A gallery of pictures from the Westmarch Suite following our win against Livingston in the Ladbrokes Premiership on Saturday.

Thanks to our match sponsor The Malcolm Group and our match ball sponsor Peacock Motor Engineers for their support.

Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography

The St Mirren Reserves are in SPFL Reserve League action this afternoon as they host Hibernian Reserves at the Simple Digital Arena.

The Buddies currently sit in seventh place in the 18 team league and would leapfrog today's opponents with a win.

Kick-off takes place at 2pm and entry is FREE so come along and show your support.

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

A game that appeared to be petering out into an instantly forgettable draw could instead end up proving to be a pivotal moment in Saints' season as they snatched a late win over Livingston.

With barely a minute left, Simeon Jackson saw his shot parried by Liam Kelly. The ball sat up invitingly for anyone running in and Ryan Flynn did just that, taking what seemed like an age – although was probably only a couple of seconds – to compose himself before smashing the ball home.

It proved to be the winner in a game that was played in horrendous wind and rain, which may explain why chances were at a premium. Chris Erskine wasted Livi's best first half chance as he blazed over the bar while at the other end Kelly denied Duckens Nazon. The second half wasn't a great deal better, Craig Halkett curling a free-kick over for the visitors and Flynn testing Kelly the pick of the few highlights before the late drama.

Jackson once again found himself on the bench as Nazon was picked in the Saints attack, Anders Dreyer and captain Stephen McGinn returning as Kyle McAllister and the suspended Greg Tansey the pair dropping out. Former Buddies Ross Stewart, Gregg Wylde and Ryan Hardie were on the bench for the visitors who handed a first start to Ciaron Brown and were also able to name Raffa de Vita on the bench for the first time this season.

With the wind blowing down the pitch towards the away end, it was little surprise that Livingston chose to shoot towards their own fans. It made it hard for Saints to get out of their own half as every time they kicked the ball forward it came straight back at them. When Mihai Popescu fouled Steven Lawless just outside the Buddies box it gave Livi a chance to use the conditions to their advantage, although how much the wind had to do with Vaclav Hladky failing to hold Keaghan Jacobs' free-kick is hard to tell. Whatever, the ball sat up invitingly for Erskine but, with the Saints keeper on the deck, he could only blast over the bar.

The wind and rain was making it difficult for both teams, Lawless flashing a shot wide before Saints threatened for the first time, Duckens Nazon volleying over from Paul McGinn's cross. It marked the start of the first real spell of pressure from the hosts, a corner and a free-kick causing problems in the Livi box before Ethan Erhahon sent Nazon in behind the visiting defence only for his shot to be turned behind by Kelly.

Saints seemed to have got to grips with the weather but had a couple of close calls just before the break. After Mateo Muzek cheaply gave the ball away, Livi were able to work it to Craig Sibbald at the back post, his header being punched away by Hladky. Then, on the stroke of half-time, a Livingston corner was only cleared as far as Sibbald at the edge of the box but the midfielder drilled his shot off target.

Despite now playing into the wind, the visitors were first to threaten in the second half as Erskine shot well wide. After Nazon was fouled by Steve Lawson, Cammy MacPherson decided to to use the wind and have a go with the long-range free-kick but it bounced wide of the Livi goal. After that brief flurry, chances continued to be at a premium but one came the way of Jack Baird when a corner from McAllister – who had replaced Dreyer – bounced his way but the big defender failed to connect with the ball.

Livi were dealt a blow when Lawson had to go off injured after being clattered by Stephen McGinn just outside the box. The free-kick was in a great position and Halkett was unlucky to see his attempt go just over the bar, a few Livi fans at the other end of the ground briefly thinking he'd found the net. Saints were next to go close, McAllister playing in Flynn whose drive stung the palms of Kelly, the rebound bouncing off the head of Jackson and going behind before the sub had had a chance to react. The same player was squeezed out as Saints threatened again before Paul McGinn saw his low shot saved by Kelly.

With the rain and wind at their strongest, few people would have complained if the officials had decided to call it quits at that point and not bother with the last five minutes. Of course they didn't, which turned out to be a good thing from a Saints point of view. In the final few seconds of normal time Jackson – who had replaced Nazon – got the better of two Livingston players before having a go from the edge of the box. Kelly wasn't able to hold his shot and Flynn rushed in to thump it into the net. 

Oran Kearney's men had four minutes of stoppage time to see out but they did it comfortably, a Hardie shot that Hladky comfortably saved the only real danger.

It seemed appropriate that as the full-time whistle went the rain stopped and the sun came out to mark Saints' first league win of 2019 – a victory that moves them to within a point of Dundee with just 10 games of the Premiership season to go.

Full Time: St Mirren 1-0 Livingston

St Mirren: Hladky, P.McGinn, Baird, Popescu, Muzek, Erhahon, MacPherson (Mullen 82), S.McGinn, Flynn, Dreyer (McAllister 57), Nazon (Jackson 62)
Subs Not Used: Holmes, MacKenzie, Ferdinand, Corbu

Livingston: Kelly, Gallagher, Halkett, Lithgow, Brown, Lawson (Odoffin 67), Pittman (Robinson 56), Sibbald (Hardie 54), Jacobs, Lawless, Erskine
Subs Not Used: Stewart, Wylde, De Vita, Tiffoney

Referee: Nick Walsh
Assistant Referee: Stuart Stevenson
Assistant Referee: Ivan Stankovic
Fourth Official: David Dickinson

Attendance: 4,014

Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography

Saints gaffer Oran Kearney gives his reaction to today's 1-0 win over Livingston as Ryan Flynn's late goal gives St Mirren all three points.

St Mirren are back in action at the Simple Digital Arena tomorrow as we welcome Livingston to the Simple Digital Arena.

