St Mirren were dealt derby disappointment as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Cappielow. First half goals from Thomas O'Ware and Ross Forbes were added to by a second half strike by Gary Oliver to consign Saints to a bitterly disappointing defeat. Ben Gordon pulled back a late goal for the Saints but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal.

Saints started the game brightly and won a corner with less than two minutes on the clock. Mallan whipped the ball in but it was easily dealt with by the Morton defence. 

It only took until the five minute mark for either side to register a shot and it came when Forbes drilled a low effort from outside the box into the arms of Jamie Langfield. However, it was easy for the goalkeeper who was making his 50th start for the Saints. 

Morton were on the front foot in the early goings with Quitongo causing problems for Ben Gordon and his ball for Gary Oliver looked to have created a great opportunity for the striker but St Mirren got numbers back and cleared the danger. 

The Ton's pressure would tell though and they took the lead with just 15 minutes gone through Thomas O'Ware. The defender leapt above the St Mirren defence to bullet Forbes' free kick beyond Langfield and give the home side the lead. 

Saints were struggling to impose themselves on the game and things went from bad to worse when Morton doubled their lead before the half hour mark. Saints lost the ball in the midfield area and the skillful Quitongo back heeled the ball to Oliver who sent Forbes on his way. The midfielder broke into the box and drilled the ball into the back of the net. 

In truth, Morton were well worth their lead as the Buddies failed to get going. Things could've been different going in to half-time when David Clarkson went close to halving the deficit. The striker picked up the ball on the edge of the box and got the shot away, but watched as it agonisingly trickled just beyond the far point. Lawrence Shankland also had an opportunity before half-time though fired it over the bar. 

Half Time: Morton 2-0 St Mirren

Jack Ross reacted to the first half showing by bringing on Kyle Magennis and John Sutton for Kyle Hutton and Tom Walsh and Saints were starting to have a bit more territory, but were failing to create any real chances to get themselves back into the game. Forbes went close for Morton when he curled an effort goal bound but it was well held by Langfield. 

Jason Naismith went close when his shot was deflected just by the post and out for a corner. The Buddies failed to make it count as Morton easily cleared. 

Any chance of Saints getting back into the game looked to have been extinguished when Morton had the ball in the back of the net for a third time but the linesman's flag was raised as Oliver was adjudged to have blocked Langfield's view. 

That wasn't to matter for Morton though as they went 3-0 up less than ten minutes later. Gary Oliver picked up the ball just outside the box after Forbes' flick on and lashed it into the net to secure all three points.

There was a late consolation goal as Gordon headed home Mallan's corner. It was a good header from the defender - who was making just his third Saints appearance - but wasn't enough to spark an unlikely comeback.

Full Time: Morton 3-1 St Mirren

St Mirren: Langfield, Naismith, Baird, Gordon, Irvine, Walsh (Sutton, 46), Hutton (Magennis, 46), Mallan, Morgan, Clarkson, Shankland (Hardie, 64)
Subs Not Used: Gallacher, Whyte, McLear, Gallagher

Morton: Gaston, Lamie, O'Ware. Oliver, Forbes (Tidser, 85), Lindsay, Nesbitt, Russell, McDonagh, Murdoch, Quitongo (Oyenuga, 80)
Subs Not Used: McNeill, Kilday, Gunning, Doyle, Scullion 

Attendance: 3,378 (1008 St Mirren fans)

Match report pictures by Allan Picken – © Allan Picken Photography.

Match Gallery Pictures © John Millar.

St Mirren make the trip to Greenock this evening to face Renfrewshire rivals Morton in the Ladbrokes Championship.

Tonight's match, originally scheduled for Saturday 22 October, but postponed due to Morton's involvement in the Betfred Cup, will be the second time the two sides have squared off against each other this season following a 1-1 draw at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on the opening day of the season. 

On that day, Morton held the lead for the majority of the game after Thomas O'Ware's early first half goal put the Ton ahead. It was better late than never for the Saints when John Sutton popped up to head home his first goal since returning to the Buddies in the summer with just seven minutes remaining to earn the draw. 

Morton come into this evening's match on the back of some good form having won their last three matches in the Ladbrokes Championship - beating Ayr United, Queen of the South and Raith Rovers. It took two goals in the last 15 minutes or so of the Greenock side's game against Ayr United on Saturday for the Ton to grab victory having gone 1-0 down in the first half. Morton's home form is also strong, with Jim Duffy's side having not lost a match at Cappielow since a 1-0 loss to Raith Rovers in March 2016.

