St Mirren Colts travel to Rugby Park on Tuesday night to face Kilmarnock Colts in the first round of the IRN-BRU Cup.

The match will be pay-at-the-gate.

Kilmarnock Colts vs St Mirren Colts
IRN-BRU Cup
Venue: Rugby Park, Kilmarnock
Date: Tuesday 15th August 2018
Kick-off: 7:00pm

Gate Prices

Adult - £10
Concessions- £5

Alan Stubbs reflects on this afternoon's 2-0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox.

St Mirren suffered just their first loss of the season as The Buddies fell to a 2-0 defeat at Ibrox this afternoon.

Alfredo Morelos and Connor Goldson had the hosts in front before Ross McCrorie was sent off on the half hour mark. Danny Mullen and Cammy Smith both went close for Saints but couldn’t force the goal that would have put Rangers under pressure.

Alan Stubbs made one change from the side that defeated Dundee last week on the opening day with new recruit Nicolai Brock-Madsen coming in in place of the departed Ross Stewart.

The home side had the first chance of the game when Alfredo Morelos brought the ball down on his chest and lashed an effort into the side-netting. Saints responded with Smith dragging an effort wide two minutes later.

Morelos, who was cleared to play this afternoon after Gers successfully appealed his red card from last weekend, was the danger man for the home side and Buddies goalkeeper Craig Samson had to be alert to a Ryan Kent effort after Colombian forward Morelos had slipped in the on-loan winger.

It was indeed Morelos who would open the scoring for Gers on 14 minutes. Saints were caught in possession defensively when Jack Baird lost the ball. Jamie Murphy funnelled the ball to Morelos who took a touch before slamming beyond Samson.

Rangers doubled their advantage 10 minutes later when Connor Goldson headed home from a free kick. Kyle Magennis tripped Kent deep in the Saints half. Gers debutant Borna Barisic floated the ball into the box to meet the head of Goldson who nodded past Samson.

The Buddies could have found themselves a way back into the match had Brock-Madsen not been wiped out by Ross McCrorie as he beared down on goal.

The Dane latched on to a lovely through ball from Stephen McGinn but as he moved one-on-one with Allan McGregor he was scythed down on the edge of the box by midfielder McCrorie who was shown a straight red by referee Don Robertson. Hayden Coulson stepped up to take the resultant free kick on the edge of the box but it cannoned off the wall before going out for a corner.

Despite being down to 10 men, Rangers almost grabbed a third on 37 minutes when Goldson again was the highest at a corner but he headed off the post before Saints cleared.

As the game ebbed towards half-time Saints had their best opportunity of the game after nice footwork from Mullen saw the striker shift the ball onto his right foot and crack an effort off the cross bar.

There weren’t too many attempts for either side after the interval with St Mirren searching for a way back into the match.

Mullen had a go from distance after the hour mark which McGregor took two attempts to gather.

With 10 minutes remaining Cammy Smith went close twice in the space of a minute. The first saw his shot take a deflection and loop over the head of McGregor going just by the far post. From the corner the ball eventually found its way to Smith on the edge of the box with the forward volleying not too far over.

In the end Saints couldn’t find the goal that would have given them the chance to make life difficult for Rangers and all attention now turns to next Saturday’s match against Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup.

FULL TIME: Rangers 2-0 St Mirren

St Mirren: Samson, P.McGinn, Baird, Kpekawa, Coulson, Willock (McShane 75), S.McGinn, Magennis, Smith, Mullen, Brock-Madsen (Flynn 69)
Subs Not Used: Rogers, Heaton, MacPherson, King, Cooke

Rangers: McGregor, Flanagan, Goldson, Katic, Barisic (Tavernier 62), Coulibaly, McCrorie, Kent (Halliday 69), Murphy, Ejaria, Morelos (Sadiq 77)
Subs Not Used: Foderingham, Hodson, Middleton, Candieas

Referee: Don Robertson
Assistant Referee: Sean Carr
Assistant Referee: Drew Kirkland
Fourth Official: Euan Anderson

Attendance: 49,680

Match Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography and John Millar - Millar Pictures

It's the first Premiership away day of the season for St Mirren as we travel to Ibrox on Sunday to take on Rangers.

