Oran Kearney gives his reaction to today's dramatic 3-2 win over Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Cup.
Saints found themselves 2-0 behind and down to ten men before an incredible last 20 minutes where goals from Cody Cooke, Ethan Erhahon and a returning Kyle McAllister saw the Buddies book their place in the Fifth Round.
A dramatic 20 minute spell saw Saints produce a dramatic fightback to knock Alloa out of the Scottish Cup.
It looked as if Buddies legend Jim Goodwin would come back to haunt his old club as his current side charged into a 2-0 goal lead at the Break, Alan Trouten and Kevin Cawley scoring either side of new boy Brad Lyons being dismissed for simulation.
And there was little sign of a Saints comeback until midway through the second half, Simeon Jackson's shot proving too hot for keeper Neil Parry and the alert Cody Cooke pounced to force the loose ball home.
Five minutes from the end the Buddies drew level as Kyle McAllister and Stephen McGinn combined to set Ethan Erhahon up for the equaliser. Before anyone could start thinking of a replay McAllister struck again, the winger curling a tremendous shot past Parry to break the part-time side's hearts.
The on-loan Derby man would have to for his return to action as he started on the bench along with fellow loanee Jordan Holmes. Lyons was in from the start as were fellow new signings Vaclav Hladky, Mihai Popescu and Greg Tansey joining him in the team. A gentleman's agreement meant former Buddies skipper Jim Goodwin was unable to include ex Saint Jordan Kirkpatrick in his Alloa team but there was a start in midfield for Jon Robertson.
Hladky was tested early on when he turned Connor Shields' effort round the post. Stephen McGinn and Jackson both dragged shots wide as Saints began to threaten, Lyons unlucky to see his header hit the bar from Tansey's corner. Hladky was in action again as he did well to palm away Cawley's drive. The visitors went close again moments later as Shields' cross made it through to Trouten at the back post and when he failed to connect properly, Jack Baird tried to clear it – the ball hitting off of Dario Zanatta before bouncing inches past the post.
It was end-to-end stuff, Tansey's shot from Jackson's cutback being deflected behind and Baird's header from Stephen McGinn's cross being beaten away by keeper Parry. Alloa went back on the attack and silenced the home crowd when they took the lead, Liam Dick finding Trouten with a great pass and he side-footed into the bottom corner.
If that was bad, things were about to get a lot worse for the Buddies. Lyons had already been booked for a foul on Andy Graham and when he went down under a challenge from the defender, ref Don Robertson felt the on-loan Blackburn man had dived and showed him a second yellow. It seemed somewhat harsh and Saints found themselves with a huge mountain to climb. Alloa looked to take advantage of their numerical advantage immediately, Robertson's 20-yarder being straight at Hladky. A few minutes later Cawley did rather better, the ball breaking to him at the edge of the box and he thundered it into the top corner, Saints' new goalie having absolutely no chance.
The playing numbers could have been levelled up when Zanatta escaped with just a booking for an elbow on Baird, Saints boss Oran Kearney then deciding enough was enough as he replaced Ryan Flynn with Cooke in a bid to turn the tide. The Wasps were still looking for a third before the break as Cawley headed over from Steven Hetherington's free-kick.
The early signs of the second half weren't particularly encouraging for the hosts, Shields blazing over from a decent position. McAllister was handed his second debut at the expense of Tansey. It initially made little difference, although a frustrated Popescu did hit a shot a few yards wide, the defender then doing well to snuff out danger from Zanatta at the other end.
Saints had barely threatened but with a quarter of the game left they were handed had a lifeline. Jackson tried his luck from range and when Parry failed to hold his shot, the alert Cooke nipped in to tuck the ball away and bag his first Buddies goal.
Suddenly there seemed some belief that Saints could dig themselves out of their rather large hole, although in pushing for an equaliser they left themselves somewhat exposed on the break. Zanatta had a great chance to restore Alloa's two goal lead as he wrong-footed Baird before rattling the post, the defender perhaps wary of putting in a tackle and risking being shown a second yellow.
