pondsman

Disappointing result, considering that we were in control for most of the game, despite playing several second string players. Our penalty was a bit of a puzzler. Couldn't see any reason for it. I agree that Stelios wasn't great last night. He does have a tendency to throw in performances like that. Remember the cup-tie against Aberdeen? Last night might have convinced JR that he is dispensable. Also thought that Ian McShane didn't have a great game, which disappoints me because I thought he did well in the early part of the season, before Ryan Flynn came in. Mark Hill getting some criticism from others but I thought he did OK. Has a decent turn of speed for a hefty guy. However I doubt if he'll be there next season. Will surely return to Celtic. Good to hear JR confirm in the post-match interview that first-team players will be back in against Morton. We need to give a champions' performance on Saturday and put the Greenock team firmly in its place.

We started this season with a 3-1 home win over the Bairns. Would be nice to bookend it (almost) with another home win against them, so I'll go for a 3-1 score. Would like to see players like Reilly, Stelios and Baird, all stalwarts from the early part of the season, given another chance to show what they can do. They haven't played all that much in recent games, so should be well-rested and raring to prove that they can be part of the Premiership squad........provided of course that they've recovered from the antics in the Bankhouse on Saturday night! COYS!!

Please read my post more carefully, Shull. I clearly said that I would NOT defend Danny if he has been diving.

Shull is clearly at the wind-up. Danny is one of the hardest-working players in our squad. I've seen most of the games he's played for us. He is a constant threat to opposing defences and never gives less than 100% in my opinion. In the process he often gets some rough treatment from defenders. I don't condone diving, but I have not seen Danny dive. If others have seen him diving, then I would not defend him. On Saturday in particular, I thought Danny, and other St. Mirren players, deserved better protection from the referee. The Livi players seemed to get away with some pretty fierce tackles which I think other refs would have penalised.

Not a great game by any means, but perhaps not as bad as we might think. We were in control throughout and, if Morgan's first-half shot had gone in as it deserved to, we might have been judging the game quite differently. Thought Gary Mackenzie was excellent. Seemed to get every high ball the Livi players threw towards our box. Winning cups is great, but they are one-offs. There is nothing as satisfying as the excitement and enjoyment of seeing the team play to a very high standard throughout a whole season. Congratulations and huge thanks to JR, JF and the players for their efforts in keeping us up last season and giving us such a fantastic time this season. It will live long in the memory. Another excellent post-match summary by JR, though he couldn't keep the smile off his face this time, and good to put a face to the voice behind the microphone. Well done, Jimbo! Looking forward to a summer of speculation about JR's future (he WILL stay, won't he?) and seeing which players he will bring in for our Premiership campaign. COYS!!

I wasn't able to be at the game last night, so credit to everyone who was there for the support they gave to the team. I'm sure the lads really appreciate it when they must have been feeling anxious. Remember that most of them are young lads who probably haven't been in this position before. I think it was clear in JR's post-match interview that he understands that and is nursing them through this tricky spell until we get over the line. As for the game, sounds like it was similar to the game I saw at Brechin on Saturday. Plenty of effort and possession from the team, but no end result this time. We got away with it on Saturday, but United was a harder nut to crack. From a personal point of view, I'm not too disappointed about last night's result as it means I'll be able to see us get the winning point(s) on Saturday against our closest rivals. Every time we've lost this season, we've bounced back immediately. At home, with a big crowd willing them on,I'm confident the team will do us proud and finish the job. COYS!!

So many to choose from. When was the last time we could say that? Because of the team involvement, it has to be Cammy's goal against the Pars. But also mentions for Eckersley's goal against Dundee United and Liam Smith's piledriver against Queen of the South. But difficult to disagree with any of the others. What a season! Also agree that they could have waited a while for this competition. Given the season the team has had, who knows how many more great goals they might score in the last few games. Looking forward to getting over the line at Tannadice tonight! COYS!!

