St Mirren are back on league duty tomorrow as they travel to West Lothian to face Livingston in the Ladbrokes Championship after their IRN-BRU Cup exploits earlier in the week.
The Buddies bested a stubborn East Kilbride in the Challenge Cup on Tuesday night, scoring two goals in the last few minutes to win 2-1. The Lowland League side had somehow managed to keep Saints at bay, with Jack Ross' side registering 33 shots in the match, before scoring with less than 10 minutes remaining to take a shock lead.
With St Mirren heading for the exit door at the first hurdle, Ross Stewart did well to get in front of the opposition defender to reach Stelios' ball into the box and lifted it over Kilby goalkeeper Jacob Kean to level the scores on 87 minutes. The game was poised for extra-time only for the ball to end up at the feet of Lewis Morgan in the 92nd minute after a scramble in the box. The young winger composed himself before crashing a low shot in off the post in the 92nd minute to give Saints the win.
Meanwhile, tomorrow's opponents Livingston's IRN-BRU Cup campaign also got off to a winning start with David Hopkin guiding his side to a 2-0 win over Morton at Cappielow. Nikolay Todorov fired the Lions into the lead after just five minutes before a second half goal from Danny Mullen secured their passage into the second round. It was a result that maintains the newly promoted side's unbeaten start to domestic football this season.
St Mirren have already taken on the Lions this campaign when Hopkin brought his men to the Paisley 2021 Stadium in the Betfred Cup in July. Dale Carrick's second minute strike was enough for the visitors to take home the three points in Betfred Cup Group H with a 1-0 win.
However, Saints can take heart from the fact that they have won in their last five trips to the Tony Macaroni Arena - a run stretching back to November 1999. In those five matches the Buddies have won by a scoreline of 2-1 twice, 3-2 on two occasions along with a 1-0 victory. The last St Mirren defeat away to Livingston came in the second round of the Challenge Cup back in 1995 when the Lions ran out 2-0 winners.
Both sides are likely to come in to tomorrow's match looking to make up for league results last week. 10 man Saints were defeated 4-1 by rivals Morton, while Livingston saw a two goal lead against Brechin slip to allow the Angus side a share of the spoils. Despite their unbeaten start to the season, Livingston's two draws in the league see them sit one place below the Buddies who are in fifth thanks to their opening day win over Falkirk.
The Buddies will be without Jack Baird who is suspended following his red card in the derby last week while Dale Hilson, Kyle Magennis and Josh Todd remain sidelined.
Ahead of the match, manager Jack Ross said: "We are as we were squad wise with the exception of Jack [Baird].
"I think it's been a peculiar season so far as we've been a bit up and down. The one thing we have lacked is consistency.
"But we go into the game in a good frame of mind and the players have a belief that they can go and win it.
"I don't think there was much between the two teams when they came to our place in the Betfred Cup. For the players to know about their players and some of their strengths and weaknesses it is beneficial that we've played them already.
"I look forward to it though. It's always a good stadium to go to."
