Gary MacKenzie praised St Mirren supporters for their role in the club's upturn in fortunes over the past year and a half and says the team wants to reward them on Saturday with a title win.

The Buddies would have been crowned as Ladbrokes Championship champions on Tuesday night had they picked up a point against Dundee United in front of 2,350 Saints fans at Tannadice. 

But after a narrow 1-0 loss, Saints can now win the title at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Saturday when second placed Livingston come to visit. 

And MacKenzie hopes the team can repay the fans for all their support. 

It will be a full house and it would be nice to do at home," he told Buddievision after Tuesday's loss to United.

"Personally I'd have liked to have done it tonight and then just have a party on Saturday for the fans. But it wasn't meant to be.

"The fans are brilliant," he continued. "They'll be out full house and it'd be fitting to do it at home against Livi who have given us real tough games and put us under pressure.

"We were saying in the dressing room when we were at Tannadice this time last year if somebody had told you in a year's time you'd have five games to pick up a point to win the league you'd think they were daft. But that's how far the club has came and the fans have played a massive part of that.

"From last year when we were toiling they came out in their numbers and dragged us through it and they are still coming and they are getting their rewards now. Hopefully on Saturday it's a big party and we get this league wrapped up."

The Buddies huffed and puffed against United on Tuesday night but couldn't find an answer to Billy King's second minute strike.

MacKenzie believed the effort was there, but it was just one of those nights for Saints who will look to bounce back to winning ways on Saturday.

I think, bar the first two minutes of the game, we totally dominated it.

"They defended quite well but you can't start the way we did and give teams a goal of a start. For the remainder of the game we asked questions and gave our all. It wasn't meant to be tonight. We hit the bar, had a few chances. In terms of effort the manager says he can't fault us. The boys gave everything to try and get that goal and get that win. 

"I don't think we played as through the lines as we could. I think we made their defending easier with a lot of longer balls which was bread and butter to their defenders. But we kept at it, we dominated the game, they didn't really have much. I think the fella had a chance in the second half that he got a bit lucky with that was it.

"Like I say, you can't start the game the way we did. It was a bit fortunate I think the guy miss hit it as well. It gave them something to hold on to and we couldn't quite break them down. 

"Throughout the course of the season any setback we've had we've bounced a couple of games - not just one, we've strung a couple of games together. It'll be tough but we'll be going into win to wrap up this league."

Once again we are giving St Mirren fans the chance to ‘live the dream’ while helping out the Youth Development Programme at the same time.

Two teams – one home and one away – made up of St Mirren fans will kick-off our annual fixture that will be played on the pitch at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Sunday 22nd April with a 12pm kick off. 

There will be two teams with 15 players per team (1-11 and four substitutes).  Each shirt will be available to bid on in a blind auction with all proceeds going to the St Mirren Youth Development Programme. Jack Ross and James Fowler will manage the sides as they did last year and guest players will be announced nearer the time.

Come and be part of this exciting day which will include:-

* The St Mirren Match Day Experience – Playing the game on the pitch at the Paisley 2021 stadium.

* Wearing an official team strip that you will also get to keep after the game.

* Medal presentation to all players from a special guest.

* Food and refreshments post match.

The rules are as follows: 

*Bidding for all shirts will close at 3pm on Wednesday, April 18th. 

*You must be 18 years of age or over to both bid and take part in 'Saint for a Day'. 

*By bidding on the auction you are declaring that you (or the person you are bidding for) are fit and well to take part in the event. 

*In the instance of getting two identical bids for the same shirt number in the same team, the email that has the earliest date and time stamp will be accepted as the leading bidder. 

*Payment must be made immediately if you have been the successful bidder.

*Payment not made by match day will see shirts given to other bidders.

To have a chance to take part on the day please send your blind auction bid by e-mail to claire.coventry@stmirren.com (Minimum bid is £100).

In the e-mail you must state which team you are bidding to play in (home or away) and which shirt number for that team you are bidding on. Good Luck!!

