Saints and Motherwell will have to do it all again after drawing 1-1 in the Scottish Cup.

Ilkay Durmus hit the post in the first few minutes and Saints had a fair number of chances in the opening 45 minutes yet somehow found themselves behind at the break – Mark O'Hara hammering home after Vaclav Hladky had saved from Chris Long.

The Steelmen were arguably the better side after the interval but Saints drew level when Kyle McAllister teed up Alex Jakubiak to score his first Buddies goal. Both sides had chances to win it after that but in the end had to settle for a replay that both managers could probably do without.

Jakubiak started for the first time since arriving on loan from Watford with Jon Obika back in the side, Tony Andreu and Felipe Morias dropping to the bench. That wasn't the end of the changes with Lee Hodson coming in for the injured Ryan Flynn – although the fullback would end up going off injured himself. New Motherwell signing Tony Watt was among the away side's subs.

The Buddies kicked into the fierce wind in the first half and almost had the lead inside five minutes. Obika intercepted the ball and passed to Sam Foley and he in turn found Durmus who cracked the post from close range. Soon after, Jakubiak outmuscled his man and had a shot saved by Mark Gillespie, although the whistle had already gone for a foul. Rolando Aarons had the first chance for Motherwell as he cut in from the right before seeing his shot parried away by Hladky, while at the other end Obika turned and shot a few yards over from the edge of the box.

The game was fairly open as both sides pushed for an opener, Jermaine Hylton's shot finding Hladky's arms after taking a couple of deflections. A loose pass from Cammy MacPherson then let Aarons in but a tremendous tackle by McCarthy just outside the area stopped the on-loan Newcastle man in his tracks, the large away support behind the goal claiming furiously for a foul. Gillespie dropped Waters' free-kick before blocking Jamie McGrath's go from the follow-up, then Durmus dragged a shot wide after good hold-up play from Jakubiak.

All that was missing from the frantic opening quarter was a goal but Motherwell soon put that right. A break of the ball after a Hodson tackle saw Long clean through and while Hladky did well to save his shot, the ball popped up for O'Hara to thump into the unguarded net and put the Steelmen in front. Long went close to doubling the lead a few minutes later as his shot was juggled up in the air by Hladky before the goalie eventually gathered it.

Saints were desperately unlucky not to draw level when Durmus found Jakubiak with a low cross but his shot was blocked by the legs of Gillespie, a penalty appeal for handball in the aftermath being turned down by ref Andrew Dallas. Obika saw a tame effort deflected into the Motherwell goalie's grasp just before Hladky had to get down to a Long shot behind. Just before the break Saints had another chance when Obika set up but Durmus but his shot was headed away.

The visitors nearly increased their advantage early in the second half as Aarons' cross threatened to dip under the bar before Hladky tipped it over. The second half wasn't quite as end-to-end as the first with chances for both teams few and far between but an opening did come Saints' way when Hodson got to the byline and pulled the ball across ball, Obika unable to reposition himself in time to turn it home. Long sclaffed a shot wide before a great tackle from McCarthy stopped the striker adding his second.

An ambitious shot from MacPherson was always going wide just as Kyle McAllister replaced McGrath – which proved to be an inspired move as he soon created the equaliser. Hodson made use of his time and space to find the winger on the right and when he played it into the box Jakubiak slotted past Gillespie with the help of a deflection.

Liam Donnelly fired narrowly wide from long range as Motherwell looked to go back in front, O'Hara sending a low shot beyond both Hladky and the far post. Saints had been on the back foot since dragging themselves level but showed they weren't done for the day when Durmus stung Gillespie's palms from distance, MacPherson's dipping shot going narrowly over from the resultant corner. It was to be the last real chance for either side, meaning the sides will now meet twice at Fir park within the space of a few days.

Full-Time: St Mirren 1-1 Motherwell

St Mirren: Hladky, Hodson (Morias 81), McCarthy, Famewo, Waters, MacPherson, Foley (c), McGrath (McAllister 69), Durmus, Jakubiak, Obika (Andreu 77)
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Henderson, Cooke, Mullen

Motherwell: Gillespie, Gallagher, Hartley (c), Grimshaw, Carroll, Donnelly, O'Hara (Watt 80), Polworth, Long, Aarons (Campbell 73), Hylton
Subs Not Used: Carson, Tait, Manzinga, Mugabi, Ndjoli

Referee: Andrew Dallas
Assistant Referee: David McGeachie
Assistant Referee: David Doig
Fourth Official: Kevin Glancy

Attendance: 4,232

Ilkay Durmus' 73rd minute free-kick salvaged a point for St Mirren as the Buddies drew their third Ladbrokes Premiership match in a row.

Saints found themselves behind to a 25th minute David Templeton strike in a lacklustre first-half showing for Jim Goodwin's side.

