St Mirren travel to Easter Road tonight to face Hibernian for the second time this season. 

FORM

It's been a mixed bag for Saints over the last three games with one win, one draw and one defeat. 

After a fine 2-0 win over Hibernian's Edinburgh rivals Hearts a little over a week ago, Saints were beaten 3-1 at home against Hamilton on Saturday.

Those two results came after a 1-1 draw away to bottom side Dundee at Dens Park before the international break. 

St Mirren had a chance to overtake Hamilton Accies in 10th place on Saturday with a win, but Martin Canning's side came away with the points thanks to goals from Dougie Imrie, Ziggy Gordon and James Keatings. Stephen McGinn scored for the Buddies just before half-time, but it wasn't enough to help Saints take anything from the game. 

Hibernian, meanwhile, come into tonight's match looking for their first win since the start of October. 

Since a 6-0 win over Hamilton at Easter Road at the beginning on October, Neil Lennon's side have failed to win in six matches. 

Four defeats have come at the hands of Kilmarnock (3-0), Aberdeen (1-0), St Johnstone (1-0) and Celtic (4-2), while they've drawn twice - away to Hearts (0-0) and at home to Dundee (2-2).

PREVIOUS

This is St Mirren's first trip to Easter Road since that all important day on May 6th 2017. A 1-1 draw saw the Buddies complete a remarkable escape from relegation to League One. 

After sitting nine points adrift at the bottom of the Championship in January, Saints' point at Easter Road that afternoon in May was enough to round off an incredible recovery. Less than a year later the Buddies would be promoted to the Premiership.

The Buddies have already faced Hibernian this season - hosting the Hibees at the Simple Digital Arena in September. 

David Gray's 14th minute header gave the Edinburgh side the points in a 1-0 win. 

Saints' last win over Hibs came in March 2017 when a Stelios Demetriou double gave the Buddies an all important 2-0 win in Paisley.

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN

St Mirren are looking for a first away win of the season. 

Saints will be hoping for three points on a night when bottom side Dundee host Hamilton at Dens Park.

A win for Hibernian could propel Neil Lennon's side back into the top six depending on results for Aberdeen and Livingston. 

TEAM NEWS

Long-term absentee Gary MacKenzie remains out, while the manager told press yesterday that Cody Cooke suffered a knock at the weekend.

Simeon Jackson is suspended following his red card against Hamilton.

St Mirren in the Community is delighted to announce details of its annual festive football programme – Jingle Balls – the perfect stocking filler for all budding young footballers!

The programme will run at the club’s exclusive indoor airdome, at the Simple Digital Arena, on Thursday 27th, Friday 28th December and Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th January. It consists of fun & dynamic warm ups, skill practices, small sided games and tricks & flicks, all under the watchful eye of the club’s community and youth academy coaches.

Girls and boys aged three to five years old can enjoy action packed mornings from 9:00am to 12:00pm (£7.50 per day) and six to 12-year olds can train and play like a pro from 9:00am to 3:00pm (outwith Thursday 27th) (£15.00 per day).

Participants are required to bring with them suitable indoor clothing and footwear (no metal studs or blades), shin guards and goalkeeper gloves (if appropriate) in addition to a light healthy snack and plenty of water/non-fizzy drinks.

Places are limited, and bookings can be made by downloading and completing the application form attached and returning to Community Football Manager, Ross Paterson, at The Simple Digital Arena. Please note that payment must be made in full at the time of booking to confirm places.

For further information about Jingle Balls and St Mirren in the Community, please contact Ross Paterson at ross.paterson@stmirren.com

St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation in conjunction with SPFL Trust and Salvation Army are delighted to announce they will be hosting a 'Festive Friends' event within the Simple Digital Arena on Christmas Day.

Festive Friends is a wonderful community program created to accommodate elderly people, and those in need, who will be isolated and alone on Christmas Day.

The event has been very positively received by other partner organisations within Renfrewshire such as RAMH, Active Communities, Shelter, ROAR, Renfrewshire Foodbank and Star Project who are all keen to nominate men & women they feel will greatly benefit from experiencing the day.