Due to the phenomenal success of the Christmas foodbank collection, where generous Buddies donated enough meals to full the West Stand, the St Mirren Fans Council are organising a collection at this Saturday's (14th April) home match against Livingston.

Prior to the match we would ask that you bring any of the listed items below that the Foodbank so desperately needs and deposit them in the bins provided at each stand.

Boxed cereal
Tinned soup
Tinned tomatoes
Pasta sauce
Dried rice/noodles
Tinned fruit
Tinned meat
Tinned fish
Tinned potatoes
Tinned vegetables
Tinned rice/custard
Tea bags/coffee (small)
Long-life juice (1 litre)
UHT milk
jam/peanut butter/other spread
Biscuits
Chocolate/sweeties/crisps

The Foodbank is particularly short of tinned potatoes, tinned custard/rice, long-life juice, UHT milk, cereal, tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned tomatoes, jam and toiletries, particularly toothpaste, shampoo and deodorant.

All the donated food stuff will be uplifted to be distributed to those most in need. We thank you for your support in helping with this appeal.

To learn more about the Renfrewshire Foodbank and the work that they do please visit www.renfrewshire.foodbank.org.uk.

Saints manager Jack Ross reflects on tonight's 1-0 loss away to Dundee United.

The Buddies would have won the Ladbrokes Championship if they had avoided defeat.

St Mirren's hopes of winning the Ladbrokes Championship were put on hold until Saturday at least after a narrow 1-0 loss to Dundee United at Tannadice.

Billy King's second minute opener was enough for The Terrors to pick up all three points and see the champagne put back on ice for Saints.

It was a frustrating beginning to a big night for The Buddies as the home side took the lead inside Saints got off to the worst start as United took the lead inside two minutes. Paul McMullan stole in ahead of Liam Smith and played the ball across the box into the path of Billy King who steered the ball home to put United in front.

Saints reacted fairly well with Kyle Magennis sending a free kick just by the left hand post after Cammy Smith had been fouled on eight minutes.

But United troubled The Buddies a few minutes later with Gary MacKenzie having to nod away a curling McMullan shot which looked dangerous.

St Mirren started to step it up though with captain Stephen McGinn playing a wonderful cross-field pass which expertly picked out Lewis Morgan. The winger drove into the box but his effort was blocked. 

Adam Eckersley almost added to his strike at Tannadice earlier in the season when he cracked the crossbar on 23 minutes. McGinn played the ball into the path of Ryan Flynn who found Cammy Smith driving forward. Smith sprayed the ball left to Eckersley with the full back bursting into the box and hitting the woodwork from a tight angle. 

It was Eckersley who was involved again a few minutes later when his dangerous low ball across the box was only just turned behind by Willo Flood. The corner in found Gary MacKenzie's head and he wasn't a million miles away with a United defender in the six yard box scrambling clear. 

The Buddies were desperately unlucky not to be level on the half hour mark. Cammy Smith knocked the ball down the right to Liam Smith who played a lovely low ball into the area where it was met by a quick flick of Danny Mullen's boot but it crashed off the underside of the bar with United blocking Morgan's follow up attempt. 

United began trying to draw Saints into a physical battle and had three players booked with Thomas Mikkelsen and Paul McMullan cautioned for poor late challenges on Ryan Flynn and Liam Smith. Mark Durnan joined his teammates in the book before half-time for a foul on Mullen. Morgan attempted the spectacular from the free kick 35 yards out but sent it over.

Half Time: Dundee United 1-0 St Mirren

Saints began the second half brightly and had a penalty claim five minutes after the break when the ball looked like it may have come off a United hand inside the box. Referee Andrew Dallas was unmoved.  

The Buddies had a number of set pieces opportunities from free kicks and corners but were failing to make the pressure count. United seemed to grow in belief after the hour mark with Mikkelsen going close but he blasted his effort straight into the arms of Craig Samson.

With 15 minutes to go, Kyle Magennis will have felt he should have done more to test United keeper Deniz from a free kick around 25 yards from goal but the effort was straight at the Turkish goalkeeper.