But a better second-half performance saw Saints grab a point with Durmus curling home from 20 yards after Ryan Flynn had been fouled.

By the manager's own admission the Buddies were not at the races in the first 45 minutes and Hamilton capitalised with 25 minutes on the clock. A long ball forward from Accies captain Brian Easton found Mickel Miller who beat Calum Waters to head the ball into the path of Templeton who slammed home from 25 yards out to give the visitors the lead. 

It was a controversial opener given Accies goalkeeper Luke Southwood had clearly handled outside his box just 20 seconds earlier while Waters was on the ground with a head knock after clashing with Miller.

Saints tried to bounce back in a positive fashion with Durmus heading wide from a decent area inside the box after meeting Morias' cross.

But two minutes later Templeton was just inches away from adding his and Accies' second when he flashed just wide from 20 yards.

And with seven minutes remaining of the half, Vaclav Hladky kept the scoreline down as the game ebbed towards half-time when he got the slightest touch on Marios Ogkmpoe's ferocious effort from 25 yards to touch it on to the bar.

The Czech goalkeeper also managed to gather on the line after a scramble inside the Saints penalty area following a Hamilton corner on 43 minutes.

In truth Saints were lucky to only be 1-0 down at the break, but started the second-half the brighter of the two sides. Lee Hodson, who replaced Jamie McGrath at half-time, played a low ball across the face of the box with less than two minutes of the second-half played where it met Cammy MacPherson. But the Saints midfielder scooped the ball over from 15 yards.

Tony Andreu was presented with a wonderful opportunity as the ball fell to him inside the box on 68 minutes but the Hamilton defence did well to block and deflect narrowly over. 

With just over 15 mintues remaining Saints would find themselves level. A really poor challenge from Mickel Miller on Ryan Flynn saw Saints awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the area. After a delay which saw Flynn receive treatment before being substituted, Durmus stepped up to confidently curl home into the top corner to equalise. 

St Mirren would have hoped to kick on in the final stretch of the match to try and find a winner but were dealt a major blow just two minutes later when Hamilton were awarded a penalty kick. Hodson's flailing leg brought down the forward who had nipped in just ahead of the Northern Ireland international. It was Miller who grabbed the ball to take the spot-kick, but despite Hladky diving the wrong way, the striker sent his effort wide from 12 yards. 

Saints were denied their own penalty in stoppage time when substitute Alex Jakubiak appeared to be hauled down in the box, but referee Alan Newlands was unmoved. 

Full-Time: St Mirren 1-1 Hamilton

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn (Jakubiak 73), McCarthy, Famewo, Waters, Foley (c), MacPherson, McGrath (Hodson 45), Andreu, Durmus, Morias (Obika 63)
Subs Not Used: Lyness, K.McAllister, Mullen, Cooke

Hamilton: Southwood, McMann, Easton (c), Hunt, Want, McGowan, Gogic, Templeton (Smith 65), Martin, Miller (Alston 83), Ogkmpoe (Moyo 59)
Subs Not Used: Gourlay, Woods, Davies, Dales

Referee: Alan Newlands
Assistant Referee: Andrew McWilliam
Assistant Referee: Gary Hilland
Fourth Official: William Collum

Attendance: 4,537

Saints had to settle for a point after Hibernian battled back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Easter Road.

Two goals in four minutes from Conor McCarthy and Tony Andreu had St Mirren deservedly ahead inside the first 20 minutes.

But Hibernian hit back before half-time thanks to goals from Scott Allan and in-form Christian Doidge. 

The Buddies started strongly in the capital and earned their reward on 14 minutes when McCarthy scored his first St Mirren goal to put Saints ahead. The Irish defender was presented with a free header inside the Hibees box to bullet home from a Cammy MacPherson corner kick.

Saints were worthy of their lead but the home side looked to respond quickly with Martin Boyle forcing Vaclav Hladky into a decent stop at his near post on 17 minutes.

But just a minute later Saints doubled their lead. McCarthy send a terrific cross-field pass to Ilkay Durmus who brought the ball down well and raced away from David Gray to make his way into the Hibernian box. The winger laid the ball back to Tony Andreu with the Frenchman sliding home to make it 2-0.

Hibernian pulled a goal back on 25 minutes through Scott Allan. The midfielder drove forward into the Saints half before switching wide to Boyle on the right side. Allan continued his run into the box to meet Boyle low ball across to stroke home.

The Buddies were still looking strong with Durmus firing over from range on the half-hour mark, while Hibs goalkeeper Ofir Marciano had to be alert to push away a MacPherson free-kick and a low ball in from Morias. Andreu shot over after the latter's opportunity fell to him on the edge of the area.

Frustratingly, Hibernian found a leveller just two minutes before the interval. Saints couldn't clear their lines allowing Stephane Omeonga to flight the ball into Doidge who headed beyond Hladky from close range.