FORM

After qualifying from Betfred Cup Group H with three draws and a win, The Buddies got the Premiership season off to a perfect start with a 2-1 win over Dundee at the Simple Digital Arena last Saturday. The Championship flag was raised before kick-off and all three points were earned when Danny Mullen grabbed a double on his Premiership debut either side of half-time. 

Rangers kicked off their Premiership season with a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Steven Gerrard's side were reduced to ten men when Alfredo Morelos was red carded for a kick-out at Dons defender Scott McKenna. But a James Tavernier penalty on 30 minutes put the Gers ahead. Aberdeen grabbed an equaliser in the dying embers of the match through teenager Bruce Anderson to gain a point. 

The Light Blues were in Europa League action last night as they defeated Slovenian side Maribor 3-1 at Ibrox.

PREVIOUS

St Mirren last faced Rangers in the Championship back in the 2015/16 season as the Ibrox side went on to secure promotion to the Premiership. Saints' opening league match of that season came at Ibrox with then Rangers manager Mark Warburton taking charge of the Gers for the first time.

The Buddies impressed on the night despite eventually falling to a 3-1 defeat. Cameron Howieson netted just before the half hour mark after Rangers had raced into a 2-0 lead. The night could have turned out differently for Saints had Steven Thompson netted from the penalty spot in the second half. 

The last meeting between the two came on the final day of the 2015/16 season with Lewis Morgan scoring his first ever St Mirren goal in the 90th minute to gain Saints a point in a 2-2 draw.  

SQUAD NEWS

Nikolai Brock-Madsen completed his loan move to St Mirren this week from English side Birmingham and will go into Alan Stubbs' squad.

Gary MacKenzie, Adam Eckersley and Jordan Kirkpatrick all remain out through injury, while Ross Stewart has completed his move to Ladbrokes Championship side Ross County.

Alfredo Morelos is available for Rangers after they successfully appealed the Colombian's red card from last weekend. 

MANAGER'S THOUGHTS

I'm looking forward to it and the players have to look forward to it as well.

"These are the types of games that make you yearn for promotion. They shouldn't fear it.

"They've got to go there and work harder than Rangers, move the ball really well and capitalise on chances when they come along. If they can do that and put it all together then we'll see what happens. 

"We'll be disciplined, we'll be organised and when we've got the ball I expect us cause problems and to be attacking. But we have to respect that we are not necessarily going to be the team that dominates the football.

"I want the players to perform. They have to perform week-in, week-out - that's what this division demands. Sunday is no different.

"I want the players to enjoy the occasion, sample what a great atmosphere it can be, but not be overawed by it." 

It seems like a lifetime ago since my last update and so many positive and exciting things have happened in that period.

I personally had one of the proudest moments of my life raising the Championship flag on behalf of the St Mirren FC family last Saturday.

I’m sure you enjoyed the match that followed the flag raising as much as I did and it was tremendous to see a big and noisy home support backing the team on our return to the Premiership.

It’s a league we feel we belong in and one we are determined to thrive in.

Here’s an update on a few things!

Managerial Change

I am sure everybody will join me in wishing Jack Ross and James Fowler every success at Sunderland. We tried everything in our power to get them to stay but it wasn’t to be.

Success on the pitch brings its own set of challenges, such as attention from other clubs be it for players or management/coaching stuff. Whilst it’s always hard to see talented people move on it is however very much part and parcel of the game.

Jack and James were a massive part of what we achieved over the last 2 years and we wish them well in the future.

Alan Stubbs comes to us with an excellent pedigree and I have no doubt he is the man to build on that success and take the club forward. I have always said that I want to enjoy my football and while the season so far has already had its highs and lows it has been far from dull!

