later with three points in the Ladbrokes Championship up for grabs. But both would have to settle for a share of the spoils with Sutton scoring late on 

Late goals have been a theme in these matches with each of the five yielding at least one goal in the final ten minutes. This was no different in the fifth contest back in February when Lewis Morgan's 82nd minute strike sealed a 2-0 win for the Buddies after Sutton had put Saints ahead with his fourth goal in three games against United.  

St Mirren have been in terrific form since that win, with three wins from five in the league. The Buddies overcame Queen of the South 2-0 at Palmerston in their last Championship match and will be desperate to positively react to last week's IRN-BRU Cup final defeat to Dundee United. 

While Ayr chalked up two precious wins in recent weeks, defeating Dunfermline and Dumbarton. They did, however, lose 2-1 to Dundee United in midweek, but know how vital a win could be in their hopes of staying up. 

Harry Davis, David Clarkson and Lewis McLear will miss out for St Mirren due to long-term injuries, while Gary Irvine is suspended. Rocco Quinn and Ben Gordon could be in line to return after playing a part in recent development squad matches with Cammy Smith and Josh Todd come back into the fray after being cup-tied for last weekend's final.

All signs point to another tight match and it would take a fool, an April fool if you will, to confidently predict the outcome of tomorrow's match. If either side can come away with the three points it could prove to be pivotal in the race to stay in the Championship. 

It's the IRN-BRU Cup final tomorrow as St Mirren take on Dundee United at Fir Park for the chance to win domestic silverware for the first time since the League Cup triumph in 2013.

It's been a tricky road to the final for Saints this season, with the Buddies having to come from behind in all four ties they've played. It started back in September when a trip to Coatbridge to face Albion Rovers saw the side 2-0 down after just 13 minutes. But goals from Lewis Morgan, Stevie Mallan and John Sutton saw the Buddies go 3-2 up. They were, however, pegged back mere moments after making it 3-2 when Ross Dunlop scored his second of the match for the hosts. Saints scored the winner in extra time with Lawrence Shankland getting on the end of Sutton's cross to send Saints through.

St Mirren, having just announced the appointment of Jack Ross, travelled to Easter Road to face Hibernian in October. Caretaker manager Allan McManus was in charge of the team for the final time ahead of Jack's arrival and guided the side to a 2-1 win in Edinburgh with goals from Mallan and David Clarkson sealing Saints place in the quarter-final. 

Indeed, Jack's first win as St Mirren manager came in the IRN-BRU Cup quarter-final tie against Ayr United at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. Again the Buddies had to come from behind with Andy O'Connell firing the visitors into the lead on 68 minutes. But Sutton was at the double, scoring two goals in as many minutes in the last 10 minutes of the game to seal a remarkable comeback. 

All that stood in Saints way of a potential cup final was Welsh side, The New Saints. It was never going to be that simple though with TNS on a remarkable run of form this season. And the visitors proved they were up for the challenge when Ryan Brobbel put them 1-0 up with a great strike just before the half time interval. The Buddies came roaring back in the second half, aided by a real captain's performance from Stephen McGinn. The midfielder got Saints level with a magnificent goal on the hour mark. Mallan got his third goal in the competition less than ten minutes later to put St Mirren ahead. Sutton had the chance to make it 3-1 from the penalty spot, but saw his effort saved by TNS goalkeeper Harrison. He'd make no mistake a minute later though as he crashed home an effort after being laid off by Kyle Magennis. Rory Loy wrapped up the win in injury time when he knocked home from Mallan's free kick. 

United's IRN-BRU Cup journey began with a hard-fought 3-2 win after extra-time against Peterhead. Tony Andreu's 116th minute goal finally saw off the stubborn League One side to set up an away trip to Stranraer. Again Andreu was the hero as he scored the game's only goal to give the Tangerines a 1-0 win. Championship side Dunfermline were overcome in the quarter-finals by the same scoreline thanks to Mark Durnan's early goal. 

Their place in the final was secured with a 3-2 triumph over Queen of the South at Palmerston. United raced into a 3-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Charlie Telfer, Scott Fraser and Andreu. Stephen Dobbie pulled one back for Queens before Derek Lyle scored in injury time to make United sweat, but they held on to make their second Challenge Cup final. 

For Saints this will be their third Challenge Cup final after having lost 3-0 to Falkirk back in 1993 and defeating Hamilton Accies 2-1 to clinch the cup in 2005. 

United have played in the final once before, losing on penalties to Stenhousemuir in 1995 following a goalless 90 minutes and extra time. 

The only time the St Mirren have faced Dundee United in a cup final came 30 years ago in May when Ian Ferguson's injury time saw the Buddies defeat United 1-0 to win their third Scottish Cup.

Saints come in to tomorrow's final in their best form all season. The Buddies have won four of their last six league matches including a 3-2 win over Dundee United at the Paisley 2021 Stadium just over a week ago. Whereas Ray McKinnon's side have failed to win since their 3-2 victory over Queen of the South in the semi-final last month. However, as is the old cliche, the form book goes out the window for both sides in this one-off match.