St Mirren could have gotten the second-half off to the perfect start when, just six minutes in, Marciano spilled a Durmus cross into the feet of Andreu but the Frenchman couldn't get the shot away with the Hibernian goalkeeper managing to gather.

Jim Goodwin made a double substitution on 64 minutes when Jamie McGrath & Alex Jakubiak came on in place of Andreu & Morias. It came just seconds after Morias had nodded agonisingly wide from a MacPherson free-kick.

Hibernian substitution Paul McGinn, who yesterday completed his move from Saints to the Hibees, almost came back to haunt the Buddies on 70 minutes when he rose the highest to head a free-kick goal-ward with Hladky doing well to push wide.

Hibernian were almost gifted a goal with 15 minutes remaining when Sam Foley's attempted header to Hladky was pounced upon first by Boyle, but the Saints defence did well to get back and deflect the forward's effort wide.

Three minutes later Allan almost grabbed his second directly from a corner. The midfielder's ball in from the left looped over Hladky but crashed off the Saints bar.

That was the closest either side would come in the final stages of the match with Saints taking a point back to Paisley.

Full-Time: Hibernian 2-2 St Mirren

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, McCarthy, Famewo, Waters, Foley (c), MacPherson, Morias (Jakubiak 64), Andreu (McGrath 64), Durmus (Hodson 79), Obika
Subs Not Used: Lyness, K.McAllister, Mullen, Cooke

Hibernian: Marciano, Gray (McGinn 46), McGregor, Hanlon, Stevenson, Omeonga, Newell (Docherty 52), Boyle, Allan, Horgan (McNulty 59), Doidge
Subs Not Used: Bogdan, James, Hallberg, Murray

Referee: David Munro
Assistant Referee: Calum Spence
Assistant Referee: Ross MacLeod
Fourth Official: Don Robertson

Attendance: 16,325 (552 St Mirren fans)

Gallery pictures by Craig Brown © 

Pretty football was rarely on display in Paisley as Saints and Aberdeen played out a goalless draw.

The Dons had the better of the first half and could have had a penalty when Conor McCarthy appeared to pull back Sam Cosgrove at the edge of the box. Despite the visitors being on top, it was the Buddies who should have been in front at the break as Jon Obika intercepted a slack backpass only to hit the post.

Saints improved after the break with Ilkay Durmus and Tony Andreu going closest with Aberdeen chances few and far between as the spoils ended up being shared.

Durmus and Andreu were back in the team in place of Paul McGinn and Kyle Magennis, the latter out for the season after he suffered a horrific knee injury against Rangers during the week. There was some good news on the bench though with Kirk Broadfoot returning to the squad after recovering from injury. Cosgrove led the attack for the visitors, who handed a debut to new signing Matty Kennedy.

Junior Morias had an early shot blocked for the Buddies, with Ash Taylor heading wide from a corner at the other end. Buddies keeper Vaclav Hladky is normally pretty reliable with his feet but sold Akin Famewo short with a pass that allowed Niall McGinn to pounce with the goal gaping, the on-loan Norwich City defender getting enough of himself in the way of the forward's shot to divert it over for a corner. Another uncharacteristic mistake from the Saints goalie allowed McGinn to get a cross in but Hladky recovered just in time to gather the ball as Cosgrove lurked dangerously.

The chance in the opening few minutes was pretty much all the Buddies had to show for their efforts in the opening quarter, Cammy MacPherson failing to find the target from long range in a rare attack. The Dons fans were screaming for a penalty moments later as McCarthy pulled back Cosgrove, however the officials were unmoved. Replays suggested it was a foul, the main issue being whether it was inside or out of the area. Another great chance for the visitors came when a corner wasn't properly cleared and the ball found Scott McKenna just inside the box, the big defender seeing his scooped shot deflected over off McCarthy.

With all the Dons pressure, a Saints goal would have been totally against the run of play – yet one should have come five minutes before the break. Dylan McGeouch was short with a back-pass and it was picked off by Obika who had plenty of time to steady himself as he bent a shot around Joe Lewis only to see it agonisingly hit the post before being hacked to safety. It was the closest either side had come and the Buddies had another chance just before the interval, McCarthy heading a MacPherson free-kick straight at Lewis.

Durmus fired an early sighter well over as hostilities resumed, Lewis then getting down well to save Andreu's shot from the winger's cross. Hladky was barely troubled when Cosgrove's header from a corner found the target before Saints had another chance, Morias' long throw being knocked down to skipper Sam Foley whose volley failed to find the target. Durmus had scored the winner when the sides met in Paisley at the start of the season and he seemed determined to do some more damage, this time curling a shot over the bar from a tight angle.