We have been working very hard on recruitment and there will be more new faces arriving to bolster the squad before the transfer window closes at the end of August. 

It goes without saying that the Premiership is a fiercely competitive league and every single game is very difficult to win. We will need to be patient at times and stick together just like we did during the darkest times in the Championship. Your support will be vital.

Let’s get right behind Alan and the boys!

Synthetic pitch at Ralston. 

We had hoped to have the new synthetic pitch laid at the Academy by now but we felt it was important to do due diligence on all the potential surfaces prior to making a decision.

This included sending our Head of Academy, Allan McManus, on a tour of Holland to view the most up to date pitches available. The order has now been placed and we anticipate the work being completed by the end of October. We will then have one of the best synthetic surfaces in the country which can only benefit the continued development of new talent. 

A big thank you to SMiSA members and the Scottish football partnership for helping us to make this project happen at an elite level.

Academy

With some clubs deciding to close their academies I think we need to look at the massive influence our own set-up has had in our progress over the last 2 seasons and going forward.

Kyle Magennis & Jack Baird have been first team regulars and the money received from the sale of Kyle McAllister, Jason Naismith, Stevie Mallan, Lewis Morgan and John McGinn has gone a long way towards putting this club back where it belongs both on and off the park.

There are numerous others coming through the system now which will stand the club in good stead in years to come. The Academy is, and will continue to be, a top priority for the football club and one we will continue to invest in.

Infrastructure

The stadium will be 10 years old in January and behind the scenes it is beginning to show its age. Here’s a few things we are working on;

We are looking to investigate bringing the PA system up to a better standard to improve the overall matchday experience.

We are replacing the lighting around the stadium and Academy to LED fittings which will reduce running costs over time.

The heating and ventilation systems are in need of an overhaul. Again, this will pay for itself over time due to reduced running costs.

The CCTV and fire alarm systems are badly in need of updating.

The grass playing surface at both the academy and stadium are looking as good as ever but once again some of the tools used to maintain them are much in need of upgrading and replacement.

We will continue to invest in the infrastructure of the club on an ongoing basis to ensure we have the best possible facilities. 

Ticketing system. 

We are painfully aware of the long running issues we have had with the ticketing platform, particularly with the buying process online.

Interstadia are working on a new version of the platform which will remove the legacy technology that has caused most of the problems and we are assured this will be delivered soon.

As part of the refresh of the platform we installed new card readers at the turnstiles, which unfortunately caused a few issues before the Dundee game.

The original plan was to get the system installed and tested at the Betfred cup games but unfortunately the new readers didn’t arrive in time for that to be put into practice.

We are confident the teething issues have been resolved and trust that there will be no similar entry issues for the next home match against Livingston. Entry via the new readers is exactly the same as before.

The Simple Digital Arena

I would like to personally thank the Simple Group for their sponsorship of the stadium over the next four Years. Everything we do is aimed at bringing more success to the club and having a partner who can help us in the ever-developing digital world as well as contributing financially to help us strengthen the team on the park can only make us stronger. 

Skyview 

Skyview have extended their sponsorship for another season and having a global brand as our main shirt sponsor shows the club in a very positive light. 

Keep tweeting and posting your team jersey pictures online in weird and wonderful places as Skyview see that as valuable worldwide marketing. 

Apart from anything else I think the logo looks great on our jerseys! 

Joma

Last season we had a few teething problems with Joma but this year their fulfilment of orders and quality of product has been exceptional. We also managed to get the strips on sale before the summer holidays!

We look forward to continuing and evolving our partnership with them. 

Season tickets

This year has seen a record number of season tickets sold since we moved to the new stadium. 

Make no mistake that we don’t take your commitment lightly and will do everything in our power to give you an exciting team on the pitch. 

Our aim is to fill our stadium with St Mirren fans and if we can maintain our progress and continue that growth then there is no reason why we can’t eventually limit all away fans to the North stand only.

Thank you all as ever for your continued support.

COYS!!