There had been little for the home fans to get excited about after Cooke's goal but that was about to change in a dramatic final few minutes. McAllister was able to slide a pass through for Stephen McGinn and he squared the ball across goal for Ethan Erhahon to thump high into the roof of the net for both the equaliser and his first senior goal.
A replay now loomed but Saints – and in particular their skipper and McAllister – weren't finished yet, the delights of a midweek trip to Clackmannanshire clearly not that appealing. The celebrations for the equaliser had barely stopped before the Buddies support were on their feet again as McAllister passed to McGinn, who returned the ball with a perfect backheel and the winger barely broke stride as he curled a wonderful shot beyond the despairing grasp of Parry to complete an incredible turnaround.
There was still a few minutes to see out but the Buddies needn't have worried. Alloa were broken – if not physically then at least mentally – and there was little danger of them bagging an equaliser. It was harsh on the Championship side but all Saints will care about is being in the fifth round draw.
Full Time: St Mirren 3-2 Alloa Athletic
St Mirren: Hladky, P.McGinn, Baird, Popescu, Erhahon, Hodson, S.McGinn, Tansey (McAllister 56), Flynn (Cooke 38), Lyons, Jackson
Subs Not Used: Holmes, Ferdinand, MacPherson
Alloa: Parry, Taggart, Dick, Roscoe, Graham, Hetherington, Cawley, Robertson, Trouten (Brown 71), Zanatta, Shields (Aitchison 83)
Subs Not Used: Henry, Aloulou, Karadachki, Peggie
Referee: Don Robertson
Assistant Referee: David Roome
Assistant Referee: Michael Banks
Attendance: 2,760
Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography
St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce that Anton Ferdinand has signed a contract extension until the end of the season.
The experienced defender joined the Buddies on a short-term deal in September 2018 and went on to make 14 appearances.
Oran Kearney said: "It’s taken a bit of time, but we’ve had respect for Anton and he has been respectful for us as well.
"His presence about the place has been brilliant both on and off the pitch.
"It’s a big boost for everybody to have him stay on-board."
St Mirren Football Club is pleased to announce the loan signing of Jordan Holmes from English Premier League side AFC Bournemouth until the end of the season.
The 21 year-old Australian goalkeeper joined the Cherries back in 2013 and signed a new deal at the end of the 2017/18 season.
During his time in England, Jordan has had spells on loan at Weymouth and Eastbourne Borough.
St Mirren manager Oran Kearney said: "It’s all happened quite quickly.
"Obviously Danny Rogers was out for a period of time earlier in the season with a knee injury and he has hurt the knee again. There’s been a scan there and it looks like he might be out again for another period of time.
"With that it opens the door for Jordan. He is someone we know through sources in the game and has a good pedigree. He was keen to come up and is looking to forge a good career in the game for himself."
St Mirren Football Club is delighted to announce the signing of Kyle McAllister on loan from Derby County until the end of the season subject to international clearance.
Kyle returns to the club having come through the ranks at the St Mirren Youth Academy.
Kyle made 18 first team appearances for the Buddies during the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons before joining English Championship side Derby County in January 2017 for an undisclosed fee.
The winger, who could make his second Saints debut tomorrow against Alloa, scored his only senior goal in the Scottish Cup – a wonderful solo effort against Spartans back in November 2016 that won him goal of the round.
Speaking on the signing, St Mirren manager Oran Kearney said: "I'm very pleased to have Kyle in.
"Number one you want to get good players in, but I also think it's very important to have people who have come through the club and know what it is about.
"Kyle had a great start to his career here and got his move to Derby. He's someone I've been aware of since I joined the club with people talking about him. He's fully fit at this point in time and we can't wait to get him in and get him started.
"We are still in the market for more width as we lack those ball carriers, those wide players who can go and unlock defences and Kyle definitely ticks that box so it's brilliant from that point of view to get him in as well."
