This coming Friday evening (26th January) Jack Ross takes his St Mirren side to 'The Kingdom of Fife' for a Ladbrokes Championship fixture against Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park.

The info on Travel Clubs heading to East End Park is as follows:

North End Travel Club

The bus to Dunfermline will leave The Sneddon at 5:45pm sharp.

Bus tickets are available in the Brewer's Tap, £7 each.

Chivas Travel Club

The bus for East End Park will leave at 5:45pm from the Court Bar.

Bus tickets now available at the Court Bar.

Cockles Wilson Supporters Bus

The bus for the game at Dunfermline will leave at 5:30pm.

Bus tickets now available in The Bankhouse.

Tile Bar Supporters Bus

The bus going to Dunfermline will leave at 5:45pm.

Bus tickets are now available from the bar.

St Mirren manager Jack Ross reflects on today's 4-1 loss to Aberdeen in the William Hill Scottish Cup. 

St Mirren's hopes of a Scottish Cup run came to an end after a 4-1 loss to Aberdeen at Pittodrie in the fourth round. 

Adam Rooney opened the scoring from the penalty spot on eight minutes before Ryan Christie scored twice either side of Gavin Reilly's goal for Saints. The Dons wrapped up the victory thanks to a stunning strike from Gary Mackay-Steven just a minute into second half.

Saints had started brightly with Cammy Smith stabbing the ball through to Lewis Morgan inside the first minute. The winger burst forward having his shot blocked by the Aberdeen defence.

But it was Aberdeen who took an early lead when Adam Rooney netted from the penalty spot. Ryan Christie played the ball wide to Greg Stewart who cut into the box before being tripped by Stelios. Rooney sent Craig Samson the wrong way as he slid the ball into the low left hand corner to put The Dons in front. 

Buoyed by the goal, Aberdeen went on the hunt for a quick second and almost got it when Stewart forced a good stop from Samson with a powerful effort from the edge of the box. 

Saints were still causing problems themselves though with Lewis Morgan and Cammy Smith combining well on the left with the latter back-heeling the ball down the channel for Morgan who broke into the box. The young winger cut the ball back to Kyle Magennis who opened up space for himself before having his drive blocked by Joe Lewis. 

The Dons doubled their advantage a few minutes later when Gary Mackay-Steven reached a ball at the byline. He laid the ball back into the path of an unmarked Ryan Christie who made no mistake as he buried the ball into the net to make it 2-0. 

It was a frustrating blow for Saints but the Buddies soon got themselves back into the match when Gavin Reilly showed good instincts to score his 21st goal of the season. Good work from Stelios saw the Cypriot find Morgan in space inside the box. Morgan lashed goalward with Joe Lewis only able to parry into the path of Gavin Reilly who reacted quickest to knock the ball home.

Saints couldn't build on it and lost a sloppy goal on 33 minutes. Stelios' weak header came off Ian McShane inside the box before finding its way to Shay Logan. The full back threw the ball into the back post to meet Ryan Christie who leaped above the Saints defence to grab his second of the afternoon.

Lewis Morgan nearly reduced the deficit back to one almost immediately after Aberdeen's third. Joe Lewis was found in no mans land with Morgan lifting the ball over the stranded goalkeeper. It took what felt like an eternity to come off the side net. 

Saints' hopes of getting back into the game would be extinguished a little over a minute after the restart. Gary Mackay-Steven nicked in ahead of Liam Smith before unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner. It was frustrating for The Buddies to have lost a goal so soon after the break but there was no arguing with the quality of the strike.

That effectively ended the game as a contest. Both sides had half chances to score but Aberdeen were comfortable to see the game out at 4-1 as they progress to the fifth round at Saints' expense. 

Full Time: Aberdeen 4-1 St Mirren 

St Mirren: Samson, L.Smith, Baird, Davis, Stelios, S.McGinn, McShane (Flynn 56), Magennis, C.Smith (Hill 76), Morgan, Reilly (Mullen 65)
Subs Not Used: Stewart, MacKenzie, Eckersley, Sutton

Aberdeen: Lewis, Logan, Considine, Reynolds (Harvie 84), O'Connor, Shinnie, McLean, Christie, G.Stewart (May 79), Mackay-Steven (McGinn 66), Rooney
Subs Not Used: Rogers, Harvie, Ball, Wright, Maynard

Referee: Don Robertson
Assistant Referee: Frank Connor
Assistant Referee: Willie Conquer
Fourth Official: David Lowe

Attendance: 9,848 (595 Saints fans)

Gallery pictures by John Millar © - Millar Pictures

St Mirren can confirm that Jordan Kirkpatrick has joined Alloa Athletic on loan until the end of the season.

The midfielder joined The Buddies from Jim Goodwin's side in the summer and now returns to the Indodrill Stadium for the remainder of the campaign.

All at St Mirren wish Jordan the best in his spell at The Wasps.