United could have put the seal on the three points when Billy King tried to wriggle clear of the Saints defence. The ball fell for Sam Stanton who found himself one-on-one with Samson who made a strong save to deny the forward. 

John Sutton, a member of the 2005-06 St Mirren league winning side, looked like he might be the hero in the dying embers of the game when he latched on to a long ball inside the box only for Deniz to block.

In the end United hung on and St Mirren's next chance to win the title comes at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Saturday when second place Livingston visit.

Full Time: Dundee United 1-0 St Mirren

St Mirren: Samson, L.Smith, MacKenzie, Davis, Eckersley, McGinn (Sutton 74), Magennis, Flynn, C.Smith (Hippolyte 79), Morgan, Mullen (Reilly 63)
Subs Not Used: Stewart, Stelios, Baird, McShane

Dundee United: Deniz, Ralston, Durnan, Mohsni, Murdoch, Gillespie, Flood, Stanton, King (Glass 90), McMullan (Briels 86), Mikklesen
Subs Not Used: Lewis, Scobbie, Robson, M.Smith, Mason

Referee: Andrew Dallas
Assistant Referee: Paul O'Neill
Assistant Referee: Ross MacLeod

Attendance: 5,905

Match Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography.

St Mirren will be crowned Ladbrokes Championship winners at Tannadice tonight - if they avoid defeat to Dundee United. 

The Buddies need just a point to seal the title after winning at Brechin on Saturday with Kyle Magennis' seventh minute strike the difference between the division's top and bottom sides. It looked for a spell that Saturday may have been St Mirren's day with Livingston being held by Morton. But Alan Lithgow struck in the 86th minute to give The Lions all three points to put the champagne on ice for Saints. 

It's been a disappointing season for Dundee United who currently occupy fourth place in the Championship. The Arabs were title favourites coming into the season but poor early form saw manager Ray MacKinnon replaced by Csaba Laszlo in October. There was an initial boost for United as they went top of the league, but they fell out of contention after having only won three of their last 14 league matches. 

Laszlo's side come into tonight's match on the back of 3-2 loss away to Dumbarton on Saturday. Ex-Saint Calum Gallagher put Dumbarton ahead in the first half from close range. Anthony Ralston levelled for United a few minutes into the second half. Less than ten minutes later, Craig Barr put Dumbarton back in front before Scott McDonald scored his 12th goal of the season. But, with just 10 minutes remaining, Barr scored his second of the afternoon to consign United to a third defeat in six. 

Saints and United have met three times this season with The Buddies coming out on top on two occasions and The Terrors winning the other. The first saw United, who had won their opening three league matches, travel to Paisley at the end of August. The Buddies emphatically ended that winning run though running out deserved 3-0 winners thanks to a double from Lewis Morgan and Ian McShane's first St Mirren goal. 

United exacted a measure of revenge when Saints visited Tannadice at the start of November. Goals either side of half time from Mark Durnan and Sam Stanton rendered Adam Eckersley's fine 93rd minute strike as nothing more than a consolation. That win drew United level on points with The Buddies at the top of the table. 

The last meeting between the two came at the end of 2017 with The Terrors making their way to Paisley for a second time. The visitors spurned a glorious chance to take an early lead with Craig Samson making a good save to deny Paul McMullan from the penalty spot. Lewis Morgan grabbed a second half double to seal a 2-0 win for Saints and move them five points clear of United heading into 2018.  

Tonight could be the culmination of over a year of hard work since Jack Ross took charge of the club in October 2016. The manager has transformed a side that looked destined for relegation to the third tier to on the brink of promotion back to the Premiership. While a draw or win would do for The Buddies, United will be keen to avoid a St Mirren party at their own stadium and strenghten their play-off hopes with a victory. 

Scotland Women in action at the Paisley 2021 Stadium this evening as they take on Poland in a World Cup qualifier. 

The National side currently sit in 3rd place in Group 2 - one point behind tonight's opponents.