Kyle joins Greg Tansey, Brad Lyons, Vaclav Hladky and Mihai Popescu in joining St Mirren this month. All five could be in line to make their Saints' debuts tomorrow against Alloa in the Scottish Cup. Tickets are on-sale at the St Mirren Ticket Office and online.
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 William Hill Scottish Cup 4th Round tie against Alloa Athletic, is a 52 pager with a £3 cover price.
This latest edition includes the following:
Front Cover – Ethan Erhahon.
The Gaffer - Oran Kearney talks about recent games and the transfer window as well as looking ahead to the match against Alloa.
Last Time Out – A look back at the recent Premiership match away to Kilmarnock.
The Opposition – Brian Corry runs the rule over Jim Goodwin's Alloa Athletic side.
The New Guys - Meet St Mirren's latest January transfer window signings.
Street Stuff - A gallery looking back at Street Stuff events over the festive period.
St Mirren Greats – David Cochran looks back on the St Mirren career of goalkeeper Willie O'Hagan.
Matchday Gallery - Pictures from the post match presentations in the corporate suite after the recent home match against St Johnstone.
Action Shot & Q&A (Centre Pages) – Cameron MacPherson. The midfielder also takes part in our quick-fire questionnaire.
Player Kit Sponsors 2018/19 – Check in to see who is sponsoring your favourite player's shirt for the season.
FlashBack - A look back at the Scottish Cup tie between St Mirren and Alloa on 9th January 2010.
Fans Corner - Ticket prices, travel clubs update, match info and dates for fans to keep in their diary.
Premiership Round-Up - A rundown on weeks 19, 20 and 21 of the Ladbrokes Premiership season.
Paisley Panda's Fun Corner – Some puzzles to keep the youngsters entertained during the half-time break.
Football Bloody Hell – Alan Gallacher talks about the emptiness of the winter break and the return of Jim Goodwin to Paisley.
Marketing Matters – Campbell Kennedy updates on the latest events and happenings at the club's Commercial Department.
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.
If you live outside the UK & Ireland, St Mirren TV is your way to watch Paisley’s Premiership club live in action each and every home match day.
This service, which is delivered by media students from the University of the West of Scotland, will cover all of St Mirren’s home games.
As usual the St Mirren TV team will be presenting all the action from the Simple Digital Arena when Alloa Athletic are the visitors for Saturday afternoon's William Hill Scottish Cup 4th Round tie.
If you want to tune in here is the info you will need:
St Mirren vs Alloa Athletic
William Hill Scottish Cup
Venue: The Simple Digital Arena, Paisley
Date: Saturday 19th January 2019
Kick-off: 3:00pm GMT
To access this match day service:
1 Day Pass – €6.99 EUR
Season Pass – €69.99 EUR
To view Terms & Conditions and get started with St Mirren TV please click HERE.
For technical support with St Mirren TV please e-mail tvsupport@stmirren.com
First Scorer
Paisley Panda is pleased to confirm that ‘First Scorer’ will be back for the game on Saturday against Alloa Athletic.
‘First Scorer’ lets fans predict in advance of the game who they think will score St Mirren's first goal in Saturday’s match against the Wasps.
From all of those who guessed correctly, a winner will be picked at random and they will win a box of a dozen doughnuts which will be delivered to their seat right after the goal is scored!
To enter all you have to do ahead of the game is post your prediction of the first St Mirren scorer on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #Saints1stgoal. The lucky winner will then be contacted to confirm which stand they will be in with the row and seat number so that the prize can be delivered to them.
Man of the Match Vote
We are giving fans the opportunity to vote for the man of the match and also put two lucky fans in with the chance of winning a £10 voucher for the Club Shop.
Every home game we’ll throw open the voting on the 60 minute mark for 20 minutes where votes can be cast on Facebook and Twitter. All you have to do is use the hashtag #SMFCMOM followed by the name of the player you are voting for, eg ‘#SMFCMOM JACKSON’.
With 10 minutes of the game remaining all the votes will be counted then the Stadium Announcer will confirm the winning player over the tannoy system.