This Saturday will see Cammy Smith return to his old stomping ground of Pittodrie as St Mirren and Aberdeen battle it out for a place in the next round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

Smith spoke to Buddievision about the Scottish Cup encounter and made it clear that the team is up for the challenge.

Smith said: "I'm really looking forward to it. I remember when the draw came out, it felt ages away, but now it's came round really fast.

"We're in good form, so we'll go up there to Aberdeen and we'll give it a really good shot and hopefully we can get a result, because we're good enough to do it. We'll prepare as normal and we will give it our best shot."

This will be Cammy's first appearance back in Aberdeen since signing permanently with St Mirren in the summer, having previously been on loan at Saints for the second half of the 2016/17 season.

The forward has been in fine form this season for the Buddies so far this season, scoring 11 goals in all competitions, including a rare headed goal in last weeks 2-0 victory over Dumbarton.

Looking ahead to Saturday's game, manager Jack Ross had nothing but compliments for Smith as he spoke about the players transition from the Dons to the Buddies.

He said: "The fact that we were able to get him here was partly due to Derek's fondness of him, and also Derek's belief that he could go on a be a really good player.

At the time, I would say, Aberdeen were as strong as they had been in a number of years.  So it was more difficult to break through consistently - he played at 16, Cammy.

"He has been outstanding for us this season and I hope he goes and plays well individually, like he has been all season because it will mean a lot to him to go back there and play."

Tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 20th January) Saints head to the Granite City to face Aberdeen in a William Hill Scottish Cup, 4th Round tie at Pittodrie Stadium.

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

North End Travel Club

Owing to the early kick-off and TV coverage we are sharing a bus with the Chivas Club to Aberdeen for the cup-tie.

The bus will leave St James' Street at 8:30am. The North End has no seats left.

Chivas Travel Club

The bus for Aberdeen will leave at 8:30am from the Court Bar.

This bus is being shared with the North End Club so bus tickets for non members are limited. They can be bought at the Court Bar.

Cockles Wilson Supporters Bus

The bus for the Scottish Cup tie at Aberdeen will leave at 8:00am.

Bus tickets now available in The Bankhouse.

Tile Bar Supporters Bus

The bus going to the cup tie up at Aberdeen will leave at 8:00am.

Members should note that as this game is a cup tie that they will pay for this game. If members aren’t going please let Kenny know.

Bus tickets are available from the bar.

With league action put to one side for a week, St Mirren turn their attention towards the Scottish Cup, and Jack Ross is looking forward to the challenge.

Saints were drawn a tough away tie to Aberdeen, and with the Dons finishing second in the Scottish Premiership for the past three seasons and St Mirren sitting clear at the top of the Championship, it will no doubt be a tight affair. However, the opportunity to face some fresh opposition is welcomed by the Saints manager.

Ross, speaking to the press at the St Mirren Training Complex, said: "It's a good draw for us. Ideally you always look for the best possible chance of progression in a cup - you don't always get that. I think thereafter you want a game that excites you.

"It's nice to have that change of scenery; not just for the players, but for me and my staff.

"The preparation is different, because at this stage of the season in league games you've already played each other twice, some three times. So your preparation is a bit repetitive."

"Saturday in a new challenge," he continued. "I want us to go there and do ourselves justice, and hopefully show people why we're having the season that we are at the moment."

It wont be an easy task though, as Aberdeen went all the way to the final in last years competition, only to be bested by a last gasp winner from Celtic.

The last time St Mirren came toe-to-toe with a Premiership club was the 5-0 defeat to Partick Thistle in the Betfred Cup group stage in July.

Jack Ross knows the team will have to be at their best to prevent another defeat like that.    

The gaffer said: "We didn't play well on the day and Partick played very well, but I got some things wrong in terms of how I approached the game. That was good for me, because I learned from that.

"Our strength is we are a good side going forward, we've got good pace and we have dynamic players middle to front, so we don't want to stifle their ability to do that.

"But obviously we have to come up with a way to prevent Aberdeen from picking holes in our team."

St Mirren have a break from league action this week as they travel north tomorrow to take on Aberdeen in the fourth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

The Buddies will be looking to make an impression on the Premier League outfit, having extended their unbeaten run to seven, after last weeks 2-0 triumph away to Dumbarton, with in-form Cammy Smith netting the first, followed by captain Stephen McGinn's first goal of the season.

St Mirren will need to be at their very best as Aberdeen will be going into the game with confidence, as they currently hold second place in the Scottish Premiership; and having had their two week winter break, including a trip to Dubai, Derek McInnes' side will be fresh and raring to go in the more familiar Scottish climate. 

This will be the first time the two sides have met in three years since Saints dropped out of the Premiership in 2015, with the last encounter finishing 3-0 to the Dons, after a brace from Adam Rooney and the third headed in from Mark Reynolds. Both scorers could feature this time around also, with Rooney scoring the only goal in Aberdeen's last victory over Partick Thistle, winning 1-0 at the end of December.  