The match details are as follows:

Scotland v Poland
World Cup Qualifier
Venue: Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley
Date: Tuesday, 10th April 2018
Kick-off: 7.35pm

Ticket Prices

Adult - £5
Concessions - £2
*SSC Members - Free

A cash gate will be in operation tonight. 

The St Mirren Ticket Office opening hours for today are as follows:

Tues, 10th Apr - 10:00am-2:00pm and 6:00pm-7:35pm

Cash turnstiles will open at 6:30pm until half-time. 

For the first time, the Scottish FA will be hosting a fan zone directly outside the stadium from 5.30pm up until kick-off after holding successful events across the country before Euro 2017 matches last summer.

Supporters are encouraged to arrive early to join in the fun, which includes:

• Face painting
• Balloon models
• Music
• Giveaways
• Bouncy castles
• Inflatable assault course
• Beat the goalie

St Mirren Ticket Office Tel: (0141) 889-2558

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

Please note that our allocation of tickets for this match is now SOLD OUT. The Club has been advised that there will be a cash gate at the game at Tannadice Park.

Additional Information for Travelling Fans

Tonight, Tuesday 10th April, St Mirren head to the City of Discovery to face Dundee United in a Ladbrokes Championship match-up at Tannadice Park with a chance to win the Ladbrokes Championship title.

The referee tonight is Andrew Dallas and he will be assisted by Paul O'Neill and Ross Macleod.

Please note there are road closures near Tannadice and the advice is to avoid Clepington Road.

St Mirren moved to within one point of securing promotion back to the top flight of Scottish football on Saturday, after defeating Brechin City 1-0 at a packed out Glebe Park.

A goal on the seventh minute from Kyle Magennis in front of 2000+ Saints fans was enough to see the Paisley side take all three points in Angus.

The league could have been won on Saturday afternoon for The Saints, but they had to rely on result elsewhere to have done so.

Speaking to Buddievision, Magennis told us how the team were feeling after the win and how they all were dealing with the occasion of potentially winning the league. 

Magennis said: "We're almost there. The gaffer told us before the game that we just need to come here and do what we can do. We didn't worry about any other results and we've came and got the three points and hopefully we can get a point or a win on Tuesday and that will be it.

"Obviously some of the boys are a bit disappointed because it's not over, but I think we should all be happy. Hopefully it's just a matter of time."

This was the fourth and final time St Mirren played Brechin this season, winning all four games.

Despite winning every game against The City, each game has been a close encounter, with The Buddies prevailing with a one goal victory in each match.

The last two matches have ended 1-0 thanks to goals from academy graduate Magennis. The first two were 2-1 victories after a goal in each game from Cammy Smith accompanied by strikes from Dale Hilson and Gavin Reilly respectively. 

Magennis continued: "We always struggle against Brechin, they're well organised and they make it difficult for us. Especially on this pitch because it's narrow and it's hard to play for us, the way we play, so it was a tough game.

"I'm very surprised they haven't managed to pick up more points at home than what they have, because every time we have came here it has been very difficult."

Had Livingston failed to beat Morton on Saturday St Mirren would have clinched the title there and then, but a late winner from Alan Lithgow meant the West Lothian side prevented Magennis' goal from being the title decider. Something that the youngster would love to do on Tuesday night, as the team now have it in their own hands to finish the job against Dundee United at Tannadice. 

"Hopefully I can get another goal on Tuesday. I thought I was going to be the league winner today, but obviously not quite. So I'll try again on Tuesday and hopefully I can do it.

"Obviously I'm still only 19 and to potentially win my first league at 19 years old would be absolutely brilliant and it would be something I would remember for a long time.

"Last year there was so much pressure on us at the bottom of the league, so it's totally different to be challenging for the title. It's been mental.

"The fans have been brilliant all year. They thought it was going to be the day today, so there was a lot more of them. They were hoping for a party and we were hoping for a party, so let's make it Tuesday."

St Mirren U20s are back in action this afternoon as they take on Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Today's SPFL Development League clash takes place at 2:30pm.

To find out more about the SPFL Development League please click here.