A selection of pictures from the hospitality lounge following Sunday's win over The New Saints in the IRN-BRU Cup.

St Mirren can confirm that the match against Raith Rovers, originally scheduled for Saturday 4 March, will now take place on Wednesday 8 March.

The has been rescheduled due to Saints match against Celtic in the quarter-final of the William Hill Scottish Cup taking place on Sunday 5 March. 

The match against Rovers will now kick off at 19:45 on Wednesday 8 March at Stark's Park. 

CLUB captain Stephen McGinn can’t wait for The IRN-BRU Cup final but insists focus must remain on the Buddies’ battle at the bottom of the Championship.

The man of the match for yesterday’s semi-final admitted that it took a strong second half performance to turn over The New Saints but he was delighted the club now has the chance to take part in a cup final, he said:

I knew we were better than them and we hadn’t shown that in the first half. We would have regretted it for years if we didn’t win the match.

“I was here last time we won the challenge cup, I know what it meant to the fans and the players and it was a great day out. To do it as captain and lead them out against Dundee United will be a massive honour for me.”

Despite the positive performances in cup competitions, which has seen ten wins from eleven matches this season, Saints find themselves eight points adrift at the bottom of the Championship. McGinn is desperate to turn the form shown in yesterday’s win and last Saturday’s Scottish Cup victory over East Fife into league points.

We’re hoping to build a bit of momentum and get that belief back in the dressing room, two wins and a draw from our last three matches should do that.

“We are almost a new team and one that looks like it can score goals. This is a club that should be challenging at the other end of the league.

McGinn wasn’t too keen to reflect on yesterday’s victory instead pushing his focus onto Saturday’s massive match with Ayr United – who are Saints’ nearest rivals at the bottom.

We can’t look forward to it yet, we have three or four cup finals in-between. The league position means we can’t enjoy results like today for that long. Focus immediately goes to Ayr and what it a huge game for this club.”

"It would be wrong to say there isn’t some fear there but there’s also a bit of confidence. We aren’t a bottom of the league club and we have good players in the dressing room but we need to start showing it.

STEPHEN MALLAN admitted the dressing room was buzzing after yesterday’s 4-1 victory over The New Saints in the IRN-BRU Cup semi-final.

The Buddies came from behind against their Welsh rivals to set up a final with Dundee United at the end of March.

And Mallan insists it’s the least they deserve after a strong second half showing. He said: “There’s a really good atmosphere in the changing room. The gaffer went through us a bit at half-time and rightly so but you can see in the second half it changed straight from kick off and we ran out rightful winners.

Our opponents had came into the game a wee bit more when it went 2-1 but we kicked on and thankfully grabbed a couple more goals which helped settle the nerves and allow us to enjoy the game.”

The 20 year old grabbed his fifth goal of the season but he was just as pleased to set up team-mate Rory Loy: “I’m delighted to have grabbed the goal after practicing my free-kicks during the week in training with the gaffer and Fowler.

I was also pleased to set up Rory. At first I was just looking to shoot but there was no-one near him and it was a nice tap-in for him. I’m glad to help get his goal tally up and give him some confidence going into next week.”

Focus has already turned to that match on Saturday away to Ayr United and yesterday’s result along with booking a place in the Scottish Cup quarter-final last weekend will be seen as ideal preparation, something which Mallan goes along with:

We wanted to go out and win the two cup games which gives us a good boost ahead of the Ayr United game and we’ve done that. Scoring four at home today was important and takes us nicely into next week – which will be another cup final.”

The midfielder also praised supporters for their backing yesterday and hopes they can carry the feel good factor into Saturday’s match.

You can’t fault the fans," he said. "They came out in their numbers even with the game being on tv and the timing of kick off.

“Everywhere they go they always follow us. Even the game last week they were singing non-stop and it was obviously a delight to hear. Hopefully they come out in their numbers at Ayr next week and I’m sure they will.”

A selection of pictures from yesterday's 4-1 win over The New Saints in the IRN-BRU Cup semi-final.

The Buddies defeated the Welsh side to progress to the final of the competition after goals from Stephen McGinn, Stephen Mallan, John Sutton and Rory Loy cancelled out Ryan Brobbel's opener. 

Jack Ross' side will now face Dundee United in the final - 30 years on from Saints famous Scottish Cup triumph over the Arabs. 

Match gallery pictures by Allan Picken – © Allan Picken Photography and John Millar - © millarpictures

A delighted Jack Ross gives stmirren.com his thoughts after the Buddies come from behind to beat Welsh side The New Saints 4-1 to progress to the IRN-BRU Cup final where they will face Dundee United. 

St Mirren booked their place in the final of the IRN-BRU Cup with a fantastic second half performance to see of The New Saints. 

The Buddies scored four goals in the last 30 minutes to see off the Welsh side and set up a final clash with Dundee United.

It was a scrappy start to the match, though Stevie Mallan had three chances for the Buddies within the opening 20 minutes or so. His first came after just three minutes when he picked the ball up deep in the New Saints half before unleashing a shot that nestled safely into the arms of Paul Harrison who was keeping guard for TNS. 

The midfielder then had a good opportunity on the 15th minute with a free kick from what has become known in Paisley as 'Mallan territory'. But he lashed the ball over the bar, as he did a few minutes later when he was laid off on the edge of the box by captain, Stephen McGinn. 

The skipper then went close on the half hour mark when he picked the ball up after a Sutton knockdown. He took a touch to compose himself before seeing his effort curl just over the bar. 

But the visitors soon grabbed a foothold in the match and should have been ahead when Ryan Brobbel's attempt was saved by Billy O'Brien. Soon after they won a corner from which Wes Fletcher should have scored as he header the ball off the outside of the post. 