Remarkably, it's Saints' first Saturday home league match of 2019.

FORM

The Buddies come into tomorrow's match on the back of two good draws away to Aberdeen and Hearts in recent weeks. 

After a good 2-2 draw away at Pittodrie, the Buddies followed it up with a 1-1 draw in the capital against Craig Levein's Jambos. 

Saints fell 1-0 behind at Tynecastle when Clevid Dikamona headed the home side in front, but a Sean Clare own goal got the Buddies a share of the spoils. 

Saints will feel like both of those draws could have been wins and will head into tomorrow's match in a confident mood. 

Livingston too will be confident heading into the match after a good 1-0 win over high-flying Kilmarnock at the Tony Macaroni Arena last Saturday. 

The Lions hadn't won since their incredible 5-0 win over Hearts in December, but Chris Erskine's goal just before half-time was enough to ensure three points.

PREVIOUS

Saints welcome Livingston the Simple Digital Arena for the second time this season. 

Livingston were the victors on their last visit to Paisley as first half goals from Jack Hamilton and Alan Lithgow gave the Lions a 2-0 win.

Gary Holt's men also took all three points when the sides met at the Tony Macaroni Arena at the beginning of December. Alfie Jones had given Saints a first half lead, but goals from Scott Pittman, Ryan Hardie and Craig Sibbald ensured the points stayed in Lothian.

St Mirren's last win over Livingston was at the Simple Digital Arena in November 2017 as the Buddies ran out 3-1 winners on a midweek night. 

WHAT A WIN WOULD MEAN

A win for Saints tomorrow would move Oran Kearney's side to within a point of 11th place Dundee and four points behind 10th placed Accies. 

Livingston will be hoping for three points to keep their hopes of a top six spot alive. Three points tomorrow would see them move to within four of sixth place Hibernian.

TEAM NEWS

St Mirren manager Oran Kearney confirmed to the press this week that Stephen McGinn and Anton Ferdinand have returned to training this week so could feature tomorrow afternoon.

Cody Cooke and Gary MacKenzie both returned to the squad last week in the draw against Hearts, but Danny Rogers, Lee Hodson, Kyle Magennis, Brad Lyons and Jim Kellermann all remain out.

Greg Tansey serves the first of a two-match suspension after receiving a Fast Track Notice of Complaint from the SFA following a challenge on Clevid Dikamona in last week's draw against Hearts.

Ricki Lamie is expected to miss out for the visitors, while Shaun Byrne is suspended. 

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 Livingston are the visitors for Saturday afternoon's Ladbrokes Premiership match.

If you want to tune in here is the info you will need:

St Mirren vs Livingston
Ladbrokes Premiership
Venue: The Simple Digital Arena, Paisley
Date: Saturday 2nd March 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

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 Ladbrokes Premiership fixture against Livingston 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 Livingston
Saturday 2nd March 2019
1:00pm – 5:00pm

To find out more about the Panda Club click here

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 Livingston, is a 52 pager with a £3 cover price.

This latest edition includes the following:

Front Cover – Vaclav Hladky
The Gaffer - Oran Kearney looks back on recent matches and looks ahead to the match against Livingston.
Last Time Out – A look back at the recent Premiership match against Hearts.
The Opposition – Brian Corry casts an eye over Gary Holt's Livingston side.
Matchday Announcements - Bulletin Board of info, dates and events in the world of St Mirren.
Matchday Ambassador - Welcoming Alex Beckett as one of our matchday ambassadors.
St Mirren Greats – David Cochran looks back on the St Mirren career of Alfie Lesz.
Matchday Gallery - Pictures from the post match presentations in the corporate suite after the recent home match against Dundee United.
Action Shot & Q&A (Centre Pages) – Cody Cooke 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.
Premiership Round-Up - A rundown of weeks 23, 24, 25 and 26 of the Ladbrokes Premiership season.
Flashback - Pictures from a 3-1 win over Livingston at the Simple Digital Arena in 2017.
Appearances & Goals - The latest squad stats.
Paisley Panda's Fun Corner – Some puzzles to keep the youngsters entertained during the half-time break.
Football Bloody Hell - Alan Gallacher looks at league run-ins. 
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.

Come along to the Simple Digital Arena on Saturday afternoon and join in with the Matchday Experience which kicks-off at 1:45pm in and around the Family Stand.

Building on the successful initiatives that have seen St Mirren win the accolade of Most Family Friendly Ground in the Scottish Supporters Association Fan Awards, the Club's SLO and Paisley Panda with support from SMiSA and the SMFC Fans' Council present a range of activities to improve the matchday experience for families and all younger Buddies.

Although all the activities will be taking place behind the Family Stand they are available to all fans regardless of what stand you are sitting in for the match. Livingston fans are also more than welcome to join in the fun behind the family stand.

The events lined up for Saturday are as follows:

* Live music from Hollie Robinson and Sasha Kaloheris

* Face painting

* Balloon modelling

* Free sweets courtesy of Black and White Army

* Meet Paisley Panda!

So come along early and get involved in the fun activities before getting ready to back the Buddies in the Ladbrokes Premiership match against Livingston. #BackTheBuds

Giant Football Card

On Saturday, The St Mirren Fans Council in partnership with the Supporters Liaison Officers/Panda entertainment launch our brand new matchday competition in the West Stand.

It's £2 to select a team on the football card with 100 to choose. The lucky winner will be selected by the Panda on the pitch at half time and will receive half the proceeds. 

The remaining money will go to the Fans Council to spend on club initiatives. 

First Scorer

Paisley Panda is pleased to confirm that ‘First Scorer’ will be back for the game on Saturday against Livingston.

‘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 Lions.

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 Livingston 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 Livingston.

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.