Our good friends at the Salvation Army have kindly offered to partner on the day and provide the wonderful hearty festive meal for all of our special guests and the great team at SPFL Trust have agreed to award funding towards some of the costings.

This very fun-filled Christmas Day will commence at 12noon where all of our senior Buddies will be shown into the 1877 Supporters Club.

We will have live music, games & entertainment, some special legends dropping by to share funny stories and great memories of St Mirren’s history, the provision of a delicious three course Christmas dinner from the Salvation army and a visit from Father Christmas and the elves to provide a small festive gift.

The Salvation Army and all of St Mirren FC Women’s Team have kindly offered to volunteer on the day as we will require helpers in the lounge and more importantly volunteer drivers to ensure the safe pick up and drop home of our Festive Friends.

St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation wish to invite all of the fans, local community, business partners and friends to nominate individuals they wish to attend the event and nominations are now open, simply email gayle.brannigan@stmirren.com to enter.

To add to the magic and ensure the success of the day we will require small Christmas gifts to be donated and also additional funds to be raised. The more funds we raise and the more gifts we receive the more nominations we can accept.

Should you wish to donate a gift please email gayle.brannigan@stmirren.com and to make a Festive Friends financial donation please use our JustGiving page.

Thank you for all of your support.

Tomorrow evening (Wednesday 5th December), St Mirren head along the M8 to Edinburgh to face Hibernian in a Ladbrokes Premiership fixture at Easter Road Stadium.

The info on Travel Clubs heading to Easter Road Stadium for the match is as follows:

Tile Bar Supporters Bus

The bus for Easter Road will leave Abercorn Street at 5:45pm.

Bus tickets are available from the bar.

Chivas Travel Club

The bus for the game against Hibs will leave The Court Bar at 6:00pm

Non members bus tickets are available from the Court Bar.

North End Travel Club

The bus to the Hibs game will leave The Sneddon at 5:45pm.

Bus tickets are available in The Brewer's Tap, £7 each. Bus tickets for the upcoming Livingston game will be on sale on this bus, £5 each.

Cockles Wilson Supporters Bus

No info yet.

If anyone would like a place on the bus then please contact Fraser Burns on the Cockles Wilson Bankhouse St Mirren Supporters Club pages on Facebook and Twitter.

St Mirren make two trips along the M8 in quick succession at the start of next month as we travel to face Hibernian and Livingston in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

Tickets for these matches are now on-sale at the St Mirren Ticket Office and online.  

Hibernian v St Mirren
Ladbrokes Premiership
Venue: Easter Road, Edinburgh
Date: Wednesday 5th December 2018
Kick-off: 7:45pm

Prices

Adults - £23
Over 65s/Registered disabled and full-time students* - £14 
12-17 years old - £14
Under 12s - £12
Wheelchair and carer - Can be purchased at the relevant match price with a carer free

*Students must provide valid ID and disabled persons must be in receipt of the higher rate of DLA or enhanced PIP to receive a free carer

Livingston v St Mirren
Ladbrokes Premiership
Venue: The Tony Macaroni Arena, West Lothian
Date: Saturday 8th December 2018
Kick-off: 3:00pm

Prices

Adults - £24
Over 65s/16-18 years old - £16
Wheelchair and carer - £16
Full time students with valid ID and disabled fans registered on the website - £16
Under 16s - £10

Oran Kearney reflects on a disappointing afternoon for St Mirren.

Saints hopes of moving out of the bottom two this afternoon were ruined by a James Keatings-inspired Hamilton Accies.

The forward claimed two assists in the first half, former Buddie Dougie Imrie heading in a corner before Ziggy Gordon poked home a free-kick. A goal from Saints skipper Stephen McGinn just before the break raised the mood and the positivity continued into the second half only for Keatings to score a tremendous goal on the break. Any hope of a comeback was wiped out soon after when Simeon Jackson was shown a second yellow for his challenge on Gordon.