The warning signs were there and TNS would strike with just a few minutes left of the first half. It was a Brobbel again who burst through and curled the ball sweetly beyond O'Brien to send the small contingent of Welsh supporters wild. 

Half Time: St Mirren 0-1 The New Saints

The Buddies came out of the traps after the break with half time substitute Lewis Morgan causing problems down the left side. His trickery won St Mirren a corner and a free kick with neither coming to anything. But it was a show of intent after a disappointing first half and got the fans 

The match burst into life on the hour when the captain showed the way as he levelled the scores. It was a terrific strike from McGinn, his first since returning to the club in January, to put the home side back ahead. 

Saints, buoyed by the equaliser, started to turn the screw with McGinn at the forefront. And the game was set to swing in St Mirren's favour when the captain was chopped down 25 yards from goal by Steven Saunders. The TNS defender picked up a red card for the foul and gave away a free kick in the process. Up stepped Mallan who curled it a low into the left hand corner of the net to put St Mirren ahead. 

The Buddies were ahead and had a man advantage which they would really press home in the closing stages of the match. With just over 10 minutes to play the hosts won a penalty kick after Aeron Edwards hand-balled Morgan's attempted cross into the box. John Sutton stepped up to take but Harrison was equal to it as he dived the right way and pushed the ball wide. 

However, that couldn't dampen things for the Buddies - or Sutton himself - as he scored just a minute after the miss. Kyle Magennis drove into the box before cutting the ball back for the Englishman, who would make no mistake as he cannoned the ball into the net. 

And there was still time for Saints to add a fourth to cap off a fine second half display. Mallan laid off a free kick on the left side to the unmarked Rory Loy who fired it low beyond Harrison to put the seal on a good days work for the Buddies who will now have a cup final match against Dundee United to look forward to.

Full Time: St Mirren 4-1 The New Saints 

St Mirren: O'Brien, Stelios, Davis, Baird, Eckersley (Irvine 90), McGinn (Fjelde 87), Storie (Morgan 45), Mallan, Magennis, Loy, Sutton
Subs Not Used: Langfield, Webster, Whyte, O'Keefe

TNS: Harrison, Spender, Marriot, Baker, Brobbel (Sergeant 68), Fletcher (Draper 81), Mullan, Saunders, Rawlinson, Cieslewicz (Quigley 68), Edwards
Subs Not Used: Wycherley, Leca, Darlington, Pryce

Referee: Keith Kennedy
Assistant Referee: Joseph Lawson
Assistant Referee: Anthony Cooper
Fourth Official: Greg Aitken

Attendance: 2044

Jack Ross is forced to make two changes to the side that defeated East Fife in the Scottish Cup last weekend. 

Jack Baird comes into the team in place of Gary MacKenzie who is suspended while Cammy Smith is cup-tied and replaced by John Sutton. 

Academy player Conor O'Keefe takes a place on the bench after scoring twice for the U20s against Kilmarnock during the week.

We'll have all the action covered on Twitter and Facebook, while supporters out with the UK & Ireland can watch the match live on St Mirren TV.

St Mirren: O'Brien, Stelios, Davis, Baird, Eckersley, McGinn, Storie, Mallan, Magennis, Loy, Sutton
St Mirren subs: Langfield, Irvine, Webster, Morgan, Fjelde, Whyte, O'Keefe

With a place in the IRN-BRU Cup final up for grabs, players from the clubs left in the competition took time out of training to experience the magic behind a bottle of ginger.

While the secret IRN-BRU ingredient remained under wraps, club captains from Queen of the South, Dundee United, St Mirren and The New Saints got the chance to explore the home of IRN-BRU and A.G. BARR factory museum in Cumbernauld.

Players were given a tour of the factory floor in their personalised IRN-BRU Cup uniforms, as well as the opportunity to meet the team, try their hand on the production line and inspect a freshly bottled ginger.

The players visit coincided with the 21st anniversary of the Cumbernauld factory which produces Scotland’s other national drink, including its phenomenal new product IRN-BRU XTRA full of extra taste but no added sugar.

Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at IRN-BRU, said: “It was great to welcome players to the home of IRN-BRU and find out more about what it takes to create a winning formula for success. We wish all the players the best of luck for the semi-finals and hopefully their visit to the Theatre of Ginger Dreams can inspire a ballsy performance on the pitch.”

The semi-finals see Queen of the South take on Dundee United on Saturday 18^th February (k/o 5.15pm), while fellow Scottish club, St Mirren, host Welsh record-breakers, The New Saints, on Sunday 19^th February (k/o 4.30pm).

Jack Ross believes this weekend's match against The New Saints is going to be an interesting spectacle. 

The Buddies face Welsh opposition competitively for the first time ever and the manager feels that the newness of the tie, coupled with the opportunity to make a domestic cup final, makes Sunday's match intriguing. 

I think there's an excitement around the fact it's opposition we haven't faced this season and we won't face again," he told stmirren.com.

"There's a freshness around it and there's a chance to get to a domestic cup final which makes it a really attractive match.

"Regardless of the competition, it's still a domestic cup that you get silverware at the end of it. It's a good chance to win something. There's a terrific opportunity for the players to try and progress and one they will hopefully grasp on Sunday."

Jack has already seen the side in the flesh, having scouted them as Alloa manager earlier this season, and knows what kind of challenge they will present the Buddies.

I think their record domestically in recent years has been tremendous," he said. 

"They've swept all aside at domestic level and got European experience because of that.

"I'm reasonably familiar with them and we've done as much preparation as we usually do. We know they are a good side and a team that are used to winning games so we expect it to be a difficult match on Sunday."

The manager confirmed that Gary MacKenzie will miss out due to suspension, Cammy Smith and Josh Todd are both cup-tied and Ben Gordon and Lewis McLear are set to miss out as they make their comeback from injury.