St Mirren will attempt to get back to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership this weekend when they welcome Hearts to the SMISA Stadium.
The hosts come into this one following a goalless draw with Kilmarnock, while Hearts travel through to Paisley on a high owing to their derby victory over Hibernian.
Match preview
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St Mirren face Hearts looking to push themselves up the Scottish Premiership table following a promising 2022-23 campaign so far under Stephen Robinson.
The Buddies are unbeaten in five matches coming into this match while also having the best home record in the division outside of Celtic and Rangers, picking up 21 points from 30 matches at the SMISA Stadium.
Last time round, St Mirren claimed a 0-0 draw with Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and managed to successfully hold on despite being reduced to 10 men with an Ethan Erhahon dismissal on eight minutes.
European football could be within the grasp of St Mirren, though tough tests lie ahead for Robinson and his side if they are to finish the season strongly.
Hearts on Saturday would certainly meet the threshold of a tough fixture in a match where St Mirren could move into fourth if they pick up three points.
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On the other hand, Hearts are in a fantastic run of form and occupy third in the league standings, with 31 points from 19 matches with club legend Robbie Neilson in charge.
The Jambos are without a defeat in their last five fixtures, while they have also scored the most goals in the division outside of Celtic and Rangers, having netted on 35 occasions.
In their first outing of 2023, Hearts cruised into the New Year in commanding fashion as a double from Lawrence Shankland and an effort from Stephen Humphrys sealed a 3-0 Edinburgh Derby victory over Hibernian.
Hearts are five points ahead of Aberdeen, who sit fourth in the table and also have a game in hand over the Dons, which could come in handy later this season.
All focus will now turn towards the task ahead against St Mirren as Hearts seek to strengthen their hold on a continental qualification spot.
Team News
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St Mirren will be without midfielder Ethan Erhahon for the visit of Hearts due to his red card in the draw at Rugby Park on Monday.
Ryan Flynn is likely to come in and take his place in the middle of the park. Richard Tait is ruled out because of a groin strain and is not expected to feature for the next few weeks.
Mark O'Hara is available for St Mirren as he has served his suspension for a dismissal against Livingston in the Kilmarnock match.
For the visitors, goalkeeper Craig Gordon is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg and will not feature against St Mirren. Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce will also not participate due to cruciate ligament issues.
Peter Haring is absent owing to a concussion problem, while Gary Mackay-Steven is a doubt due to a foot knock. Stephen Kingsley will spectate from the stands as he recovers from a nasty head injury.
Stephen Humphrys may replace Josh Ginnelly on the right flank after his impressive goalscoring cameo in the victory over Hibernian.
St Mirren possible starting lineup:
Carson; Gallagher, Fraser, Dunne; Strain, O'Hara, Baccus, Flynn, Tanser; Main, Brophy
Hearts possible starting lineup:
Clark; Sibbick, Rowles, Cochrane; Halliday, Snodgrass, Devlin, Smith; Humphrys, McKay, Shankland
We say: St Mirren 1-2 Hearts
In a match with permutations at the top end of the table, we expect both sides to battle hard and put on an entertaining spectacle in Paisley.
On this occasion, Hearts will win the match by a narrow margin and strengthen their bid for continental qualification in the Scottish Premiership.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