The visitors hadn't threatened much in the second half but some neat passing found Lewis Ferguson at the edge of the box only for him to shoot wide. Some frantic defending just about got Saints off the hook at a free-kick as Aberdeen pushed on, sub Ryan Hedges lashing a shot wide and Hladky saving Funso Ojo's long range effort. However, while they had plenty of the ball, they created few chances and on the basis of the second half Saints fully deserved their point.

Full-Time: St Mirren 0-0 Aberdeen

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, McCarthy, Famewo, Waters, MacPherson, Foley (c), Andreu (Cooke 80), Durmus (P.McGinn 90), Morias, Obika
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Broadfoot, Erhahon, Henderson, Mullen

Aberdeen: Lewis, Logan, McKenna, Taylor, Considine, Ojo, McGeouch (Hedges 72), Ferguson, N.McGinn (Anderson 85), Kennedy, Cosgrove
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Devlin, Campbell, Gallagher, Main

Referee: Don Robertson
Assistant Referee: David Doig
Assistant Referee: Ralph Gordon
Fourth Official: Grant Irvine

Attendance: 5,302

Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography

A first-half Jermain Defoe strike was enough to give Rangers a narrow win over St Mirren in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

The veteran striker showed his predatory instincts when he struck on 34 minutes to give the Gers all three points at Ibrox.

It was far from a memorable match with neither side creating many clear cut opportunities throughout the 90 minutes. Saints game plan to frustrate Rangers largely worked but despite efforts to have a go in the final stages of the match, the Buddies couldn't get the goal they craved to grab a share of the spoils. 

Jim Goodwin's men were dealt an early blow when stand-in captain Kyle Magennis had to be stretchered off in the opening 10 minutes. The midfielder went down inside the Rangers half with what appears to be a knee injury and had to be replaced by Ilkay Durmus. Magennis is set for a scan which will determine the damage he has suffered with the manager confessing he is looks set for significant spell on the sidelines. 

It took Rangers until 25 minutes to really create anything of note. Vaclav Hladky did well to save from Ryan Kent after the Rangers winger danced his way into the Saints penalty area. The ball found its way to Steven Davis on the edge of the area but the midfielder's clipped ball into the box was too high for Defoe. 

But just under 10 minutes later the Ibrox side were ahead. Borna Barisic's low ball across the box deflected off Junior Morias and found its way to an unmarked Defoe who guided home from close range.

Rangers almost added a second right on the stroke of half-time with a number of men in blue looking to get a final touch on the ball in a stramash but Saints goalkeeper Hladky gathered.

It took over 22 minutes after the interval for anything of note to take place in the second-half. Nikola Katic rose the highest to meet a Davis corner. The Croatian defender headed it across the box with Defoe lurking at the back post but the striker couldn't meet it to double Rangers' advantage. 

Saints started to commit more forward and with just 15 minutes remaining went close to grabbing an equaliser. Conor McCarthy, making his first Ladbrokes Premiership start, nodded just wide after getting on the end of a Cammy MacPherson free-kick.

Rangers twice could have wrapped the game up in the closing minutes with substitute Sheyi Ojo seeing an effort deflected just wide while fellow sub Scott Arfield shot straight at Hladky from close range.

In the end one was enough for Rangers to ensure all the points remained in Glasgow.

Full-Time: Rangers 1-0 St Mirren

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, McCarthy, P.McGinn, Famewo, Waters, Magennis (Durmus 7), Foley, MacPherson (Mullen 87), Morias (Andreu 77), Obika
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Erhahon, Henderson, Mullen, Cooke

Rangers: McGregor, Flanagan, Katic, Goldson (c), Barisic, Kamara (Arfield 69), Jack, Davis, Aribo (Ojo 80), Kent, Defoe
Subs Not Used: Foderingham, Edmundson, Ojo, Halliday. Jones, Patterson

Referee: Nick Walsh
Assistant Referee: Alan Mulvanny
Assistant Referee: Graeme Leslie
Fourth Official: Steven Kincaid

Attendance: 49,297

St Mirren booked their place in the Fifth Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup with a deserved 3-0 win over Broxburn Athletic.

After a goalless first-half, Jon Obika opened the scoring in 54 minutes to finally make the breakthrough.

Two goals in the closing minutes from Danny Mullen and Obika put the seal on the win as Saints saw off the stubborn East of Scotland League side.

It took until the final few moments to wrap up the match, but it could have been a more comfortable afternoon had the Buddies opened the scoring with a chance inside the first 60 seconds. Calum Waters low ball across the box was laid on a plate for Obika who didn't catch the shot well enough and clipped over the bar. 

The Buddies asserted themselves in the opening stages and had the vast majority of possession and territory. Junior Morias curled into the arms of Broxburn goalkeeper Connor Wallace with eight minutes played, while Ilkay Durmus dragged an effort wide on 15 minutes. 