The feeling is that there has been an improvement in performances since Jack Ross took over as Saints manager several weeks ago. Unfortunately though, Saints have left matches against Dundee United and Hibernian empty handed. 

Lawrence Shankland was the hero for the Buddies in the last trip to Cappielow at the beginning of 2016, with his first half header enough to take all three points, and the bragging rights, back to Paisley. It was the first derby win for either side in the 2015/16 season following draws at Cappielow and the Paisley 2021 Stadium in August and November respectively. Shankland was also on the scoresheet when the teams met towards the end of the season, with further goals from Calum Gallagher and Stephen Mallan securing a 3-1 win for St Mirren.

Should Jamie Langfield start in goal tonight for the Saints it will mark his 50th appearance for the team he supported as a boy. The goalkeeper will be looking to maintain his run of clean sheets at Cappielow having denied the home side a goal in both trips to Greenock last season. The 36 year-old was in inspired form in Saturday's loss to Hibernian as he saved a penalty from Grant Holt and made several other good saves. 

As with all derby matches tonight will be hugely significant for both sides. A win for St Mirren would give Saints their first league win of the season and move them level on points with Dumbarton who come to the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Saturday. For Morton, a win would see them propel themselves above Falkirk in fifth and allow them a chance to sneak into the last play-off spot ahead of Queen of the South. 

All the ticket information for tonight's game can be found here, whilst all travel club information is available at this link.

Over the last few weeks a group of volunteers from within SMISA's membership have been in at the Paisley 2021 Stadium cleaning the Family Stand. While the front of the seats are cleaned by the club each year, the backs are not. The volunteers have been in cleaning these with power-washers and they have also cleaned the stairs, banisters and the advertising boards to make the area look much nicer ahead of Saturday's game against Dumbarton.

The Club's thanks go to volunteer squad members Bert Downie, Ian McLaren, Ken Docherty, Gordon Black and SMISA committee member Jim Crawford for all their hard work. 

The guys are keen to expand the numbers and if anybody has a few hours to spare and would like to join them, your help will be hugely appreciated. The team are back in at the stadium this week tackling the West Stand. For more information, email jim.crawford@smisa.net 

We are pleased to announce the launch of the second phase of the club website development project with the new St.Mirren "e-store" going live today here at stmirren.com.

The e-store allows our supporters and local businesses to pay for goods and services online using our new secure payment processing platform.

Initially in this phase we are rolling out online bookings for Matchday Hospitality and also opening up the remaining player sponsorship packages at a reduced rate for both individual and corporate sponsors to the end of the season.

This is only the beginning. We will be looking at all the services provided by the club and hosting as many of these online as we can, making purchasing as quick, easy and convenient as possible.

Today you will be able to book corporate hospitality for the Dumbarton game this coming Saturday and also for the Chinese/Indian Buffet we are running for the later kick off match against Dunfermline on the 19th of November. In fact all our home league games to the end of the year are available to buy including the perfect Christmas present of a day out at the derby game vs Morton on Hogmanay!

More matches will be added to the system during the course of the week.

The e-store can be found under "Shop" in the main menu and you will see online payment buttons on the relevant service pages too.

Naturally it works perfectly on mobiles and tablets so you book your services wherever you happen to be.

Click here to have a look around and create an account for easy future payments on the system.

Bookings are of subject to VAT which will be calculated at the time of order and all corporate transactions are subject to a £1.50 per ticket booking fee. All major credit cards are accepted and business customers can reserve services online using company purchase orders.

Where season ticket holder discounts are available please enter the applicable season ticket numbers in the box provided when processing your sale.

Jamie Langfield admits a result against Morton would make his 50th start for St Mirren all the more sweet as the Buddies head to Greenock tomorrow night. The goalkeeper will make the milestone appearance in the derby match if he's selected by manager Jack Ross and Langfield says he's very proud to be closing in on 50 games for the Saints.

Speaking to stmirren.com after Saturday's match against Hibernian, the 36 year-old said: "For me to play 50 times for my local team that I supported is a massive achievement and something that I'm very proud of. 

"It's a great milestone to reach and it would be even sweeter if we get the result on Tuesday night and we can really kick-start our season.