Really enjoyed Jack's interview with Peter Martin. As always, JR spoke with honesty and real passion about the job he's doing for the club. However, this will be a very interesting summer for him and for us. Like all successful managers, he will have approaches to go elsewhere and will have to decide whether to cash in while his stock is high or try to progress his career with St. Mirren. The key to that decision will be budget. Will Saints have the money to allow Jack to bring in the players he requires in order to consolidate the club's position in the Premiership? The unknown factor is the club(s) which might try to take Jack away from Paisley. If one of them ticks all the boxes (good chairman, good training and playing facilities AND a budget which will allow the playing squad to be strengthened), then JR will have a very difficult decision to make. Whatever happens, we all just need to be eternally grateful to JR and JF for giving us a season which must rank as one of our best ever, in terms of sustained excitement and satisfaction as Saints fans. As someone else once said: "Fasten your seatbelts, folks. It's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

Inverness away from home. Arguably the most difficult game left in our season. Two goals ahead with 20 minutes left. Seems reasonable to me for the manager to try to shut up shop and see the game out. Unfortunately it didn't work on this occasion, but we came away with a point, which many fans, including me, might have accepted before the game. In his post-match interview JR was honest enough to accept responsibility for trying to close things down. Given our previous good form I think he was entitled to believe that our players could see the match out, so no great blame should be attached to him. There's absolutely no cause for panic or criticism of the players or management. United also drew, so gained no ground. Yes, Livi gained a couple of points but we are still well ahead and have a game against them which is at home, where we have an excellent record in recent times. The last time we stumbled (against Livi), we got back on track immediately with a win against Brechin, and we can do the same again next week, even though it's at their place. So, let's get right behind our club and see them over the finishing line. COYS!!

Excellent highlights from Dumbarton FC. Credit to them for including the interview with JR as well as the interview with their own manager. I don't have Buddievision, but the quality of these pictures from Dumbarton was far better than I used to see from St. Mirren. Is Buddievision quality now better than what we used to get? If not, I think this is something the club should address for our return to the Premiership. Also, Buddievision seems to offer the full 90 minutes of games, but could the club not make just the goals available to those supporters who don't have Buddievision, perhaps on a delayed basis (e.g. three or four days after the game).

Another fantastic performance by our superb team. Great to see the goals being shared around too. Especially pleased to see Gavin scoring again after a wee dry spell. Morgan's two goals were real class. I was in the West Stand, directly behind his first effort. What a sweet stroke to curl it in! Shows what this lad does for our team. Don't know how we're going to replace him. Dumbarton clearly down and tired after their exertions at the weekend, but the mark of champions is to be relentless, as JR said in his post-match interview. This result just confirms to the other teams in the league that we are not going to falter in the run-in. Could have the title wrapped up by the time we go to Brechin. Can hardly believe where we are considering where we were at the end of last season. Just deliriously happy for the team, the management and all Saints fans! COYS!!

Div, thanks for the clarification. Had no idea that Buddievision and St. Mirren TV were separate ventures. I do still think that production values need to be considered. Clearly. some clubs are ahead of us in that department.

Glad to see that my mention of Buddievision has started a serious conversation about this aspect of the club. Now that it's been going for almost a season, this may be the right time to review the venture. My reason for not subscribing was that it came along just as I had already paid out for my ST and I couldn't justify another £50 just at that time. I think Div's idea of marketing it along with the STs is a good one. Just as you get money off the price of games by buying a ST, surely it would be possible to offer a Buddievision subscription at a reduced cost (say £35) when bought with a ST. Production values may be a consideration if they haven't improved since the time when the UWS coverage was available to all. I don't want to put the lads from UWS down, but there have definitely been some better quality highlights packages from other clubs this season, Saturday's QoS game being a case in point. All that apart, I'm now considering buying a month's subscription for the upcoming final few matches of the season which will surely include all the celebrations when we finally get over that line. That will be worth £4.99 of anyone's money! COYS!!

Thanks to St. Lucifer and EAB for posting the highlights for those of us who can't afford Buddievision. Excellent coverage from QoS TV, especially the shots from behind the goals. Also thought it was very fair of them to show our fans and team celebrating at the end of the game. Definitely a step up from the UWS efforts I remember from the Paisley 2021 stadium in the days before Buddievision, but maybe things have improved since the club has started the pay-to-view arrangement. Wasn't able to get to the game on Saturday but it looked as if we were in command for much of the game. Also showed how much Lewis Morgan does for us, creating two of our three goals and scoring the other one. To be fair, the Queens goal was also very well worked and finished. Another three points and another game ticked off Jack's list towards the point where we can no longer be overtaken. Brilliant! COYS!!