Obika sent a tame effort into the arms of Wallace on 22 minutes after a neat exchange with Morias and really should have had Saints ahead three minutes later. Morias charged down the left-hand side and slide the ball across the area where both Obika and Durmus were waiting. The former got a toe onto the ball but it somehow creeped centimetres wide of the post. The English forward then headed past the same post just after the half-hour mark.

For all the dominance Saints were failing to make Broxburn goalkeeper Wallace work, but that would change after the interval with the goalkeeper making a good stop to deny captain Kyle Magennis on 50 minutes.

Durmus should have had St Mirren ahead two minutes later but somehow smashed wide from eight yards. 

Thankfully, the wait for the breakthrough only lasted another two minutes with Obika opening the scoring on 54 minutes. It was a scrappy goal for Broxburn to lose with a low Waters effort coming off an unfortunate Broxburn defender and ricocheting off Obika into the net. 

The Buddies fitness told after that and only heroics from Wallace kept the scoreline down. The goalkeeper made terrific saves to deny Morias twice, while he did well to push away a Mullen volley. Arguably the pick of the bunch came when he denied Jamie McGrath a debut goal on 79 minutes. The Irishman curled towards the far corner from the edge of the area with Wallace at full stretch to tip the ball round the post.

Wallace would make further saves in the final 10 minutes to stop Obika and Morias attempts, but Saints finally added a second to secure their place in tomorrow's Fifth Round draw with Mullen curling home from 20 yards. 

Mullen then turned provider a minute later when he slammed the ball across the ball to meet the chest of Obika to put the icing on the cake for the Buddies. 

Full-Time: St Mirren 3-0 Broxburn Athletic

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, McCarthy (Andreu 67), Famewo, Waters, Magennis (c), Foley, MacPherson (McGrath 60), Durmus (Mullen 60), Morias, Obika
Subs Not Used: Lyness, P.McGinn, Erhahon, Cooke

Broxburn: Wallace, Grant, Donaldson, Gavin, Townsley, Linton, Nimmo (Ross 68), Scott, Gibson, Locke (Richards 79), Kelly (Miller 57)
Subs Not Used: Binnie, Beesley, Gillen, Donoghue

Referee: David Munro
Assistant Referee: Dougie Potter
Assistant Referee: Colin Drummond

Attendance: 4,372

Saints finished the decade just as they'd started it – with a 1-0 home win over Kilmarnock.

This time round it was Ilkay Durmus rather than Chris Innes who got the winner, the winger sending a sweet first half shot past Laurentiu Branescu after a brilliant pass from Tony Andreu.

In truth the winning margin should have been greater as only a tremendous save from the Killie goalie stopped Andreu getting a second after the break with Cammy MacPherson, Junior Morias and Jon Obika also going close.

Andreu was back in Jim Goodwin's team at the expense of Calum Waters, who wasn't allowed out to play against his parent club. His absence meant Sam Foley moved into the centre of defence with Paul McGinn going to leftback.

Saints had an early shout for a penalty turned down after a Killie player's arm appeared to get in the way of Sean McLoughlin's effort from a corner. Liam Millar was inches away from connecting with Nicholas Hamalainen's fine ball across the Saints goal before Vaclav Hladky was tested for the first time, palming away a fierce shot from Brophy.

Durmus was enjoying lots of space on the Saints left and, moments after he saw Jon Obika head over from his cross, he put Saints in front in fine style. Andreu slipped a brilliant pass through to the winger and he strode onto the ball and drilled it first time into the bottom corner. It was a deserved lead and the hosts sensed the chance to extend it as Andreu sclaffed a shot wide, a camera man at the back of the family stand then having to take evasive action as Brophy tried to draw Killie level.

Andreu nearly claimed a second assist as he gathered in the ball then released Obika, the big striker narrowly failing to find the top corner from the edge of the box. Kyle Magennis was slightly closer to finding the same corner when he had a go from miles out, his dipping shot skimming the roof of the net.

A Chris Burke free-kick early in the second half caused a bit of uncertainty in the makeshift Saints defence, Hladky eventually saving as Brophy and sub Osman Sow tried to force it in. The Buddies won a free-kick of their own when Gary Dicker was booked for fouling Durmus, Branescu doing well to hold on to MacPherson's hit. Sow had the ball in the net at the other end after getting onto the end of Millar's pass but the whistle had long gone for offside.

As Killie appealed in vain for a penalty for a possible handball by MacPherson, Saints raced forward and almost grabbed their second. Morias picked up the ball out wide and cut inside, only to be tackled just as he got ready to shoot, the loose ball falling to Durmus who sent a spectacular shot just over the bar. The former Turkish youth international turned provider next time around, picking out the unmarked Andreu whose header was superbly turned away by Branescu. The resultant corner was cleared out to Durmus at the edge of the box and his volley flew just wide.

