St Mirren are champions!
The Buddies clinched the Ladbrokes Championship and gained promotion back to the Premiership after a 0-0 draw with Livingston at the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
Saints almost got the day off to the perfect start with Neil Alexander making a finger tip save to deny a fine Lewis Morgan strike that seemed destined to nestle into the top corner. The winger drove forward and let rip from distance with veteran goalkeeper Alexander clawing away.
Jack Ross' men started brightly and seemed determined to make it a day to remember. Cammy Smith was close to opening the scoring on 10 minutes when he lifted the ball over Alexander, but it just didn't fall quickly enough as it came off the roof of the net.
Ryan Flynn had a good opportunity from the edge of the box, but the winger didn't catch it well enough and it flew wide. Cammy Smith then had a go from similar range but dragged his effort wide.
The visitors began to grow into the game with Declan Gallagher doing well to meet a Rafa De Vita cross. However, the defender's header was easy enough for Craig Samson. Ryan Hardie wasn't all that far away when he met a cross with his head a few minutes later.
A foul on Danny Mullen saw Saints awarded a free kick in a good area just outside the box. Morgan stepped up to take but curled over.
As the game edged towards the interval there was one last opening for the Buddies with Morgan drilling the ball across the face of goal only for it to be narrowly missed by Cammy Smith and Ryan Flynn who would have opened the scoring with the slightest touch.
Samson had to be alert 10 minutes into the second half as he gathered a Hardie header at full stretch.
Danny Mullen almost netted his third St Mirren goal against his former side when he rose the highest to meet a Stephen McGinn free kick. The forward was up like a salmon but stuck the header just by the post.
With time ebbing away Kyle Magennis looked like he might settle things for the Buddies with a pile-driver from the edge of the box. It looked certain that it was going to fly into the bottom corner only for a vital intervention by a Livi defender.
In the end Saints earned the vital point that clinched the Championship title and a return to the Premiership.
Full Time: St Mirren 0-0 Livingston
St Mirren: Samson, L.Smith, MacKenzie, Davis, Eckersley, Flynn, McGinn, Magennis, Morgan, Mullen (Reilly 72), C.Smith (Hippolyte 85)
Subs Not Used: Stewart, Stelios, Baird, McShane, Sutton
Livingston: Alexander, Lithgow, Halkett, Gallagher, Frizzell (Cadden 45), Pitman, Byrne, De Vita (Mullin 72), Longridge, Miller (Thompson 51), Hardie
Subs Not Used: McMillan, Jacobs, Robinson, Buchanan
Referee: John Beaton
Assistant Referee: Stuart Stevenson
Assistant Referee: Chris Phillips
Attendance: 6,172
Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography and John Millar © - Millar Pictures