Saints had gone into the game looking for their second win in a week, manager Oran Kearney sticking with the side that had played so well against Hearts the previous Saturday. And they started brightly too, Jackson releasing Kyle Magennis who shot over from the edge of the box. Keatings then curled a free-kick over before Paul McGinn's effort from Adam Hammill's free-kick was deflected narrowly wide.

It was a set-piece at the other end that provided the opener. Keatings picked out Imrie from a corner and his glancing header looped over everyone – including Ethan Erhahon on the back post – before dropping into the net. It was a huge blow as Accies had barely threatened, however having gone in front they sensed blood and went hunting for a quick second, Keatings and Miller both shooting wide from decent positions.

Saints had shown little since going behind and the manager decided to make a change after little more than half an hour as Ryan Edwards replaced Ian McShane. It seemed to provide some fresh impetus as Paul McGinn headed wide from a great Erhahon cross before Accies went back on the offensive as Imrie saw his close range shot blocked by Danny Rogers' legs.

That set up a dramatic end to the half. First, the visitors doubled their lead when a soft free-kick allowed Keatings to curl the ball into the box and Gordon ghosted in to prod it past Rogers, the Saints players appealing in vein for the offside flag. In response, a frustrated Hammill saw his shot deflected wide before the Buddies got one back. A corner was cleared as far as Erhahon and he played it back into the mix where Stephen McGinn turned it home.

There was a lively start to the second half, a Hammill free-kick causing chaos in the Accies box as Jack Baird nodded it on but Jackson couldn't stab it home. Gordon was then lucky to escape with just a booking as he hauled down the striker as when was about to go through on goal. Hammill's free-kick was blocked by the wall, the ball eventually dropping to Magennis who volleyed wide.

Just as a Saints equaliser looked inevitable, Hamilton hit on the counter. Aaron McGowan was given far too much room on the right and when he found Keatings, the forward had all the time and space he needed to compose himself before curling a tremendous shot past Rogers.

Some neat passing saw Lee Hodson send a shot just wide as the deflated Buddies tried to respond, Hammill being replaced by Cody Cooke. Injury then ended Keatings' tremendous display prematurely, Steven Boyd replacing him at the same time as Danny Mullen came on for Paul McGinn. It took the tally of Saints strikers on the field up to three but that situation didn't last long, Jackson picking up a second booking for a foul on Gordon. There was no debate over that caution but his first yellow card for a challenge on the same player at the start of the second half had been somewhat harsh.

Cooke teed Mullen up for a chance that he volleyed wide before the former had a great chance to set up an exciting final 15 minutes, unable to turn the ball home after it had been fired across goal by Stephen McGinn. Mullen went even closer when he thundered a volley off the corner of the goal after great play by Magennis to tee him up, which proved to be as close as Saints would get to finding a way back into the game.

Full Time: St Mirren 1-3 Hamilton

St Mirren: Rogers, P.McGinn (Mullen 66) Baird, Jones, Erhahon, Hodson, S.McGinn (c), Magennis, McShane (Edwards 34), Hammill (Cooke 58), Jackson
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Ferdinand, MacPherson, Edwards, Smith, Mullen, Cooke 

Hamilton: Mucha, McGowan, McMann, Gordon (Tshiembe 79), Kilgallon, MacKinnon, Martin, Imrie, Keatings (Boyd 65), Miller, Brustad (Bingham 72)
Subs Not Used: Woods, Sowah, Taiwo, Bloomfield

Referee: Kevin Clancy 
Assistant Referee: Sean Carr
Assistant Referee: Stuart Stevenson
Fourth Official: David Munro

Attendance: 4,334

St Mirren play host to Hamilton Academical tomorrow in the Ladbrokes Premiership and aim to add another three points following a win over Hearts last weekend.

FORM

Oran Kearney's Buddies come into tomorrow's match on the back of a well deserved 2-0 win over Hearts at the Simple Digital Arena last weekend.

A second-half double from Adam Hammill was enough to earn Saints a first win since the opening day of the season and keep Saints in 11th place with eight points.

Hamilton visit Paisley on the back of two heavy defeats - at home to Celtic and away to St Johnstone.