Was not aware of Jack having a go at a supporter on Saturday, but from where I sit in the West Stand, I was definitely disappointed by how quickly some others turned on our players because they were having a bad day. We should remember what these lads (and the management team) have done for the club in the last year and get right behind them. Surely, when they are not playing to their usual high standard, that's when they need our encouragement most. COYS!!

This is spot on. Poor performance yesterday but some supporters seem to have short memories. I was very disappointed with the abuse given to some players, especially Liam Smith, who were having a bad game. The clue is in the word 'supporters'. We're supposed to be there to back the team and they need that backing more than ever when things aren't going well. The players will need us to be as positive as possible in the coming weeks to help them get over the line. By all means come on to the forum after a game and analyse it to death, but during the 90 minutes let's get right behind our team, however they are playing. Remember what these lads have achieved in the last 12 months! COYS!!

I kind of agree with Ricky on this. We have only won our previous two games against Brechin by the odd goal in three (and we got a dodgy penalty in one of them). Looking at Brechin's other league games, it's a similar pattern. They have lost quite a few games by just the odd goal. They may have no wins to their credit, but they appear to be a tough team to break down. Nevertheless, as I said on another thread, if we had been allowed to pick our next opponents after Saturday's defeat, we couldn't have done much better. But let's not count our chickens. We need to approach this game as if it were against our nearest rivals and not the team at the bottom of the league. I still feel that the Barnsley business had a part to play in Saturday's defeat, so I trust in Jack to get the players' heads back in the right place for this week. With Livi and United playing each other on Friday night, it's the best opportunity we could ask for to put more pressure on both of them. Let's get those three points! COYS!!

Difficult day, made worse by the fact that three of the Livi goals went in right in front of most of the Buddies fans, so we could see the inability of our defence to clear its lines very clearly. For once, Chick Young got it right...we were outmuscled. They were bigger and stronger than we were, hence why I and others have been asking for a strong tackler in midfield to break up attacks. Also, I thought Jack Baird and Harry Davis had a shaky day, unusual for them. Last time we were at Livingston we had a man sent off and still won well, so David Hopkin has clearly brought in the right players in January, to improve his team just in time for the run-in. Unfortunately we don't seem to have done the same. We are playing with largely the same team as before. I feel sorry for Mullen who puts in great shifts but hasn't really clicked, Flynn seems to be settling in reasonably well, still too early to judge Hill and Hippolyte. Apart from all that the events of the week must have had an effect on the players. Remember that a fair number of the team is young players brought to the club by JR. They must have been worried by the hoo-hah. When it happened with Dundee in the summer, they weren't playing games. This time they were unsure of what was happening less than 48 hours before playing their nearest rivals in the league. Also, I noticed that Jack was not asked any questions about the Barnsley business in his post-match interview. Clearly the issue was likely to have a bearing on the game, but it wasn't mentioned. Looked as if it had been agreed beforehand that it wouldn't feature. Despite all of the above, we remain 11 points clear of Livi, so it's not time to panic yet. If we had been given the chance to pick our next opponent, we couldn't have done better. A draw between Livi and United on Friday night and three points against Brechin on Saturday will steady the ship. Also, Jack has a week to settle the nerves in the players, so......COYS!! PS. I also prefer my Bovril with pepper!

Great result last night. Wasn't plain sailing by any means. Scored one magnificent goal and one good one but we were under pressure for parts of the game. Great to see us stand firm. Particular credit to Stephen McGinn and Jack Baird but, really, the whole team did so well. Credit to the drum and choir. They created a fantastic atmosphere for the travelling fans. Up to a point I can understand the disagreements on here about Jack Baird. He might have given away an early penalty last night before coming on to an excellent game. From where I was sitting, looked like he was caught out by McManus who got in front of him and he then wrapped his arms around him. However, my view of the lad is that the positives far outweigh the negatives. Perhaps a little mention for Harry Davis. Seems to me that Jack has settled very well since being partnered with him. United must be really worried now. I'm sure they realise just how difficult it will be to get promoted via the playoffs. They really need to win the league to go up and it doesn't look like they're going to do it. Unusual thing for a Buddy to say but, at Tannadice today.....Come on the 'Ton!

