St Mirren play host to Dumbarton at the Paisley 2021 Stadium tomorrow afternoon with the Saints searching for their first league win of the season.
Tomorrow's match begins a run of four consecutive home games for the Buddies, with league and cup action on the agenda. The Sons are the first side to visit the Paisley 2021 Stadium over a busy November month with Dunfermline due in two weeks time in the league also. Sandwiched between that is the IRN-BRU Cup quarter final against Ayr United, before the Saints round off the month with the Scottish Cup clash against Spartans.
Jack Ross has been in charge for around a month now and the new manager couldn't have picked a more difficult start to his managerial career at the Saints if he tried, with tough matches against Dundee United, Hibernian and Morton at the beginning of his tenure.
Saints come into this match with one win, one draw and three defeats from their last five matches. A 1-1 draw at the Paisley 2021 Stadium with Falkirk at the start of October was followed up with a 2-1 victory away to Hibernian in the IRN-BRU Cup before losses to Dundee United, Hibernian and Morton. Dumbarton's only win in the Ladbrokes Championship came back in August when they defeated Dundee United 1-0 at home with Mark Docherty scoring from the penalty spot. They've picked up two draws and two defeats from their last four league matches, coming from 2-1 down to draw 2-2 with Dunfermline last weekend.
The Sons were a difficult opponent for St Mirren last season, winning three of the four encounters. In the first clash, ex-Dumbarton midfielder Scott Agnew scored with a magnificent volley from outside the box for the Saints to level the scores on match day two of the 2015/16 season after Willie Gibson's deflected free kick had given the visitors a first half lead. However, a late penalty from Garry Fleming meant all three points were heading across the Clyde and back to Dumbarton.
Garry Fleming was the scourge of St Mirren again when the two sides met in December 2015. His goal early in the second half was enough to seal victory for the home side and open up a five point gap over the Buddies. The roles were reversed come February though when Saints opened up a five point gap over Dumbarton with Lawrence Shankland netting the only goal just after the hour mark to give St Mirren their only win over Dumbarton last season.
The final meeting of the two came in St Mirren's last away game of the season and saw Dumbarton make it three wins out of four over Saints to secure their status as a Championship club for another year.Calum Gallagher had given St Mirren the lead before an own-goal by Saints player of the season Keith Watson levelled the scores. But once again it was Garry Fleming who was the hero for Dumbarton as he scored the winner on 54 minutes.
There has been one meeting between St Mirren and Dumbarton this season, with nothing to separate the two sides as they fought out a 1-1 draw at the Cheaper Insurance Direct Stadium in September. Andy Stirling put Dumbarton one ahead before loanee Ryan Hardie nodded home an equaliser for Saints just before half time.
A win in tomorrow's game would take St Mirren level on points with Dumbarton who sit directly above Saints in the Ladbrokes Championship, while a win for the Sons would see them move six points clear.
All the ticket information for tomorrow's game can be found here