From all the fans who nominate the winning player one will be picked at random from the Facebook account and another from the Twitter account and they will each be awarded a £10 voucher for the Club Shop. The winners will be notified through the account they posted from and they must collect their voucher immediately after the match.
So get yourself ready on the hour mark of Saturday’s game against Alloa and get voting with #SMFCMOM.
Bung a Baw
Paisley Panda will host the ever-popular match day competition ‘Bung a Baw’ during the half-time break of Saturday’s match against Alloa Athletic.
To take part in ‘Bung a Baw’ fans need to purchase a small foam ball which is numbered and they will then have a chance to throw their ball towards our club mascot Paisley Panda in front of the Family Stand. Each person will have 60 seconds to do this and the winner will be the person who has thrown the ball closest to the feet of the Panda. The winner will be confirmed over the PA system.
The competition is sponsored by Glen-Bun Bakery who are supplying a full tray of yummy cakes as the prize for the contest winner.
Each ball will cost £1 to buy. The balls will be available from sellers inside the Family Stand in the 30 minutes leading up to kick-off and then again in the first 5 minutes of half-time before the competition starts (subject to availability). Each ball is numbered and participants will also get a ticket with the corresponding number which they will use to claim the prize if they win.
‘Bung a Baw’ continues to be very popular so Paisley Panda advises that you get in early on Saturday to purchase your ball to take part.
As well as taking care of ‘Bung a Baw’, Paisley Panda will be giving away sweets to the kids in and around the stadium courtesy of the Black and White Army website.
Looks out for face painters who will help get youngsters ready for the match.
St Mirren in the Community are delighted to confirm that the SMFC Fans Council Panda Club will be open to young Buddies on Saturday afternoon for the Scottish Cup tie against Alloa Athletic at the Simple Digital Arena.
The Panda Club will open at 1:00pm on Saturday. Parents please note that you should pick up your kids after the final whistle from the community office at 5:00pm.
Participants can look forward to pre-match football activities delivered by qualified St Mirren FC coaches inside the Airdome.
The Panda Club is open to boys and girls aged 5 to 12 years olds and costs £3 per child for the coaching session, the match ticket is provided FREE OF CHARGE.
For further information about the SMFC Fans Council Panda Club or to book your place at the next Panda Club match day please contact Ross Paterson by email at ross.paterson@stmirren.com.
SMFC Fans Council Panda Club details for Saturday’s game are as follows:
St Mirren vs Alloa Athletic
Saturday 19th January 2019
1:00pm – 5:00pm
St Mirren vs Alloa Athletic
William Hill Scottish Cup
Venue: The Simple Digital Arena, Paisley
Date: Saturday 19th January 2019
Kick-off: 3:00pm
The match day officials for Saturday’s 4th Round Scottish Cup tie against Jim Goodwin's Alloa side are as follows:
Referee: Don Robertson.
Assistant Referee: David Roome.
Assistant Referee: Michael Banks.
If you are thinking about coming to The Simple Digital Arena for the first time on Saturday please click HERE for all the info you will need to make sure your match day experience runs as smoothly as possible.
Match Details
The game kicks-off at 3:00pm.
Season Tickets ARE NOT valid for this game.
Match is all ticket – tickets will be on sale (subject to availability) UNTIL KICK OFF.
On the match day St Mirren fans can purchase their tickets (subject to availability) at the St Mirren Ticket Office from 10:00am to kick-off time (3:00pm).
We also have a Ticket Booth sited at the West Stand beside turnstiles T11-14 on a match day. The Ticket Booth is only for the purchase of tickets (subject to availability) for the West Stand, and also the pick-up point for pre-ordered tickets for the West Stand. The Ticket Booth will be open from 1:30pm to 3:00pm (kick-off).
The Alloa Athletic fans can purchase their tickets (subject to availability) from the window at the away end of the ground (North Stand) from 1:30pm to kick-off time (3:00pm).
Tickets can also be purchased from the Online Ticket Shop.