This could be the Saints fans first chance to catch a glimpse of their new signings. Creative midfielder Ryan Flynn, who was released from Oldham Athletic last week signed for St Mirren on Monday and midfielder Mark Hill who signed on loan until the end of the season from Celtic on Tuesday.

Saints progressed from the previous round after a resounding 7-1 victory away to Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale with four goals from Gavin Reilly and a goal a piece for Lewis Morgan, Jack Baird and Cammy Smith. This will be Aberdeen's first tie this year and they will no doubt be on the hunt for Scottish Cup glory, having narrowly lost out to a last minute winner against Celtic in last year's final. 

It has been over a quarter of a century since either side won the coveted trophy, with St Mirren's last success coming in 1987 after Ian Ferguson's winner in extra time against Saints now league rivals, Dundee United.

Jack Ross and his side won a lot of plaudits for their performance in the tournament last year; in particular their gutsy effort against Celtic in the quarter final at Celtic Park, who then went on to win the tournament.

It is expected to be a tight affair with both teams flying high in their respective divisions. Kick off will be at 12.15PM and will be shown on BBC 1 Scotland for those not able to make the journey to Aberdeen. Whatever happens it will be a good test for Jack Ross and his team, and should hold them in good stead going forward for the rest of the season.  

* Concessions are for Juveniles aged 18-21, under 18s and over 65s

While this match will be pay-at-the-gate tickets can be bought in advance of the match from the St Mirren Ticket Office up till 2:00pm today (Friday 19th January).

Additional Information for Travelling Fans

Tomorrow, Saturday 20th January, St Mirren make the trip north-east to face Aberdeen in the 4th Round of the William Hill Scottish Cup at Pittodrie Stadium.

The referee tomorrow is Don Robertson and he will be assisted by Frank Connor and Willie Conquer. The Fourth Official will be David Lowe.

Pittodrie Stadium is located in the North part of the city (close to Old Aberdeen) and near to the coastline. It is close to the A956 King Street. Away supporter parking is mostly found to the South and East of the stadium. Parking restriction apply to many of the streets in the immediate vicinity of the stadium. Park and Ride facilities are available from various locations on the outskirts of the city, These would be mixed support.

North of City - Bridge of Don Park & Ride departs 45 minutes before kick-off and drops off at Ardarroch Road. Return journey leaves 10 minutes after full time; fare is 50p return pay the driver. The coach going to Bridge of Don leaves from the bus stop outside the graveyard on King Street.

South of City - Souter Head Road
Departs 60 minutes before kick-off and drops off at Ardarroch Road. Return journey leaves 10 minutes after full time; fare is £1.00 return pay the driver.

West of City - Kingswells Park & Ride
Service departs 60 minutes before kick-off and drops off at Ardarroch Road. Return journey leaves 10 minutes after full time; fare is £1.50 return pay the driver.

The coaches going to Kingswells & Altens leave from the bus stop on King Street at the top of Merkland Road East.

Aberdeen Train station is in the city centre and is about a 25 minute walk to the stadium. Regular buses run the route to the stadium and taxis are easily obtained.

Driving Directions

From The South:
Follow the A90 towards Aberdeen. Just South of Aberdeen join the A956. Stay on the A956 through Aberdeen crossing the River Dee and eventually you will come to Pittodrie on your right. Football traffic signs will assist buses, in particular, which are guided to the away bus parking area.

Over the course of the past 12 months, a lot has changed at St Mirren.

From bottom of the Championship, bordering on relegation to the third tier of Scottish football, to flying high at the top of the table.

Speaking to Buddievision, St Mirren CEO, Tony Fitzpatrick, believes "it's just the start". 

"Our target was to be fourth place. We had lost Mallan and McAllister, players of that ilk. So we're saying 'go for the top four'.

"There is a plan at the club, but all credit to Jack because he's came in and he's blown the plan apart. He's progressed the club so quickly."

Fitzpatrick added: "It's just the start and Jack is just a young manager.

He's like any young player here, there is a pathway.

"We're not kidding ourselves on, but I think Jack is determined to take the club where it belongs. This is a top six Premiership club - I don't care what anyone says."

The Buddies take on Aberdeen at Pittodrie this weekend in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup and the former player, manager and now director recalls a similar situation from his playing days.

"Going back 40 years ago, we were in the old First Division and we got Dundee United in the cup - and they were a top team at the time.

"I know as a young player with McGarvey, Stark, Peter Weir we were going to play Dundee United, who were like what Aberdeen are now, and you want to prove yourself.

"There's no doubt about it, the Magennis' and I could point to a lot of players in our team, they're Premiership players."

Fitzpatrick continued: "This is an opportunity to go up there, away from home, and prove to people that they can handle the Premiership. I know this team, and the players within it, can handle the Premiership no problem."

Buddievision subscribers can watch the full 15 minutes here.