A win for St Mirren could help boost the players confidence ahead of the run-in to avoid relegation. For United, they will be desperate to use the cup final as the catalyst to kick-start their promotion hopes. With Saints tickets almost sold out, tomorrow promises to be a great occasion for players and supporters alike.

St Mirren could move off the bottom with a win over Queen of the South tomorrow - if other results go Saints way. 

The Buddies have been rooted to 10th position in the Ladbrokes Championship since match day five when, ironically, a defeat to Queen of the South at the Paisley 2021 Stadium saw Saints fall to the foot of the table. 

Jack Ross' side come into tomorrow's match in fine form with three wins and a draw from their last five league matches. It's a run that has seen the side move from eight points behind Ayr United - with Wednesday night's win over Dundee United closing the gap - to just one point. 

Harry Davis scored the opener before being stretchered off but only after Tony Andreu had equalised for Dundee United. Stevie Mallan marked his 100th start for St Mirren with a superb free kick catching out United's Cammy Bell at the goalkeeper's right hand post. Lewis Morgan scored his eighth goal of the season as he blasted home from close range after Rory Loy's initial attempt was blocked inside the six-yard box. 

Queen of the South haven't won in their last three matches, losing to Morton and Falkirk while drawing with Dunfermline. Their last victory came at home to Raith Rovers at the end of February when goals from John Rankin and Derek Lyle were enough to secure a 2-1 win. 

This will be the fourth and final meeting between the Buddies and the Doonhamers this season, with the Dumfries side holding the advantage with two wins to Saints' one. 

It was a 3-1 defeat to Queen of the South at the Paisley 2021 Stadium in September that put Saints bottom of the league. Derek Lyle had given the visitors a first half lead before Tom Walsh equalised for the Buddies. But veteran striker Lyle put Queens back ahead just moments later with Stephen Dobbie rounding off the scoring in the second half. 

Saints first league win of the season came back in December when goals from Kyle Magennis, Ben Gordon and Mallan secured a 3-2 win for the Buddies at tomorrow's venue, Palmerston Park. Dobbie scored a brace for the home side giving them the lead on two occasions before Mallan scored deep into injury time to spark wild celebrations amongst the travelling support.

The last meeting between the two came in January as Gary Naysmith's side ran out 3-0 winners in Paisley thanks to goals from Dobbie, Dom Thomas and an own-goal from Gary MacKenzie. 

A win for St Mirren, coupled with Ayr United failing to win at Dunfermline would see the Buddies move up to ninth place. Even a point for Saints would be enough to see them move into ninth position if Ayr lose at East End Park. Whereas victory for Queen of the South would keep alive their faint hopes of grabbing a play-off spot, with the Doonhamers sitting nine points behind Dundee United. 

St Mirren could move to within one point of Ayr United in the Ladbrokes Championship when Dundee United come to the Paisley 2021 Stadium this evening. 

Saints cut the gap at the bottom to just four points with a 0-0 draw against Dunfermline on Saturday. Both sides had chances to win it but a point was a fair reflection of the match and with Ayr United losing, the Buddies inched closer to moving off the foot of the table. Meanwhile, Ray McKinnon's Dundee United come into tonight's match on the back of a 1-0 loss at home to league leaders Hibernian on Friday night. The Tangerines saw Lewis Toshney sent off in the first half before falling to a Jason Cummings goal. 

Tonight's contest will be the third time that St Mirren have come up against United this season. Jack Ross' first match in charge of the Buddies came in this fixture back in October where goals from Scott Fraser and Tony Andreu secured three points for the visitors.

The sides met again on Christmas Eve in the city of discovery where Saints fell to a 2-1 defeat. John Sutton fired St Mirren ahead on 27 minutes only for United to level a minute later through Fraser. Simon Murray glanced home a header on the stroke of half time to win the match for the Arabs. 

You have to go back to 2013 for St Mirren's last league win over United - a 4-1 triumph at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. A double from Steven Thompson was added to goals from John McGinn and Jason Naismith rendering Nadir Ciftci's goal just before half time meaningless. 

Tonight's match gives each side a chance to feel each other out ahead of the upcoming IRN-BRU Cup final next week. However, the ultimate goal for St Mirren remains trying to close the gap at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Championship, while United will be looking to leapfrog Morton in third place, after the Greenock side had overtaken McKinnon's side on Saturday.

St Mirren host Dunfermline at the Paisley 2021 Stadium this weekend - the final time the Buddies will play the Fifers this season.

The Buddies come into tomorrow's match on the back of a midweek loss to Raith Rovers. Jack Ross' men looked comfortable for the more part before falling to a brace from Rovers substitute Ryan Hardie. While our visitors drew 1-1 with Queen of the South at East End Park on Tuesday night after Queens' Joe Thomson cancelled out Michael Moffat's early opener.

The Saints have faced the Pars three times during this campaign with Allan Johnston's men coming out on top twice, with the other ending in a draw.