I feel as fit as I ever have," he continued. "I may have the body of a 36 year-old, but I have the mindset of an 18 year-old. Adjusting to the player/coach thing was hard at the start, but I'm really enjoying it. I have a great bunch of goalkeepers to work with and I'm also working with the academy now, so I'm seeing what's coming through and it's things like that that I really do enjoy. But first and foremost, I'm a player and whenever the manager needs me I'll be there giving 100%. I may make mistakes, but I'll give everything." 

Langfield made several stops throughout Saturday's game and saved a second half penalty from Grant Holt, but said that it didn't mean all that much in the end due to the fact the side still lost. However, he believes that the Saints squad is a talented one and will hopefully kick on.

It's great that you maybe give yourself a wee chance to go up the other end and maybe nick a goal, but at the end of the day it hasn't really counted for much. When your luck is against you and your confidence is down because you've not got a result the quality of a Hibs shows. We've got that in our squad, but we need a result to go our way just to get it out and let it flourish. 

The effort from the team is incredible and some of our play as well is brilliant, but we're just not getting that wee bit in the final third, that wee bit of quality that Hibs had. They've got that by winning games and breeding confidence and hopefully that's what we need to get because as a squad we've got those players." 

The goalkeeper also firmly believes that Jack Ross and James Fowler are the right men for the job and has been impressed with the training since the manager took over last month.

He said: "He's brought a youthfulness, a right togetherness, his demands are very high and you can see the way the boys are working. A lot of people talk about fitness, but I don't think it has anything to do with fitness. I just think we are looking a bit sharper and now it's all about breeding confidence in the team to get the results and I'm sure he and James Fowler and the men to do it." 

Tonight (Tuesday 1st November), St Mirren head along the Clyde to Greenock to face Jim Duffy's Morton side at Cappielow Park.

The info on Travel Clubs heading to Greenock for the match is as follows:

Cockles Wilson Supporters Bus

The bus for Cappielow will leave at 6:45pm.

Bus tickets are now available from the Bankhouse.

Tile Bar Supporters Bus

The bus for the Morton game will leave at 6:45pm.

Bus tickets are now on sale.

North End Travel Club

The bus to Greenock will leave the Sneddon at 6:30pm.

Bus tickets are on sale in the Brewers Tap, £5 each.

Chivas Travel Club

The bus will leave the Court Bar at 6:45pm for the match at Cappielow.

Tickets for this bus are on sale from the bar.

* Proof of status must be shown

** Children Under 12 gain free entry if accompanied by an adult.

Any wheelchair spaces need to be booked direct with The St Mirren Ticket Office as the spaces are limited – the cost is £15 for the wheelchair user and carer.

Additional Information

Tonight, Tuesday 1st November, St Mirren head to Greenock to face Morton in the Ladbrokes Championship.

The gate prices have now been confirmed for the fixture at Cappielow Park and these are shown above.

This match will be pay-at-the gate with cash turnstiles in the Wee Dublin End of Cappielow Park.

The referee tomorrow is Euan Anderson and he will be assisted by Graham Chambers and David McKniff.

For directions to Cappielow Park click here

Video of interview with St Mirren manager Jack Ross after today’s 2-0 loss away to Hibernian.

Ben Gordon made his first start for St Mirren this afternoon in the match away to Hibernian. An outing of mixed emotions for the defender.

“I was obviously happy to play but disappointed with the result at the end, but I’m happy to get my first start and hopefully take it from there.”

It has been a strange couple of months for Ben having been out on loan to Alloa who were managed at the time by Jack Ross and now being brought back to Saints, again under manager Jack Ross.

“It was a strange one. I’ve played the game for quite a while and I would say I’m an experienced player and you try and learn to not be surprised in football but it was one of those where you play it by ear and sees what happens. There were obviously lots of rumours and as I say it was a strange one, but you get your head around it and get on with things.

“It [coming back to St Mirren from being on loan] was one that kind of happened naturally, I didn’t try to force things, I just wanted to see what was going on. I obviously went to Alloa to get games and I did that while I was there under the gaffer. It was just something that happened naturally and I’m happy to be playing football.

“With him bringing me to Alloa it showed me that he had seen me play and that he was happy with how I played football so that gives me confidence but once you come back it is like playing for another gaffer and you hope to pay him back for putting you in the team.”

With Andy Webster and Gary MacKenzie out due to injury today, Ben had the opportunity to stake a place in the centre of St Mirren’s defence.