Another great chance came as Saints broke on the counter, Obika releasing the ball as both MacPherson and Durmus charged through the middle. The pair pretty much ran into each other before the former took possession, however his shot was blocked by Iain Wilson. Branescu saved from Morias as the Buddies continued to push, Alex Bruce and Kyle Magennis both going into the book after a bit of handbags that saw the majority of the players rushing to get involved.

Hladky did well to punch away Sow's hooked effort at a corner as the Killie fans behind the goal claimed for a foul for some penalty box shenanigans. As the Buddies looked for a second, Morias shot wide before Obika twice went close, seeing one shot saved by Branescu and another hit the side netting. There is always a worry that when you're on top and can't convert your chances you'll be made to pay for it but that rarely looked like being the case on this occasion as the Buddies rounded off the 2010s with a well deserved three points.

Full-Time: St Mirren 1-0 Kilmarnock

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, Foley, McLoughlin, P.McGinn, Durmus, MacPherson, Magennis (c), Andreu (Cooke ), Morias, Obika 
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Erhahon, McMaster, Djorkaeff, Jamieson, Mullen

Kilmarnock: Branescu, Millen (El Makrini 76), Bruce, Del Fabro, Hamalainen, Dicker, Wilson, McKenzie (Sow 40), Millar, Burke (Thomas 65), Brophy
Subs Not Used: Koprivec, Johnson, Barlow, Jackson

Referee: Alan Newlands
Assistant Referee: Daniel McFarlane
Assistant Referee: Paul O'Neill
Fourth Official: Gavin Duncan

Attendance: 6,363

Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography

There was no belated Christmas cheer for St Mirren as they lost to champions Celtic on Boxing Day.

Despite starting well enough, Saints fell behind when Callum McGregor scored after his initial shot had hit the post. James Forrest doubled the lead when he rounded Vaclav Hladky to score as the visitors headed into the break in front.

The Buddies arguably had the better of the chances in the second half with Ryan Flynn and Jon Obika going close, and they finally got themselves back into things thanks to a late Cammy MacPherson free-kick, however there wasn't enough time left to snatch a point.

Jim Goodwin's side enjoyed a bright beginning and created the first chance, Ilkay Durmas' shot from Jon Obika's cutback being comfortably dealt with by Fraser Forster. It was a similar story at the other end as Vaclav Hladky easily gathered Olivier Ntcham's curler from the edge of the box. The visitors were able to force a couple of corners in quick succession but Kristoffer Ajer's headers were well off target, Odsonne Edouard then firing just over after being given a bit too much time and space to run forward.

The Buddies hadn't looked in too much trouble in the opening quarter of the game but a misplaced pass from Sam Foley was to prove costly. The ball was intercepted and sent through to Edouard, who had built up a bit of steam and was charging through on goal. The Saints defence tried to crowd him out and it seemed to work as the ball ran loose, only to fall to McGregor who rattled the post before tapping away the rebound.

In the aftermath the home side looked shaky as Celtic pushed for a quick second and it arrived just after McPherson had drawn a decent save from Forster. The Saints management team appealed for offside as Edouard gathered a Forrest pass, however he looked to have started his run inside his own half, and he again burst forward before slipping a return pass through the defence for Forrest, who drew Hladky off his line and squeezed a shot into the net from a tight angle. It was almost three just before the break as Ntcham's looped up in the air after taking a wicked deflection, however it dropped the wrong side of the bar.

Edouard had the ball in the net early in the second half but the flag had long gone up for offside. Hladky then found himself rather busy as he blocked Forrest's shot with his legs before tipping a Jeremie Frimpong effort around the post. Having survived those scares, Saints should have got themselves back into the game moments later when Junior Morias delivered a decent cross for Ryan Flynn but he could only put it wide.

Christopher Jullien headed over from Ryan Christie's free-kick as Celtic went back on the offensive before the defender made a big mistake at the other end, completely failing to deal with a high ball. That let Jon Obika in but with a tightening angle and no support the odds were always stacked against him – Forster saving the first shot before his defence mopped up as the striker tried to have another go. Another chance came when MacPherson fired in a cross but Obika was always stretching for it and the ball skidded off his head.

After his early saves, Hladky had had a pretty quiet second half but was back in action when he kept out Ntcham's drive as well as an attempt from Frimpong.

Jullien crudely brought Obika's run to a premature end with a wild swipe and was duly booked for his efforts, however the real punishment was yet to come. MacPherson's free-kick hit the top of the wall and Forster was unable to react before the ball ended up in the net.

It set up an exciting final few moments but Saints were always going to be up against it, especially with just two minutes of injury time, and they were unable to grab a second and earn a draw.