Accies hosted Celtic at the Hope CBD Stadium last Saturday in an early kick-off. The league leaders had too much for Martin Canning's side as they ran out 3-0 winners. That loss came after a 4-0 defeat against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park before the international break.

Hamilton have picked up a win this month having defeated Livingston 1-0 at the Hope CBD at the start of November. Despite Mickel Miller's late sending off, Mason Bloomfield grabbed an 86th minute winner to earn three points against Gary Holt's Livi side. 

PREVIOUS

Saints host Accies looking to make amends for a heavy defeat suffered at the Hope CBD Stadium in September.

Hamilton were too strong for the Buddies that afternoon as a goal from Fredrik Brustad and a Mickel Miller double gave Accies a 3-0 win.

St Mirren did, however, defeat Accies 1-0 on their last visit to Paisley back in 2015. Steven Thompson's second half goal gave Saints the points. 

While Saints have won three of the last six at home against Hamilton, Accies did manage to come away from Paisley with a win in the 2014/15 season - Ali Crawford's double giving them a 2-0 win in August 2014. 

The Lanarkshire side have come out on top in the previous three meetings between the two - all at Hamilton.

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN

St Mirren's win over Hearts last week saw the Buddies cut the gap on Hamilton to two points.

A win for Saints would see them leapfrog Accies and move into 10th place. With Dundee not in action this weekend victory would move St Mirren six points clear of the bottom. 

Accies, meanwhile, could move five clear of the Buddies if they can take three points in Paisley. Depending on Motherwell's result at away to Livingston, Accies could potentially close the gap on their Lanarkshire rivals to a just a point with a win. 

TEAM NEWS

Long-term absentee Gary MacKenzie remains out, while the manager told press yesterday that Ryan Flynn has suffered a broken finger. 

Anton Ferdinand missed last weekend's match against Hearts but returned to training this week.

Please note that football centres at Gryffe High School are off on Friday 30th November, due to an event taking place with in the facility.

Sessions will resume on the week beginning Monday 3rd December.

St Mirren in the Community apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Our match day programme, published in partnership with Curtis Sport, will be available from the Club Shop ahead of Saturday’s game.

This issue, for the Ladbrokes Premiership fixture against Hamilton Academical, is a 52 pager with a £3 cover price.

This latest edition includes the following:

Front Cover – Ian McShane.
The Gaffer - Oran Kearney looks back at the recent match against Hearts and looks ahead to the match against Accies.
Last Time Out – A look back at the recent home Premiership match against Hearts.
The Opposition – Brian Corry runs the rule over Martin Canning's Hamilton side.
Matchday Announcements - Bulletin Board of info, dates and events in the world of St Mirren.
St Mirren Greats – David Cochran looks back on the St Mirren career of Tom Jackson, only Saints player to captain Scotland.
Matchday Gallery - Pictures from the post match presentations in the corporate suite after the recent home match against Hearts.
Action Shot & Q&A (Centre Pages) – Midfielder Jordan Kirkpatrick. Jordan also gives answers to our quick-fire questionnaire.
Player Kit Sponsors 2018/19 – Check in to see who is sponsoring your favourite player's shirt for the season.
Fans Corner - Ticket prices, travel clubs update, match info and dates for fans to keep in their diary - and Fan's Music Pick!
Premiership Round-Up - A rundown on week 14 of the Ladbrokes Premiership season.
Street Stuff - News on Street Stuff's involvement in the GoFitba project.
Paisley Panda's Fun Corner – Some puzzles to keep the youngsters entertained during the half-time break.
Last Time Here – A pictorial flashback to Accies' last visit to Paisley on 28th February 2015.
Marketing Matters – Campbell Kennedy updates on the latest events and happenings at the club's Commercial Department.
Saints Latest Signing - Meet Trevor Mills from Burger & Keg.
St Mirren Fixtures & Results 2018/19 – A handy reference page of all the fixtures and results for this season.
Team Lines – The two squads and match officials for Saturday’s match.

To buy this issue or to place your programme subscription for the 2018/19 season click HERE.