A warm welcome to Mark. Looks like he is the tough-tackling midfielder a number of us have been asking for. As others have said, I think he will play in games where the team needs someone to break up play and win the ball back. There haven't been too many games like that yet this season, but there may be more as we get to the business end of the season. And we will definitely need a player like this when we get back to the Premiership.

It's fine for everyone to speculate and give their views about our players, but I'm happy to leave the vital work of bolstering the team this month to JR and JF. As has been said, they did a fine job last January, so let's trust them to repeat that. As for players, I've said several times previously that I think we need a tough tackler in midfield to help protect our defence. That would be a priority for me. Rory Loy v john Sutton? I'd let Sutton see out his contract and continue to use him as a sub. His height and build mean that he carries a good goal threat and he complements well our smaller forwards. As far as I can see, he always gives his best when he plays. Loy scored an important goal for us at the end of last season, but seems to have disappeared from the Falkirk line-up. If he came back, I'm sure it would take him some time to find his form again, so I don't think it's worth bringing him back. Quick word for Liam Smith. Young talented player who always works hard for the team without getting too many mentions on here. I see him up close from where I sit and he gets through a power of work each game in both defence and attack. Not a showy player, but always puts in a very steady performance. I really hope we can keep him until the summer at least.

Saw Quitongo for the first time yesterday. Ended up wondering what the hype was about. Apart from a quick turn of pace, he didn't seem to offer anything. Don't think he's a player for us. I do agree with some others about JR missing a trick with subs yesterday. It was clear for a while before Morton scored that they were coming right into the game. That might have been the time to put on Gary Mackenzie to give the defence fresh legs. Only 2 points from 9 in the derby games this season, but I still trust in JR, when he says that we will win some, lose some. We move on and I'm sure he will have some new faces for us this month. I really hope that one of them is a strong tackler in midfield. I like Ian McShane and think he does try, but, as has been said on here, he goes missing too often in some games. Saturday will be another tough test against ICT, a team which has come on to a bit of form lately. So.....COYS!!

Also disappointed that Reilly is not fit to start, but heavy conditions might suit Mullen. He put in a power of running against United, so if he plays like that again, should be OK.

Chris Sutton, in his usual over the top sensationalist manner, said on TV that Magennis was 'lucky to stay on the pitch'. How he's a pundit I'll never know. From seeing it close up in the ground and watching it later on the TV, I thought it might have been a yellow card for leaving his foot in, but never a red. There was no malice in the tackle, despite the fact it was perpetrated on McMullan, that wee useless craitur who spent some time with us and did the sum total of absolutely nothing. As one of the people who've been crying out for some strength in midfield, I wouldn't be averse to trying Kyle in there. He certainly seems to have the heart for it.

Great result last night! Was at the game, recorded the BT coverage and have just watched it. Glad to see the pundits finally giving Saints some credit. For the last few months we've been nip and tuck with United at the top of the league but have hardly had a mention in the media. It's all been about United, understandably I suppose, as they are the 'premiership club' and are 'destined to return to the top league'. After last night at least we'll be taken seriously. I'm not a McCoist fan, but he was very positive about our second half performance and even Chris Sutton (Mr. Negative) had to agree that we were the better team overall. Don't like to see players get serious injuries, but United were lost after Flood's injury. Shows just how much influence he has on the team....despite being a wee moaner. As for us, Baird and Davis were magnificent throughout and ensured United hardly got a sniff of goal. McGinn and McShane worked hard in front of them without reaching their usual great heights. Similarly, Smith and Mullen up front did some great running. Morgan was just sublime. Stepped up in the absence of Reilly, who was definitely missed. On to the derby. Let's pay them back for the 2-2 draw in Paisley. COYS!!