The first meeting took place in September with Allan McManus in temporary charge of St Mirren. It was an action packed match at East End Park with the Pars coming out on top by the odd goal in seven when the now departed Farid El Alagui struck with a little over five minutes to go.

Dunfermline made it back-to-back wins over the Buddies in November when Nicky Clark pounced to give the Pars their first ever win at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. 

The only meeting between the sides so far in 2017 came in January when Saints travelled to East End Park. The home side took the lead in the first half when Gary MacKenzie fouled Michael Moffat inside the box, allowing Higginbotham to fire home from the penalty spot.

But MacKenzie turned from sinner to saint when he bulleted home a header almost immediately after the restart to earn the Buddies a point. 

Saints last victory over Dunfermline came at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on October 10 2015 in the Challenge Cup with Stevie Mallan scoring twice in a 4-0 win. 

With 10 games left until the end of the season wins are of utmost importance to St Mirren and a first victory of the Pars this season could see the Buddies close the gap at the bottom to just two points. For Dunfermline, a win could see them move a step away from the relegation play-off place and avoid a nervy end to the season..

Saints are on the road again tonight as they travel to Kirkcaldy to face Raith Rovers at Stark's Park. 

The Buddies will meet Rovers for the third time in the Ladbrokes Championship this season with each side sharing a win. 

The first meeting came on match day two with Saints paying the Kirkcaldy side a visit after an opening day draw with Morton. Declan McManus gave the home side the lead after just 17 minutes. Ross Callachan put Rovers 2-0 up before a defensive mix-up between Jamie Langfield and Andy Webster allowed McManus to grab his second of the match just a minute later. Ryan Hardie, now at Raith, scored a consolation goal for the Buddies just beyond the hour mark but the damage had been done. 

The two sides met for a second time in the league, this time at the Paisley 2021 Stadium, in December. Saints had just picked up their first league win of the season after beating Queen of the South just days before facing Rovers. And they made it back-to-back league wins when Lewis Morgan scored from a thunderous effort early in the second half to secure a 1-0 victory for Saints.

St Mirren's form has improved in recent weeks with the Buddies winning four matches in a row before Sunday's defeat to Celtic. Even in defeat Saints were praised by Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers who described St Mirren as the best team his side had faced domestically this season.

That run of four wins, the first time the Buddies had done so since 2008, included league wins over Ayr United and Hibernian. Both were beaten 2-0 with John Sutton and Morgan netting in the win over Ayr, while full back Stelios Demetriou grabbed his first St Mirren goals as Saints triumphed over league leaders Hibernian in Paisley. 

Raith come into this match on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Ayr United at Somerset Park last week. Facing an injury crisis, midfielder Ryan Stevenson had to play in goals for John Hughes' outfit but Rovers have since agreed a deal to bring in Slovakian goalkeeper Pavol Penksa until the end of the season.

The Buddies still sit at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Championship but a win over Raith would bring them to within two points of Ayr United who sit in ninth place and three points off Rovers with a game in hand over the Kirkcaldy side. Meanwhile, our opponents will be desperate to push themselves away from the danger zone and get their first league win since October. 

Saints make the short trip to the east end of Glasgow on Sunday for a lunch-time clash with Celtic in the last eight of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

This will be the first meeting between the sides since St Mirren dropped to the Championship at the end of season 2014/15 when Saints lost all three Premiership matches to the Glasgow side.

A lot has changed since then on the managerial front for both sides with Jack Ross now in charge of Saints and Brendan Rodgers at the managerial helm for Celtic.

Celtic are on a storm this season as they are undefeated in domestic competition with their only losses so far this term coming in The Champions’ League.  They sit a massive 27 points in front of Aberdeen in the Premiership table meaning they only need to take seven points from their eleven remaining games to land their sixth consecutive Premiership title.

Rodgers bagged his first trophy as Celtic manager in November when they ran out 3-0 winners against Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup final. They now have their eyes fixed on a treble with St Mirren being the next obstacle in their quest having already knocked out Albion Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle to reach the quarter-final stage of the Scottish Cup.

St Mirren have had good cup runs this season having made it to the final of the IRN-BRU Cup and going on to knock Spartans, Dundee and East Fife out of the Scottish cup to make it to Sunday’s tie with Celtic.

After a poor first half to the season Saints have found a bit of form since the turn of the year and go into the game at Glasgow on Sunday on the back of four straight wins.

The sides last met in the Scottish Cup four years ago almost to the day when a goal from St Mirren striker Esmael Goncalves was sandwiched between scores from Joe Ledley and Anthony Stokes. The sides had met two months earlier in the semi-final of the League Cup when Saints ran out 3-2 winners at The National Stadium.

Saints last Scottish Cup success against Celtic was on 7th March 2009 when Billy Mehmet’s second half penalty put St Mirren into the last four of the tournament.

The odds will certainly be against St Mirren on Sunday as many will look at the teams’ current positions with Celtic on top of the Premiership and Saints at the bottom of the Championship. But Jack Ross will take his side to Celtic Park looking to put them in place to try and upset the odds.