Ticket Prices
Adult - £17
Over 65 - £9
Under 16 - £4
The St Mirren Ticket Office (Main Stand) opening hours in the build up to this match are as follows:
Fri, 18th Jan: 10:00am to 2:00pm
Sat, 19th Jan: 10:00am to 3:00pm (kick-off)
The Ticket Booth (West Stand) opening hours in the build up to this match are as follows:
Sat, 19th Jan: 1:30pm to 3:00pm (kick-off)
Ticket Office Phone No: (0141) 840-6130.
St Mirren Ticket Office E-Mail: tickets@stmirren.com.
Please note that the Club Shop is also open the same hours as the Ticket Office.
Matchday Club Policies (click links for more info)
At the SMiSA Stadium we have an electronic ticketing system in place at the turnstiles.
The process of using the system is fairly straight-forward and easy to use:
The whole process will only take a few seconds.
Please note that there will be stewards in attendance to help where required.
The Club has been made aware of problems occasioned by inconsiderate parking in the area of Tannahill Road.
Seemingly supporters are parking despite the presence of double yellow lines and as a consequence local bus routes are also being blocked because streets in this area are narrow and fans are parking on both sides. People, many of whom are elderly, are having to walk from Greenhill Road to their homes because buses can’t get access.
Residents who have cars parked in driveways are experiencing similar difficulties getting their vehicles in and out. On being approached by local residents some supporters have been somewhat aggressive which could lead to confrontation.
St Mirren Football Club strives to be a good neighbour and we would ask that ALL supporters attending the stadium not only park in accordance with local parking restrictions but also give consideration to the needs of local residents by parking sensibly so as not to occasion an unnecessary obstruction.
We are also aware of problems with patrons parking at the front of the Main Stand to pick up disabled supporters at the end of the game. This area is a 'no parking' zone on match days (with cones on the road) and has to be kept clear for emergency access. It is an inappropriate location for disabled spectator uplifts, as not only does it cause an obstruction on the road, it also causes a danger to pedestrians leaving the stadium.
Please note that the designated pick-up/drop off points are either in Drums Avenue or the two lay-byes on Ferguslie Park Avenue.
BY ROAD
Follow signs for Paisley & Glasgow Airport. Exit the M8 at Junction 29 (St James’ Interchange) which is just after Glasgow Airport turn off if travelling east to west. Be careful not to exit on to the A737 which is signposted for Irvine. It is best to stay in the middle lane when passing the Airport as this leads naturally to the St James’ Interchange exit.
At the interchange take the first left onto a dual carriageway with some football parks on the left hand side. Follow this road and after a sharp right hand bend you should now be in Greenock Road. Then take your first right on to Clark Street and drive to the end of the street which is the junction with Greenhill Road, turn left and you will see the stadium on the opposite side of the road.
BY RAIL
Get train from Paisley Gilmour Street to Paisley St James – exit from the station is straight onto Greenhill Road where the stadium is facing you. To plan your journey by rail with Scotrail please click HERE.
BY BUS
Most buses will stop at Paisley Cross or Mill Street, from both you will see the Paisley Town Hall. From the Town Hall cross the High Street towards the Piazza Shopping Centre, when acoss walk towards the town centre until you come to Gilmour Street. Turn right on to Gilmour Street and walk towards the railway station which is about 150 yards away. From there you can get train to Paisley St James or if you prefer to walk the following routes are advised by the police:
Home fans: cross road to the left on to St James Street – follow through up Underwood Road then turn right at Greenhill Road where stadium is 200 yards further along the road. Access to the Main Stand is from Greenhill Road and the South and West Stands will be accessed from Drums Avenue.
Away fans: cross road to Love Street continue up the street till you come to Albion Street where you will turn left. Follow Albion Street until you come to the junction with Greenock Road where you will turn right. Cross the road then walk about 200 yards before taking your first left on to Clark Street. Walk straight up Clark Street to the end of the street which is the junction with Greenhill Road, turn left and you will see the the stadium on the opposite side of the road. Access to the North Stand will be from Ferguslie Park Avenue.
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