St Mirren can announce that Ross Stewart has left the club to join Ross County for an undisclosed fee.

The 22 year-old forward signed for Saints from Albion Rovers last summer and went on to make 21 appearances scoring three goals, whilst also spending some time on loan at Jim Goodwin's Alloa.

Everyone at St Mirren would like to thank Ross for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future career.

On Sunday afternoon (12th August) St Mirren head to Glasgow to face Rangers in a Ladbrokes Premiership fixture at Ibrox Stadium.

The info on Travel Clubs heading to Ibrox Stadium is as follows:

North End Travel Club

The North End Travel Club bus to Ibrox will leave the Sneddon at 2:00pm.

Bus tickets are available in the Brewer's Tap, £4 each.

Chivas Travel Club

The bus for Ibrox will leave from the Court Bar at 2:00pm.

Non members bus tickets are available from the Court Bar.

Cockles Wilson Supporters Bus

Our bus for the game at Ibrox will leave at 2:00pm.

This bus is now sold out.

Tile Bar Supporters Bus

The bus to the match against Rangers will leave at 2:00pm from Abercorn Street.

Non members tickets are now on sale from the Tile Bar.

* Over 65, 6-17 year-olds (Must provide valid proof of status)

** Anyone requiring a wheelchair and carer ticket must contact the Ticket Office as there are limited wheelchair spaces available.

Wheelchair users should contact the St Mirren Ticket Office for their tickets on (0141) 889-2558.

Please note that there will be no sale of tickets on the day of the match. All tickets must be bought/collected from the St Mirren Ticket Office by no later than 2:00pm today (Friday 10th August).

Additional Information for Travelling Fans

On Sunday (12th August), St Mirren make the short trip along the M8 to Glasgow to face Rangers in a Ladbrokes Premiership match-up at Ibrox Stadium.

The referee on Sunday is Don Robertson and he will be assisted by Sean Carr and Drew Kirkland. Fourth Official will be Euan Anderson.

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Nicolai Brock-Madsen on a six-month loan from Birmingham City.

The forward, who will wear the number nine jersey, joins The Buddies from the English Championship side until January 2019 with an option to extend until the end of the season. 

25 year-old Brock Madsen joined Birmingham from Danish club Randers FC in 2015.

He’s had loan spells at PEC Zwolle and Cracovia during his time with the English Club and has also been capped by Denmark from U18s right up to U23s.

Speaking to stmirren.com, Nicolai said: "I’m happy to be here. I’m looking forward to starting and I’m really excited.

The fans can expect a really hard working player and, of course, I’m here to score goals. I’m a big lad and I feel like I have good pace."

St Mirren manager Alan Stubbs said: "We’re glad that we’ve managed to get it completed. He’s got qualities we feel that can add to what we’ve already got.

He’s a big lad, he’ll hold the ball up and he’s got a good pedigree so from that point of view it’s a good addition to the squad.

"He gives us that physical aspect up top which is important and we are going to need.

"He’ll come into the squad. He’s fit enough, he’s been training with Birmingham so from that point of view we don’t really have any issues."

Tickets for our Betfed Cup match away to Aberdeen are now on-sale from the St Mirren Ticket Office and online.

Aberdeen vs St Mirren
Betfred Cup
Venue: Pittodrie, Aberdeen
Date: Saturday 18th August 2018
Kick-off: 3:00pm

Gate Prices

Adult - £22
Concessions* - £12
Child** - £6

*Over 65, Ambulant disabled, Under 18
**Under 12

There are seven wheelchair and carer tickets available at a cost of £10 for both tickets.

The St Mirren Ticket Office opening hours for the rest of the week are as follows:

Thu, Aug 9th – 10:00am - 2:00pm
Fri, Aug 10th - 10:00am - 2:00pm  
Sat, Aug 11th - CLOSED
Sun, Aug 12th - CLOSED

St Mirren Ticket Office Tel: (0141) 840-6130.

St Mirren Ticket Office E-Mail: tickets@stmirren.com.