Full-Time: St Mirren 1-2 Celtic

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, P.McGinn, McLoughlin, Waters, Durmus (Andreu 65), Foley, MacPherson, Magennis (c), Morias (Cooke 82), Obika 
Subs Not Used: Lyness, S.McGinn, Djorkaeff, Jamieson, Mullen

Celtic: Forster, Frimpong, Jullien, Ajer, Bolingoli, McGregor, Brown (c), Forrest (Johnston 69), Ntcham, Christie, Edouard (Griffiths 87)
Subs Not Used: Gordon, Bauer, Taylor, Bitton, Rogic 

Referee: William Collum
Assistant Referee: Douglas Ross
Assistant Referee: Andrew McWilliam
Fourth Official: Barry Cook

Attendance: 6,797

Saints and Livingston brightened up a dreich December day by sharing six goals in a festive thriller.

Livi took the lead early on as Aymen Souda took advantage of Ryan Flynn's error to bend the ball into the net from the edge of the box. The Buddies were level when Jon Obika teed up Junior Morias to score, but Livi retook the lead just before the break when Jon Guthrie headed home Craig Sibbald's free-kick.

The goals continued in the second half and Souda seemed to have killed things off when he prodded the ball past Vaclv Hladky, but Jon Obika had other ideas – halving the deficit by diverting Tony Andreu's shot home before seeing another shot loop over Matija Sarkic thanks to a huge deflection.

Injury to Paul McGinn meant youngster Scott Glover was handed his debut at the heart of the Saints defence. He almost had a horror start, the strong wind taking his attempt to Ricki Lamie's hoof up the park spinning over Hladky but the keeper recovered in time to spare everyone's blushes.

The Buddies had looked the better side in the opening quarter of an hour so it was a huge blow when Livingston took the lead with their first real attack. A mistake from Flynn was pounced on by Souda and he ran to the edge of the box before curling a low shot round Hladky into the bottom corner.

The wind continued to cause problems, Sibbald's attempt to deliver a free-kick into the box almost ending up in the net. Hladky then did well to turn away a Dykes header before Cammy MacPherson tried to draw Saints level from long range, however his effort was easily caught by Sarkic. Another chance came when a free-kick was only cleared as far as Ilkay Durmus at the edge of the box but his shot looked to be going wide even before hitting a team-mate.

The winger was rather closer with his next shot, his fancy footwork gaining him the space he needed to let rip but it was straight at Sarkic, although the goalie needed two attempts at gathering the ball. An equaliser looked to be on the way and it duly arrived shortly after Saints had survived a bit of pinball in their own box. Obika won the ball from Lamie and forced his way past the Livi defence before unselfishly squaring for Morias to slot home from close range.

The Livi players felt they should have had a penalty shortly after play resumed, feeling Lyndon Dykes' shot had been blocked by the arm of Sean McLoughlin. The makeshift Saints defence was unsurprisingly looking fragile, an inability to clear their lines letting Souda get away a shot that spun out for a throw. Durmus then looked to have played Morias in for his second but the offside flag was up long before the ball ended up in the net.

The Buddies seemed to be finishing the opening 45 minutes on top but found themselves back behind in the dying seconds of the half. As Sibbald lifted a free-kick into the box, the Saints defence appeared to be waiting for an offside flag that never came, allowing Guthrie all the time and space he needed to head past Hladky.

Souda tried to double his side's advantage in the opening moments of the second half, his shot deflected behind for a corner. The Buddies then lost Kyle McAllister to injury, Tony Andreu taking his place and before he could make an impact, Livi got their third as they once again took advantage of slack defending. A long free-kick from Sarkic was flicked on by Dykes and Souda brought the ball under control before poking past Hladky.

Game over? It probably would have been had Guthrie been able to get his head on Steve Lawson's wicked cross. Instead, Saints set about getting themselves back into things and when the ball fell to Andreu at a corner, his shot was diverted past Sarkic to reduce the deficit. It was the same player who scored the equaliser with less than 20 minutes to go, Andreu racing on to a mis-placed shot to pull it back for Obika whose shot took a huge deflection that spun it over Sarkic and over the line to the delight of the home crowd.

Obika fancied a hat-trick, the Livi defence stopping him getting on the end of a knock-down from sub Cody Cooke, who had replaced Glover just before the equaliser. The roles were reversed a few minutes later as Obika looked to have sent Cooke through on goal, however he was well offside. The visitors looked to be on the ropes but thought they'd won themselves a penalty when Steven Lawless went flying under a Calum Waters challenge, however ref Nick Walsh booked the Livi man for simulation instead. The former Partick Thistle almost had the last laugh in stoppage time when the ball broke to him at the edge of the box but he rattled his shot well over.