“Hopefully as that’s how football works, you hope to go in when you get a chance and look to hold your place and keep the jersey but we’ll see how things go and develop. But, yes that is what you hope to do when you get a chance.”

After Morton on Tuesday, Saints will face one of Ben’s former clubs, Dumbarton, next Saturday but he admits that playing against former clubs is something that doesn’t bother him too much.

“It’s been a while since I played for Dumbarton but I play against former clubs just about every season now so it’s not a huge deal for me now. But it is a big game and we need to get points on the board as soon as possible.”

Despite the poor run of form for Saints Ben believes that the atmosphere at the club under the new gaffer is a positive influence.

“When a new manager comes in you get a bit of a lift and you hope that training will pick up and sharpen, and training has been good and people have enjoyed it so hopefully we can take that into the games, high tempo and pressing, and get points on the board.”

St Mirren were unable to replicate their IRN-BRU cup victory against Hibernian as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Easter Road in the Ladbrokes Championship.

Saints started the match well with some early pressure down the left wing from Lewis Morgan. The young midfielder won the visitors a free kick within the first minute of play when John McGinn brought him down five yards outside the box. Stevie Mallan stood over the set piece however, the Saints number 10 could not find the target.

Only a minute later, Morgan was through again. The quick midfielder cut inside the Hibs defence and unleashed a powerful shot which was agonisingly wide.

It was then Hibs turn to pile on the pressure as they too saw a shot go just wide as Andrew Shinnie’s rebound was off target.

With seven minutes on the clock, Hibs opened the scoring through Martin Boyle. Shinnie played the ball over the top of the St Mirren defence and Boyle latched on to it as he broke forward. Langfield advanced in hope of blocking the shot but Boyle nicked it over the keeper and into the net to make it 1-0.

St Mirren tried to respond to conceding and came within inches of scoring once more. Saints’ corner was headed towards goal by Lawrence Shankland but it was headed away by the Hibs defence, only as far as Clarkson who blasted just wide of the target.

Hibs doubled their lead just after the half hour mark, Grant Holt the scorer this time. The original attack was from Boyle who was crowded out by the St Mirren defence but the ball came to Holt on the edge of the box who managed to find a pocket of space to stroke the ball home to make it 2-0.

Half-Time: Hibernian 2-0 St Mirren

The Buddies made a half time change in the hope of turning the match around which saw Kyle Magennis come on to make his debut taking the place of Ryan Hardie.

Saints had some early pressure in the second half but were unable to make it count. Lewis Morgan got the better of David Gray on the left wing and played the ball into the box. Jason Naismith was waiting but his header was not powerful enough to trouble Ofir Marciano in the Hibs goal.

Boyle remained the danger man for Hibs as he found himself through on goal again after Gary Irvine misjudged the bounce of the ball. However, the defender was joined by Jack Baird in putting pressure on Boyle and in the end the forward skewed his shot wide. 

St Mirren continued to look for a way back into the match as David Clarkson made way for John Sutton. 

Kyle Magennis had a chance to make his mark as the ball fell to him perfectly on the edge of the box but the young substitute’s shot was blocked and cleared from danger.

Things looked to get worse for St Mirren when Hibs were awarded a penalty with 15 minutes left to play. Gary Irvine was cautioned after he was judged to have fouled Grant Holt. It was Holt who stepped up to take the spot kick but was unable to convert it as Jamie Langfield got down to pull off a great save.

St Mirren made their last change as Kyle Hutton was replaced by Calum Gallagher but the changes weren’t enough to see St Mirren score and after a goalless second half, the match finished in Hibernian’s favour.

Full-Time: Hibernian 2-0 St Mirren

Hibernian: Marciano, Gray, Hanlon, Fontaine, McGinn (Bartley 76), Fyvie, Holt (Graham 83), Stevenson, Boyle (Harris 90), Shinnie, McGregor.
Subs Not Used: Forster, Cummings, Martin, Laidlaw (GK).

St Mirren: Langfield, Naismith, Baird, Gordon, Irvine, Hutton (Gallagher 77), Mallan, Morgan, Hardie (Magennis 46), Clarkson (Sutton 64), Shankland.
Subs Not Used: Walsh, McLear, Whyte, Gallacher (GK).

Referee: Don Robertson.
Assistant Referee: Alasdair Ross.
Assistant Referee: Daniel McFarlane.

Attendance: 14,485.

Match report pictures by Allan Picken – © Allan Picken Photography.

Match Gallery Pictures © John Millar.