It’s a quick turnaround from the euphoria of Saturday, and a 3-0 victory over nine-man Dundee United at Tannadice, to Tuesday night at Paisley (kick-off 20.00), another potentially testing trip.
That’s despite The Buddies sitting in tenth spot in the 12-strong Wiliam Hill Premiership table with 20 points from 23 fixtures. Hearts are in pole position with 54 points from 24 starts, six ahead of second-placed Celtic, the defending champions. Rangers are third also on 48 points from 24 games.
Jambos travel along the M8 having won four of their last five league games. Overall, they have scored 47 goals, the most by any club so far in the campaign, four more than The Hoops, and conceded 19, the second lowest total behind Rangers and Motherwell.
In contrast, Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren squad have accumulated only 17 goals, the worst goals for tally in the league, two adrift of low-scoring Dundee, who are ninth, six worse than second-bottom Kilmarnock and seven adrift of bottom-markers, Livingston.
The hosts have only earned two points out of their last two fixtures thanks to a 1-1 draw at Livingston and another in a hard-fought no-score draw against Dundee at the SMIsA Stadium on Saturday after playing for the final 30 minutes with ten men.
Kion Etete made his debut against the Tayside team after joining on loan from Cardiff City and Tunmise Sobowale and Jake Young made their first starts for the newly-crowned, Premier Sports Cup winners.
So, what has been the result of match-ups so far this term between the sides in the league? Matchday Ten on October 29 saw a 2-2 draw at Paisley, Dan Nlundulu opening the scoring for Saints after 28 minutes before Lawrence Shankland levelled six minutes later.
Miguel Freckleton put Saints ahead again after 55 minutes and Claudio Braga tied things up in 71 minutes.
Goals from Shankland after 60 minutes and Tomas Magnusson 20 minutes later tied up the three points for the Men in Maroon on January 14, Matchday 17, this time at Tynecastle. Hearts’ midfielder, Beni Baningime, was sent off after 15 minutes.
However, Saints edged the Jambos 5-4 after a shootout in the second round of the Premier Sports Cup, or League Cup, after a 1-1 draw on August 16.
Fast forward to now and Pierre Landry Kabore will be looking to add to his tally, if selected, after his double after 11 and 81 minutes at Tannadice, and Sabah Kerjota (73 minutes), Jamie McCart (73 minutes), Eduardo Ageu (82 minutes) and newest recruit, Rogers Mato (82 minutes), all received game time as the cock ticked down on Tayside.
Derek McInnes, Hearts’ head coach, therefore has options, but St Mirren are uncompromising opponents and there can be no slip-ups ahead of the Capital derby with Hibs – who drew 0-0 with Rangers at Easter Road on Sunday – looming on Tuesday, February 10 (20.00) followed by a trip to Ibrox on Sunday, February 15 (16.30).
ON THE BAWL: Stephen Robinson in the dugout at Easter Road earlier this season. Picture Ian Jacobs