Full-Time: St Mirren 3-3 Livingston

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, Glover (Cooke 73), McLoughlin, Waters, McAllister (Andreu 51), Magennis (c), MacPherson, Durmus, Morias, (Mullen 89) Obika
Subs Not Used: Lyness, S.McGinn, Djorkaeff, Jamieson

Livingston: Sarkic, Taylor-Sinclair (Lithgow 46), Sibbald (Jacobs 66), Lamie, Guthrie, Bartley, Pittman, Lawson, Lawless, Souda (Robinson 78), Dykes
Subs Not Used: Stewart, McMillan, Odoffin, Erskine

#SMFCMOM - Jon Obika

Referee: Nick Walsh
Assistant Referee: Kylie Cockburn
Assistant Referee: Stuart Hodge
Fourth Official: Colin Steven

Attendance: 4,344

Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography

St Mirren picked up their first points on the road this season with a well-deserved win over Hamilton Academical at the FOYS Stadium.

Cammy MacPherson's first goal of the season was enough to give Saints all three points in a dominant performance that sees the Buddies move off the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership and up to ninth place.

Jim Goodwin made four changes from the side that lost 3-0 to Motherwell on Wednesday night with MacPherson, Kyle McAllister, Ilkay Durmus and Junior Morias coming in for Gary MacKenzie, Stephen McGinn, Tony Andreu and Danny Mullen as Saints lined up in a 4-4-2 formation with Paul McGinn partnering Sean McLoughlin at centre-half and Ryan Flynn moved to right-back. 

The Buddies started brightly and almost had the lead with just five minutes played. Jon Obika fed the ball wide to Ilkay Durmus whose half-volley was touched onto the post by Hamilton goalkeeper Luke Southwood.

While the visitors had been on top in the opening stages, Hamilton grew into the first-half and Saints had stand-in skipper Kyle Magennis to thank for keeping the Accies from taking the lead on 14 minutes. The midfielder, who made his 100th St Mirren appearance on Wednesday night, made a vital goal-saving interception to deny the waiting Steve Davies who would surely have tapped home from close range.

There wasn't much to separate the teams 30 minutes in but the Buddies finished the half strongly. Obika flashed an effort just wide from 20 yards on 34 minutes before Durmus slammed a shot into the side-netting two minutes later. 

Saints could have been ahead within 15 seconds of the restart when Morias hit the post. Accies had taken kick-off but St Mirren had won the ball almost immediately with MacPherson sending a long ball down the middle that Morias ran on to. The forward brought it down on his chest as he made his way into the box, but flicked onto the post. 

Saints hit the woodwork once again just a few minutes later when MacPherson's free-kick from the left cracked off the Hamilton crossbar. 

That only delayed the inevitable with Saints breaking the deadlock 60 seconds later through that man MacPherson. Accies defender Scott McMann could only head a Magennis ball into the box as far as the edge of the area where MacPherson ran onto it and smashed low into the bottom corner to the delight of the more than 800 away crowd behind the goal.

The Buddies could have added a second just before the hour mark but for goalkeeper Southwood. Morias' cut-back was missed by MacPherson but fell kindly to Durmus in space inside the box, but the Hamilton keeper did well to block the Turkish winger's effort with his feet. 

Jim Goodwin made his first change on 66 minutes when Cody Cooke made his return to action following a long lay-off with injury as he replaced Kyle McAllister. And the English forward almost netted just a few minutes after his introduction. Cooke picked the ball up deep in the Accies half and drove toward goal. He had Obika in space to his right but elected to go alone and forced a good save from Southwood with a rasper from 20 yards. 

With 13 minutes remaining Obika looked to send Cooke clear on goal and the striker would have been one-on-one had he not been fouled by Accies defender Alex Gogic. Referee Don Robertson showed no hesitation in brandishing a red card to Gogic for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. 

10-man Hamilton looked to put pressure on Saints in the closing stages but could only muster a David Moyo header that was fairly routine for Hladky. 

That summed up what was a comfortable day for the Buddies who more than deserved their first win on the road this season.

Full-Time: Hamilton 0-1 St Mirren

St Mirren: Hladky, Flynn, P.McGinn (Andreu 82), McLoughlin, Waters, K.McAllister (Cooke 66), Magennis (S.McGinn 75), MacPherson, Durmus, Morias, Obika
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Henderson, Djorkaeff, Mullen

Hamilton: Southwood, McGowan, Gogic, Stubbs, Easton, Smith, McMann, Hunt (Martin 56), Miller, Davies (Moyo 61), Ogkmpoe (Oakley 56)
Subs Not Used: Fon Williams, Collar, Beck, Hamilton

Referee: Don Robertson
Assistant Referee: David Doig
Assistant Referee: Paul O'Neill
Fourth Official: Kevin Graham

Attendance: 1,962 (839 St Mirren fans)

Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography